Best CF Tank/Valve

[jbravo103]

I’m looking to get a 75 (66) or 100 (88) cu ft tank soon for filling my PCP airguns. Which CF tank brand would you buy and why?

• Air Hog
• Air Venturi
• Joe B.
• Omega

Assuming the tanks are relatively the same, it probobly comes down to the valve and gauge assembly. I understand some brands market their tanks as having more CF but my guess is they all have the same water volume per class.

The valve system needs to be something that a local dive shop can fill , which I believe is a DIN connection. Most valve assemblies have only one gauge located on the line side. Some vendors now offer a dual gauge setups so you see how much pressure is on the tank side too (more expensive).

I would appreciate your feedback based on experiences, thanks!

 

[guod123]

I have the Great White with the optional gauge. I also have a Benji pony tank. The slo fill and extra gauge is a nice feature, the thinner diameter makes the Benji more desirable over Joe B's smallest tank. With a 15 year life a few dollars less is insignificant when looking at 180 months. The net and the boot is a rip off, better options are available at most of the dive shops in my travels.

 

[Humdinger]

I've owned all three of the well known brands, Airtanksforsale, Airhog, and Omega. I bought and sold them as I decided to either try different sized tanks or replaced tanks after several years of use. All three are quality brands and all three vendors give excellent customer support. However, there are differences and makes one the favorite.

Please disregard some vendor claims about tank capacity. It's a one upmanship game. The largest tank size most people buy is a 9 liter or 550 cubic inch tank. Airhog was the first vendor to market this tank years ago and correctly advertises it as an 88 cubic foot capacity tank. That means at 4500 psi it holds 88 cubic feet of air if it was at atmsopheric pressure. Then Airtanksforsale claimed that their identcally sized Great White 9 liter tank holds 97 cubic feet of air as one upmanship. Not to be outdone, Airguns of Arizona later marketed their 9 liter tank as a 100 cubic foot capacity tank. Without checking, some buyers won’t realize that all three 9 liter tanks of each brand have identical internal capacity. Same applies to their 6.8 liter medium sized tanks.

Be that as it may, IMHO the best value is the Omega tank set sold by AofA, all features and prices considered. If you are filling your tank at a retail shop buy a 9 liter tank set to it get more air per trip. If you own your own compressor then buy the 6.8 liter tank. It is lighter to carry and still gives a lot of fills before needing to be refilled itself. The tanks are all good, it is the valve assemblies that make one the best choice. I prefer the Omega because it has a push button air bleed valve and a super flexible microbore hose that can’t crack if kinked like the plastic coated hoses of the other brands. It omits a second gauge for showing constant tank pressure but does include a deadhead plug to read tank pressure easily. Finally, it includes an extended grip length foster quick connect which is very helpful when connecting to the recessed male foster valves found on some PCPs. 

No matter which brand you buy, do not opt for the overpriced tank protection packages. You can assemble the same items for $25 with a little ingenuity. A velcro carry strap can be purchased online for $13, a tank boot for $12, and a cradle is easy to make. Or you can spend a total of $50 and purchase the $25 tank feet sold in the classifieds by a forum member and is custom sized to your tank diameter.

 

[jbravo103]

Thanks for the great feedback Humdinger! I’ll likely go with the Omega 66 cu ft tank, and was leaning that way anyhow. Just wish Pyramid Air or Airgun Depot sold the Omega tanks so I could get 10% off.

There is another tank out there made by Scandinavian Airguns that appears like a nice setup but don’t know of any vendors in the US.

http://scandinavianairguns.com/produkt/the-major/