Looking for a compressor: Hatsan, Air Venturi or Omega Turbo

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blackbeard

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Apr 17, 2017
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Washington
Hey folks. My local dive shop closed so I am biting the bullet and getting a compressor. I'm not interested in one of the portables to fill guns in the field. I've got a couple of large high pressure CF tanks I'll be filling, so full size compressors only.

The three I've been looking at are Hatsan Lightning, Air Venturi 4500 PSI, or the Omega Turbo Charger. I can't seem to find much information to help distinguish between these compressors, so hopefully the community can help. So far here's what I've been able to collect:

  • Price: Hatsan and Air Venturi win here. Both at $1300ish. The omega is pretty spendy
  • Features: The Omega is pretty tricked out and has a bottle holder on top, which seems handy. The Hatsan has a built in dessicant to strip moisture that seems like a big benefit. External attachments are about $300.
  • Sound: I think the Omega is the quietest from what I've read
  • Looks: Personal preference, but the Omega looks really nice
  • Warranty and Reliability: Looks like they all have a 1 year warranty. I found a couple of videos about the Air Venturi failing after less than a year. That could be an isolated incident though, so trying not to put too much stock in that.



Anyone own one of these that can provide some feedback? I'd LOVE to spend less if I can, but I just don't want to have to replace it in a year.
 
Air Venturi is $1399.99 but there is a 10% off discount at Pyramyd Air to forum members making it 1259.99 with free shipping!

I have had one for over a year with no issues except a blown burst disk. Spares were in the bag shipped with the compressor.

I do use synthetic compressor oil rated for breathing air compressors rather than what most people use. I also run the air through an additional filter cartridge made to remove residual moisture as well as lubricant odor!
 
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I have a Hastan that I recently purchased. Now understand I only have 4.5 hrs on it.

It's filled one guppy tank and one large tank (I believe 88cu in.) from empty. The guppy took less than 15 min. The larger tank 1 hr 20 min. Moisture did not show up in the auto purge till filling the larger tank. I set the auto purge at 5 min. as recommend by a fellow member here. I've since added a inline filter. I went pricey for the inline filter but I bet one of the cheaper ones would of worked just as well. My thoughts on the additional filter was one is good two has to be better.

If you search Hastan lighting you will find quite a few threads that were very informative. (At least for me and my decision).

At this point, I believe all three are good choices. 

Dave


 
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Airtex is a $3000+ compressor. Might as well get a bauer compressor. They are made especially for firefighters and diving. It will last a lifetime if you planning spending $3000-4000 on a compressor. Not many want to folk up that much. As for the air venturi, hatsan, and Omega. The Omega is slowest of them all. Its like a electric hand pump, what's why it sounds like a sewing machine. AV and hatsan are basically the same compressor..just the hatsan has more features. Digital gauge, reads F/C degrees, can be calibrated to match your tank gauge, auto purge and can be set to whatever time you want it to go off. I have the hatsan. I can say it's much quieter than the Yong Heng. And maybe a bit faster on fill time. Also no need for water bucket, which is a plus. Don't matter which compressor you go with, it's always a good idea to have a external filter. I used the gold filter with dessiccant needs, and charcoal. For only $80 more for the filter, it's better safe than sorry. You can have the dryest air possible.
 
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I'm not sure how much you plan to spend, and if the $1300 or so for the AV or Hatsan are at your maximum? But, my recommendation if at all possible is to go with the Daystate (Coltri) LC-110 ($2,000).

I had a two cylinder Tuxing, which is basically an AV or Hatsan without the cooling system. Although it worked, it was maintenance intensive. I think I put about 15 hours run time on it before I ended up with the Daystate. I moved to the city in San Diego from the 'burbs and the Tuxing was just too loud for my back yard. I did install a cooling system on mine, so it was pretty much the equivalent of the AV or Hatsan. Nick (@socaloldman) has it now, and after many hours of troubleshooting and repair, he has it working again like a champ. One thing to mention, @josoo on AGN, who works for/with Tuxing was very helpful in our troubleshooting efforts and providing repair parts free of charge.

https://www.airgunnation.com/topic/tuxing-double-cylinder-pcp-air-compressor-taking-the-plunge/

Bottom line, its the difference between driving a ten year old Chevy or a new BMW. Both will get you where you're going, but which would you rather drive and depend on? ;)

Mike
 
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I'm not sure how much you plan to spend, and if the $1300 or so for the AV or Hatsan are at your maximum? But, my recommendation if at all possible is to go with the Daystate (Coltri) LC-110 ($2,000).
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I just pulled the trigger on the Daystate/Coltri yesterday. AOA has them on sale at the moment. Mike, as an owner do you have any recommendations or advice outside of the oil change routine? What would you estimate the fill time of a 90 cu-in bottle at to 4500 PSI? Thanks in advance for any and all advice you can offer on the subject -- feel free to point me to an existing thread if this has already been covered.
 
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Here are a few points of information.

Airetex is a brand name of a company in Dallas. The $3500 Airetex compressors were based upon Alkin components from Turkey. The Airetex compressors referred to in this thread are no longer being built or sold by Airetex. If you want the compressor Airetex formerly sold, you'll have to buy an Alkin brand compressor from New Jersey from the Alkin distributor. Airetex still sells compressors but their unit is now a Bauer Jr. II design copy. A friend of mine bought one and likes it, The heavy duty Airetex of old is no longer available. Bruce Dodson owns Airetex and has always given reliable support for their products. Airetex has been supplying compressors to airgunners for longer than anyone in the business.

Centercut is right on. Currently, the best "bang for the buck" compressor available is the Daystate LC-110. It is a 115 volt dive compressor design made by Coltri and specifically aimed at the airgun market. In years past I've owned a Bauer, an Alpha Carette, a Shoebox Max, a Shoebox F8, and an FX compressor. I now use the LC-110. The Alpha Carette is a much nicer compressor than the 3 compressors being considered (AV, Hatsan, Omega) and is priced at $1699. However, the best value is the LC-110 by far. Read previous threads linked above and see why.

Finally, the most overpriced compressor is the antiquated "mechanized hand pump in a box" Omega compressor line. Anyone who does due diligence and reads threads from owners will find that there is a high probability that after 100-200 hours of run time, the hard to replace rubber o-ring sealed Omega compressors are ready for the scrap heap. Omegas include attractive bells and whistles which give them high newbie appeal. Unfortunately, they are overpriced for their fill speed, durability, and ease of repair when compared to much more durable designs at their price point. I recommend an LC-110, Alpha Carette, Air Venturi, Hatsan Lightning in that order. Check the classifieds to see how difficult it is to sell a used Omega without a steep depreciation penalty.




 
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One of my main concerns with buying an Airgun Compressor is Service and/or repair. To be blunt, I want something I can easily (emphasis on easy) service (not to be confused with maintenance) without being forced to ship a 60 lb hunk of metal across the CONUS. 

So, does the Daystate compressor fit the “Easy to Service” bill? 

I was looking at the new Omega ($800) Trail Charger, but listening to your thoughts on Omega gives me pause. 

Thanks!
 
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Here are a few points of information.

Airetex is a brand name of a company in Dallas. The $3500 Airetex compressors were based upon Alkin components from Turkey. The Airetex compressors referred to in this thread are no longer being built or sold by Airetex. If you want the compressor Airetex formerly sold, you'll have to buy an Alkin brand compressor from New Jersey from the Alkin distributor. Airetex still sells compressors but their unit is now a Bauer Jr. II design copy. A friend of mine bought one and likes it, The heavy duty Airetex of old is no longer available. Bruce Dodson owns Airetex and has always given reliable support for their products. Airetex has been supplying compressors to airgunners for longer than anyone in the business.

Centercut is right on. Currently, the best "bang for the buck" compressor available is the Daystate LC-110. It is a 115 volt dive compressor design made by Coltri and specifically aimed at the airgun market. In years past I've owned a Bauer, an Alpha Carette, a Shoebox Max, a Shoebox F8, and an FX compressor. I now use the LC-110. The Alpha Carette is a much nicer compressor than the 3 compressors being considered (AV, Hatsan, Omega) and is priced at $1699. However, the best value is the LC-110 by far. Read previous threads linked above and see why.

Finally, the most overpriced compressor is the antiquated "mechanized hand pump in a box" Omega compressor line. Anyone who does due diligence and reads threads from owners will find that there is a high probability that after 100-200 hours of run time, the hard to replace rubber o-ring sealed Omega compressors are ready for the scrap heap. Omegas include attractive bells and whistles which give them high newbie appeal. Unfortunately, they are overpriced for their fill speed, durability, and ease of repair when compared to much more durable designs at their price point. I recommend an LC-110, Alpha Carette, Air Venturi, Hatsan Lightning in that order. Check the classifieds to see how difficult it is to sell a used Omega without a steep depreciation penalty.



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I don't have any of the above compressors (yet) but will make an observation. Seems those Omega "bells and whistles" are useful functions for many (quiet, auto moisture purge duration and interval). Is it more expensive than many (most?) of the others mentioned? Yes. Is it "ready for the scrap heap after 100-200 hours? Seems unlikely since they can be rebuilt if needed. Is the best value probably the LC-110? Probably so. I may ultimately buy a Daystate/Nuvair/Bauer dive quality compressor for speed of fill and probably higher resale value of the compressor (seems especially so if it is a true dive compressor since it could be sold to the dive community as well) but the Omega Turbocharger looks like a very nice functional unit for most air gun shooters. Seems it is surely not the best value but still a very nice functional unit.
 
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Here are a few points of information.
Click to expand...

I don't have any of the above compressors (yet) but will make an observation. Seems those Omega "bells and whistles" are useful functions for many (quiet, auto moisture purge duration and interval). Is it more expensive than many (most?) of the others mentioned? Yes. Is it "ready for the scrap heap after 100-200 hours? Seems unlikely since they can be rebuilt if needed. Is the best value probably the LC-110? Probably so. I may ultimately buy a Daystate/Nuvair/Bauer dive quality compressor for speed of fill and probably higher resale value of the compressor (seems especially so if it is a true dive compressor since it could be sold to the dive community as well) but the Omega Turbocharger looks like a very nice functional unit for most air gun shooters. Seems it is surely not the best value but still a very nice functional unit.
Click to expand...

I think its best to look at this from a practical standpoint. The "best" Omega, the Turbo, is about the same price as the Daystate LC-110. Yet, it is still slower than the Daystate (44 CF per hour vice 1.1 CF per minute (or 66 CF per hour). Yes, the Turbo has an auto purge system, but since it takes the Daystate about 15 minutes to top off a standard 6.8 liter (66 Cu Ft or 45 min) SCBA tank from 3000 to 4500 psi, are you really going to walk away from the compressor while filling? So half way through the fill you crack the vent for two seconds... I fully agree with Steve (@humdinger). We've both had numerous compressor, yet ended up with the Daystate. The AC is a good compressor, but only $300 less than the Daystate. The AV and Hatsan are basically the same Tuxing two cylinder unit with a few bells and whistles.

Compared to the Omegas, AC, AV, Hatsan, and Tuxing, the Daystate is in a class by itself. Its a baby dive compressor, built like the larger Coltri and Bauer compressors. I've filled four large tanks back to back with mine from 3000 to 4500 psi, and it just kept on chugging along. I have over 6 hours run time on mine now, and its the same as when I bought it (used from a member here on AGN). If it ever breaks (doubtful), I'll just take apart the offending cylinder and replace the broken parts, and I'll be back in the game. If you can disassemble a PCP air rifle and put it back together, you can certainly fix an air compressor...
 
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I agree that the Daystate LC-110 seems like a great compressor that is well made and should last a lifetime. My point was that the Omega Turbocharger has what seems like attractive features for many people, including a very small footprint and quiet operation (easy use inside a home) and probably wouldn't be "ready for the scrap heap" after 100 to 200 hours run time. I understand that you guys like the Daystate. It seems like a great compressor and I would probably purchase one over the Omega myself. Just pointing out that the Omega may also be a fine compressor for many people's needs.
 
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I agree that the Daystate LC-110 seems like a great compressor that is well made and should last a lifetime. My point was that the Omega Turbocharger has what seems like attractive features for many people, including a very small footprint and quiet operation (easy use inside a home) and probably wouldn't be "ready for the scrap heap" after 100 to 200 hours run time. I understand that you guys like the Daystate. It seems like a great compressor and I would probably purchase one over the Omega myself. Just pointing out that the Omega may also be a fine compressor for many people's needs.
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Agree. Not bashing it, just saying its not the same robust build quality as the DS, nor as fast. @tominco has the Omega and loves it, as I'm sure many people do that have bought them from AoA before the DS was offered a year or so ago. But now, with the choice at the same price, its a no brainer. If I were to buy a reliable compressor and had decided on the Omega, I would buy their bottom of the line model for $1150. It seems to be a good value if the funds aren't available for the DS.

https://www.airgunsofarizona.com/compressors/omega-air-charger-4500psi-compressor/

Seems like there is currently a decent one on the classifieds here on AGN for $650.

https://www.airgunnation.com/topic/wts-omega-compressor-not-super/
 
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