Cheap compressor sanity check
- Thread starter Saltlake58
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I have one of those compressors for about a 1 yr and a 1/2 now, only thing that went wrong with it, was the small orings that fits on the main shaft (like a cork tipe of), up to now, fills my tanks and my guns with no issue, as long as you have one of those inline fiters, as they can get a lots of moister in the air resevoir tube of your gun/diving tank, make sure that change the oil regulary and clean the plumbing of it, they work wonders....My 2c's on it.
Yang Heng, that is.
Yang Heng, that is.
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The full results of the problems with these cheap feature poor unfiltered pumps and hand pumps will not surface until a number of years but I predict a LOT of ruined guns in the long term with hopefully no injuries. I traded for a relatively new Marauder a while back and when I went to put a regulator in it it was plain to see that air quality was poor that had been used in the gun. There was a lot of caked white powder just inboard of the fill end of the tube and some water damaged parts (aluminum) that were pitted badly. This was a gun headed for failure if I had not opened it and cleaned it well. From the damage I saw I would assume that there was some acidic action going on in the tube. The steel tube did not rust though and was in great condition.
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If you put a filter inline after a Yong Heng pump, like everyone should, you won't have any moisture problems. It's just not necessary to spend $2000 any more to have your own air supply. I could go through about 8 YH's before I spent that much money and the air at the other end is just the same. IMHO
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Don't assume the air from a full featured expensive compressor is necessarily dry air; that even at your local dive shop and especially paintball shops you may be getting moisture. If not operated properly, maintained properly, or the filters are not changed often you can still be getting moisture. In a recent government study only about 25% of dive shops breathing air compressors meet recommended moisture content requirements. I know we are not talking breathable air, but you get my point. My 2 cents.
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cfarm - agree completely. I have no idea what's in the air I'm using from the local paintball shop. I just hope it's clean. It could be as filthy as it comes, and I'd never know. At least with one of these compressors, I'd have an idea how clean it is, or isn't. Lots of filter changes, and probably add a huge oil/water filter/separator after the fact. Even adding all that to the price it's under $300
Think of it this way. I use my hand pump to fill my pistol. Hand pump intake is about an inch above the floor, and I pump on carpet. How much carpet related garbage makes it all the way through? Probably quite a bit. Keeping a compressor on a stand, with relatively clean air, and venting regularly probably reduces the risk about as much as anything else.
I might consider putting a hepa filter on the intake, but that does nothing for water, and just depend on the water/oil filter on the other end. It's a thought
Think of it this way. I use my hand pump to fill my pistol. Hand pump intake is about an inch above the floor, and I pump on carpet. How much carpet related garbage makes it all the way through? Probably quite a bit. Keeping a compressor on a stand, with relatively clean air, and venting regularly probably reduces the risk about as much as anything else.
I might consider putting a hepa filter on the intake, but that does nothing for water, and just depend on the water/oil filter on the other end. It's a thought
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I have a Question for the air experts on this form. I have had many pump guns in my life time Benjamin Sheridan ect. I pumped those rifles 10 pumps
per shot & not with filtered air. I put seals in them a few times but never seen rust or corrosion. Please explain as to why? I do believe it is a good idea
to put a good out line filter on any compressor. But I would think compressed air is compressed air, coming from a cheap China compressor or a $2000
compressor. There are many good reviews on the gold filters. What do you fellows know about this than us Joe Lunch Bucket poor guys??????
Fly
per shot & not with filtered air. I put seals in them a few times but never seen rust or corrosion. Please explain as to why? I do believe it is a good idea
to put a good out line filter on any compressor. But I would think compressed air is compressed air, coming from a cheap China compressor or a $2000
compressor. There are many good reviews on the gold filters. What do you fellows know about this than us Joe Lunch Bucket poor guys??????
Fly
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I am no expert but I have got a Jun Air shop compressor for spraying paints. It can only do 100 psi. When I purge the water in the tank , quite a lot of rust powder is flushed out so I am very sure the condensation in compressed air can do corrosion. Regarding your question, I can only think of two possible reasons :
1) For hand pumped guns, you typically do not leave the air tube pressurized during storage. The air is not compressed hence no condensation.
2) The inner surface of the air tube of the gun has been oiled hence protected against corrosion to some extent.
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Ya I have a shop compressor & know the problem. I have three moisture traps in my line to my plasma cutter. Plasma cutters do not like moisture. I two,
no expert. But shop air & these guns are different cats so to speak as I see it. With shop air we are passing a very large volume compared to what
a air rifle uses. I can see if you are filling air bottles moisture could be more of a problem then just filling a gun. But these inline gold filters do a very
good job on the small amount of air we use in the industry. Our inline filters require much attention compared to high volume shop air systems. I
could be wrong in my thinking, but I think we way over think this. Even the small tampon filter that comes on these china cheapo compressor seem
to do a pretty good job if you keep maintaining them. Before I bought a larger filter the small one seemed to do a good job if you kept the cotton changed.
JMOHOP Fly
no expert. But shop air & these guns are different cats so to speak as I see it. With shop air we are passing a very large volume compared to what
a air rifle uses. I can see if you are filling air bottles moisture could be more of a problem then just filling a gun. But these inline gold filters do a very
good job on the small amount of air we use in the industry. Our inline filters require much attention compared to high volume shop air systems. I
could be wrong in my thinking, but I think we way over think this. Even the small tampon filter that comes on these china cheapo compressor seem
to do a pretty good job if you keep maintaining them. Before I bought a larger filter the small one seemed to do a good job if you kept the cotton changed.
JMOHOP Fly
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OK, I did 5 minutes of quick research so take this for what it's worth.
Keeping crud (not including water) out of your tanks and guns is accomplished the same way on the Omega Super Charger ($1850 at AoA) and the cheapo Chinese compressor. Small paper air filters fit on the air intake. That keeps dust, hair and such out of the system. Same on both systems.
The Cheapo Chinese compressor also adds a small filter on the high pressure side to catch any debris that made it through, and collect any oil that might have migrated into the compression cylinders. I didn't see an equivalent on the Omega, but then again, pictures can miss a lot of details.
The real difference seems to be an Auto Bleed system on the Omega, vs a manual bleed system on the cheapo compressor. On the Omega, you can set a time interval of 1 to several minutes and it will automatically bleed off condensed water and blow it out the back of the system. The Cheapo compressor has the same bleed valves, but they aren't automatic, you have to unscrew them manually during the session. Bleeding during the full session seems to be the best way to keep water out of the tanks, from what I can see.
I have a couple home, 150 PSI compressors as well and they make a lot of water, but, there's no bleed system, they just compress everything including water vapor directly into the tank. The high pressure compressors seem to have a system to collect the water for later bleeding.
Anyone have a different opinion? After all, all of the above is based on a few minutes research???!!!
Keeping crud (not including water) out of your tanks and guns is accomplished the same way on the Omega Super Charger ($1850 at AoA) and the cheapo Chinese compressor. Small paper air filters fit on the air intake. That keeps dust, hair and such out of the system. Same on both systems.
The Cheapo Chinese compressor also adds a small filter on the high pressure side to catch any debris that made it through, and collect any oil that might have migrated into the compression cylinders. I didn't see an equivalent on the Omega, but then again, pictures can miss a lot of details.
The real difference seems to be an Auto Bleed system on the Omega, vs a manual bleed system on the cheapo compressor. On the Omega, you can set a time interval of 1 to several minutes and it will automatically bleed off condensed water and blow it out the back of the system. The Cheapo compressor has the same bleed valves, but they aren't automatic, you have to unscrew them manually during the session. Bleeding during the full session seems to be the best way to keep water out of the tanks, from what I can see.
I have a couple home, 150 PSI compressors as well and they make a lot of water, but, there's no bleed system, they just compress everything including water vapor directly into the tank. The high pressure compressors seem to have a system to collect the water for later bleeding.
Anyone have a different opinion? After all, all of the above is based on a few minutes research???!!!
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Makes sense, yes. I just fill my rifles so it is not as big of issue the short time it takes. But I have read the bottle fill guys with the cheapos saying what you are.
They recommend bleeding the air now & then. That good to know if I ever get a tank. I thank you for that!
Fly
They recommend bleeding the air now & then. That good to know if I ever get a tank. I thank you for that!
Fly
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I recommend a vertical filter with a bleed valve on the bottom placed second in line. I use the small tampon filters first and last and fill in an air conditioned space. The last filter stays clean and dry as can be so far. I'll report here if I ever have any problems associated with contamination of any kind as time goes on. Bill
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Found out today that the air coming out of my little tampon filter is so dry that all three of my PCPs have developed Toxic Shock Syndrome!
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Fly, most of the contaminates are microscopic. By definition, this is why you do not see anything. The factory filters on low-end compressors are like the Holland Tunnel when it comes to microscopic particles. But to the internal surfaces of your gun, these particles are like the Rock of Gibraltar. Ambient air is chock-full of microscopic particles. This is why dust accumulates on your furniture. It takes a lot of it for you to even see it. But once it gets to the point where you can see it with the naked eye, the damage is already done. What you don't see can hurt you! This is what is being introduced into the guts of your gun every time you use a compressor without a good particulate filter. It is imperative that you invest in a decent microscopic particulate filter in addition to an air drying system. (Or simply buy a tank and get it filled at a dive shop.)
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Same observation here. All my PCPs cough pretty loud so there must be something seriously wrong in their lungs.
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Animalhitman - If I had a dive shop that could do 4500 PSI, I'd use them. Considering Paintball shop compressor is the only game in town for me, and it's probably filthy air, the little cheapo Chinese compressor with the addition of a heppa filter on the front and a bigger tampon type filter for water on the high pressure side, is a serious step up from what I have access to. Considering that the $1850 Omega doesn't do any better job from what I can see, filtering the air, it's hard to justify the extra cash.
Also, I'm curious. I've never seen any literature on what size dust particle is considered damaging to the internals of a gun. What size particles are damaging? You can go to Home Desperate and buy furnace filters that can filter down to virus sized particles, but that seems a bit extreme. Some dust will always get through no matter how good the filters are, so what filtration should one use to protect the gun? Do you know what Dive Shops use?
Also, I'm curious. I've never seen any literature on what size dust particle is considered damaging to the internals of a gun. What size particles are damaging? You can go to Home Desperate and buy furnace filters that can filter down to virus sized particles, but that seems a bit extreme. Some dust will always get through no matter how good the filters are, so what filtration should one use to protect the gun? Do you know what Dive Shops use?
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