Anyone ever bought carbon tanks direct from China?
- Thread starter RonT
- Start date
If its not DOT approved i'd be leery. 4000+ psi is nothing to mess with. Have a compressor? If so i'd look for a used US-built tank. Even an expired one would probably be better.
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If not DOT cert. You may have trouble finding someone to fill it. CE cert is supposedly stricter but US does not recognize CE cert. Price sure is attractive.
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I've heard that Acecare makes a quality product. AFAIK they are NOT DOT cert. so you'd have to fill it yourself. And, no one will hydro-test it. What size is 85bux? All the ones i saw ranged from 150-300bux plus a hefty shipping fee.
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I have seen them listed as DOT approved, But who knows if it's true or just a label they might have made up and put on them.
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Yeah, there's some on Amazon listed as DOT approved. And they are NOT cheap. At these prices there's no doubt as to buying US-built stuff.
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They do make DOT cert tanks as sold by timmy mac, they will not sell a DOT cert tank to you directly. They will sell to the U.S. the CE tanks and then you would hope it is exactly the same assembly line ( one would think so right?) at a value price. And then you need your own booster/pump for home use, some chance you could hit rules/regulations at a match or range. I have seen an informed ( about airguns ) PB Range Master refuse to allow a 10m pistol with expired cylinder but wouldnt think it too common.
The price has dropped SO much it seems worth it to purchase something DOT certified. The peace of mind is worth the extra dollar. If you shop well there are many good used scba tanks that are dot certified and in hydro for under $200. Not a full 15 years left but at least you know what you've got should you personally decide to run it after the expiration date.
To me it's worth buying a used one every 5-10 years.
John
The price has dropped SO much it seems worth it to purchase something DOT certified. The peace of mind is worth the extra dollar. If you shop well there are many good used scba tanks that are dot certified and in hydro for under $200. Not a full 15 years left but at least you know what you've got should you personally decide to run it after the expiration date.
To me it's worth buying a used one every 5-10 years.
John
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I have a 6.8L Acecare tank. As mentioned they are CE certified-- I believe they may make DOT certified ones that are available on Amazon and other places for considerably more. Given I'd read that CE certification is more strict than DOT and I have my own compressor I was happy to pay $330 for a 6.8L tank.
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I have two 7L Acecare tanks. I have no trouble getting them filled by my local paintball shop for $6/fill. They have not caused a single issue in the year plus I've owned them. I consider them one of my smarter air gun related puchases. I went ahead and ordered the valves from Acecare as well just to make sure everything fit correctly. They work fine but are not of top-notch quality. If I remember correctly, the paintball shop I fill mine at had trouble connecting to the male fittings and replaced them for me.
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I have one Acecare 9L tank with DOT certification. I wanted to get 12L tank, but 12L tanks cannot pass DOT certification (they only pass CE). This makes me think that CE might be easier than DOT. I also trust DOT more because EACH cylinder is tested and certified, while CE is more of a program certificate that does not test every cylinder.
Acecare has a major problem though: they really skimp on shipping costs. My first cylinder was wrapped in a single layer of bubble wrap and a single thin cardboard box. It arrived with deep gashes and scratches, so Acecare had to send me a new one. New one was also packed terribly flimsy but fortunately it arrived in nice condition.
If you order from Acecare, ask them to double box and double wrap it.
Acecare has a major problem though: they really skimp on shipping costs. My first cylinder was wrapped in a single layer of bubble wrap and a single thin cardboard box. It arrived with deep gashes and scratches, so Acecare had to send me a new one. New one was also packed terribly flimsy but fortunately it arrived in nice condition.
If you order from Acecare, ask them to double box and double wrap it.
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I've been using a 3L tank, valve, hose, and fill station purchased from Aliexpress over a year ago. I fill from my own Carette compressor to 4500 psi. I've filled it dozens of times with no leaks whatsoever. I did replace the pressure gauge on the fill station with one that reads pressure more accurately.
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Our Diving shop would not even touch Chinese tank without DOT sticker. I had trouble even with Scott(Luxfer) SCBA tank, because Hydro sticker was not standard.
They even checked the license number of Hydro testing place and called them.
I hope you understand - exploded 4500 psi tank can kill instantly
They even checked the license number of Hydro testing place and called them.
I hope you understand - exploded 4500 psi tank can kill instantly
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Never had any problems with my 6.8L Acecare tank. Wouldn't hesitate to recommend them. But used tanks on ebay are also a good option, and a bit cheaper. I kind of like knowing what my tank has been subjected to for its whole history. But that's just me - after all if a used tank passes hydro, it passes hydro.
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