High Pressure Compressors

[MGoodman]

Any recommendations for a High Pressure (4500 psi) Compressor?

We are a small club.

Brand names and Models.

[m1963]

Bauer Jr, is supposed to be real good, if you can afford it-
https://www.bauercomp.com/en/products-s ... /portables

Coltri MCH-3 is a newer compressor-
https://nuvair.com/mch3.html

Coltri MCH-6 will get you in business for about $2700, shipped, in the US.
https://www.nuvair.com/products/compres ... table.html

The Coltri videos are quite helpful, too-
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sxmjRydJB7Q

Daystate sells a rebranded Coltri, for about the same money. They remove the filtration system for breathable, dry air, though. Many then add an aftermarket filtration system back on, to prevent moisture intrusion.
https://www.airgunsofarizona.com/compressors/

The 110v version seems to be popular. It has a 1HP motor as opposed to the 3HP of the Coltri MCH-6, and runs longer for the the fill.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vSs0d_nTZNc

These are all European made compressors primarily sold to the diving industry that are generally low maintenance- just follow the manufacturers maintenance schedule, and you will be good.

There are many Chinese/Asian made compressors out there, that some like. They seem to require much more maintenance, though. Do you want to be working on a compressor, or shooting? (Way too many brands/variations to list here.)

There are also some compressors made in central Asia, Turkey to be exact, that are in the US market. Alkin is becoming very popular, but is more expensive than Coltri's desgned for this type of use.
https://alkinus.com

We did this research last year, over a period of several months, and ended up chosing the Coltri based on price, parts availability, and support availability.

[MGoodman]

Thanks for the advise.

Does anyone have any experience with the Air Venturi sold by Pryamid and a few others?

[Cola]

I wouldn't buy any Chinese compressor if a club depended on it. I had a $2000 Omega supercharger that broke.
I'd still be pissed if it cost $500. It had very little use. Got an eletric Coltri MCH6 and that is a night and day difference and breathable air too. Liked it so much I bought another but that one is gas powered with a Honda engine to take it on the go.
Get a good one. Thank me later.
Your Air Venturi or Hatsan or Benjamin or whatever China made compressor will let you down even if you have a one year warranty you are out a lot of money and time paying to send it in for repair.
Even read on the airgun forum the cheap Yong Heng ruined someone's FX Impact pumping oil into his air tank then into his gun even with the best filters added and expensive mosture traps too.

Buy the Bauer, it is the BEST MONEY CAN BUY and trouble free.
I could have bought a Bauer for the price both of my Coltris.

Cola

[Star7]

I bought a NARDI about 12yrs back. It has been very reliable but parts and service have become rare in the US. I can recommend the Bauer and the parts and service aspect have been good for them. Any of these are designed to fill tanks used for breathable air. That means you get clean dry air (if you maintain the filters) and they are designed for duty cycles that take a big tank up to 4500psi from near empty. They are expensive and run on 220/240vac but are trouble free.

[jckstrthmghty]

Club use means abuse and questionable maintenance schedule. Get something good. Known reliability. Don't try and save pennies. It'll only cost you when you need it most. Yup Bauer... If budget does not allow maybe a better solution is a large capacity 300 bar scuba tank is a better option. Fills are cheap enough.

The Air Venturi is not club grade.

I have a Chinese compressors for home personal use. Yong Heng. It is excellent for that role. Personal use. Not club use. It requires you stay on top of the maintenance (changing the oil when it darkens). It will certainly fail prematurely if abused. Gets very hot on long fills.

[Richard144]

I posted before so I will keep it brief here. m1963's post is good and accurate. We have an Air Venturi at our club and it works for us. I consider that a mid range unit. If you want something better and can afford it I would certainly suggest that you go that route. If you go to the airgunnation forum you can read about all of the compressors until your head hurts. Good luck with whatever you decide.

[spektr]

Playing Engineer here for a moment. If I were to acquire 2 80 cu/ft scuba tanks, I would find it difficult to justify a compressor at 8 dollars a fill per tank and possibly 25 dollars a year in recerts and tank inspections per tank. I can eliminate a piece of capital equipment that requires maintenance and monitoring while solving my air supply for 100 bucks or less a year. Let's assume the club grows to where you need 3 tanks and hit the dive shop every 2 months, that's 150 for tank fills and maybe 150 a year for certs and inspections... 300 a year max for a lot of air means a 3000 dollar compressor breaks even in 20 years because you still need tanks to handle surge demand on operation days, contests a other events....

[Cola]

You can buy that Air Venturi compressor that sells for $1299 for anywhere between $450 and $650 shipped to the USA from Aliexpress if you shop smart if you insist on going Chinese FYI.

Cola

[MGoodman]

spektr:

You don't take into consideration how far you have to drive to have it filled, and the turnaround time.

1. I live 40 miles from the dive shop.

2. Sometimes the man who fills it isn't in and I have to leave the tanks.

3. I'm old and can't drag around 50 lb tanks.

4. Are you positive the American Made compressor doesn't use Chinese Parts. Look under the hood of your car.

[Brazos]

Have you considered a Nitrgen tank? My club rents a nitrogen tank. We had to buy a regulated gauge/fill adapter but it works great and no maintenance and with the regulated gauge it's super safe. You can get a lot of fills out of the big 6000 psi tank. Nitrogen is also a dry air. We have to rent the tank for about $100/year and it cost around $120 for a fresh tank (that includes pick up of the old tank and delivery of the new tank).

[Rover]

That sounds like a good idea, instead of letting the members screw up a compressor (and they will!).

How low do you let the tank get before ordering a refill?

[SlartyBartFast]

Does anyone use cascade filling?

[marky-d]

A cascade setup probably doesn't make a lot of sense due to the low refill duty cycle and since air gun cylinders are such low volume compared to the typical vessels they'd be refilled from. No reason to incur the expense of MULTIPLE source cylinders.

marky-d