I'm not clear as to what you mean by a "Shoebox". Some reference the little GX1 clones, while some used to apply the term to describe the boost compressors that ran off shop compressor air and boosted the pressure to PCP pressures. It's not intended to be nitpicking, I just want to be clear about the context.
The CS line of compressors run slow and steady like the old Shoebox booster type compressor did.
You can buy direct from Alkin and save some $$$.. I bought mine in April 2025 and got for ~$4200 to truck terminal... Depending on where you live ( ship to) Alkin is in NJ.. I absolutely love my W31.. No issues like so many other brands I read about.. Price hurts, but worth it to me not have issues and possibly damage pcp with dirty air..Wow! I can go big i guess! I have too many hobbies
Alkin W31 Mariner 3.7 Vertical Compressor | UTAH AIRGUNS https://share.google/AoyQrDvDAHB4xr0zR
I started that way because I didn't want to maintain a compressor. It didn't work out for me but I do like having a big tank for the range. I didn't like the cost of refills, which led to some bad blood between me and the dive shop. Getting a compressor was a real game changer for me, removed a lot of the stress from the hobby.
@Critterfixer I started with a 45 minute/74 cubic foot carbon fiber Airventiri SCBA tank that I’d get filled at a dive shop. Then I bought a small portable AC/DC compressor that I from another member years ago. I didn’t use it much, but it still works. Once I grabbed an Alkin I haven’t looked back. It pretty much placed the portable compressor on semi-retirement. It’s a hefty investment upfront, but well worth the purchase. I think I’m in my third or fourth year with the Alkin. I can’t recall at the moment. It takes me approx 5-7 minutes per tank to top off a 45 or 60 minute SCBA tank from 200-220 bar up to around 305 bar.Wow! I can go big i guess! I have too many hobbies
Alkin W31 Mariner 3.7 Vertical Compressor | UTAH AIRGUNS https://share.google/AoyQrDvDAHB4xr0zR
@Critterfixer I think dive shop cost varies by region. I don’t live around significantly large bodies of water with the exception of two lakes and a couple of rivers. When I was going to the dive shop, I think I paid $15-$20 per fill. I think to fill from empty was $20-25 and to top off my SCBA tank was $15 during the pandemic. I don’t know what it costs at that same shop now. I was shooting pellets mostly from a big bore. I would go once a week for fills. That lasted about a year. If you take 40 (weeks out of 52) and multiply it by 15, you get $600. That’s a rough estimate of what I paid for fills in a year. That’s not to mention time and gas, which was an hour drive time. I think my compressor has paid for half of its value already using that formula.
be positive you have a place that will fill . i was thinking of a bottle but 3 hours drive and have to leave it . so round trip twice 12 miles and the time .
