The least complicated and easiest to maintain air compressor was the Shoebox. It was made in the U.S. but was relatively expensive. It was manufactured on such a small scale that it was impossible to compete with the Chinese imports that drove Shoebox out of business. If a larger manufacturer anywhere would manufacture an updated Shoebox F10 for around $350 it would sell like hotcakes. It could easily be done by a large scale manufacturer due to its simplicity.
Before anyone says that Altaros already does I would point out two significant differences. The price of an Altaros is high for it's lack of complexity. It uses over half of the air from the booster compressor just to power the drive piston before that air is dumped through a vent. The genius of the Shoebox was that it used a premium quality 1/3 HP motor instead of a booster compressor to drive its pistons. All of the air from the booster compressor is compressed by the Shoebox so a booster compressor cycles on less than half of time required to operate an Altaros. The Shoebox required much less compressor capacity and output from a booster compressor than does the Altaros.
The Shoebox was the little compressor engine that could. The F10 compressed 10 cubic feet of air per hour to 310 bar which means it could top off a 9 liter SCBA tank in 3.5 hours. It didn't require constant monitoring so it could serve anyone other than a power user who filled tanks more than twice a week. The beauty of the Shoebox was it required very little maintenance and it was easy to service by an owner with minimal mechanical ability.
An updated Shoebox should include an intake moisture filter built in to the design. The Shoebox compressed so gradually that cool down air loss was never a problem. The design was ahead of its time but needs to be manufactured on a larger scale so the price can compete with less reliable designs that aren't nearly as durable. I think many buyers today would welcome reliability and durability from a booster compressor like an updated Shoebox if it was available for $350 or less.
Before anyone says that Altaros already does I would point out two significant differences. The price of an Altaros is high for it's lack of complexity. It uses over half of the air from the booster compressor just to power the drive piston before that air is dumped through a vent. The genius of the Shoebox was that it used a premium quality 1/3 HP motor instead of a booster compressor to drive its pistons. All of the air from the booster compressor is compressed by the Shoebox so a booster compressor cycles on less than half of time required to operate an Altaros. The Shoebox required much less compressor capacity and output from a booster compressor than does the Altaros.
The Shoebox was the little compressor engine that could. The F10 compressed 10 cubic feet of air per hour to 310 bar which means it could top off a 9 liter SCBA tank in 3.5 hours. It didn't require constant monitoring so it could serve anyone other than a power user who filled tanks more than twice a week. The beauty of the Shoebox was it required very little maintenance and it was easy to service by an owner with minimal mechanical ability.
An updated Shoebox should include an intake moisture filter built in to the design. The Shoebox compressed so gradually that cool down air loss was never a problem. The design was ahead of its time but needs to be manufactured on a larger scale so the price can compete with less reliable designs that aren't nearly as durable. I think many buyers today would welcome reliability and durability from a booster compressor like an updated Shoebox if it was available for $350 or less.
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