Omega 4500 Compressor or GX E5K2…

Hello airgun gurus,

I have a CX4-I which runs great, but want something to fill my 6.8L Acecare bottle that doesn’t work so hard.

I considered a Carette II, but decided against it after reading other’s folks experiences trying to get support/parts for it after the sale.

Then I looked at the Omega 4500 over at AoA. I understand that AoA supports and has parts for it, which is good if so. Additionally, it appears that particular compressor is a re-branded GX E5K1 that’s more expensive ($1500 plus tax/ship).

Looking further, on the GX compressor “official website” GX E5K2s are on sale for about $1600, shipped. But then I’m wondering about parts and support availability.

Lastly, I consider myself handy and can tinker with minor/medium repair jobs that aren’t too complicated.

Which direction would y’all recommend I go? Thx!
 
Maybe price out the GX-CS5 single cylinder. Price difference between single and double cylinder is considerable, it seems single should meet your needs easily. WM
The singles appear to be sold out everywhere right now, even on GX proper. I had one parked in my Amazon cart for awhile but sat on it for too long before it sold out.
 
  • Like
Reactions: WorriedMan
I use a CS4 to fill a 9L. I'm not using so much air that the slowness is a problem. One fill last much more than a week. If I had to fill more than once a day something bigger is needed. Even filling once a day I wonder how long a CS4 would run before failure. Too bad I don't see CS4 replacement part sold like the YH or Tuxing. Seems that the large reduction gear is one wear item as well as piston seals/rings, check valves...
 
The singles appear to be sold out everywhere right now, even on GX proper. I had one parked in my Amazon cart for awhile but sat on it for too long before it sold out.
I emailed them and they said a couple weeks for re stock. Not sure about that though as the last time the 5k1 sold out it was out of stock a lot longer than that so we will see.
 
The Carette II is a head and shoulders superior design compared to any GX compressor. It is comparable in quality to Coltri, IMO. I understand the OP's concern regarding the reputation the U.S. distributor has concerning service issues. Most if not all of these problems were about the water cooled first generation Carette which is no longer being sold. I've never seen or heard of any owner problems with the Carette II. If I was spending money comparable to either the GX CS5 or the Daystate Leggerio, I'd buy a Carette II. It is owner serviceable, very solidly designed, and parts are available from the manufacturer if needed. Carette II owners should chime in with their experiences.
 
The singles appear to be sold out everywhere right now, even on GX proper. I had one parked in my Amazon cart for awhile but sat on it for too long before it sold out.
I am currently running through almost the exact same thought process as you are currently. I did just reach out to GX recently to ask when the singles will be back in stock, and they quickly replied that inventory will be replenished in two weeks.
 
Hello airgun gurus,

I have a CX4-I which runs great, but want something to fill my 6.8L Acecare bottle that doesn’t work so hard.

I considered a Carette II, but decided against it after reading other’s folks experiences trying to get support/parts for it after the sale.

Then I looked at the Omega 4500 over at AoA. I understand that AoA supports and has parts for it, which is good if so. Additionally, it appears that particular compressor is a re-branded GX E5K1 that’s more expensive ($1500 plus tax/ship).

Looking further, on the GX compressor “official website” GX E5K2s are on sale for about $1600, shipped. But then I’m wondering about parts and support availability.

Lastly, I consider myself handy and can tinker with minor/medium repair jobs that aren’t too complicated.

Which direction would y’all recommend I go? Thx!
The thing is it’s not working hard just long. Very little heat buildup, just putts along.
 
  • Like
Reactions: AlanMcD
The Carette II is a head and shoulders superior design compared to any GX compressor. It is comparable in quality to Coltri, IMO. I understand the OP's concern regarding the reputation the U.S. distributor has concerning service issues. Most if not all of these problems were about the water cooled first generation Carette which is no longer being sold. I've never seen or heard of any owner problems with the Carette II. If I was spending money comparable to either the GX CS5 or the Daystate Leggerio, I'd buy a Carette II. It is owner serviceable, very solidly designed, and parts are available from the manufacturer if needed. Carette II owners should chime in with their experiences.
This is high praise for the Carette II coming from you, sir. So the $2200+ price for the C II is worth it over the Omega 4500 water cooled at AoA?
 
This is high praise for the Carette II coming from you, sir. So the $2200+ price for the C II is worth it over the Omega 4500 water cooled at AoA?
I don't follow prices and to be perfectly up front, the last time I checked the CII was $1995. If you gave me a choice between the two machines, I'd take the CII all day long. Whether it's worth several hundred extra is the buyer's conundrum.
 
I'll second what @blackdog899 said - don't confuse the length of run time with working hard. When you consider the max rated fill pressure and duty cycle run time of the CS4, it is not straining at all to refill a 6.8L tank.

In full disclosure, I don't have one, but have the even slower Shoebox compressor. Well designed compressors like the Shoebox and CS4 could fill a tank 50L tank, given enough run time . . . . mostly because they can dissipate more heat than they generate from running. Most of the other small compressors will cook themselves if left running for any extended period of time.

So there is no need to spend the funds on a bigger compressor for the reason you stated. Of course if you want to do so, go ahead and get what you want - just know that it is not needed for the reason you stated.
 
I don't follow prices and to be perfectly up front, the last time I checked the CII was $1995. If you gave me a choice between the two machines, I'd take the CII all day long. Whether it's worth several hundred extra is the buyer's conundrum.
Ok. The current CII purchase price includes shipping, so maybe that’s the difference.
 
I'll second what @blackdog899 said - don't confuse the length of run time with working hard. When you consider the max rated fill pressure and duty cycle run time of the CS4, it is not straining at all to refill a 6.8L tank.

In full disclosure, I don't have one, but have the even slower Shoebox compressor. Well designed compressors like the Shoebox and CS4 could fill a tank 50L tank, given enough run time . . . . mostly because they can dissipate more heat than they generate from running. Most of the other small compressors will cook themselves if left running for any extended period of time.

So there is no need to spend the funds on a bigger compressor for the reason you stated. Of course if you want to do so, go ahead and get what you want - just know that it is not needed for the reason you stated.
This is good to know. Glad to hear the CS4 can deal.
 
  • Like
Reactions: blackdog899
BlackICE gave you a great estimate on the initial fill of the tank, but remember that you only do that once - after that, you are topping it off only (at least until you decide to drain it for an inspection at some point).

The key thing that drives how long you run your compressor for refills is how much you shoot (and how much air that uses in total), and how often you refill. I like to look at the efficiency of my guns in terms of the number of pellets I can shoot per minute of runtime of my Shoebox compressor. Since I know that, and I know that the CS4 is about 3 times faster than the Shoebox (in terms of air output), I'd estimate that if you were to shoot a 500 count tin of .22 pellets at ~30 FPE from a decently efficient gun (but not insanely so) that you would be able to refill your tank (any sized tank, for that matter) with about 20-25 minutes of run time. YMMV based on what you shoot, but that would give you an idea.

So your run time will depend on how low you use the tank before you refill it - shoot three tins worth (from my example) and you'd be at about an hour of run time.
 
I never seen a single drop of water vented from the purge valve, even when filling non-stop a 9L from empty.

1742005648774.png