alkin w31 mariner vs omega / air venturi

[rangur1]

pretty sure i have correct model. Now , odoyle will get all over me on this , but , this alkin model is obviously very solid . negatives are it weighs 140 pounds plus and costs over 3500 bucks. where as an air venturi or omega run about 1500 bucks and weigh about 60 pounds. I know , i know , what difference is there in cost if the unit breaks after a year. however , I plan on using compressor to fill 2 96 cu ft carbon fiber tanks , maybe 5-6 times a year max. are those 1500 dollar models that sketchy? my issue is as much with the weight of the alkin as with the price. My needs don't require me to refill tanks every week or 2. 

There are plenty of yong heng fans too. I'm just not comfortable with the reliability of a 250 dollar unit.

Do I REALLY need an alkin or MCH6 for my needs?

 

[grackleblast]

I think odoyle is MIA.

 

[Airgun Advisor]

Do you really need one, no



however at the end of the day you will be happier with the high end models and when you go to sell it at the end of your hobby experience you will get the difference back. With the cheaper ones, you will be lucky to get half your investment back and you will be more likely to have a breakdown, which would be frustrating to say the least.

Just my thoughts. 

 

[biohazardman]

Many if not most of our PCP compressors are Made in China that includes but is not limited to the Omega units. The Yong Heng compressors are about the best for under $1000 but when you get into $1500 range of the Omega I expect the QC would be at least a lttle bit better. The design of the Yong Heng is great only the QC suffers now and again. The Air Venturi is made in England so I would trust it a bit more.

 

[Uglyjohn]

pretty sure i have correct model. Now , odoyle will get all over me on this , but , this alkin model is obviously very solid . negatives are it weighs 140 pounds plus and costs over 3500 bucks. where as an air venturi or omega run about 1500 bucks and weigh about 60 pounds. I know , i know , what difference is there in cost if the unit breaks after a year. however , I plan on using compressor to fill 2 96 cu ft carbon fiber tanks , maybe 5-6 times a year max. are those 1500 dollar models that sketchy? my issue is as much with the weight of the alkin as with the price. My needs don't require me to refill tanks every week or 2. 

There are plenty of yong heng fans too. I'm just not comfortable with the reliability of a 250 dollar unit.

Do I REALLY need an alkin or MCH6 for my needs?

I’m in the same boat. My Carette will be at the 80 hour mark before the end of the year. This seems to be where they need an overhaul but the availability of parts and assistance is sketchy at best. I fill my 74cuft tank once a week so I don’t need an Alkin but the peace of mind in having a very reliable air source may be worth the price. Uj

 

[bubblerboy64]

I did this the expensive way, Ended up buying the Alkin after spending just as much on other approaches . My advice buy the Alkin first. The vertical unit is on wheels easy to move around.

 

[likkitysplyt]

Just speaking from my own experience ... I would not take a new AV 4500 110v compressor for free. I have had 3 THIS year since Christmas and never got more than 7 or 8 hours out of all of them combined.

I've had a Omega Super Charger for about 4 years and it gave up the ghost after a little over 200 hours. I bought a Omega Air Charger at less than half price made from spare parts from a friend and am currently having it re-built to fill bottles and tanks. I have a Hill-EC 3000 now and it does a great job at simply filling up guns by themselves ... very impressed with the Hill so far.

I am like blubberboy64 in that I went all the way around my hand to get to my thumb with compressors. If I had it to do all over again and if I wasn't 71 years old with very serious health problems ... in other words, if I thought I had more than 5 to 10 years of time left to use and enjoy the compressor ... by all means, I would go with the Alkin. Life is too short to be bothered with compressors that you fork out a great deal of money on and then end up disappointed with them. 

My advice ... spend some money, ultimately save some money, save some grief.

Love, Live and Laugh ... it's a short pony ride and you only go around once.

Shalom

John

 

[GeneT]

I actually own an Alkin W31 *and* an air venturi. I've had the AV for 5ish years, and it probably only has 10-12 hours on it (for a while it was very cheap and convenient for me to get a fill at a local dive shop for $5). I bought the Alkin because I've always expected the AV to crap out at some point, and those are never 'convenient' times. The AV also made me leary with the oily muck that comes out of its exhaust. In any case, I clearly would have saved money by buying the Alkin first and being done with it. If your budget can accommodate it, I don't think you'll ever regret the purchase.

On the weight issue - I'm not sure I understand why weight is a concern, but I'd rather move my Alkin (which has wheels) across my shop than the AV, which is awkward as hell to carry and makes it's 60-something pounds feel like twice that. Perhaps you have other reasons to be concerned about weight?

GsT

 

[rangur1]

I actually own an Alkin W31 *and* an air venturi. I've had the AV for 5ish years, and it probably only has 10-12 hours on it (for a while it was very cheap and convenient for me to get a fill at a local dive shop for $5). I bought the Alkin because I've always expected the AV to crap out at some point, and those are never 'convenient' times. The AV also made me leary with the oily muck that comes out of its exhaust. In any case, I clearly would have saved money by buying the Alkin first and being done with it. If your budget can accommodate it, I don't think you'll ever regret the purchase.

On the weight issue - I'm not sure I understand why weight is a concern, but I'd rather move my Alkin (which has wheels) across my shop than the AV, which is awkward as hell to carry and makes it's 60-something pounds feel like twice that. Perhaps you have other reasons to be concerned about weight?

GsT

I did notice the upright version with wheels , was not aware both versions had wheels. that changes things

as for all the others who responded , you make excellent points. I was looking for a few reasons to make the extra 2 grand jump in price. 

 

[bandg]

I actually own an Alkin W31 *and* an air venturi. I've had the AV for 5ish years, and it probably only has 10-12 hours on it (for a while it was very cheap and convenient for me to get a fill at a local dive shop for $5). I bought the Alkin because I've always expected the AV to crap out at some point, and those are never 'convenient' times. The AV also made me leary with the oily muck that comes out of its exhaust. In any case, I clearly would have saved money by buying the Alkin first and being done with it. If your budget can accommodate it, I don't think you'll ever regret the purchase.

On the weight issue - I'm not sure I understand why weight is a concern, but I'd rather move my Alkin (which has wheels) across my shop than the AV, which is awkward as hell to carry and makes it's 60-something pounds feel like twice that. Perhaps you have other reasons to be concerned about weight?

GsT

I did notice the upright version with wheels , was not aware both versions had wheels. that changes things

as for all the others who responded , you make excellent points. I was looking for a few reasons to make the extra 2 grand jump in price.

YOU are the only one who could produce such reasons. Others will have opinions, and any one opinion is just as valid as another. But no more so. A FACT is different than an opinion but facts are pretty hard to come by in this topic. Seems a few facts are these (along with some opinions behind the "facts")-

1-the Alkin costs about 70% more than an Omega Turbocharger (apparently the "best" Omega unit?). Seems factual. 

Now a related opinion-"the Alkin will last longer than the Omega Turbocharger". I bet that is correct also (my opinion), and some might even call it a fact. But I wonder if it is RELEVANT for most air gun users (i.e. is there a REALIZABLE LONGER LIFE SPAN or, in other words, will the Omega do all one needs for as long as one needs). Only YOU know which is most relevant to YOU.

2-the Alkin costs about 5 times as much as a Yong Heng (my estimate for a YH and added water filter/dryer). Seems factual.

Now a related opinion-"the Alkin wil last longer than the Yong Heng. Almost certain to be true, IMO. Lets call it a fact. But the same question exists as above-will the Yong Heng do what many shooters need for as long as they need it? Possibly. The Yong Heng is almost certain to fail at some time in the future of use (I'm approaching 3 years on a Yong Heng so that seems to be relative) but how long before failure and how much value would one realize from such in that time frame seems to be a relevant question.

I bought an MCH6 because I COULD, after having the Yong Heng for almost 2 years.

It is nice knowing that the MCH6 (bought from a closing dive shop on mine for $1700 but available new from about $2600) will probably last a lifetime WHEN (IF) the Yong Heng fails. 

How much is the peace of mind worth to YOU. Seemingly cannot go wrong with an Alkin. What about the MCH6? Or the Omega. Or the Yong Heng. YOUR decision which only YOU can make. 







The Alkin costs about 6 times what a Yong Heng costs (one of the "cheapest" of the compressors available).

 

[rangur1]

bandg- news to me about the MCH6, I had recalled it being MORE than an ALKIN . but I won't swear on it! LOL! I also ALWAYS try to provide a question that appears to have several options. - Best way to engage conversation and opinions , also best way to garner vital information. This post was weighing the substantial cost outlay of the alkin versus middlings. as for the hesitation on the Yong Heng- that's my personal shortcoming , not from prior experience , and/or failure. and : love the feedback 

 

[bandg]

bandg- news to me about the MCH6, I had recalled it being MORE than an ALKIN . but I won't swear on it! LOL! I also ALWAYS try to provide a question that appears to have several options. - Best way to engage conversation and opinions , also best way to garner vital information. This post was weighing the substantial cost outlay of the alkin versus middlings. as for the hesitation on the Yong Heng- that's my personal shortcoming , not from prior experience , and/or failure. and : love the feedback 

Always good to see lots of opinions on things when trying to make a decision. Recently, the MCH6 compressors were on sale from Nuvair in California for $2500. Hasn't been long ago but the price may have gone up. I believe they were upgrading some bearing support for even longer life, if I recall what I had read. Alkin starts north of $3000 (3200??) as I understand but others can give you exact recent purchase prices. Many have mentioned in other threads, and I think it's a good opinion, that the mid range compressors may provide the LEAST "bang for the buck" due to relative cost vs. reliability issues that have been reported. Still, many swear by their AirVenturi, or Hatsan Lightning, or Omega compressors (which are a step up in my opinion from AV or Hatsan, also from readings not experience).

If cost isn't an issue, buying an Alkin, or an MCH6, seems like a no brainer. If cost is a factor, an inexpensive Yong Heng can start one off well in PCP shooting without breaking the bank but does require a bit more "fiddling with" as to cooling.

Choices, choices. Good luck on getting a good overall outcome.

 

[Migraine]

The MCH6 is still $2500 + Shipping if you are not local to Nuvair. Mine arrived last week and will be using it this weekend. The shipping was $200 or there about to the FedeX freight depot.

I did the Honda gas motor can take it camping, out to the range, on the boat for air tanks etc. I have bought items from China that have been great, until they were not and no replacement parts to be found. I feel this compressor will out last me I looked at the entry into PCP like this. 5.56 NATO rounds at $1.00 USD+ at one time we were a 200-2000 shot count a month house hold on trigger time. Now with .177 .22 .25 and .30 we get our trigger time, no need to go to a dive shop and wait with the compressor, This is my second MCH6 the first came from my brother, it went to his children and I bought my own.

On the MCH6 it can be converted to run on electricity with the purchase of the an electric motor, I might be doing that his coming fall or winter. 

You will not go wrong with the Alkin, or MCH6. Now if the budget is super tight and you like a work out... Get a Hill hand pump (I started with a Hill and it was and is a work out! Just not lady like to sweat at the range)

 

[GeneT]

I actually own an Alkin W31 *and* an air venturi. I've had the AV for 5ish years, and it probably only has 10-12 hours on it (for a while it was very cheap and convenient for me to get a fill at a local dive shop for $5). I bought the Alkin because I've always expected the AV to crap out at some point, and those are never 'convenient' times. The AV also made me leary with the oily muck that comes out of its exhaust. In any case, I clearly would have saved money by buying the Alkin first and being done with it. If your budget can accommodate it, I don't think you'll ever regret the purchase.

On the weight issue - I'm not sure I understand why weight is a concern, but I'd rather move my Alkin (which has wheels) across my shop than the AV, which is awkward as hell to carry and makes it's 60-something pounds feel like twice that. Perhaps you have other reasons to be concerned about weight?

GsT

I did notice the upright version with wheels , was not aware both versions had wheels. that changes things

as for all the others who responded , you make excellent points. I was looking for a few reasons to make the extra 2 grand jump in price.

Just to be clear - I have the vertical (upright version) - I don't think the horizontal has wheels.

GsT

 

[Crank]

I'll pipe in here. I had an Omega Charger and zero complaints, however, when my buddy expressed a desire to get a compressor, I considered upgrading, so I started shopping. Long story short, I looked at all of the brands and their features, factored in cost/shipping/tax/etc... and said the heck with it. I bought the Alkin W31 vertical, shipped for $3100 and didn't get whacked for CA. sales tax as it was an out of state purchase. 

The only concession I had to make was to pick it up at the freight yard 15 minutes away, got it home and wired a plug end (got the 220V model). It's definitely louder than my Omega, but it fills a 60 minute tank from zero to 4500psi in 25 minutes. I then sold my Omega to my buddy and haven't looked back. Is this "cost effective"?, you figure it out. As few of my PCP rifles were less than $1K and several easily double that, why would I find purchasing a compressor for the same price as another high end PCP problematic? Sure, you can economize, but at least this is a piece of gear that won't diminish in value.

I'm not going to start a flame war with the Yong Heng/economy compressors, if it works for you, awesome! My experience with equipment is always buy the best I can reasonably afford and rarely have I regretted it. In the grand scheme of things, the Alkin will never wear out in my lifetime the way I'll use it, but I feel confident it will be reliable even with sporadic use.

Mark

 

[bandg]

I'll pipe in here. I had an Omega Charger and zero complaints, however, when my buddy expressed a desire to get a compressor, I considered upgrading, so I started shopping. Long story short, I looked at all of the brands and their features, factored in cost/shipping/tax/etc... and said the heck with it. I bought the Alkin W31 vertical, shipped for $3100 and didn't get whacked for CA. sales tax as it was an out of state purchase. 

The only concession I had to make was to pick it up at the freight yard 15 minutes away, got it home and wired a plug end (got the 220V model). It's definitely louder than my Omega, but it fills a 60 minute tank from zero to 4500psi in 25 minutes. I then sold my Omega to my buddy and haven't looked back. Is this "cost effective"?, you figure it out. As few of my PCP rifles were less than $1K and several easily double that, why would I find purchasing a compressor for the same price as another high end PCP problematic? Sure, you can economize, but at least this is a piece of gear that won't diminish in value.

I'm not going to start a flame war with the Yong Heng/economy compressors, if it works for you, awesome! My experience with equipment is always buy the best I can reasonably afford and rarely have I regretted it. In the grand scheme of things, the Alkin will never wear out in my lifetime the way I'll use it, but I feel confident it will be reliable even with sporadic use.

Mark

A perfectly valid opinion.

 

[bandg]

The MCH6 is still $2500 + Shipping if you are not local to Nuvair. Mine arrived last week and will be using it this weekend. The shipping was $200 or there about to the FedeX freight depot.

I did the Honda gas motor can take it camping, out to the range, on the boat for air tanks etc. I have bought items from China that have been great, until they were not and no replacement parts to be found. I feel this compressor will out last me I looked at the entry into PCP like this. 5.56 NATO rounds at $1.00 USD+ at one time we were a 200-2000 shot count a month house hold on trigger time. Now with .177 .22 .25 and .30 we get our trigger time, no need to go to a dive shop and wait with the compressor, This is my second MCH6 the first came from my brother, it went to his children and I bought my own.

On the MCH6 it can be converted to run on electricity with the purchase of the an electric motor, I might be doing that his coming fall or winter. 

You will not go wrong with the Alkin, or MCH6. Now if the budget is super tight and you like a work out... Get a Hill hand pump (I started with a Hill and it was and is a work out! Just not lady like to sweat at the range)

I bought my MCH6 used because a friend lived in an area with lots of dive shops (Florida) and located a great deal on one pretty quickly. Apparently it came off of a failing dive boat business because it was nearly new. I specified gas powered because I PREFERRED that because it isn't tied to an outlet. I've used it at other shooters' homes as well as remote locations. One pull and the Honda starts. Louder than electric? Yes. Do you mow your yard with a gas powered mower? About the same, but for about 5 minutes only and the Great White is at max pressure. Others may want electric for various reasons and that is fine as well. Different strokes. I also expect the MCH6 to last as long as I need it. But my "cheap" Yong Heng still fills right beside the MCH6 (takes about 11 minutes vs. 5 for the MCH6) after nearly 3 years now. So as mentioned above, "you figure it out" certainly applies to RELATIVE value. But the peace of mind knowing the MCH6 is there is worth it TO ME. Different strokes and most of the strokes are relative, as usual.

 

[Crank]

bandg,

You make an excellent point about having a compressor that is gas powered. It may be a bit noisier, but how long and more importantly where, will you be using it.

One argument I'll never win when comparing to some of those lower cost compressors and that is weight. My previous Omega weighed a 1/3 what my Alkin does and about half the size for footprint in the garage. I'll be the first one to dissuade most buyers from going the route I did, but for me, I was in a position to afford it and I'm a huge nerd when it comes to getting stuff that performs at the industrial level. Anyone who has seen my garage/machine shop will attest to the likelihood of a serious mental illness.

Everyone has their specific comfort zone and budget, so there is no right or wrong answer when choosing a compressor. The track record of the humble Yong Hengs shows they can successfully perform the task with a reasonable degree of reliability for most users. Maintenance might be a bit higher over time, but given their cost and simplicity, they are a winner. I'm a bit lazier than many and wanted something that I didn't have to fuss with. 

My Omega was small, reasonable weight, simple and topped off tanks in short order, did I need to replace it? Definitely not, but I figured I would splurge and upgrade. Without the opportunity to sell it to my friend, I likely would have kept it until it croaked, or I did. I just felt like treating myself to bigger and fancier. 

The only compressors that I find of dubious value are those only capable of topping off the cylinder of a PCP, for that, I think the exercise of a hand pump probably makes more sense. 

My severely depreciated two cents worth.

Mark

 

[bandg]

bandg,

You make an excellent point about having a compressor that is gas powered. It may be a bit noisier, but how long and more importantly where, will you be using it.

One argument I'll never win when comparing to some of those lower cost compressors and that is weight. My previous Omega weighed a 1/3 what my Alkin does and about half the size for footprint in the garage. I'll be the first one to dissuade most buyers from going the route I did, but for me, I was in a position to afford it and I'm a huge nerd when it comes to getting stuff that performs at the industrial level. Anyone who has seen my garage/machine shop will attest to the likelihood of a serious mental illness.

Everyone has their specific comfort zone and budget, so there is no right or wrong answer when choosing a compressor. The track record of the humble Yong Hengs shows they can successfully perform the task with a reasonable degree of reliability for most users. Maintenance might be a bit higher over time, but given their cost and simplicity, they are a winner. I'm a bit lazier than many and wanted something that I didn't have to fuss with. 

My Omega was small, reasonable weight, simple and topped off tanks in short order, did I need to replace it? Definitely not, but I figured I would splurge and upgrade. Without the opportunity to sell it to my friend, I likely would have kept it until it croaked, or I did. I just felt like treating myself to bigger and fancier. 

The only compressors that I find of dubious value are those only capable of topping off the cylinder of a PCP, for that, I think the exercise of a hand pump probably makes more sense. 

My severely depreciated two cents worth.

Mark

Again, perfectly valid. No single best answer for anyone, but as much information as can be presented from owners might help someone in the "research" stage make a "more informed" choice. And I love the idea of the Alkin, especially the upright wheeled model. THAT is very nice, and any Alkin will probably last a lifetime. But I valued the gas power more because of my usage patterns. 6 of 1, half dozen of the other. I do hate picking up my MCH6 to put it into the truck.

 

[Bigragu]

The reason the Alkins weigh as much as they do, is the cooling fin sections on the cylinder heads are solid cast iron. At least it is on my 2004 model they are. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, when the owner of airtanksplus who sold me this compressor made the mistake of shutting off the compressor at 4300 psi(when as I needed them topped off and it was also a tutorial on how to operate their Alkin), and restarting it WHILE THE COMPRESSOR WAS FULLY PRESSURIZED totally impressed the heck out of me. It didn’t stumble, cough, shake or fart. It just kept humming along like it was never shut off. Try doing that with the lesser priced models and see what happens. 

@RANGUR1- I didn’t know you were looking at the Alkins as a future investment, you should’ve asked me when we chatted today. I’m not an Alkin rep, but what I do know is as of early 2020 the horizontal models like I own, are now equal in price as the vertical models. If I didn’t already own this horizontal 2004 version I’d get the vertical model as-

1. Footprint wise, it takes up less space than the horizontal unit, 

2. It’s on wheels like a hand truck, so easy to maneuver if need be

Just this past month, I’ve assisted(or “enabled”, as DAVELARSEN called it, all in fun)two AGN members in solidifying their decision to go with an Alkin. If I remember correctly,one of them said shipped to his house it was $3200(that’s already with shipping factored in, at $3200) for the vertical model. 

As far as noise goes, it gets clackety with noise at initial start up for a one second, then just purrs along like any other compressor made. It tops of my tank from 3200 to a complete full of 4500 in exactly 5 minutes each and every time. So, with that in mind, you don’t need to spend the extra for auto purge or auto stop. Filters and the special oil(DO NOT use Home Depot compressor oil, royal purple, or any of the ones used in the yong hengs) from filtertechs.com and a gallon of that oil at $75 will take you to your grave, along with the Alkin compressor as CRANK put it. 

I tell everyone, it’s not a buy once cry once, it’s a buy once and smiles forever every time you flip the on switch, as you are your own air source. 

Heck, if you got local airgunners nearby, charge them $10 for top offs and $15 for a 0-4500 fill on a new tank, and that’ll help offset the cost, and save them from paying crazy dive shop fill fees.

Pics of my horizontal set up-

I swapped out the cord end on the compressor to the same type shown in the pic, then purchased a #12ga, 25’ cord and cut off the ends and installed these 20amp, 220v terminals. Works like a charm, and from one end of my 32’ wide garage where the outlet is on the wall, I can wheel this cart all the way to the other end of the garage and the electrical whip on the Alkin along with this expansion cord I’m still easily within spec of the required amp draw so there’s no voltage drop.