Cheaper 4500 psi compressors, but....

I'm sure you'll get exactly what you paid for.

Oh, I didn't mean to sound negative. I have no experience with them. They probably work just fine, but if there's a problem with it, you're on your own. You won't be able to locate the manufacturer in China ever again, and they most likely won't give you the time of day once they have your money. To be fair, most of the compressors that you buy from 'domestic' sellers are probably made in the same plant in China, but at least you have someone to go to with a complaint/concern.

The shoebox max is $650. The reviews are great on them.

I Love my Shoebox Max! $700. with optional fan. Its slower than the more expensive ones but for the price it can't be beat. Made in USA and they stand behind them with great sevice.

I'm curious about maintenance and rebuilds. 30cal, do you have any data on the number of hours or running time for the shoebox before maintenance/rebuild? Anyone got those same numbers for the cheaper 4500 compressors?

While I don't have numbers the Shoebox just need regular lubing and to keep the drive belt tight. If you just do those two things it should go a very long time before needing a rebuild. And rebuilding it consists of changing the o rings and maybe replace the guild rod bushings. Just a few dollars for parts. They are easy to work on and Shoebox has videos on their site that show how to do it.

They also have there larger model the Freedom 8 its twice as fast and has adjustable pressure shut off.

http://shoeboxcompressor.com/

Daxx, the link you posted to Alibaba at the top of this thread shows many listings of the same compressor priced anywhere from $1180 on up but all of the ads are for the same compressor. I know of a buyer who imported this very compressor and it is less than 6 months old and
collecting dust. It is not cost effective for him to ship it back to China and so he just chalked up his decision to buy it as a costly mistake. 

After only 3 months Joe Brancato is no longer advertising the stripped down version of the Omega he was selling for $1295 because of excessive warranty issues and dissatisfied customers. I have watched the video put out by AofA for doing a rebuild on their Omega compressor, which is full of rubber O-rings that can fail. The video is daunting and I'm mechanically inclined. A complete teardown of this
compressor reminds me of an automobile automatic transmission. It looks like an all day affair and has tiny parts and snap rings that take
lots of dexterity and specialty pliers to remove. I don't want to be a brain surgeon to fix a failing compressor. Nor do I want to pay freight to
Arizona both ways on a 90 pound package and pay $200 for a rebuild. That's assuming they still support the product in a few years. Remember the ill fated FX compressors? No longer carried, no longer supported. I'm leery of Chinese compressors. Spend a few bucks
more and look for a used Bauer on Craigslist or Ebay. At least if you need support it will be readily available nearby and will hold a better
resale value. Since a good compressor is built like a tank, the service problems are much less likely.

There are certain cut rate options to stay away from. I want a qualified doctor to perform surgery, and I want a decent compressor.
If you want to save money, buy a Shoebox. Made it the U.S.A., very simple to maintain, and inexpensive to operate.

I have the Freedom 8, I am well past 70 hours of run time... still running great..
I bought Freedom 8 after much thought.... they are easy to rebuild.... video right on line... 
I am not afraid of not finding parts when needed.... and if you are handy at all ... rebuild is not hard to do.
Mine came with 5 rebuild kits..... I know they seem expensive.... but I am very glad I purchased mine...

I saw the Omega rebuild video. Seemed like a project for NASA. I gather the question is what kind of luck present owners have. How long before a rebuild? And how long this product will be on sale or supported. I was also leery of the Shoebox, but it seems time is showing the little machine does well. If they could only lower the price I think a lot of people would try it.

I talked to R & L up in Colorado and he told me the Omega rebuild should be under $200 and usually involves replacing the O- rings. He says he has plenty of parts and expects to get parts in the future. Although this is a slower filling machine it is more portable and runs off of 110v. He told me he prefers to use the Omega over his Bauer. He believes the Omega with the Diablo filter delivers dry air. Although he highly recommended this unit he could not guarantee that my tank and gun would be free of moisture damage in 5 years! 

I would recommend you go with the more notable compressor's just my thoughts. I have the omega charger that I purchased from Randy at R&L and I love it works great haven't had any problems with it and really I would recommend dealing with randy he has the best customer service so if you need anything or have any questions he's the guy to talk (719-404-4686) to tell him john sent you lol. anyway good luck hope you get you one it make's shooting that much more enjoyable.

I would pick a ShoeBox hands down...The Freedom 8 fills in 1/2 the time the other ShoeBox model but both models are EXCELLENT...

Rebuilding one of these compressors is a $10.00 affair, $15.00 if you want to replace the belt as well and it is done in 1/2 hour taking your time. Rebuilding parts are easy to find (O Rings) and so are the belts...Properly lubed and a tight belt will get you over 100 hours before considering replacing the O rings ($5-$10.00)

Karen and Jim (Owners-ShoeBox Co) are FIRST CLASS people, very nice and gentile and extremely easy to deal with...This is one Customer Oriented Company.

If you want the next level up, then get a Dedicated Scuba Compressor...Those are in another league as they are much faster but the repairs/maintenance are costlier and more difficult to do, they are bulkier and the initial investment is 2.5-3 times the cost of the Freedom8 which is the top of the line Shoebox compressor.

I have never seen those Chinese compressors and I suppose that they will do the job but my concern would be maintenance and availability of parts as well as portability...No compressor has the portability and easy maintenance the ShoeBox has.

Regards,

azuaro

freedom 8 works for me just fine for a year so far. I grease them two rods inside freedom every time i fill my two tanks.

What are you guys using to remove moisture on your shoebox compressors?

I would most definitely stay away from China compressors.

I use 2 filters: A first stage water trap (drain) and then a large Desiccant filter I fabricated in my shop...Both are connected after the 135 PSI shop compressor.
I haven't seen the need to install a high pressure filter with Desiccant to be used after the low pressure line, those two filters mentioned seem to do a very good job in removing all the moisture before the air enters the ShoeBox...

Some other people may have had different experiences but mine has been very satisfactory as explained above...

Regards,

AZUARO 

If you want to keep track of hours and have better control of your output pressure, it probably wouldn't be too difficult to make an Arduino based control for a shoebox compressor.

My Omega works amazing and I personally think it is the best investment I have made.
I had over 50 hours on the unit and just decided to replace a few o-rings and learn how to repair it on my own. I followed the AOA repair video and it was honestly pretty simple..... this coming from a guy that does not even attempt any home improvements.... at least my wife won't allow it.