Alkin W31 - my personal review

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I have a 2006 horizontal model, it still runs like it's brand new, the white thing on mine is to hold a scuba yoke fitting, I'm sure Alkin has changed a few things since 2006 , I've heard that mine has a crank shift that's only supported on one side and that the newer one have bearings on both ends, so I hope that's not going to be a issue down the road, also mine makes a knocking sound for the first couple of seconds of start up ,I've read that's normal but it worries me every time I hear it, does your new one make that noise on start up?
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Bauer compressors and Alkin compressor both make that paint can ball rattle noise for a couple of seconds at startup. That noise is the free floating 3rd stage piston moving with no pressure in the compresor at startup. The rattling sound stops quickly as pressure builds by closing the water separator drain valves, One time I forgot to close the moisture valve on my Bauer filter housing causing the rattling to continue. I started to panic until I soon realized what was happening. The rattling sound stopped as soon as the drain valve was closed. I don't know if Coltri compressors make that noise at startup.
 
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Question for the Alkins Owners... Are the sold from one dealer/Location? or are they specific to you area?
I live in WI, so should I be looking for a dealer near me who can order it and I can go pick it up vs. shipping?
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If I lived in your area, I'd be looking at High Pressure Pneumatics for possible pick up or Baker Airguns for low cost shipping. I bought my Alkin from Baker, and it was an easy and pleasant transaction. I have had very positive experiences from both shops, and they're both close enough to you that shipping shouldn't be too bad.
 
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GeneT,

Excellent review. 

I bought a W31 two weeks ago, haven’t run the 240v line yet. Soon. 

Mine came with the female Foster quick connect too, My SCBA has a DIN 300 valve so I switched to a DIN300 connection instead. Why ? Between the weight of the valve and gauge on the fill whip and the smallest cross section of the male Foster, it seemed vulnerable to breaking off if something fell. The DIN300’s connection is darn near bomb proof. 

Randy
 
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Looks like I've missed a few questions. Sorry, life got in the way and I've been too busy shooting or doing other stuff to spend much time forum dwelling. 

I bought my W31 direct from Alkin (and I'm in Arizona). Service was first rate and I'm still very happy with the purchase. Unlike my previous compressor, I never worry about whether the Alkin is going to make it through the next fill. If you can afford it, but are on the fence, I highly commend it. 

GsT
 
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Nice review. I have had mine for over a year. I did have to replace the belt. Alkin sent me one. Run these machines. Home owners like us are not running them like they are designed for. These were originally designed to fill scuba tanks. The manual is clear, 1 hr twice a month. Also do not listen to everyone talking about hours before an oil change. Again in the manual, every 6 months.
 
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GeneT said:
This review covers my experience thus far with a 220V, 4HP, 3.7CFM Alkin W31 vertical with the Auto Start/Stop & Condensate drain features.

Cost was $3100 for the basic compressor + $600 for the automatic start/stop and condensate drain feature + $320 for shipment from NJ to AZ with liftgate service at this end (you can save quite a bit by arranging to pick it up at your nearest freight hub, if possible), for a total of $4020. If you're price shopping make sure your comparisons include similar features and shipping.

My Alkin W31 arrived strapped to a pallet, wrapped in plastic, and covered with a cardboard box. The manual and fill whip were bundled with the compressor. Both a User's Manual and a Parts List were included (along with an Alkin catalog). The manual is excellent. Compressor parts, use, maintenance, and troubleshooting are all well-covered. There are a few (very few) places where the English is a little awkward, and the pictures are a little dark, but still crisp. I had no problems understanding the manual, or following the illustrations. Having the 'real thing' in front of you makes up for any lack of resolution in the photos. Missing from the manual (understandably) is anything particular to airguns, as well as instructions for the electrical hookup. More on that in a minute.

Nearly everything about the compressor appears to be high quality. Fit and finish are excellent and all the fittings appear to be top-notch. There is nothing that makes you think any shortcuts were taken. One place where cheap components often hide is in the electrical box, but the Alkin has a tidy box with quality components. I'm impressed!

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Does the 220 come with a plug? I have heard some dont
 
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emack1984 said:
Does the 220 come with a plug? I have heard some dont
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No. The reason is the same as with clothes dryers - there are too many 'standard' receptacles, so it's up to you to get a cord cap (plug) that fits the receptacle you have (or install). The wires were clearly labeled on mine and I already had a 220V receptacle for my welders so I had another cord cap before the compressor landed and the whole thing took maybe 5 minutes to be ready to plug in. The Alkin uses only 3 wires, so it can be wired to any plug 3-wire or 4-wire receptacles.

Some more details in one of my posts: https://www.airgunnation.com/threads/alkin-w31-my-personal-review.926049/#post-926059

GsT

edit: typos
 
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