I could buy a nice 30 gallon air compressor or maybe I can come up with the cash for a 60 or 80 gallon version of the same compressor. A bigger tank means I can push more CFM for longer which is great.

But here's my question-- are there any downsides to a larger tank? One thing I'm concerned about is starting the compressor after it's been dormant for a long time-- does a larger tank take much more time to get air pressure at the hose?

I have two use cases in mind: One: I'm going to spend a long weekend with a pneumatic polisher. Obviously the bigger compressor is better for this. Second use case: The compressor has been off for a month, the tank is empty, and I just realized I need to top off air in my car tires (or even bicycle tires). Today, my little pancake compressor is good to go in about a minute for this-- what is a monster 80 gallon 5hp compressor going to be like in this case?