Which sub $500 HPA compressor on Amazon to get?

I thought about a Yong Heng, but I really don't want to have to deal with a water cooled compressor. I'm pretty sure the Nomad II is a rebranded Tuxing compressor which are available direct from China for less than half the price of a Nomad.

I think I'll get a GX CS1-I with a 4 year replacement warranty. It's air cooled, oil less, built in power supply and I should get it by Friday. With the warranty it comes in at about $400. Fingers crossed it's not a dud.


 
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Air cooled and oil less are not great features of any tool with a motor and deals with high temperatures and/pressures... Liquid cooled and oil filled are upgrades, not downgrades. 

The water cooled system on the YH is extremely straightforward and does not require ice or anything else unless you are filling large tanks. This is all it is....

20220129_225612.1644328168.jpg


Thats all I'm going to say on the topic. Its your money to spend as you please.
 
I have one of these and so far it does the job. Probably done 50 or more refills on my 580cc and no hitches or failures. It also comes with enough O rings and parts for a rebuild when needed. Takes about 8 minutes to fill from 120 to 250 bar. https://www.amazon.com/VEVOR-Compressor-Auto-stop-Powered-Paintball/dp/B09F6QN5S3/ref=asc_df_B09F6QN5S3/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=532655541111&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=15529683497829765217&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9027214&hvtargid=pla-1430388644536&th=1
 
Oil-less waterless compressor = disposable compressor. If you are just an occasional user, these compressors may be ok for you, however they will not last long under the prolonged usage required to fill or even top off a tank and they say as much in their manuals. Filling guns on the other hand is what they are meant for and they do a nice job of it for their very limited lifetimes.

The fact that these compressors have such an extremely limited duty cycle says it all though. They can’t handle the job that most require. Then there is the recommended rebuild at 20 hours and if you baby them they may last that long. Still many will runoff of 12V so you can fill from your car where 120-220V is not available. This is a big deal for those who don’t have tanks. So why don’t you have a tank?

The Vevor unit is mentioned above is comperale to the Nomad and will last about the same length of time but costs much less. So, if you require the 12V it is an option.

Want something proven to last and at even a lower cost? Get a Yong Heng which has both oil and water so the metal first stage piston rings get oiled, like on your car they need it, and the head which has composite rings on the second stage piston gets cooled better by water, it needs it, both are very good things.

These YH units are very inexpensive, easy to maintain and replacement parts are readily available at ridiculously low prices. There are loads of repair videos available on YouTube for them. So it’s hard to beat the Yong Heng for inexpensive fills for your favorite gun.

The Yong Heng is the least expensive compressor worth having and at $299 with free shipping it is a bargain mine cost more a couple of years back when I bought it. You do NOT want the "Simple" version which is less expensive, because it DOES NOT have a water separator. You DO NOT want the "Auto Shutoff unit as it shuts off somewhere near 2900- 3000psi. ONLY the, "Set Pressure" and "Hardcopy/Hardcover" units are worth having.

They are about the best compressor you can buy for under $1000

So why don’t you have one?

The only good reason would be cuz you have something much better like an Alkin or similar.

But let’s not forget the YH units are inexpensive and Chinese so expect a few QC problems with them as with many of the more expensive compressors out there as they are just rebadged Chinese units.

Not the best price so shop around but it gives you and Idea of what is available.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32824234795.html?spm=a2g0o.store_home.productList_13760454.subject_2
 
No one has addressed my main concerns, ie. customer service and parts availability?

I won't get involved in the debate over air cooled vs water cooled, buy once cry once, etc. etc. But I will say that I like buying something like this through Amazon because a) free shipping / free returns and b) for $40 I get a replacement / full refund warranty for 4 years. 
 
No one has addressed my main concerns, ie. customer service and parts availability?

I won't get involved in the debate over air cooled vs water cooled, buy once cry once, etc. etc. But I will say that I like buying something like this through Amazon because a) free shipping / free returns and b) for $40 I get a replacement / full refund warranty for 4 years.

Its not really a debate. Air cooled, oil less compressors are not meant to last. Somewhere out there a salesman is looking in the mirror and laughing to himself about actually pulling off the whole "save time and money with this bare minimum lubricated, 4500psi machine!" sales bit. My Nomad 2 made it less than 30 days before it died. Luckily I bought it from Pyramydair who gave me a full refund.

As far as your concerns go, the Yong Heng is 100% serviceable. Type "Yong Heng" in the search bar and you'll find the thread with the replacement parts websites.

Customer service is non existent, thats why you grab the 4 year warranty with it when you order it through Amazon. Walmart carries it as well fyi. If you dont feel like dealing with the warranty, you order the parts and swap them in. Airgun Nation is the product support if you have issues/questions.
 
I have a YH that's been great. Don't think I'd ever go with a waterless/oiless compressor. It's asking for trouble. Once you get used to the operation of the YH it's NOT a big deal to run & maintain. Never start/stop under pressure, don't try to fill past 4200psi (I fill tanks) & don't run longer than 12-15 min without a cool-off break & it SHOULD do a great job for you. Don't overthink the water cooling part, it's not a big deal. Biohazardman's "all things Yong Heng" is kinda like the operating bible.
 
Others here on AGN have posted that they bought from this vendor, and it was a genuine YH: https://www.ebay.com/itm/224382665774.

When I was looking at compressors a while ago, there was a vendor on Walmart selling (supposedly) genuine YH models, and one of their pictures had a letter from YH specifying them as an authorized reseller. Walmart is not the vendor - they've modified their website into an Amazon-like clone. Strangely, they used to list more compressors, but maybe its just a search term thing.

Yong Heng parts: https://www.aliexpress.com/wholesale?catId=0&initiative_id=SB_20201105121505&origin=y&SearchText=yongheng