The Compressor Question

[Rivegauche]

While the big airgun companies online prefer to sell $500-$1000+ compressors from their web pages one can easily obtain a compressor which attests to being able to fill your average PCP air rifle or pistol sufficiently for far less. I've seen them run sub-$200 on Amazon to above $1000 there and in other places.

I really wonder if there is such a dramatic difference in quality as there is in price.

I would be curious to read some of the opinions and experiences here, as I am intent on starting to use PCP air rifles and pistols. I've already watched a variety of YouTube videos on the subject, including British Andy's and Rich Eutsler's and others. I already have a collection of break barrel, CO2 and gas ram air guns and would like to try the next level. (My search has been limited to those compressors which do not require water cooling.)

Thanks for your time.

 

[Airgun Al]

Yes, there is a big difference!
The small compressors struggle filling large tanks.
Have you checked local sources?
Firestations, Fire related retailers, etc...
I get my large tank filled for $10 locally, and its high quality, no moisture air.
As long as they continue their $10 service, I dont use my own compressors.

 

[Florida_Man]

I have used a Yong Heng I bought for I think 230 bucks 2 years ago. I’ve had to replace the pressure guage in the last few months and the fill hose attached to it. Other than that it has been oil. I’m not a power user, I average topping off a great white 1-2 times a month.
I recently purchased a GX4 do reduce the footprint of my filling. The YH and bucket will go into storage.

 

[orangeokie]

I started with a big and heavy Tuxing which overheats quickly and has now sprung a pressure leak in one of the tube fittings coming from the intake cylinder. I tried to fix it myself, but I am unable to loosen the collar. I will need to take it to a compressor mechanic. In the meanwhile, I decided just to buy a GX CS4, because I wanted to see how such a small and compact compressor would work. It is a smashing hit. No over temping. Small footprint. Plenty fast filling. Wish I had bought one like it first.

 

[Sawney Bean]

I started with a big and heavy Tuxing which overheats quickly and has now sprung a pressure leak in one of the tube fittings coming from the intake cylinder. I tried to fix it myself, but I am unable to loosen the collar. I will need to take it to a compressor mechanic. In the meanwhile, I decided just to buy a GX CS4, because I wanted to see how such a small and compact compressor would work. It is a smashing hit. No over temping. Small footprint. Plenty fast filling. Wish I had bought one like it first.

I’ve had great luck with my GX CS4 as well. It’s small and quiet and seems to do a great job of trapping moisture. It does take a long time to fill a big tank though. Filling a 1 hour SCBA tank from empty is pretty much an all day process. I’d drain the moisture and give it a chance to cool down every 1/2 hour or so and over a 7 hour period it would manage to fill them. I’ve filled 4 like that now and it still works fine.

 

[dgeesaman]

While the big airgun companies online prefer to sell $500-$1000+ compressors from their web pages one can easily obtain a compressor which attests to being able to fill your average PCP air rifle or pistol sufficiently for far less. I've seen them run sub-$200 on Amazon to above $1000 there and in other places.

I really wonder if there is such a dramatic difference in quality as there is in price.

I would be curious to read some of the opinions and experiences here, as I am intent on starting to use PCP air rifles and pistols. I've already watched a variety of YouTube videos on the subject, including British Andy's and Rich Eutsler's and others. I already have a collection of break barrel, CO2 and gas ram air guns and would like to try the next level. (My search has been limited to those compressors which do not require water cooling.)

Thanks for your time.

I haven't tried all different grades of compressor but I work with machinery as a career and I pay attention to the compressor discussions.

You can manufacture any machinery part or assembly over a wide range of quality and durability. You can also sell it for large profit with robust sales, customer support, and strong warranties or sell the same exact thing directly with minimal fuss and for much less cost, this is true. Overseas manufacturers do not do intellectual property so its also very common to 'reverse engineer' a better product and turn out a cheaper copy. Whether they made it to the same quality is entirely the question.

(I've had our designs built overseas and the miles of difference between what we need and what they made - is hard to believe sometimes. As a small manufacturer, we need to be constantly monitoring component quality because we can start to receive junk parts at any time. It's almost like these overseas manufacturers intentionally their cost and quality incrementally to purposely find the point we stop accepting them)

So I don't think they're all selling the same thing, and even though there are some models/brands where you pay a lot more for the product, I think you do get more from them. And while the cheaper end of the scale isn't necessarily junk, much of it is. So there you go - the full range of quality and cost. You just have to do your homework and shop at a price point you can tolerate.

David

 

[triggertreat]

I have had great luck with my AV-4500 (Air Venturi) over the last six years. It has been flawless filling my 60-minute tanks. It only takes 20-25 minutes to top them off to 4500 from 3000psi. I am a "power user" who shoots a lot with .357, .30. 25 and .22 calibers in my backyard doing a lot of tuning. testing and plinking with PCPs. It has its own built-in tank and filter. By design It even cools the air a lot before entering the tanks, so the tanks keep a full fill afterwards. I say get something decent and save some coins in the long run.

 

[Rivegauche]

Yes, there is a big difference!
The small compressors struggle filling large tanks.
Have you checked local sources?
Firestations, Fire related retailers, etc...
I get my large tank filled for $10 locally, and its high quality, no moisture air.
As long as they continue their $10 service, I dont use my own compressors.

Thank you. I actually called around when we moved here and no one fills small or medium tanks for air gunners. And no scuba shops, either.

 

[L.Leon]

My Hatsan Lightning has served me well filling both my 45 and 60 minute SCBAs. I top them off at 4300 PSI, don’t see the need of overly stressing the compressor for those additional 200 PSI.

 

[Chukar60]

It all depends on your needs.
If you are a high volume shooter you need something that will fill a large bottle, or two easily.
If not you can get by with a smaller compressor to fill your gun only.
I tried a small air cooled compressor and was sorely disappointed. Long story with a short ending. It was junk and lasted like junk. $800+ out the door, over a year of sending it back, attempting to fix it myself after that and the whole time not being able to use it. My time is valuable and I have dang little spare time when my business is in season.
My wife and I shoot a lot when the weather is nice. I shoot year round and have 3 bog bores.
once you cross that 35 caliber line your air needs go up precipitously.
I ended up with a 230V Daystate/Coltri. Best money I spent on my air gun hobby. It is not for everyone but it sure is nice to not have to rely on anyone else for air.

 

[two4spooky]

For me, 1) Filling guns(lower pressure~200 BAR): $50 -70, buy hand pumps. Four Uncles>Hiram(get two of either) or ~$300 GX L-E2. Nothing comes close regarding convenience. 2) Filling a SCBA tank ~$600 GX CS-4. 3) Beyond this reasonable/affordable price point- Coltri or Alkin. If I spend anymore of my hard earned cash on HPA it will be an Alkin for filling the two SCBA tanks I now have.

 

[WorriedMan]

High pressure air (HPA) compressors can range from just under $200 to over $4,000. Big dollar ones, while a joy to own, remain a pipe dream for most. Heat generated from compressing air, unless properly addressed, is a compressor killer. Water cooling, high and low speed fans, crankcase oil and low gearing are methods used to combat heat buildup. Be wary of any compressor using just one method to fight heat, won't last long, example being the high-speed fan only cooled, oil-less, waterless, 12v/110v variety. Yong Heng with fan, water and crankcase oil cooling is popular as is the recent GX-CS series. New series has several models, all feature lower, less-heat generating, gearing and high-speed fans, water cooling is added to top models. WM

 

[HogKiller]

I started with a big and heavy Tuxing which overheats quickly and has now sprung a pressure leak in one of the tube fittings coming from the intake cylinder. I tried to fix it myself, but I am unable to loosen the collar. I will need to take it to a compressor mechanic. In the meanwhile, I decided just to buy a GX CS4, because I wanted to see how such a small and compact compressor would work. It is a smashing hit. No over temping. Small footprint. Plenty fast filling. Wish I had bought one like it first.

View attachment 434694

View attachment 434695

My Tuxing 032 has been fine, except for the electronics going out the first day, zero over heating with the radiator.

 

[Franklink]

It doesn't come up as much in these compressor discussions but consider a booster pump. Years ago we had "Shoebox" as an option but they went the way of the dodo after Chinese manufacturing ran them out of the airgun industry.

The main booster pump option now is made by Altaros.

altaros compressor booster unit advanced version

altaros compressor booster unit advanced version

www.altaros.cz

You'll be nearly 1k even with this option, and yes it needs a primary/1st stage compressor (typical shop compressor).

They're a slow filling option, but generate no heat and have reports of YEARS of trouble free use.

I own an Altaros and love it. Turn it on and let it do it's thing. Doesnt need babysat or monitored.

They're really quite simple machines.

Just another option to research and consider.

 

[Ta-Ta Toothie]

It doesn't come up as much in these compressor discussions but consider a booster pump. Years ago we had "Shoebox" as an option but they went the way of the dodo after Chinese manufacturing ran them out of the airgun industry.

The main booster pump option now is made by Altaros.

altaros compressor booster unit advanced version

altaros compressor booster unit advanced version

www.altaros.cz

You'll be nearly 1k even with this option, and yes it needs a primary/1st stage compressor (typical shop compressor).

They're a slow filling option, but generate no heat and have reports of YEARS of trouble free use.

I own an Altaros and love it. Turn it on and let it do it's thing. Doesnt need babysat or monitored.

They're really quite simple machines.

Just another option to research and consider.

How well do the handle the water from the shop compressor.

 

[Sergey1972]

How well do the handle the water from the shop compressor.

Dry your shop air first, it has another water separator on intake, and dessicant dryer on air feeding the compression side. No issues in my shop but my shop air goes through refrigerated dryer. No issue in buddies shop with home depot 7 horse compressor in parking lot.

 

[Franklink]

How well do the handle the water from the shop compressor.

Blowout at the bottom of the shop compressor. Hit it every couple hours on humid days.

Everybody sets em up differently, but I've got 25 feet of low pressure shop compressor hose between it and the booster. Two more blowouts, one one each end of the 25feet hose. Hit them every couple hours too. The Altaros comes with a silica dryer right where the shop compressor air enters it, but I have another silica dryer outside the Altaros. Replace that silica every couple hours, when it changes color to indicate that it's wet. Altaros has a fourth blowout right inside the box too. It also never sees moisture now that I've got my process down.

So on humid days, check on it after 2-3 hours and hit all three blowouts and swap the silica if the color shows that it's wet. If it's not humid, I'll let it run for 5-6hrs without even bothering to look at it.

With all that, the air is dry by the time it even hits the booster.

I've got a tampon filter on the high pressure output of the booster, prior to the tanks I'm filling. And the filters in that are always bone dry.

The booster has an adjustment to regulate how much air it needs. It can be opened up to fill more quickly, but that makes the shop compressor run harder. Took me a couple times to find the happy medium between that booster adjustment and the regulated output on the shop compressor. I've got it set to fill pretty slowly. The air cools off and dumps it's moisture this way. And the shop compressor is resting more than running, hopefully lengthening its life.

Just received an Altaros booster

Other HPA sources I've used were a Shoebox F10 (x4 or 5 years) and a Yong Heng (x7 months). Sold the F10 as a parts donor when I got frustrated trying to source replacement parts and the Yong Heng is still ticking just fine, with the caveat that the oil gets REALLY dark REALLY quick (impending...

www.airgunnation.com

Not many choose to go this route. A few over the years have tried to run their shop compressor too hard and got frustrated. The handful of long-term users seem pretty pleased. There's a couple AGN members that occasionally post that they're a couple years into the Altaros experience, without replacing any orings.

 

[maxtrouble]

I recommend the Omega Air Charger. I have had mine for five years with no issues. I mainly top off tanks from 3k to 4.5k and it works like a champ.

Omega Air Charger 4500 psi Electric Air Compressor

 

[F6Hawk]

While the big airgun companies online prefer to sell $500-$1000+ compressors from their web pages one can easily obtain a compressor which attests to being able to fill your average PCP air rifle or pistol sufficiently for far less. I've seen them run sub-$200 on Amazon to above $1000 there and in other places.

I really wonder if there is such a dramatic difference in quality as there is in price.

I would be curious to read some of the opinions and experiences here, as I am intent on starting to use PCP air rifles and pistols. I've already watched a variety of YouTube videos on the subject, including British Andy's and Rich Eutsler's and others. I already have a collection of break barrel, CO2 and gas ram air guns and would like to try the next level. (My search has been limited to those compressors which do not require water cooling.)

Thanks for your time.

To how many Bar/PSI are you filling?

If you need 200/3000, here's a couple of resources near you:

Aquatic Center Of Rochester Inc | Scuba Diving | Rochester, NY

Welcome to the Aquatic Center Of Rochester Inc, the leading PADI-certified dive center in the northeast. SCUBA diving lessons and more.(585) 334-1670.

www.aquaticcenterroch.com

RU4Scuba, LLC - Rochester\'s Friendliest Dive Shop

RU4Scuba is Rochester\'s friendliest scuba shop. RU4Scuba offers classes in the greater Rochester area, including the Finger Lakes. RU4Scuba offers freediving free diving and mermaid classes through Scuba Schools International SSI.

ru4scubaa.com

I don't think the first one does fills, but they should be able to help you find such.

If you need 310/4500, search for a paintball store nearby. I pay $4 for SCUBA fills, and $10 for paintball fills.

If you decide to get a compressor, highly recommend the GX-CS4. Seems to be the best-performing sub-$1000 compressor alive today. But to get a solid performer, you can expect to pay $4-5k for something like an Alkin, Coltri, or Carrette II.

 

[JimD]

I appreciate that there are so many options available. I got a Yong Heng several years ago and it is still working fine. It takes up some space but I have a spot for it. It is also quite noisy. But it refills my 45 minute SCBA tank in 15-20 minutes. I refill it about once a month. Sometimes I may refill the bottle twice. So it isn't seeing a lot of use. I had to replace one O-ring on the compressor and several on the air filters but that is the only problem I've had. I'm sure it will break eventually but if it does, I will decide at that point whether it is worthwhile to buy a "better" compressor. I'm guessing that a $1000 plus compressor will be very difficult to justify.

But I may end up with a small 120/12V compressor too. The "need" I do not have covered is for air when away from home several days. My bottle is an expired Scott so I doubt I can find anybody else to fill it. I could transport my YH and I even have a battery that can power it but it is not really meant to be used that way and it would be clumsy. A new bottle with DOT rating isn't cheap and I still might struggle to get it filled. But a 10-20 lb compressor that can run on my vehicle power, 120V power, or even a portable tool battery seems like it would work great.

I would also say that buying the absolute cheapest of anything is a risky way to go. My YH is close to the cheapest but there are others at close to half the price. I would be worried about those. I haven't tried one but probably won't. My airguns are kind of the same way. They were all under $500 but the cheapest was my Avenger at $300 - and I use it the least but not because it doesn't work. You can buy a PCP for $200 or so but I don't want those either. It seems to me that the added value for a little more money is pretty good initially but diminishes rapidly as you go up in price.