I'm looking at getting a small cabinet and a portable setup as well.

My first thing I want to cleanup is my intake manifold, I'm curious, should I use glass bead or Black Aluminum Oxide? I've heard not to use sand, so does anyone have any suggestions on either of those?

Here's the cabinet I'm looking at:
Abrasive Blast Cabinet

Here's the portable unit:
Portable Abrasive Blaster Kit

 

Purchased the cabinet the next step up with the doors on each side thru H.F., came in handy for the long material, tape a trash bag to seal off the open side while blasting. If only intend using for smaller items the one selected should be fine. I used a small Craftsman shop compressor but it ran pretty much the entire time to keep up.

Comes down to what you can afford, neighbor has the same portable sandblaster kit, he says it goes thru media quickly but comes in handy for small items. I purchased a pressure blaster and use it in conjunction with the cabinet, can be a challenge trying to move the gloves while the cabinet is under pressure. One thing to keep in mind is to use caution, the media can travel quite a distance so one does not want to use if neighbors are in close proximity; also, regardless of the amount of safety gear or protection one wears the media gets into every orifice know to the human body.

Not an authority, suggest check for local media source and save $ on cost of shipping. Just happened upon cheap media source within relatively close distance to my home and picked up few bags of both alum. oxide, and glass bead. Found the glass bead was not as aggressive as the alum. oxide, if trying to remove rust from cast iron the alum. may be a better choice. Having said that, suggest wait for member's more knowledgeable, walnut, or similar media may be more suitable??

 

I got a top loading one from Tractor Supply. Same size as what you are considering. But that top panel leaks dust profusely while blasting so I hope the side loader is less messy. In any event wear a good quality dust mask. I use Black Beauty (coal slag) in a fine grit for all rust and paint removal. The medium grit tends to clog the tips. I've never "overcut" or had warping with it. You have to check on the work as you go - and you need a lot of air. I have a 60 gallon compressor and it lights up about 3 or 4 minutes into continuous blasting. Good luck....

 

Black Beauty for rust and paint on metal
Glass beads for alum.

 

I use black beauty for the hard parts, and beach sand for the fine stuff that I don't want to hurt the surface like body panels. However I have an endless supply of free beach sand.