Compressor and psi basics

[customcutter]

Just something to keep in mind. Any of these smaller compressors will die. Not a matter of if but when. I’ve heard a max expectancy of 20 hrs run time. At least you can get parts for the yong heng people mention.

I expect to get much more than 20hrs run time on my YH.  Some people have reported years of service doing weekly fills on SCBA tanks, before having to rebuild or repair.  I think that being water cooled it is a better compressor, plus like you said parts are readily available.

[Earl]

My wife and I shoot a lot- frequently our big-bores now, but we can go through a lot of pellets in a shooting session with the .25 and smaller PCPs.  I used to handpump- even on our EdGuns, now I use a GX CS-2 which can be powered from either automotive 12v or 120v.  Unless portability away from a power source is absolutely the most important thing, skip the bottle.  Especially with an airbow- you won't get many "fills" out of a 3500 PSI tank, and a tank that fills to 4500 PSI is notably more expensive.

Here's the Amazon link to the compressor I've been using for 2 years and many many thousands of shots: 

"skip the bottle" sounds like good advice to me.
Buy a compressor and fill your guns with the compressor.

[elguapo99]

Just something to keep in mind. Any of these smaller compressors will die. Not a matter of if but when. I’ve heard a max expectancy of 20 hrs run time. At least you can get parts for the yong heng people mention.

I expect to get much more than 20hrs run time on my YH.  Some people have reported years of service doing weekly fills on SCBA tanks, before having to rebuild or repair.  I think that being water cooled it is a better compressor, plus like you said parts are readily available.

My Yong Heng will be 5 years old next month and has never been rebuilt (I do have the parts for when the time comes). I attribute the long life to using a high quality oil (Mobil 827 Rarus) and using lots of ice directly in the water which keeps my temps below 45C. I fill my (3) 30 min. SCBA's from 3000 psi to 4200 psi regularly. I know the day will come that it will need a rebuild but that hasn't happened yet.

[JimD]

There are advantages of the small compressors that will run on 12V that may cause me to get one one day.  For instance, I don't think I can carry a full bottle on an airplace but I think I could take one of these little compressors.  I could carry an empty bottle and get it filled but I'd have to get a newer bottle to do that and a compressor is probably cheaper.  So for a trip by air, the compressor would be more useful. 

The drawbacks I see for routine use are time to fill a gun and noise to fill a gun.  With a bottle, refilling a gun is very rapid and very quiet.  I don't think I would want to routinely use a small compressor and "skip the bottle".  But it is certainly an option.  For a local trip to the range, the bottle works well. 

[3crows]

I am a life long SCUBA diver and have worked in shops. Most compressor banks can get to 4,500 psi no problem. The HP steels like my couple of Faber 100 cf tanks are 3,475 psi so the bank is kept at 4,500+ psi. Since SCUBA shops often fill for fire departments who use 4,500 psi tanks they can usually handle that too. The compressor may kick on and run a little to bring the bank back up.

3C

[Snowwolfe]

Leaning towards buying a Daystate 110 volt 4500 compressor. The guns and tank this year, compressor next year.