Which compressor and why?

Jump to latest Follow Reply
Which to buy is a tough decision. I read all I could I thought I would get the Daystate. I made several trips to AOA and talked to different guys down there asking which they would buy. I bought the Omega for that reason. I have never had a problem with it. But always wonder if I made the right choice. I don't think I would be second guessing if I had of bought the Daystate. 

On the thought of air being cheap, It is and I live close to AOA but its inconvenient not having air when you need it or playing the air conservation game. For me I figured a compressor was part of the PCP package.





Jim
 
Upvote 0
Which to buy is a tough decision. I read all I could I thought I would get the Daystate. I made several trips to AOA and talked to different guys down there asking which they would buy. I bought the Omega for that reason. I have never had a problem with it. But always wonder if I made the right choice. I don't think I would be second guessing if I had of bought the Daystate. 

On the thought of air being cheap, It is and I live close to AOA but its inconvenient not having air when you need it or playing the air conservation game. For me I figured a compressor was part of the PCP package.





Jim
Click to expand...

Living close to AoA, which I presume is an authorized repair center for Omega, I wouldn't have any qualms about buying one. For my first year or two of PCPing I decided to buy two Omega air cylinders 100CF and 75CF. I shoot almost every day and these two tanks last me up to 2 months before refill is needed. When the 100CF drops below the maximum pressure I need, I still use it for bulk fill and then use the 75CF tank just to "top off" to maximum pressure. I never even get close to running out of air as once the 75CF tanks drops down below the maximum I need, then I go a while longer and get them both refilled. But being near AoA is a blessing in this regard. If my only refill option was a dive shop with surly service people, I'd get a compressor for sure!
 
Upvote 0
I recently sold my Alpha Carette which performed flawlessly for the year and a half I owned it. During that time I had 16 hours of run time. It is an excellent compressor however as a compressor junkie I was attracted to the Daystate LC110 when it later was introduced. It is built upon a true dive compressor design that is air cooled, only requires 110 volts, weighs 79 pounds, and has 3 stages sealed by long lasting steel piston rings.

To each his own, but anyone who follows compressor forums closely knows that Omega compressors have piston stages sealed with rubber o rings that are the same as a hand pump. If you are willing to pay for two way shipping to replace short lived rubber o rings then this compressor line may appeal to you. The rebuild video for these compressors is not within the skill level of the typical hobbyist operator. Check out the rebuild video on Youtube and decide for yourself. Omegas tend to become "tired" after a couple of hundred hours run time whereas a Coltri compressor for similar cost is barely used. For comparable cost I'd prefer to have a dive compressor design that has been proven for over thirty years than a Chinese rubber o ring sealed motorized hand pump. In five years the resale value of a Daystate/Coltri will far exceed a five year old Omega.

As a point of clarification, the Daystate/Coltri LC110 does NOT produce breathable air without an accessory filter housing. However, neither do the Omegas or Carette unless a final filter cartridge housing is purchased separately.The Daystate/Coltri 220V $3K compressors remove odors and residual moisture for breathable quality air. The LC110 omits this filtration tower so the LC110 air is not breathable. Many users are buying a gold filter, Coltri filter, or Alpha filter to remove all residual moisture and odors produced by a LC110. A desiccant filter that includes activated carbon can make the LC110 air breathable. However, AoA does not market any of their compressors aimed at the diving community. Coltri America serves that market. Daystate/Coltri compressors are made for the PCP air gun community.


 
Upvote 0
I started with an Omega Super charger. I really liked it, it was quiet and I ran it indoors. However, shortly after getting the super charger, I saw that a member on GTA was selling off all of his gear and had a Shelden Kidde 4.2 for sale at a great price. So I jumped on it and sold the super charger. It's super over kill for an airgunner, but I fill my friends tanks and I have about 8 SCBA fireman tanks so I have more than enough air.

But back to your question, I would get something above the Young Hengs and Air Venturis but you don't need anything as heavy duty as a 220 volt shop level compressor. So the Daystate 110 v model seems to be a good choice.
 
Upvote 0
Often, it is false economy to spend less.

$2000 buys 133 fills or so at AoA for $15 each (for me, that's about 10 years worth of air). My rifles are very economical with air. And I don't shoot any big bores.

But there is the convenience factor, as AoA is about a 45 minute drive for me.
Click to expand...

This is what I did, my dive shop was friendly and only charged $5 per fill, but they are about an hour away, not open on weekends, and close at 6pm, this means it was a dash up right after work and if no traffic I could get a fill.

I decided I wanted a home compressor, and I am also a cheap bastage so I did some research. First the warranty, in my looking the warranty on the big buck compressor is only 12 months longer then the cheapo chinese compressor. So I am spending over a $1000 for an additional 11 months of coverage.....if I am lucky, I wonder how it would go if it was truly defective from the factory, or had an issue 10 months in.



Then I did the math, factoring in gas, time and the fill I used a round number of $10 per tank per fill. On at $200 compressor I am even at 20 fills and ahead at 21. I will do that in a few months, on a $2000 compressor that will take 200 fills, I am a year in to my compressor and I don't have 200 fills in it yet.....then what kind of upkeep and repair am I going to do before I hit even....there is going to be more wear and tear in those 200 fills, how many rebuilds is that going to be....and what are the costs.

Now cost of the compressor itself, $200 chinese vs $2000 big bux, lets do that math....I can buy 10 of the chinese compressors and spend the same money (less shipping) as the high buck machines. How long will those 10 compressors last....

So lets read some reviews....seems people are in general pretty darn happy with them, you have a few that say they are horrid, but those reviews don't pass the smell test, so I will call those dishonest at best.

So what did it do....bought the chinese compressor.

I can tell you I have had it over a year now, and it is still running, I have kept a log with the date it was run, how long it has run, starting and end pressure, and what tank I used to fill. Also noted are oil changes. I don't have access to that book here at work, but if anyone is interested I will post that up.....I am positive I have around 50-60 fills at least, and a few into tanks that had basically 0 pressure as I have bought a few new tanks including one scuba and one scba...so it ran a while.

So which compressor and why.....the chinese and because the high dollar ones are flat too expensive, and this little guy seems to do just fine.....it is pretty far from perfect it is pretty noisy, and it will burn you.....but it puts pressure in a tank and has done so for over a year with nothing past oil changes.
 
  • Like
Reactions: sonny
Upvote 0
I recently sold my Alpha Carette which performed flawlessly for the year and a half I owned it. During that time I only put 16 hours run time on it. It is an excellent compressor however as a compressor junkie I was attracted to the Daystate LC110 when it came on the market. It is based upon a true dive compressor that is air cooled, runs on 110 volts, weighs 79 pounds, and has 3 stages sealed by steel piston rings.

To each his own, but anyone who follows compressor forums closely knows that the Omega compressor line is based upon rubber o rings sealing pistons that are basically a mechanized hand pump. If you are willing to foot the bill for shipping and rebuilds to replace rubber o rings, then the features of this compressor may appeal to you. The rebuild video for these compressors is not for the average hobbyist owner. Check out the rebuild video on Youtube and decide for yourself. Omegas tend to become "tired" after a couple of hundred hours run time whereas a Coltri compressor for similar cost is barely used. For comparable cost I'd prefer to have a dive compressor design that has been proven for over thirty years than a Chinese rubber o ring sealed motorized hand pump. In five years the resale value of a Daystate/Coltri will far exceed a five year old Omega.

As a point of clarification, the Daystate/Coltri LC110 does NOT produce breathable air without an accessory filter housing. However, neither do the Omegas or Carette unless a final filter cartridge housing is purchased separately.The Daystate/Coltri 220V $3K dive compressors do remove odors and residual moisture for breathable air. The LC110 omits this filtration tower so the compressed air is not breathable. Many buyers add a gold filter, Coltri filter, or Alpha filter to remove all residual moisture and odors from their tanks.
Click to expand...

This is interesting, so you are telling us that the Omega uses rubber o-rings just like the cheapo chinese compressors that cost 10x less. I did not know this. I also did not know that the repair on the Omega is so involved it is suggested that the average owner mail it back for this service to be done. I watched the slingshot guy tear down his chinese compressor and it looked like it was a 30 minute deal to replace the o-rings on that.

Thanks for your post I feel better about my decision then I did before.
 
Upvote 0
Often, it is false economy to spend less.

$2000 buys 133 fills or so at AoA for $15 each (for me, that's about 10 years worth of air). My rifles are very economical with air. And I don't shoot any big bores.

But there is the convenience factor, as AoA is about a 45 minute drive for me.
Click to expand...

This is what I did, my dive shop was friendly and only charged $5 per fill, but they are about an hour away, not open on weekends, and close at 6pm, this means it was a dash up right after work and if no traffic I could get a fill.

I decided I wanted a home compressor, and I am also a cheap bastage so I did some research. First the warranty, in my looking the warranty on the big buck compressor is only 12 months longer then the cheapo chinese compressor. So I am spending over a $1000 for an additional 11 months of coverage.....if I am lucky, I wonder how it would go if it was truly defective from the factory, or had an issue 10 months in.



Then I did the math, factoring in gas, time and the fill I used a round number of $10 per tank per fill. On at $200 compressor I am even at 20 fills and ahead at 21. I will do that in a few months, on a $2000 compressor that will take 200 fills, I am a year in to my compressor and I don't have 200 fills in it yet.....then what kind of upkeep and repair am I going to do before I hit even....there is going to be more wear and tear in those 200 fills, how many rebuilds is that going to be....and what are the costs.

Now cost of the compressor itself, $200 chinese vs $2000 big bux, lets do that math....I can buy 10 of the chinese compressors and spend the same money (less shipping) as the high buck machines. How long will those 10 compressors last....

So lets read some reviews....seems people are in general pretty darn happy with them, you have a few that say they are horrid, but those reviews don't pass the smell test, so I will call those dishonest at best.

So what did it do....bought the chinese compressor.

I can tell you I have had it over a year now, and it is still running, I have kept a log with the date it was run, how long it has run, starting and end pressure, and what tank I used to fill. Also noted are oil changes. I don't have access to that book here at work, but if anyone is interested I will post that up.....I am positive I have around 50-60 fills at least, and a few into tanks that had basically 0 pressure as I have bought a few new tanks including one scuba and one scba...so it ran a while.

So which compressor and why.....the chinese and because the high dollar ones are flat too expensive, and this little guy seems to do just fine.....it is pretty far from perfect it is pretty noisy, and it will burn you.....but it puts pressure in a tank and has done so for over a year with nothing past oil changes.
Click to expand...

There is certainly a good argument to be made for buying a $200 compressor. Nice to have the $2000 model. But nice not to spend that kind of dough, also.
 
Upvote 0
Often, it is false economy to spend less.

$2000 buys 133 fills or so at AoA for $15 each (for me, that's about 10 years worth of air). My rifles are very economical with air. And I don't shoot any big bores.

But there is the convenience factor, as AoA is about a 45 minute drive for me.
Click to expand...

This is what I did, my dive shop was friendly and only charged $5 per fill, but they are about an hour away, not open on weekends, and close at 6pm, this means it was a dash up right after work and if no traffic I could get a fill.

I decided I wanted a home compressor, and I am also a cheap bastage so I did some research. First the warranty, in my looking the warranty on the big buck compressor is only 12 months longer then the cheapo chinese compressor. So I am spending over a $1000 for an additional 11 months of coverage.....if I am lucky, I wonder how it would go if it was truly defective from the factory, or had an issue 10 months in.



Then I did the math, factoring in gas, time and the fill I used a round number of $10 per tank per fill. On at $200 compressor I am even at 20 fills and ahead at 21. I will do that in a few months, on a $2000 compressor that will take 200 fills, I am a year in to my compressor and I don't have 200 fills in it yet.....then what kind of upkeep and repair am I going to do before I hit even....there is going to be more wear and tear in those 200 fills, how many rebuilds is that going to be....and what are the costs.

Now cost of the compressor itself, $200 chinese vs $2000 big bux, lets do that math....I can buy 10 of the chinese compressors and spend the same money (less shipping) as the high buck machines. How long will those 10 compressors last....

So lets read some reviews....seems people are in general pretty darn happy with them, you have a few that say they are horrid, but those reviews don't pass the smell test, so I will call those dishonest at best.

So what did it do....bought the chinese compressor.

I can tell you I have had it over a year now, and it is still running, I have kept a log with the date it was run, how long it has run, starting and end pressure, and what tank I used to fill. Also noted are oil changes. I don't have access to that book here at work, but if anyone is interested I will post that up.....I am positive I have around 50-60 fills at least, and a few into tanks that had basically 0 pressure as I have bought a few new tanks including one scuba and one scba...so it ran a while.

So which compressor and why.....the chinese and because the high dollar ones are flat too expensive, and this little guy seems to do just fine.....it is pretty far from perfect it is pretty noisy, and it will burn you.....but it puts pressure in a tank and has done so for over a year with nothing past oil changes.
Click to expand...

There is certainly a good argument to be made for buying a $200 compressor. Nice to have the $2000 model. But nice not to spend that kind of dough, also.
Click to expand...

Nice to have the $2000....really how. I see few advantages, yes they are all in one box if you will....they might be more quiet and you will not burn yourself while bleeding the system after a fill....past that, I am not seeing it. Add to that the Omega uses the same o-ring technology (as I am told) as the $200 so I am left going....hmmmm

I am an end result guy, but how I get to that end result also matters to me....if it is a PITA then yea I will spend more money....but not that much more....just flat stupid IMHO.
 
Upvote 0
I'd like to clarify a few points made in the posts above.

I compare the Omega compressors to motorized hand pumps, not the Yong Heng class of compressors. A Yong Heng compressor might be easy for someone to service but the Omega o rings require an extensive tear down to replace them. If someone's budget and risk tolerance is for an economy Chinese compressor, I understand and do not berate them for their choice.

That being said, comparing the Daystate LC110 to the $200 Yong Heng class does not mean the Daystate buyer is "flat stupid". What a Daystate buyer is getting is operating convenience, much longer life span, much higher residual resale value, and much less likelihood of short term mechanical failure. He is also getting drier air that won't damage air tanks and PCPs.

Someone may choose to have a $200 PCP rather than an FX Crown. It's a matter of personal budget, personal risk, and personal choice.


 
Upvote 0
Agree with Humdinger. And I have a Yong Heng. It works fine but I view it as disposable. A high quality compressor used to full extent by most airgunners would have a small percentage of it's lifespan used and would probably have high resale value. Initial cost is a much bigger hit as noted but might be recoverable later. I have also recently researched Nuvair for compressors. Seems they have basically the same compressor as the Daystate unit but it appears to be set up for breathable air as purchased and the price is apparently the same. If true, your resale market would easily include the dive community as well as airgunners. Probably will purchase one directly from Nuvair for myself.
 
Upvote 0
I have had an air Venturi for more than a year No problems ( quiet )I am running it in my basement I have recently rebuilt a discovery no water no rust inside I use it to refill two scuba tanks to 3200 about 40 minutes each use synthetic oil change it often I know it’s a big investment worth the convenience
Click to expand...

Which model and at what cost?
 
Upvote 0
I recently sold my Alpha Carette which performed flawlessly for the year and a half I owned it. During that time I had 16 hours of run time. It is an excellent compressor however as a compressor junkie I was attracted to the Daystate LC110 when it later was introduced. It is built upon a true dive compressor design that is air cooled, only requires 110 volts, weighs 79 pounds, and has 3 stages sealed by long lasting steel piston rings.

To each his own, but anyone who follows compressor forums closely knows that Omega compressors have piston stages sealed with rubber o rings that are the same as a hand pump. If you are willing to pay for two way shipping to replace short lived rubber o rings then this compressor line may appeal to you. The rebuild video for these compressors is not within the skill level of the typical hobbyist operator. Check out the rebuild video on Youtube and decide for yourself. Omegas tend to become "tired" after a couple of hundred hours run time whereas a Coltri compressor for similar cost is barely used. For comparable cost I'd prefer to have a dive compressor design that has been proven for over thirty years than a Chinese rubber o ring sealed motorized hand pump. In five years the resale value of a Daystate/Coltri will far exceed a five year old Omega.

As a point of clarification, the Daystate/Coltri LC110 does NOT produce breathable air without an accessory filter housing. However, neither do the Omegas or Carette unless a final filter cartridge housing is purchased separately.The Daystate/Coltri 220V $3K compressors remove odors and residual moisture for breathable quality air. The LC110 omits this filtration tower so the LC110 air is not breathable. Many users are buying a gold filter, Coltri filter, or Alpha filter to remove all residual moisture and odors produced by a LC110. A desiccant filter that includes activated carbon can make the LC110 air breathable. However, AoA does not market any of their compressors aimed at the diving community. Coltri America serves that market. Daystate/Coltri compressors are made for the PCP air gun community.

Click to expand...

That is why I stated the Daystate is a rebranded economy model of my Coltri and my motivation to buy it (not the Daystate economy version specifically) was that my Coltri was recommended for hospital outpatients with respratory ailments for the clean air.

I briefly had an Omega Supercharger BTW and I sold it. I had the Coltri before I bought the Omega and IMHO it is not worth the money.

I wanted a back up in case the Coltri ever needed to be serviced because I have nowhere to fill my three 88, three 60, and two 44 CF Tanks to 4500psi and never ever want to run out of air.

CA
 
Upvote 0
Recently new to the forums but have been into air guns about 6 years. Of the 3 units you asked about, (Omega (super or turbo), Alpha-Carette, or Daystate 110) I personally am happy with my Daystate LC110 and would choose it over the others. It is more money but it is definitely high quality and well worth the price. The biggest selling point for me was that it had 3 cylinders was air cooled (no messing with hoses/water) and was made from a long standing compressor company with a proven design. 

I started with a shoebox because at the time there weren't as many options. Now at around $500 it is a bargain. I was very happy with it and the slower fills didn't bother me. About a year and a half ago I bought a Yong Heng and it still works but in my opinion should be relegated to short top offs of your tank or quick fills. I live in the desert and no matter what I do it gets hot too quickly. IMHO if you only have one tank and fill only once a month maybe a booster (providing you all ready have a shop compressor as I did) should be your choice. The problem is that when you get a compressor you shoot a LOT more! I don't have any regrets with the route that I went but if I started today and knew how much I would be shooting I would invest in the Daystate 110 compressor.

Please don't neglect some kind of water filtration on the high pressure side. I personally use a Alpha Filter that I bought years ago but now there are lots of alternatives. See Centercuts posts. Lots of good information.
 
Upvote 0
You dont seem to need tons of air fast, have you looked at boosters? Really only 2 choice I know of but both excellent no issue units.



John
Click to expand...

I have two Altaros boosters one is for a home Coltri compressor back up. One is set up to semi portable using 2 tanks, one with low fill regulated to 150psi output and the other tank that is already low and below 3000psi to top off guns in the field it is like a self contained portable shoebox only much faster and these can top off the 4500psi tanks too using 2 lower pressured tanks. This is why I have so many tanks in case anyone was wondering. Ever since I bought a 177 Nova Freedom I no longer have to lug any filling device into the field and just use the pumper PCP for everyday use now and has become my go to gun. Maybe I should buy a 90ci carbon fibre bottle no? My PCPs are getting jealous...


CA
 
Upvote 0
I understand the case for a Yong Heng or similar...I just have zero interest in becoming an expert in researching "work arounds", "tweaks", and repair techniques for one. And, from what I've seen, that is pretty much what you're signing up to do when you decide to purchase one. For some folks, they don't mind and will happily plug along with a $200-$250 compressor for as long as the ride lasts...then either fix or re-purchase. Me? Not interested.

I want a compressor that will:

A) Be as safe as possible...while dealing with 4500 PSI and a mechanical device (which includes me NOT "fixing" or "tweaking" it)

B) Be reliable. I want it to work when I need it to work...otherwise what good is it? Again, understanding that it is a human-made mechanical device.

C) Be portable and flexible. I don't want 220V, I don't want to mess with buckets and hoses. Portable meaning I can load it in my pickup to go on prairie dog hunting trips.

D) Have support available. Seems that Omega and Daystate (Coltri) both have this.

I understand this is going to require me to plop down well over $1000...I just want to do so only one time.

Scott
 
Upvote 0
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back
Home
Forums
Resources
Menu