Is my mind right on compressors

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standles

standles

Member
Nov 6, 2022
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Destin, FL USA
I know everyone is probably tired of "which compressor do I need" but please bear with me once more time and help see if I have this right in my mind.

I am new to PCP and have no readily available businesses near me willing or able to charge a tank to 4500psi so that leaves me looking for an air source of my own. I want to top off 74cuft tanks from 3000 to 4500 and fill a gun tank if needed. since tanks is in picture portability would be nice but not required. Even at my preferred range I have access to electricity. PRIMARY desire is something reliable and with readily available support/parts for when something does break.

So with that said and days of scouring the web/forum for info I have 4 pools of equipment.

1) Cheap budget system <500.00 (Yong Heng types)
Mostly Chinese
Labor intensive (water buckets etc)
crapshoot on reliability
Not bottle recommended but can be used in that role if accept risks.
2) low priced 500.00 to 1000.00 (GX Air Venturi etc)
Basically the same as cheap systems but a couple more bells or whistles.
Not much more on reliability
Generally re branded Chinese stuff
3) Mid priced 1000.00 to 2000.00 (Omega, etc)
Feature rich with auto shutoffs, auto drains, etc
Upgraded Chinese
integrated cooling and water/oil separator
Limited support/parts (in case of omega a one man show)
Reliability all over the map
4) Commercial (Coltri Alkin) 2500.00 and up
Hits all the desires
Low end of professional series so bells and whistles dropped off.




So with that laid out I am seeing I am going to have to find something in #4 like Coltri MCH-6 to be satisfied. Am I missing something? Did I too harshly judge #1 thru #3? Do I need to quit stressing and bite the bullet for the coltri?

Thanks for any nudge, correction you are willing to provide.

Steven
 
If you want reliability and ability to fill large SCBA tanks reasonably quickly, get a SCUBA Compressor Gas or Electric, as so named Coltri or other brand names, I have a Nardi, works good, but parts are hard to get, Bauer Compressors would probably be the best, but be careful for counterfeit clones from india.
oh and I do have several of the cheap compressors, GX CS2 and a Spritech 2 cylinder, both work great, no problems.
 
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Personally, after all these years I would either get #1 on Amazon with a 4 year warranty or get #4 if you can afford and buy a big carbon fiber tank.
#1 buy a 5 gallon bucket and put water in it. Then put the pump in it. If the pump blows, then get a new one on Amazon for $17. If the compressor blows, they'll send you another and repeat for the next 4 years.
 
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jasmlowe said:
Personally, after all these years I would either get #1 on Amazon with a 4 year warranty or get #4 if you can afford and buy a big carbon fiber tank.
#1 buy a 5 gallon bucket and put water in it. Then put the pump in it. If the pump blows, then get a new one on Amazon for $17. If the compressor blows, they'll send you another and repeat for the next 4 years.
Click to expand...

Good plan. I will definitely do the extended warranty on my "next" Yong Heng.

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The driving forces in choosing a filling solution for me are #1 price and #2 portability. If I were starting from scratch with the $$ limits I still have in place, I would buy a Yong Heng and a 60 minute SCBA tank and delete the GX CS3 that was my first purchase. I am probably going to sell the GX CS3 now that I have had a chance to use the Yong Heng. I can run the YH on my portable generator that is always in my truck, so no real need for the GX now. I have never used a tank before, but I am sure it will be nice when I don't have with me or don't want to wait for, the compressor. It took me 2 1/2 hours to fill the 60 min Scott from empty to 4300 PSI and 38 minutes to fill my 60 min tank from 3000 to 4300 with the Yong Heng keeping the temperature close to 50c the entire time. I don't know exactly how many fills on various guns that range will give me or if the fill time will get longer as the YH gets more hours on it (6 hours as of today), but I will find out. If the tank runs dry in the field, I can fill the guns directly with the YH on the generator in just a few minutes with two smaller water traps, for everything but the Gauntlet 30.

Total cost would be $385 delivered. A $3500 compressor should still be running after 14 YH compressors break, but for not a heck of a lot of $$ I could have 14 running YH compressors on hand The break even point would be about 14 YH compressors if I just threw them away when they broke.
  • Yong Heng $250 to my door
  • Used 60 min SCBA tanks x 2 @ $92 each
  • Hand tight design Fill Station with whip $$43

If money was not a concern, and I ended up with a bunch of expensive PCP guns - I "only" have 4 right now with a combined cost that is less than one FX M3, I still don't think I would be buying a $3500 compressor, maybe something more reliable than the Yong Heng at about $1500 if such a thing exists. Even if I go through 7 YH compressors and throw them out when they quit rather than fixing them, I am still at half the cost of the $3500 unit.

As for fixing lower quality gear, I strangely enjoy it and being retired, I have more than enough free time to do so which explains this long winded post! That said I high quality piece of gear is very nice to use and own.....If you have the bucks, get the best kit you can justify. Heck you might be able to pay for it refilling peoples tanks, though the liability would be intense.
 
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Geezerhood said:
Good plan. I will definitely do the extended warranty on my "next" Yong Heng.

---------------------

The driving forces in choosing a filling solution for me are #1 price and #2 portability. If I were starting from scratch with the $$ limits I still have in place, I would buy a Yong Heng and a 60 minute SCBA tank and delete the GX CS3 that was my first purchase. I am probably going to sell the GX CS3 now that I have had a chance to use the Yong Heng. I can run the YH on my portable generator that is always in my truck, so no real need for the GX now. I have never used a tank before, but I am sure it will be nice when I don't have with me or don't want to wait for, the compressor. It took me 2 1/2 hours to fill the 60 min Scott from empty to 4300 PSI and 38 minutes to fill my 60 min tank from 3000 to 4300 with the Yong Heng keeping the temperature close to 50c the entire time. I don't know exactly how many fills on various guns that range will give me or if the fill time will get longer as the YH gets more hours on it (6 hours as of today), but I will find out. If the tank runs dry in the field, I can fill the guns directly with the YH on the generator in just a few minutes with two smaller water traps, for everything but the Gauntlet 30.

Total cost would be $385 delivered. A $3500 compressor should still be running after 14 YH compressors break, but for not a heck of a lot of $$ I could have 14 running YH compressors on hand The break even point would be about 14 YH compressors if I just threw them away when they broke.
  • Yong Heng $250 to my door
  • Used 60 min SCBA tanks x 2 @ $92 each
  • Hand tight design Fill Station with whip $$43

If money was not a concern, and I ended up with a bunch of expensive PCP guns - I "only" have 4 right now with a combined cost that is less than one FX M3, I still don't think I would be buying a $3500 compressor, maybe something more reliable than the Yong Heng at about $1500 if such a thing exists. Even if I go through 7 YH compressors and throw them out when they quit rather than fixing them, I am still at half the cost of the $3500 unit.

As for fixing lower quality gear, I strangely enjoy it and being retired, I have more than enough free time to do so which explains this long winded post! That said I high quality piece of gear is very nice to use and own.....If you have the bucks, get the best kit you can justify. Heck you might be able to pay for it refilling peoples tanks, though the liability would be intense.
Click to expand...
Thank you for your reply. Definitely some points to noodle over. I like the "disposable" YH scenario versus 3500.00 investment. Hmmmmmm
 
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If the compressor is to last much more than 45-50 running hours (with rebuilds?) going from 3000 to 4500psi then you need at least a 3 piston setup, period!
2 pistons going to 4500psi will experience dieseling on the engine oil (some are better but it wont go away!). That will erode the second piston and it's rings over time (fast).
Theres no denying it, a diesel engine will start on revs and a 1:17 compression alone.
14.5psi x 17 = 246psi x 17 = 4190psi, thats diesel territory and will tear a 2 piston compressor apart given (short) time.

Sounding likre a curmudgon: Been there done that and i hated every minute my YH existed and found solice when i scrouged and bought a Coltri MCH-6.
 
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Chickenthief said:
If the compressor is to last much more than 45-50 running hours (with rebuilds?) going from 3000 to 4500psi then you need at least a 3 piston setup, period!
2 pistons going to 4500psi will experience dieseling on the engine oil (some are better but it wont go away!). That will erode the second piston and it's rings over time (fast).
Theres no denying it, a diesel engine will start on revs and a 1:17 compression alone.
14.5psi x 17 = 246psi x 17 = 4190psi, thats diesel territory and will tear a 2 piston compressor apart given (short) time.

Sounding likre a curmudgon: Been there done that and i hated every minute my YH existed and found solice when i scrouged and bought a Coltri MCH-6.
Click to expand...
Good point. I had not thought of that. I had wondered what the most common issue was with the cheaper systems.
 
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i think what yoir missing is wanting a 'do-all' compressor when you dont really need it .. you got what, firemans tanks? .. unless your shooting big bore non-stop at a range doubt youll ever shoot more than 'one' tank in an outing .. yong heng should be fine, fill up your tanks when theyre ready .. its not labor intensive, and you dont need a big complex setup, i wouldnt do it .. mine stays put away, and when i need it i get it oit and set it up by the sink, takes maybe 5 minutes .. an elaborate setup is a joke unless your just into it and want to create something akin to a 'lube and cleaning station' cart for your car .. maybe cool to a degree but kindof excessive lol ... but simple solution - if you need more air buy another tank .. fill them when its time .. my two last me quite awhile ...
 
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My brother bought the Omega Turbo a couple of years ago and has had good luck with it, after hearing that the Alkin is going up in price 10% next month I broke down and bought one, I'm more of a buy once cry once guy. For years I would drive one hour each way to top off my tank, and at the time that worked for me when I shot my unregged USFT that had a 1500 to 1600 psi fill pressure my 75 cuft tank would last quite a while, since then I have a FX Impact thats set up to shoot slugs and at current reg pressures my tank was not lasting anywhere long enough, two hour drive was getting old, especially with gas prices here in Michigan at $4.29 a gallon.. Good luck with your decision..

Pete
 
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I’m shopping as well for my first compressor and I’m between option 3 and 4. I believe your overall grouping is about right.

Some notes:
- check the voltage and amperage of the bigger / better units. I’m limited to 115v / 15A myself.
- The resale value and rebuild ability goes up with price. 14 Yong Heng would go into the trash unless you want to maintain a scrap parts pile. In my current lifestyle I don’t have time or room for broken stuff. Option 4 compressors will probably sell for more than what you paid if you take good care of it.
- If you aren’t in a hurry and don’t use it often, you can greatly extend the life of the compressor by not letting it run for a full fill. It will cost you nothing except some patience.
- Spare parts. Since I won’t likely buy option 4, I will make sure to have the common spares for my compressor to extend its life when the manufacturer eventually moves on.

Good luck,

David
 
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Gone through a lot of compressors over the past 5 years and my general belief is #1 or #4. Anything in between and you are getting nothing more than #1 quality with bells and whistles. I spent too much money in the #2 and #3 range and they are generally all cheap chinese crap, nothing more. The only guarantee they come with is that they will die in short order. Yes you can rebuild, but every rebuild lasts less time than the one before, so after 2-3 rebuilds you'll be buying new.

If not buying #4, there is no benefit to spend more than a Yong Heng.
 
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pgk said:
My brother bought the Omega Turbo a couple of years ago and has had good luck with it, after hearing that the Alkin is going up in price 10% next month I broke down and bought one, I'm more of a buy once cry once guy. For years I would drive one hour each way to top off my tank, and at the time that worked for me when I shot my unregged USFT that had a 1500 to 1600 psi fill pressure my 75 cuft tank would last quite a while, since then I have a FX Impact thats set up to shoot slugs and at current reg pressures my tank was not lasting anywhere long enough, two hour drive was getting old, especially with gas prices here in Michigan at $4.29 a gallon.. Good luck with your decision..

Pete
Click to expand...
Any insight into hy Alkin versus Coltri or Bauer etc. ?
 
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standles said:
Any insight into hy Alkin versus Coltri or Bauer etc. ?
Click to expand...
I've had my eye on the Alkin for a number of years, if money was no object I may have bought the Bauer but it is, because space is limited in my garage I opted for the vertical Alkin version, I'm not as familiar with the coltri but I'm sure is a nice compressor as well.
 
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When I recently got back into PCP, I decided to purchase a Hill EC-3000 portable compressor and directly fill my air rifles as opposed to using a tank. I primarily shoot at my cabin where I can plug in my Hill right next to my shooting table and fill up whenever I need to. I'm very pleased with my decision to purchase the EC-3000. It is very well-built and makes short order of filing my rifles directly.
 
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