what compressors do you use ?

I have a Tuxing two cylinder model, and have modified it to install a cooling system similar to the AV, AC or Hatsan. I didn't want to do the "bucket thing" every time I wanted to use it. I've had it for 9 months now, and have 7.7 hours run time on it without problems. I also use the eBay "gold" filter with Zeolite 13x molecular sieve. Its worked perfectly since I bought it. I recently at 7.5 hours changed out the Zeolite and cotton filters, plus also change the oil. Actually, after draining the oil, it looked fine to me, slightly darker than when new (purple), but still clear and bright, and no odd smells. The two cylinder Tuxing fills an 88 cu ft. tank from 3000 to 4500 psi in just over 15 minutes. 

I use a Shoebox F10 with a alpha filter. I was on the fence about what compressor to buy, but because I own a repair shop and have a 100 gallon air compressor with multiple filters to remove all of the moisture before is goes into my shop tools, I went with the Shoebox F10. But if I had to go with a stand alone compressor to fill my tanks I would probably go with a Carrette or Omega.

Daystate T2 which is made by Coltri. Coltri makes a line of compressors for home use (MCH-6, which is the T2) all the way up to commercial use in the breathing air industry (scuba, Scba, etc) No problems with this unit and tops off my 100cuft CFT from 200bar to 310bar in less than 9 minutes. Produces grade "D" air. Takes longer to get set up than it does to top off the tank. Wife likes that, since I fill inside the house to control temperature and humidity levels on the intake side.

Omega Super Charger … have a little over 100 hours on it. The reason for so many hours is that when I got it, it had a piston with a small crack on it at the bottom (straight from AOA) so it was broken on arrival. I called Todd up and we did the normal troubleshooting thing for many hours. It would fill up sometimes with no problem … sometimes it would fill to 1800 psi and stop building pressure and I would have to shut it off for about 4 hours and try to get it to build pressure again --- sometimes it would and sometimes it wouldn't. The odd thing was sometimes it would work with no problems at all. If I had known what I know now I would have sent it back to AOA the day after it arrived, but I didn't … my bad! However since I sent it back and Todd went over it with a fine tooth comb it has been flawless. Todd said he replaced everything in the compressor that had any wear on it at all and that when he sent it back to me it was better than new. Now …. if anybody else had told me that ... I would have told them to stop pis2ing down my back and telling me it's raining. But this was Todd and Todd is a very special person and he can be trusted, when he tells you something it is ALWAYS the truth. So that's my run down on the Omega, it is slow but it doesn't stress anything … goes from 2,000 to 4500 psi in 45 minutes which is plenty fast for me.

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I have a Bauer utilus 10 - awesome unit. Basically bomb proof and puts out proper dry breathing quality air. Speedwise it is 100lpm - I think about 20lpm faster than the 240v Daystate T2.

Only annoyance is it's petrol/gas motor powered and so quite loud. No big deal though especially given how quick it is.

Air Venturi Nomad. Received yesterday just had time to check over the unit but have not filled anything yet. Review to follow.

I also have the AirTex. Going on 9 years. Shoot at least a little every day, some days a lot. Fill a great white and a guppy prob 2x a month, sometimes more. 16.7 Hours on the meter... (our compressors put out diff volumes or our meters are out of sync or you shoot/fill ALOT!) 

Pretty much been perfect (oring on the high pressure head seems to be the devil). I have the 2 orings to replace mine but it really only leaks sometimes, shouldn't work that way but it does and it's not been enough for me to pull the top of the head). Was described as a really simple replacement but haven't tried yet. Bruce Dodson is awesome and was an avid airgunner/poster. Haven't seen him around the forums in a couple years. 

Mine has paid for itself. Even when there was a scuba shop close by that would fill a non-scuba SCBA tank to 4200 (the 4500 fill was 'hot' so 4200 was the best I ever saw), I still had a 25 min drive there, leave it until they run the compressor to fill their bank again, drive home, then drive back a couple days later, then back home. And pay about $15 for the fill. So, each fill was almost 2 hours in the car, averaged 2-3 days without a tank plus about $15. Over 9 years, yeah, i'm good. I've broken even just on the cost of fills, not including all the hours in the car.... Oh, and potentially be without air for a few days each time because I usually avoid shooting rather than pump them....

Yeah, an expensive risk. Both for function and length of use, I'd have taken a bath if I given up this hobby. But I've won. Now if I could only sell half the Airguns I decide to move along at something more than half the price I paid for them... It would all be good.

I got fed up dealing with air suppliers about three years ago and got an Airetex 45. 

I’ve had Bauer Jr for about 7 years, and am finally getting close to using. Put the oil in, put the filter in, and put the fill hose on today. The only fill place near me has an owner who is a DB. First time I took in my tank, he filled it from 2500 PSI to 4300 PSI (I requested 4500 PSI so not too bad). Charged me $25 USD. Took in in a week ago. He filled it from my 3100 PSI to 4100 PSI. Charged me $25 USD.

I have the Air Venturi compressor. About 5 hours in. It is quite, works fast, and I love it. Don't need no dive shop, the closest one is like 50 miles from me, and is closed most days, when I can get to it. 



Love the the freedom of being independent from the dive shops. 



Biagio

"Hotdog" compressor feeding an Altros Booster. Love to have a quality stand alone tho.



John

My Alpha Carette compressor was purchased a year and a half ago directly from the manufacturer. It has 16.5 hours and has performed flawlessly. It came with the Carette factory high pressure filter which has been upgraded to a Xin Yong Shi gold filter. The only other modification was the addition of an overflow tank which removes any residual air from the closed circuit cooling system and makes coolant changes a snap. The benefit of this compressor is that it runs on any 110V 20A household circuit and the belt drive lopes along quietly at 70db.

What’s never said in these compressor forums, that I believe to be big, is no longer being on the road, which could lead to accidents. Yes, saving a few bucks in fuel and saving ones time is precious in owning a compressor and being non dependent on dive and paintball shops to fill our air needs, but the idea of not being hit by some of the numb skulls out on the roads is great. I hate being on the road for that reason, along with being stuck in traffic. Another added bonus to owning your own compressor.



ive had a Hatsan Lightning for about a month now.

I have a Yong Heng compressor with a gold filter filled with molecular sieve and fitted with a 6000 psi rated needle valve so that I can keep it pressurized between re-filling to minimize the fill-up time. I dont want to keep a complicated life supporting system for my PCP so I fill up my rifles directly. No tanks. I also hate the water bucket so I feed water to the compressor directly from the tap and let the water goes down the drain. In the past I always want to get the best stuff. The best rifle, the best scope, the best accessories etc but looking back, I am not sure whether I really need everything to be the best. E.g. The last hand pump I had was a Hill Mk 3. Very good quality, tank like but I have used it for just about 20 times before selling it. The biggest reason is I really didn't shoot that much and all my rifles are of very low power ( around 8 fpe ) so I had a lot of shots between re-filling. I got the compressor just because hand pump is not an option for my newly purchased Huben K1 which can do only 20 shots after being filled to 4500 psi. 

Yong Heng appeals to me because of it's price, reasonably good review and the most important of all, it takes up very little space. I am yet to see any high-end compressors that is as compact and light as the Yong Heng. It has been running flawlessly so far but I do expect to get my hands onto it some time in the future. The construction is really simple and I have no problem in getting parts directly from Yong Heng so I think I will be able to handle it. If I want to upgrade in the future ( unlikely ) or quit the hobby, I can just give it away for free or at a no-brainer price without having to go through the trouble of finding buyers, negotiating the price and so on. I don't think such feeling of freedom can be offered by any of those "best" compressors.

I have an Omega Turbo Charger running through an Alpha to an Omega 100. No problems at all with any of them since new, 

I have the Alpha Carette compressor purchased from the manufacturer , I was one of the Earlybird buyers, it has less than 3 hrs on it , it was almost a yr before I used it ,I have the alpha filter which turned into a nitemare trying to get the correct fittings... & a coolant tank sent to me from a airgun buddy I have never met , he also helped me get the fittings to hook up the filter & whip , so far it has worked like a charm..

Coltri MCH-6