Is $1500'ish budget enough for a good compressor?

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yenniedn

yenniedn

Member
Aug 9, 2015
2,657
1,216
Northern CA, United States
Hey AGN: 

After putting it off all this time, I've come to the realization that I do need a decent compressor. I don't want to buy a $300 Chinese unit off eBay and have to buy/make a bunch of other stuff just to get it to work right while always worrying about if/when it's going to crap out on me. At the same time, I don't want to spend $5,000 for one either . . . so is a $1,500 budget (maybe stretching out to $2,000) enough to get a good quality, reliable compressor? BTW, targeted budget includes everything (filters, cooling, etc.) I need for normal use.

If so, what are the brands/models I should look at in this price range and what are their pros/cons?

Thanks in advance for the info!
 
Yen, I am sure you will get many opinions. Here is mine. 

My Air Venturi HPA Compressor, 4500 PSI/310 Bar, 110V (copied from the Pyramyd Air website to make sure I had the correct model, they make several) has been working away for the last 2 1/2 years with no issues. I live in Florida but have a Key West style house on stilts so I air conditioned the garage. No high end filter installed. No water visible in any tear downs I have done. I use a Brancato "Great White" about every 2 weeks or so. Never had any filling issues with my AV compressor. 

Gary
Venice, FL
 
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I have had excellent luck with my Benjamin ReCharge compressor. Only 22.5 hours on it and it is a Chinese compressor, but has been flawless for me and all I've done is change the oil a couple of times. I mostly just re-fill guns, but I also have a 6.8 liter and a 18 cu ft tank which I have also filled, then topped off with the ReCharge. One year warranty on the compressor, as compared to the 5 year warranty on most Benjamin products.

There is another recent post on AGN about the ReCharge and its less than stellar performance in Club use. But I haven't had any of those issues with mine. I don't normally purchase from Optics Planet, but they had the best price ($1,239 and IIRC free shipping, and in stock). The purchase was fine and so far the compressor has definitely been well worth the price for me. I use one of the cartridge filters (oil/water separator) I bought off Amazon for about $100, and other than a couple of quarts of compressor oil that is my total investment.

I also bought a Hill EC-3000 through Pyramyd for a little more portable unit. Unfortunately mine had something go bad with less than an hour of use, and it would no longer fill above 100 bar if I remember correctly. Sent it back and got a refund with no issues from Pyramyd. I liked it when it worked, but it just didn't work for long. These should be quality, well designed units from Hill, so maybe I was just unlucky.
 
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Here ya go 

Chinese compressors are made and built to be disposable. Know it and live with it you were warned. BUY the Wal-Mart 4 year protection plan if you buy ANY compressor of Chinese origin. Had a $2000 Omega fail twice in its early new condition first received was DOA FYI. Several others had paper weights right after the one year warranty was up $1800-$2000 Omegas also FYI at least one guy managed to sell his broken condition $2000 Omega just past warranty for $500 recently who recovered 1/4 of his cost back. A $2300 Chinese Coltri MCH6 clone failed shortly after a year FYI. What makes you think a cheaper $1200 Chinese compressor especially the same brand as these documented failed examples 18 months of light use or less then plain old KILLED OVER DEAD gonna be more reliable? BUY ANY BRAND CHINA COMPRESSOR FROM WALMART WITH 4 YEAR PROTECTION PLAN OR TAKE YOUR CHANCES ITS YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY TO FLUSH DOWN THE TOILET HOWEVER YOU PLEASE.

Even the $999 HILL UK brand had documented failures in their first month of use and a personal friend returned his for refund after less than one month after it failed. I'd buy the Hill if Wal-Mart sold it and offered the 4 year protection plan though. One year warranty simply ain't enough for ANY sub $2500 compressor realistically. You divide the cost by number of days before you throw it in the trash you be shocked after buying them added up you could have bought the $3300 Alkin in the first place.
 
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To help ANYBODY GAMBLE for a little less money. Still gambling but at least it's NOT MY MONEY! Plz post how many days/hours of use before it fails (AND IT SURELY WILL). THANKS!

Screenshot_2020-11-30-17-34-232.1607200190.png

 
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Yen, I am sure you will get many opinions. Here is mine. 

My Air Venturi HPA Compressor, 4500 PSI/310 Bar, 110V (copied from the Pyramyd Air website to make sure I had the correct model, they make several) has been working away for the last 2 1/2 years with no issues. I live in Florida but have a Key West style house on stilts so I air conditioned the garage. No high end filter installed. No water visible in any tear downs I have done. I use a Brancato "Great White" about every 2 weeks or so. Never had any filling issues with my AV compressor. 

Gary
Venice, FL
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This mirrors my experience. I'm 2.5 years into mine, and its been flawless from cold dry winter days to 90% humidity summers here in Missouri. I have a 60 minute tank i fill every week or two. I do use a gold filter on mine with desiccant beads and tapon filters on each end. After one year the incoming tampon had a slight gray smudge to it was the only indicator anything other than dry air was going in, and the desiccant beads looked like they were fresh from the bag.

Air Venturi also has excellent customer support if you do need it. 
 
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AV sure seem to have good support within the 1 YEAR warranty period for example. THIS GUY had to replace his AV compressor THREE TIMES within 1 year. Not sure if he ate the shipping and insurance sending it back all of those times though.

https://www.airgunnation.com/topic/air-venturi-air-compressor-failure/

More coming...oh sorry I have to retract the GOOD SUPPORT part after THIS... Dunno what came about of he got a replacement never followed through what was done to rectify the issues...

https://www.airgunnation.com/topic/air-venturi-4500-psi-compressor-issue/page/4/

More to follow and it aint good!
 
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$2500 minimum for a Coltri MCH6 from Nuvair on sale. But if I could do it all over again I would buy the Alkin for $3300 way more horsepower. Come to think of it I should have bought a Bauer JR2 with tje money I spent buying 2 Coltri MCH6 1 electric and 1 portable gas fits in the trunk of a Toyota Corolla take anywhere just pretty damn loud!!! Like a hot rodded lawn mower!!!
 
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$2500 minimum for a Coltri MCH6 from Nuvair on sale. But if I could do it all over again I would buy the Alkin for $3300 way more horsepower. Come to think of it I should have bought a Bauer JR2 with tje money I spent buying 2 Coltri MCH6 1 electric and 1 portable gas fits in the trunk of a Toyota Corolla take anywhere just pretty damn loud!!! Like a hot rodded lawn mower!!!
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Sorry to bother you, but I'm just starting my journey into the world of PCP. Last night I bought a used Impact MKII (hope I got a good deal) but really need to think about a compressor, I was looking at the Hill for about 1K, I only have the one gun and don't at this time really need a heavy duty compressor. Would this be the one you recommend for a newbie like me. It seems to do everything by itself so hopefully I can't screw it up too much. thanks for the help Mike 
 
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Hey AGN: 

. . . so is a $1,500 budget (maybe stretching out to $2,000) enough to get a good quality, reliable compressor? ...
Click to expand...

$2000? In that case, I'd get a Daystate LC110 (based on an MCH3). But if you can stretch it to $2500, get a Coltri MCH6 (not a clone). Next step would be a Alkin W31 ($3300), and then a Bauer JR ($4400), and then maybe a Coltri MCH8 ($6000).

I also believe it's best to buy the one that has convenient service and parts (local if possible), just in case the need arises.
 
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$2500 minimum for a Coltri MCH6 from Nuvair on sale. But if I could do it all over again I would buy the Alkin for $3300 way more horsepower. Come to think of it I should have bought a Bauer JR2 with tje money I spent buying 2 Coltri MCH6 1 electric and 1 portable gas fits in the trunk of a Toyota Corolla take anywhere just pretty damn loud!!! Like a hot rodded lawn mower!!!
Click to expand...

Sorry to bother you, but I'm just starting my journey into the world of PCP. Last night I bought a used Impact MKII (hope I got a good deal) but really need to think about a compressor, I was looking at the Hill for about 1K, I only have the one gun and don't at this time really need a heavy duty compressor. Would this be the one you recommend for a newbie like me. It seems to do everything by itself so hopefully I can't screw it up too much. thanks for the help Mike
Click to expand...

I can't comment on anything that has already been known to have issues that haven't been around for at least a year to see about longevity past the 1 year warranty. In fact a buddy got a new Hill and it failed right away about a month ago so I can't recommemd it for now and he chose to get a refund rather than wait for it to be repaired under warranty.

I would buy a Wal-Mart Hatsan Spark and pay for the 4 year service plan and expect it to fail in a couple of months then call them for a new replacement. You probably get to keep the broken one for parts.

You need the AC adapter too unless you gonna hook it up to your running car battery.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Hatsan-TactAir-Spark-Compressor-PCP-Charging-System/424453935?&adid=22222222255366587386&wmlspartner=wmtlabs&wl0=b&wl1=g&wl2=m&wl3=414265379455&wl4=dsa-867473843036&wl5=9032751&wl6=106118289751&wl7=&wl8=&veh=sem

Plus!!! Don't forget buy the 4 year service plan too.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Hatsan-TactAir-Spark-12V-Power-Supply/351399594

You could ALSO try the MORE RELIABLE Yong Heng from Wal-mart too WITH 4 YEAR PROTECTION PLAN but you need separate water bucket.

EITHER WAY I wouldn't fill to max pressure.


 
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I lost count how many hours I've pumped on my 220$ yong heng. 

At 2k$ you can buy 9 units. 

Give me 9 yong hangs and I will pump air for 20 air gunners for 15 years. 

1 guy? With a couple small calibre guns? Like .22 and .25 or even .30?

Someday you guys will have to sit me down and explain the logic in spending 2k on a compressor when 200 bucks does the trick just fine. I'm honestly completely baffled...


 
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Hey AGN: 

. . . so is a $1,500 budget (maybe stretching out to $2,000) enough to get a good quality, reliable compressor? ...
Click to expand...

$2000? In that case, I'd get a Daystate LC110 (based on an MCH3). But if you can stretch it to $2500, get a Coltri MCH6 (not a clone). Next step would be a Alkin W31 ($3300), and then a Bauer JR ($4400), and then maybe a Coltri MCH8 ($6000).

I also believe it's best to buy the one that has convenient service and parts (local if possible), just in case the need arises.
Click to expand...

That $2000 Daystate 110/MCH3 is rather IFFY IMHO based on rather disgruntled posters when doing search function here who seem pretty pissed.

Anyone can take their chance it's their hard earned $2000 though and who knows they might get lucky to get a good one but even if it has warranty I am not too sure I would want to gamble on $2000 when for only $500 more you get the better 4 stage version MCH6.
 
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Hey Yen

Got the orings thanks.

I have the Carreta that Joe sells for about three years but have only been using it for about 6 fills on a large capacity tank, I broke it in when when I received it very carefully and changing the oil three times during two hour run time and allowing cool down periods and used Bauer oil. In other words I babied it. And I also bought Joe's alpha filter that has a PMV valve that is very important for removing moister on any compressor a PMV (pressure maintaining valve) allows the compressed air to reach around 1800psi before it enters you tank and this squeezes the air before hand removing the moisture.

So I have around only10 hrs on the Carreta but it's doing great it Lopes along at a low rpm and doesn't get very hot, the killer of most compressors and I run a additional fan over it while charging tanks to 4500 PSI.

I think treated this way the compressor will be trouble free and have a long life but in reality I can't say 100% for sure.

Donald
 
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