You don't need a spring compressor.
Here's my way of doing it.
-Lift the whole front end and set jackstands under it.
-Put a jack under the outter lip of the lower A-arm
-I dont have one, but you'll need to remove the swaybar mounts
-Remove the 2 strut bolts
(No need to remove the tie rods)
-VERY slowly let the jack down
Sometimes it will fall right out, but others I will have to lower the A-arm completely down and pry the spring out. It has very little tension on it at this point, but still be careful (don't pry it towards your open crotch
)