New Coltri (Nuvair) MCH6 Compressor

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J

Joer

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Feb 1, 2019
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CA, United States
A few weeks back there were several posts on the "on sale" Coltri MCH6 compressors from Nuvair. After a bit of contemplation, I decided to order one. The unit arrived at my local Fedex freight yard with a few days after ordering. I decided to get the unit at the freight yard with my pickup truck to avoid the additional delivery charge. The compressor could have fit in the trunk of my Camry if it was unpackaged at the yard. Nuvair does a great job palletizing the shipment box to avoid shipping damage. The folks at Nuvair also test the compressor before shipping as I was told. My compressor arrived with 1 hour and 27 minutes on the hour meter.

My first impression of the compressor was that it was cosmetically perfect. All oil reservoirs were filled. This is not the case with most products that require lubrication. Nuvair also provides additional documentation on the startup/shutdown procedures and maintenance. One thing I found interesting is that they recommend the "break-in" oil be changed at the two (2) hour point. I was seeing five (5) hours in other literature.

The MCH6 has several improvements coming. In December, they announced their crankshafts will be coming with hardened forged rings. My guess is my unit didn't come with these. They announced a cosmetic change to their cylinder heads in the future early this year. They will be coated with an amber clear varnish in production.

I made a few enhancements to my setup on the cheap. The first thing I did was built a rolling base for it. The unit weighs 80 lbs. according to the documentation which is not all that portable.

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Here's the compressor of the base:

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I plan to store the compressor in a utility room off of my garage that can get a bit dusty so I bought a cover for it:

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I ran the compressor for a short top off session earlier in the week and it is fast. Much faster than my Yong Heng and a lot less hassle to setup.
 
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You forget to mention a few other things. Alot more expensive!! Also, more maintenance required than a YH being a gas powered and oil compressor. "I would expect the unit to perform better than a YH since its 3 times the size and 10 times the price!!"

Upon reading the fill rate, it isn't much faster if at all then the YH if your topping off from 3k-4500. I'll stick with the cheaper unit that's a bit more hands on and a proven warrior if maintained properly. When and if it does breakdown $200 bucks and your back in the game with a whole new unit. 

That leaves $2300.00 worth of other airguns and accessories I can buy with the leftover change! Nevertheless, very nice setup you have good luck & be safe. Almost forgot to mention 3 times the size of a YH. So you really can't compare this unit to a YH they are in 2 different categories. 

The YH still wins IMO if you look at all the deciding factors. 

P.s

When you have deep pockets I guess it really doesn't matter! Geoff
 
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I’ve been looking at these. Have a hatsan lightning that has about 2 hours and running fine now but I know that won’t last long. I shoot a lot and fill a 98 cu ft tank and my bottle guns a couple times a week. A YH won’t work for me. I didn’t see a lot of reviews on this one so keep us posted how it works. I’m also eyeballing the omega turbo.
 
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Joer- I'm the one that posted on that compressor & congrats on getting it(@ $2500, hell of a deal(normally $3700) & its a TRUE 4 stage compressor that puts out breathing quality air- also changable to electric if needed<parts readibly available in the U.S., so rather than constantly re-building or replacing, you have something that will last.
 
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Joer, excellent purchase and excellent post. You will get a lifetime of fills with minimal maintenance and stress. Plus, if you ever decide to sell it you will get a decent return of your initial purchase price. 

The peace of mind that comes with owning a fast filling and RELIABLE compressor is worth the cost. Some people would rather have more PCPs and take their chances a playing Chinese roulette. It's their prerogative. I opted for a well built, dependable compressor that won't break down after a few fills, the Daystate LC-110. I wanted a motorized 110V unit but you got a great price on a name brand dive quality compressor. Thanks for sharing. I like the way you color co-ordinated the cart and cover to your compressor too.
 
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That’s a sweet looking compressor! I agree with Humdinger- address the air supply first, then buy the gun. Who cars when it’s all said and done you only have enough left for a $200 pcp. The mid priced to high end guns will always be there, especially in the classifieds! The air supply of that quality, not always available. 

You can sleep well, knowing you’ll forever be with air, buddy! When my compressor took a temporary dive and quit building pressure, I walked around looking like a zit faced, mouth wide open, 16 year old whose hot girlfriend just broke up with him. Saying I was lost and desperate is putting it lightly, lol!
 
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I like the way you color co-ordinated the cart and cover to your compressor too.
Click to expand...

The paint is some leftover Rustoleum Professional spray paint from Home Depot. My cart was made from leftover metal in my garage so the cost was $0. Wheels were from Amazon for around $20. I'm a hobby welder so TIG welding the cart together was kind of fun.
 
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You forget to mention a few other things. Alot more expensive!! Also, more maintenance required than a YH being a gas powered and oil compressor. "I would expect the unit to perform better than a YH since its 3 times the size and 10 times the price!!"

Click to expand...

I started out using PCP rifles with the MROD and a hand pump. Later, I added a PROD. This lasted about three years. The hand pump was getting to be a hassle and was wearing out. Also, I started to get concern about pumping moisture into my rifles. A little over a year ago, I bought a Yong Heng and added a two stage gold filter system for moisture removal. I've used it maybe twice a month over the past year. The only failure I had with it was a blown Dowty seal. It worked pretty well but the setup and tear down was a hassle. The hose filter needed to be exchanged every time because it was always water saturated. I also exchanged my lower gold filter media whether saturated or not. The filter media is reusable if in good shape after drying out. I used a large cooler for a water reservoir and storage container for the YH. It needed to be filled with water and later dried out. The nice thing about the cooler is it's large water capacity which meant no ice was required.

I wasn't planning on getting the Coltri, but the Nuvair deal was hard to pass up. Rolling the pump out of the garage and topping off my tanks is like a ten minute job. This also means fewer inquiries from neighbors. I live in rifle unfriendly California. The fewer inquiries about what the air tanks are for the better.
 
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Joer, very nice work and amazing images. I'm a hobby FCAW welder so I appreciate the idea on the rolling cart, it looks very nicely done. I've got some scrap bed rails that I may use copying your design. Looks really well thought out and planned. I went the single phase electric route via the LC-110 so I would love to hear your thoughts forward going on the gasoline version.

All in all, congrats, and an exceptional setup!
 
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Here's my portable setup. I mounted the LC-110 on an 8" rubber tire yard cart with zip ties. It is easy to move around when necessary.

Click to expand...

Humdinger,

Carts are great. I have a version of the one you got with sides on it for hauling my son's athletic equipment to a nearby park (many moons ago). I see you added the second filter to the LC-110. I'm curious if the LC-110 come with a priority valve. It's included with the MCH6 though it's not advertised. I was surprised they didn't make a big deal of it.

-Joe
 
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I envy the roll around carts, but I try to avoid any task that requires me to bend over. The steel rods in the back will get teed off, lol, so as soon as my lightning’s Leak is fixed, I’m taking that off the construction rolling cart I have it on. Then I’m getting a couple of young studs to carry my used Alkin and set it on there, so my compressor will now be waist high. 

You probably already know this, but if you foresee periods of no use, make sure and throw some fuel stabilizer in that compressors fuel tank, to avoid the carburetor from gumming up. 

Is that compressors engine rope start or electric start? If electric, do you have to make sure it’s charged up for that feature? That would be sweet if it had electric start. 
 
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Carts are great. I have a version of the one you got with sides on it for hauling my son's athletic equipment to a nearby park (many moons ago). I see you added the second filter to the LC-110. I'm curious if the LC-110 come with a priority valve. It's included with the MCH6 though it's not advertised. I was surprised they didn't make a big deal of it.

-Joe
Click to expand...

The LC-110's do not include a Priority Valve. I added a male Foster fitting with check valve inside to the inlet side of the gold filter from below. I always open the SCBA tank fill valve to pressurize the gold filter. This closes the Foster check valve from pressure in the tank. When the compressor starts it isn't facing any back pressure in the system since it's held back by the check valve. The gold filter does not begin to receive compressed air until pressure exceeds what's in the air tank and filter. The check valve acts as a priority valve unless an empty SCBA tank is being filled which almost never happens. Priority valves are on dive compressors because most SCUBA tanks are refilled from nearly empty.
 
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Nice post, I was one of the folks bringing attention to the MCH6. I ordered mine about 3 weeks ago and love it. I have mine just sitting top of one of my tool boxes not having yet decided what type of carriage I want to put under it. To the fella that remarks that the YH has the same fill rating as the MCH6 I have to throw the BS flag. the YH max is 40l/min compared to the MCH6 at 119l/m.



Congrats on your new machine, your going to love it.
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I envy the roll around carts, but I try to avoid any task that requires me to bend over. The steel rods in the back will get teed off, lol, so as soon as my lightning’s Leak is fixed, I’m taking that off the construction rolling cart I have it on. Then I’m getting a couple of young studs to carry my used Alkin and set it on there, so my compressor will now be waist high. 

You probably already know this, but if you foresee periods of no use, make sure and throw some fuel stabilizer in that compressors fuel tank, to avoid the carburetor from gumming up. 

Is that compressors engine rope start or electric start? If electric, do you have to make sure it’s charged up for that feature? That would be sweet if it had electric start.
Click to expand...


I probably should have mounted mine higher (degenerated discs) but decided to make do with materials I had on hand. Hopefully, I can run it enough to avoid having to add stabilizer. The Coltri Honda engines is rope pull. Simple...just how I like it. Fewer things to go wrong.
 
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The LC-110's do not include a Priority Valve. I added a male Foster fitting with a check valve to the inlet side of the gold filter underneath. I always open the fill valve on the SCBA tank first which pressurizes the gold filter. This shuts the Foster check valve with pressure in the filter which is typically 3K psi or greater. When when the compressor starts it isn't facing any back pressure in the system behind the check valve. The filter does not begin to operate until the compressor builds greater pressure than was in the tank and filter. Therefore the check valve provides the same protection for the filter as a priority valve would unless an empty tank is being filled. I just avoid filling tanks from empty.
Click to expand...

I did the same thing with my YH setup. After having my first tank hydro'd, I took it to a dive shop to have it pressurized to 3000 PSI which was their maximum. I bought a priority valve but it was pointless with the check valve.

-joe
 
Upvote 0
Carts are great. I have a version of the one you got with sides on it for hauling my son's athletic equipment to a nearby park (many moons ago). I see you added the second filter to the LC-110. I'm curious if the LC-110 come with a priority valve. It's included with the MCH6 though it's not advertised. I was surprised they didn't make a big deal of it.

-Joe
Click to expand...

The LC-110's do not include a Priority Valve. I added a male Foster fitting with a check valve to the inlet side of the gold filter underneath. I always open the fill valve on the SCBA tank first which pressurizes the gold filter. This shuts the Foster check valve with pressure in the filter which is typically 3K psi or greater. When when the compressor starts it isn't facing any back pressure in the system behind the check valve. The filter does not begin to operate until the compressor builds greater pressure than was in the tank and filter. Therefore the check valve provides the same protection for the filter as a priority valve would unless an empty tank is being filled. I just avoid filling tanks from empty.
Click to expand...

I'm all for adding a check valve to the line but IMO it is of more benefit if it is placed after the filters and as close as possible to the tank connection. The number 1 advantage of using a stop valve is the prevention of losing all the contents of the cylinder in the event of a leak or burst up stream. I have learned from experience. Placing the valve before the filter will not produce any advantage in moisture reduction. If your tank has 3000 PSI in it?nothing is going in unless the pressure is higher than 3000 PSI. The idea of a PMV is to let the pressure build to an optimum filter pressure before allowing it to flow, (for molecular sieve, that is supposed to be around1500- 2000 PSI) and if your tank has 3000 PSI in it, nothing is going in until the pressure is over that. The only possible unfiltered air would be a small % of the air in the hose. I've never seen any specs on how efficient the stuff is under that pressure but would guess that it would still work down to nearly fart pressure but it would not be as effective. Prefilling the filter from the tank instead of from the compressor side would make no difference. My point is that with or without a PMV, the amount of unfiltered air that will get into your bottle, would be so insignificant that it is not worth considering. There is nothing wrong with positioning the check valve down there but it will be of more benefit if it is closer to the bottle. I actually use two, one before the desiccant filter and the other at the tank inlet with a bleed between the first one and the filter.
 
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I'm all for adding a check valve to the line but IMO it is of more benefit if it is placed after the filters and as close as possible to the tank connection. The number 1 advantage of using a stop valve is the prevention of losing all the contents of the cylinder in the event of a leak or burst up stream. I have learned from experience. Placing the valve before the filter will not produce any advantage in moisture reduction. If your tank has 3000 PSI in it?nothing is going in unless the pressure is higher than 3000 PSI. The idea of a PMV is to let the pressure build to an optimum filter pressure before allowing it to flow, (for molecular sieve, that is supposed to be around1500- 2000 PSI) and if your tank has 3000 PSI in it, nothing is going in until the pressure is over that. The only possible unfiltered air would be a small % of the air in the hose. I've never seen any specs on how efficient the stuff is under that pressure but would guess that it would still work down to nearly fart pressure but it would not be as effective. Prefilling the filter from the tank instead of from the compressor side would make no difference. My point is that with or without a PMV, the amount of unfiltered air that will get into your bottle, would be so insignificant that it is not worth considering. There is nothing wrong with positioning the check valve down there but it will be of more benefit if it is closer to the bottle. I actually use two, one before the desiccant filter and the other at the tank inlet with a bleed between the first one and the filter.
Click to expand...

One thing placing the check valve at the filter inlet does is it causes most of the water to collect in the YH filter. The humidity must of been pretty low the last time I ran my YH setup a month go. My YH filter was somewhat soaked but the first stage on my gold filter was pretty dry. The first time I ever saw this. Most of the other times I have run it, the first stage media had water in it. Not a lot but it was damp. 
 
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