Big Boy compressor versus Omega turbocharger

[WillM]

Wow. If I had a choice between an LC-110 or an Omega it's like choosing a Learjet over a Piper Cub. IMHO, in over 20 years of working with compressors, that the Omega is THE most overpriced compressor there is.

If you buy the Omega you'll love it this year. If it lasts 5 years you're lucky You'll be shopping for another compressor wishing you had bought a more durable unit to begin with. Buy once, cry once.

Could you please point me to some posts from some unhappy Omega owners? Or some who describe their ordeal with rebuilding it after 200 hours? Or maybe to some listings in the classifieds from people wanting to dump their Omega to move up?

I did see that “ODoyle” was unhappy but could never find his explanation of what the problem was. Maybe my google-fu is weak, so if you could point me to all of the unhappy Omega owners experiences, I’d appreciate it.

That's what the seach function on this forum is for.

Humdinger, I may have not made it clear but I DID search and was hoping that you could point me to some past examples. I have read most of your past TOPICS STARTED posts and many of your TOPICS REPLIED posts and couldn’t find where you ever said before that the Omega was the most overpriced compressor. I also couldn’t find more than a couple negative reviews and very few problems that weren’t easily solved.

So like I said earlier, my search function may be lacking and I’d appreciate it if you could point me to the negatives so I can decide for myself. I too am a buy once cry once guy, but often the “prosumer” model as opposed to the “professional” model is adequate. Thanks for your help with this.

 

[grackleblast]

I shoot my pcp's almost every day and fill air tanks for about 6 other shooters. In 5 years I have racked up all of 18 hours and didn't need to buy any extras.......dryers, fittings.. I seldom need to run it for more than 7 to 10 minutes at a time for tank top offs.

 

[TRUST475]

Humdinger knows what he's talking about. I followed his past experiences that he shared with his Alkin W31 and I ended up purchasing one. I have no experience with Omega compressors but I'm glad to own an Alkin as it has been completely reliable and trouble free.

 

[John "spysir" Blount]

Yes um An Alkin W31 will fulfill all your airgun needs for a National shooting event with ease and last decades. At least they certainly did once upon a time. Go with the old proven design.

John

 

[bandg]

I shoot between 50,000 and 60,000 pellets a year. My Omega compressor supplies air for all my use and another competitive shooter, and yes, this includes filling tanks most of the time. 
We ran our Omega Super compressor 430 hours before it required a rebuild and that rebuild was relatively easy to do, using the parts included with the compressor.

430 hours!!! Don't you understand that such is impossible. But of course, the Alkin is just "better" for everyone. I guess you just made a mistake. Terrible to make such a mistake on something that cost $1000 (if not more) less and is quieter and can be used on 110v and can be used inside the home and has lasted for 430 hours. You should be ashamed of yourself.

 

[Microgun]

So I just got off the phone with coltri in California I can get the MCH 6 for $2600 shipped to my house I think this is a tiny step down from the Alkin.. what are everyone's thoughts I think this would be more than sufficient for what I am trying to do

 

[Humdinger]

There are exceptions to every rule. I'm sure there's a buyer somewhere in the U.S. who purchased a Yugo years ago and has 300,000 miles on it. Does that make a Yugo a great car?

I don't have any ill will towards any current owners of Omegas. I just think they are better options and values. I base my opinions on reports I've read over the years on forums like this. I suggest anyone considering an Omega to just watch the 30 minute speeded up video of Todd at AoA doing a rebuild of an Omega. Write down each step of the disassembly as you watch and add up the steps necessary to reach the rubber o-rings to replace them. If you feel comfortable after watching that video then have at it. IMHO, for the cost of an Omega, it doesn't stack up durability-wise or qualtiy wise for it's price. Rubber o-ring seals in a $1500-2000 compressor that operates as a mechanized hand pump is not value. Others may disagree. It's a free country.

Not everyone has to own a brand of anything based upon one person's opinion. I offer mine because I know there are better options and values in personal compressors. 

 

[thomasair]

My friend has the Coltri and it’s about the same speed as my newer Omega air charger....although it’s 3x faster than my super charger. For some reason or another...the new air charger has a different pump than the turbo or super and it’s 3x the speed of the super.

The Coltri air smells like oil. His Coltri does not want to shut off by itself. He’s getting rid of it and getting an Alkin.

The Air Charger air has no odor. The Air charger is 1150.00. I personally would rather have 2 Air Chargers (although I have one super and one Air) because I have a business that requires me to have air and not be down. Having a backup is a guarantee that I will always have air.

Don’t think I would buy a Coltri just based off what I’ve seen with my friends. Who knows...maybe others are fine.

Mike 

 

[Scotchmo]

My friend has the Coltri and it’s about the same speed as my newer Omega air charger....although it’s 3x faster than my super charger. For some reason or another...the new air charger has a different pump than the turbo or super and it’s 3x the speed of the super.

...

Don’t think I would buy a Coltri just based off what I’ve seen with my friends. Who knows…maybe others are fine.

Mike 

There might be something wrong with your friend's MCH6. According to the specs, the Coltri MCH6 should fill about 8 or 9 times faster than the Omega Air Charger, and 4 or 5 times faster than the Omega Turbo Charger. My Coltri MCH6 tops off most tanks from 3000psi to 4300psi in about 7 minutes. No regrets.

 

[oldsparky]

I bought a Omega Turbo Charger a couple years ago. An AOA employee convinced me to buy that compressor and said that is what he would get because they are so easy to work on. I have no doubt he gave me his honest opinion. The compressor is used to fill my omega 75 bottle. I actually don't care how fast my bottle tops off. Within a reasonable amount of time. At 9 hours filling my bottle the compressor changed sounds at 200 bar. So I shut it down. I sent a text to Todd and ask where he would start. He thought for sure it was a check valve. So I changed it. I tried filling my bottle and the same thing happened but the breaker tripped. 

My buddy down at AOA likes the way the compressor is made with all the o-rings since they are easy to replace. I understand his point. But I don't care for the design. 

I had some money to play with so I ordered an Alkin. I like the design the compressor seems to be made of substantial parts that I am use to seeing in a compressor. I have maintained and rebuilt 100s of Worthington 4 stage industrial compressors that were used by GE in 230kv breakers from years gone by. The Alkin is made in Turkey, will parts be available down the road should they be needed? I hope so. But for my personal use the Alkin may never need rebuilding it takes minutes to top off my bottle. 

I am glad this post was made. I need to fix or get fixed the Omega. I may call Todd if I can get him to refurbish it for a hundred bucks I would probably go that route. I don't get the enjoyment out of rebuilding stuff anymore. But it is not doing anyone any good sitting in the gun room.



Jim

 

[thomasair]

Hi Scott....that’s part of what I’m trying to say. The new pump air charger is faster than the turbocharger. Todd from raptor was really surprised by that, too. Joes Coltri takes 25 minutes to go from 2500-4500 on a 75cuft tank....my air charger takes 30 minutes. My super charger take 1.5hrs.

May be something wrong with his that causes it to pump slow. I don’t know. It has a few issues. I thought it would be pretty fast, but was surprised it was not much faster than my air charger. Sounds like it should take about 10-12 minutes to go from 2500-4500 on a 75cuft I guess. His takes twice that long.

Mike

 

[Therealld]

Hi all,

Omega Supercharger and love it. It IS slower than some others being discussed, but that not an issue for me, because it automatically bleeds moisture when and for how many seconds I set it for, and it stops pumping at the pressure I want, I had faster units that heated my tank so much I needed to top up more later if I really wanted it full, but this one barely gets the tank warm, which is good for me. I have lots of tanks, so i rarely get caught so I never need to wait for one to fill.

The huge advantage is my Omega is so quiet I use it in my den, and it sounds like a small washing machine. I watch tv in the next room and can’t hear it. So i can run it in cleaner, cooler air than the garage (esp in summer when the ac is running). It did shut down after about 40hrs due to a bad water pump, but Tod sent a new one for around $20 and it only took me ten mins to swap them and Ive filled maybe thirty tanks since with no prob. There was a sensor for the water flow, so the unit was protected fine, 

I’ve owned four other compressors and all eventually failed, seemingly due to excess heat. I like water cooled, and feel the slower speed also keeps it cooler running.

 

[AncientSword]

My Coltri MCH-6 fills a 45 min scba from 3k to 4.6k in 6 minutes. 
If I didn’t get a great deal on it, I would have bought an Alkin or a used Bauer. I’m done with the cheaper stuff, I’ve had way too many problems with them over the years.

 

[bandg]

Hi all,

Omega Supercharger and love it. It IS slower than some others being discussed, but that not an issue for me, because it automatically bleeds moisture when and for how many seconds I set it for, and it stops pumping at the pressure I want, I had faster units that heated my tank so much I needed to top up more later if I really wanted it full, but this one barely gets the tank warm, which is good for me. I have lots of tanks, so i rarely get caught so I never need to wait for one to fill.

The huge advantage is my Omega is so quiet I use it in my den, and it sounds like a small washing machine. I watch tv in the next room and can’t hear it. So i can run it in cleaner, cooler air than the garage (esp in summer when the ac is running). It did shut down after about 40hrs due to a bad water pump, but Tod sent a new one for around $20 and it only took me ten mins to swap them and Ive filled maybe thirty tanks since with no prob. There was a sensor for the water flow, so the unit was protected fine, 

I’ve owned four other compressors and all eventually failed, seemingly due to excess heat. I like water cooled, and feel the slower speed also keeps it cooler running.

How many hours on your Omega? Might be good info to have in the thread. AirGunShooters 430 hours on an Omega was impressive.

 

[bandg]

My friend has the Coltri and it’s about the same speed as my newer Omega air charger....although it’s 3x faster than my super charger. For some reason or another...the new air charger has a different pump than the turbo or super and it’s 3x the speed of the super.

...

Don’t think I would buy a Coltri just based off what I’ve seen with my friends. Who knows…maybe others are fine.

Mike 

There might be something wrong with your friend's MCH6. According to the specs, the Coltri MCH6 should fill about 8 or 9 times faster than the Omega Air Charger, and 4 or 5 times faster than the Omega Turbo Charger. My Coltri MCH6 tops off most tanks from 3000psi to 4300psi in about 7 minutes. No regrets.

Similar with my MCH6 on a Great White tank. I usually top off from around 3800 back to 4500 because I have a couple of tanks that use 3600 pressure and I like to have it ready for them. That takes about 4-5 minutes with the MCH6. Interestingly, my 2+ year old Yong Heng will do the same in about 10 minutes. 6 minutes doesn't seem like a major difference, especially considering the price difference. And the potential indoor use and convenience of the Omega units does seem like it could be an advantage for many people. I would have an Omega Turbocharger now if they had been available when I "upgraded". All relative.

.

 

[Scotchmo]

Hi all,

Omega Supercharger and love it. ... I had faster units that heated my tank so much I needed to top up more later if I really wanted it full, but this one barely gets the tank warm, which is good for me. ...

...

The huge advantage is my Omega is so quiet I use it in my den, and it sounds like a small washing machine. ...

True about the fast fills. The tank pressure drops 100psi-200psi after cooling down. I think an Omega would be all that most need if they are just filling their own tanks. A 110v compressor that's quiet and does an overnight charge with automated drain and shutoff - sounds good. I would not expect or seek a fast charge rate in such a compressor.

After struggling to keep my Vevor (Yong Heng clone) running, I wanted a quality compressor that could give me 10 years of reliable use before major work. That means about 100 hours for the Coltri. Or 900 hours for the Omega. The Coltri is rated for much more than I need. Could I get >900 hours from an Omega? If so, the Omega could be the better choice for most.

 

[Scotchmo]

... My Coltri MCH6 tops off most tanks from 3000psi to 4300psi in about 7 minutes. No regrets.

... takes about 4-5 minutes with the MCH6. Interestingly, my 2+ year old Yong Heng will do the same in about 10 minutes. 6 minutes doesn't seem like a major difference, especially considering the price difference. ...

My Vevor compressor was plenty fast enough but was not reliable. The Vevor is similar to the Yong Heng but not an exact clone. A real Yong Heng might have been better.

 

[bandg]

... My Coltri MCH6 tops off most tanks from 3000psi to 4300psi in about 7 minutes. No regrets.

... takes about 4-5 minutes with the MCH6. Interestingly, my 2+ year old Yong Heng will do the same in about 10 minutes. 6 minutes doesn't seem like a major difference, especially considering the price difference. ...

My Vevor compressor was plenty fast enough but was not reliable. The Vevor is similar to the Yong Heng but not an exact clone. A real Yong Heng might have been better.

I've read of Yong Heng failures, as I'm sure everyone has. Some seem to have failed pretty quickly but mine is about 2.5 years old now. I believe I've read of at least 4 other people who are beyond 2 years with them so not all are bad. High risk? I guess you'd have to say yes since the overall fail rate might be pretty high. But the cost for the risk is relatively low. Yong Heng has been good in my case but it is nice having an MCH6 on hand. The number of options available these days is pretty amazing.

 

[Deacon_Blues]

I think the car analogy is a fair one, when considering the purchase of a high pressure compressor. Whether one buys an economy car, a mid-range model, a pickup truck, or a sports car is a personal choice. The one thing we all want is a compressor that runs with low maintenance costs.

When I bought my Coltri MCH-6 I could not get any response from the Alkin or Alpha-Carette dealers; and had no interest in the chinese compressors. That left the Coltri MCH-6 and the Bauer Jr to choose from. What sealed the deal for me was the fact that Nuvair was willing to discuss their compressor lines extensively with me, over the phone. In the end I chose the pickup truck as the compressor best for me.

 

[GeneT]

I think the car analogy is a fair one, when considering the purchase of a high pressure compressor. Whether one buys an economy car, a mid-range model, a pickup truck, or a sports car is a personal choice. The one thing we all want is a compressor that runs with low maintenance costs.

When I bought my Coltri MCH-6 I could not get any response from the Alkin or Alpha-Carette dealers; and had no interest in the chinese compressors. That left the Coltri MCH-6 and the Bauer Jr to choose from. What sealed the deal for me was the fact that Nuvair was willing to discuss their compressor lines extensively with me, over the phone. In the end I chose the pickup truck as the compressor best for me.

Well said. I can only imagine that you bought your compressor some time back. When I was shopping, Alkin was very responsive answering my questions and sending me manuals before hand. I'm delighted with it and delighted every time I use it. Although there are fewer Alkins in use by airgunners than say YH or even Coltri, there are enough that the complete absence of complaints sold me. A compressor that is cheap, but goes down and requires a rebuild every couple years didn't appeal to me (because I know how Murphy times those down times, at least for me...). I drive Toyotas and own an Alkin for the same reasons - long life and high reliability. 

GsT