Author Topic: Cheap air tank? Safe? (Read 1218 times))

stevef22 · « **on:** July 05, 2020, 01:52:40 AM »

What is best deal going for a large air tank?

Found one on ebay ( pic attached ) for decent price.

Will it blow up? What regulator will I need?

Thanks

Acapulco · « **Reply #1 on:** July 05, 2020, 02:01:05 AM »

If you're questioning if it blows up...why take a chance. I hate to say but it's a 4500 psi bomb in your back seat....still scares the s**t out of me filling and handling it.

Dont take a chance...buy right.

Look at the above sponsors on this forum for a tank

stevef22 · « **Reply #2 on:** July 05, 2020, 02:42:11 AM »

Quote from: Acapulco on July 05, 2020, 02:01:05 AM

If you're questioning if it blows up...why take a chance. I hate to say but it's a 4500 psi bomb in your back seat....still scares the s**t out of me filling and handling it.

Dont take a chance...buy right.

Look at the above sponsors on this forum for a tank

Thank you, good point, will do.

UnderPressure · « **Reply #3 on:** July 05, 2020, 02:55:36 AM »

Do you need the tank to be mobile?

If not, maybe look into renting a 6K Nitrogen cylinder from a welding gas supplier. Being in San Antonio you probably have lots of options.

https://www.airgunnation.com/topic/6k-nitrogen-tank/

KnifeMaker · « **Reply #4 on:** July 05, 2020, 05:16:08 AM »

You will get a LOT of the sky is falling answers on tanks. In truth, there is not one single case of a scba tank exploding in all these years of service in some very extreme environments. Fire Fighters are not kind to their equipment. Nor is the heat of fires and they get a lot of hard knocks.
Still, not one single explosion. Not one!

Alu dive tanks have indeed exploded, many of them in the industry. Scba tanks do not explode and are NOT a bomb no matter what or who tries to tell you different.

Due the way they are made, if they fail, they crack and vent. Nothing more! Yes I know there is a well documented vid done by a very well known tank sales person showing a catastrophic explosion. If I were not a volunteer fireman, I would not have recognized it as a fiberglass wrapped lower pressure unit being passed off as a Scba tank It was NOT!

The only issue you are going to have is the (Most of) Chinese tanks are not DOT certified and cannot be filled at the local dive shop. The valve on the tank pictured is a scuba valve. Not an SCBA valve. GRRRR!!!

If you have or are going to purchase a pump, don't worry so much about in date issues. You are not going to turn your own bottle down for filling. LOL! If buying a used tank, carefully check both the outside casing and the inside for issues caused by moisture in the tank.

Knife

Wayne52 · « **Reply #5 on:** July 05, 2020, 05:28:44 AM »

I prefer the SCBA tanks with the cg347 type Scott valve on them, that valve works great for filling pcps in my opinion. I made my own fill adapter a long time ago for them, and also made another adapter for filling the tanks from my F10 shoebox as well. I have two of the 1 hour SCBA's and right now one of them is down to about 3500psi which is time to refill, the other one still has about 3800psi in it yet and it's time I top the 3500psi to 4.2Kpsi again.

Doug Wall · « **Reply #6 on:** July 05, 2020, 11:04:05 AM »

It's a CE rated tank, NOT DOT rated!!! There's no place in the US that will fill or test it for you. They're only OK if you have your own compressor, and even with that, you should have really good desiccant on the compressor, and do regular internal visual inspections. Ditto on it having a scuba K valve. You can get fill stations for K valves, but the CE rating is the real issue.

Madd Hatter · « **Reply #7 on:** July 05, 2020, 01:13:32 PM »

I bought a dragger scba that was used off of eBay . I only paid about$100 to my door. Paid $25 to get it hydroed so if needed I can get it filled if my pumps break down. It had 4 years left on it when the tank expires. I worked with carbon composites for 35 years and can tell you carbon fiber doesn't work harden like steel and ALU. These tanks expand when filled which work hardens alu and steel.

Acapulco · « **Reply #8 on:** July 05, 2020, 04:57:06 PM »

Dont listen to the nay sayers about sky falling. &^^&. Buy right, trust me.

AlanMcD · « **Reply #9 on:** July 05, 2020, 05:48:29 PM »

I'll add my two cents . . .

I agree completely with the perspective that a good tank does not go bad, if you keep the condensation out of it. So if you get a known good tank and fill it and maintain it yourself, and you are good with personally accepting any all risks of your actions (no matter how small) then all is well.

However, this being America, the land of lawsuits, I do feel we need to ask ourselves what we are doing with these tanks. If used on our own property then all is well, but if we are taking them to public shooting ranges, then we might want to make sure that we have a tank that is covered under a current hydro - if anything goes wrong (even if nobody gets hurt) and you had a self filled tank that was out of hydro, then it could cost you defending yourself. Think of it as insurance . . . .

fatmike · « **Reply #10 on:** July 05, 2020, 06:11:39 PM »

I purchased a tank from acecare a couple years ago and havent had any issues with it. It is not dot certified and I have only filled from a yong heng. I'm happy with the value I received.

fatmike · « **Reply #11 on:** July 05, 2020, 06:23:18 PM »

https://www.ebay.com/itm/233316932763
This is what I have. It came with valve and fill station. I gets filled every other week or more.

UnderPressure · « **Reply #12 on:** July 05, 2020, 07:19:48 PM »

I wonder if we are at the point where a name brand (Scott, etc.) DOT certified 5 year old used 5500 PSI SCBA tank is around the same price as a name brand (Scott, etc.) DOT certified 5 year old used 4500 PSI tank?

USAFANG6799 · « **Reply #13 on:** July 05, 2020, 10:30:14 PM »

Quote from: fatmike on July 05, 2020, 06:11:39 PM

I purchased a tank from acecare a couple years ago and havent had any issues with it. It is not dot certified and I have only filled from a yong heng. I'm happy with the value I received.

+1 as I use same brand tank and compressor.

stevef22 · « **Reply #14 on:** July 05, 2020, 11:13:50 PM »

Quote from: Wayne52 on July 05, 2020, 05:28:44 AM

I prefer the SCBA tanks with the cg347 type Scott valve on them, that valve works great for filling pcps in my opinion. I made my own fill adapter a long time ago for them, and also made another adapter for filling the tanks from my F10 shoebox as well. I have two of the 1 hour SCBA's and right now one of them is down to about 3500psi which is time to refill, the other one still has about 3800psi in it yet and it's time I top the 3500psi to 4.2Kpsi again.

I just picked these up one ebay (2) for $200 + $25 shipping. Going to get hydro tested asap they arrive.

Looks like in picture they come with Scott Valve.

What other attachments do I need to fill a Vulcan Gen 2 .22 and a Benjamin PROD pistol?

stevef22 · « **Reply #15 on:** July 05, 2020, 11:14:33 PM »

I just picked these up one ebay (2) for $200 + $25 shipping. Going to get hydro tested asap they arrive.

Looks like in picture they come with Scott Valve.

What other attachments do I need to fill a Vulcan Gen 2 .22 and a Benjamin PROD pistol?

KnifeMaker · « **Reply #16 on:** July 06, 2020, 04:59:22 PM »

Dragger's are very good quality. GreatBuy!!!

It's a shame that DOT won't accept Ce, as it has higher standards than our own
DOT!
Grrrr!!!

Knife

UnderPressure · « **Reply #17 on:** July 06, 2020, 05:18:51 PM »

FWIW, Don't forget about 5500 PSI SCBA.

Example below of new (manufacture date 8-2019) 66 cubic foot 5500 PSI MSA Brand DOT certified for $595 or best offer:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/MSA-5500-PSI-CARBON-45-MINUTE-66-CUBIC-FEET-SCBA-AIR-BOTTLE-TANK-08-2019/233641073906?epid=1737707250&hash=item366617dcf2:g:L4UAAOSwtTlfAkb4

Hawkeye51 · « **Reply #18 on:** July 06, 2020, 05:48:51 PM »

Steve

You will still need to purchase a "fill adapter", "whip adapter" "fill station" etc (you get the idea). Since you have the full size Scott SCBA tank, the adapter must say "fits CGA 347". That is the only one that will screw onto your existing valve. It can either be, "hand tight" (nicer) or wrench tight (still works fine).

Amazon & ebay are full of them. You will read tank pressure on the Scott valve, and your line pressure (to gun) with the guage on the fill adapter. Get a set with a nice guage that is easy to read. Some have a bleed valve that screws in & out, and some have a button that vents line pressure all at once. (little louder)

I prefer a longer fill line (at least 36") and the "micro bore" smaller diameter hose is easy to work with. Make sure it comes with a stainless "female" end. If you purchase (separately) a stainless "double male" adapter for a couple of bucks more, you will be set for almost any type of gun you have, or might buy in the future.

Look up some of these on ebay & you will quickly see the differences, and which ones are better. Hope this helps get you started. Good luck & be safe. Mike

stevef22 · « **Reply #19 on:** July 06, 2020, 06:39:30 PM »

https://www.ebay.com/itm/PCP-SCBA-6000psi-Hand-Tight-Fill-Adapter-CGA347-Adapter-Paintball-With-36-Hose/303568370522?hash=item46ae15bb5a:g:4mAAAOSw58Zevn3G

Found this one with 36" mini hose. Shipping from China though. Have any others you recommend?

Looked on amazon but more expensive.

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Cheap air tank? Safe?

Author Topic: Cheap air tank? Safe? (Read 1218 times))