Compressor Recommendations and alternatives
Over the past 10 years I have gradually improved my filling capability as I’ve gotten more PCP’s and learned more about high pressure fill options. I had a Freedom 8 and had no complaints about it but it seems the Chinese imports are taking away market share from them. I sold mine after a year of excellent service and recouped nearly all of my investment in it. I have been leery of the Raptor/Omega’s and their cheaper counterparts although owners have been giving them good short term performance grades.
Recently, AofA posted a rebuild video for their Omega that looked quite involved and intimidating for an owner to perform on his own. The technician looked like he was taking a car’s automatic transmission apart. There was a lot of dis-assembly required. I’m pretty good at self servicing equipment and this looked like a nightmare compared to replacing parts on a Shoebox which was relatively simple. When I was shopping for an upgrade from my Shoebox I compared the $1800 cost of an Omega to the cost of a fully serviced low hours used Bauer 5000 psi commercial duty compressor at $2500 and opted for the Bauer. Yes, it cost $700 more however I can fill my 71 cf tank from 3K to 4.5K in less than 10 minutes. Bauers are built to last, have superb resale value when purchased used, and have many service locations if needed. In my case it is highly unlikely in my relatively light duty requirements. I should be able to sell mine for what I paid when and if I ever decided to part with it.
Instead of a slow filling, Chinese compressor of questionable long term reliability and resale value I recommend potential buyers to consider two options. First, Jim Shelden of SheldenSportingGoods.Com has been building quality high pressure compressors for years. He now is offering a $1500 setup using a Davey compressor head which is military grade with a 3 hp motor for PCP tank filling. I would buy one of these over an Omega any day of the week. Second, check out the Miami area Craigslist or EBay for Carlos Kuster’s listings for rebuilt Bauer compressors. He is an expert on Bauers and buys lightly used Bauers that were used for filling firefighting equipment aboard ships. These look like new as they were in light duty applications. He installs new U.S. motors on them and replaces all worn parts. He replaces the oil and puts new breathing grade air filters on them. His prices are very reasonable for what he sells. I know of several air gunners who have bought from him and his reputation is excellent. He usually has listings on Ebay as Too_Deep or his listings on Craigslist are in Ft. Lauderdale.
Here are photos of my compressor. It is mounted on a cart for easy mobility. It is rated for continuous duty and could fill a 444cf steel storage tank nonstop, with only intermittent manual water vapor discharges.
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I see all these new compressors coming around, some cheap and some not so cheap. I see the post where the guys buy them .
Then I hear nothing, Did they not work? Its like I paid $$$$$$$ for the compressor unboxed it and then nothing,,,,,
Has anyone bought a Jim Sheldon compressor should be pretty top of the line in the 1,500 range 1,700 with shipping ,
I just find it strange, everyone seems to go silent after buying a compressor ????
Maybe got there computer repo after buying a compressor???? LOL.
Mike
Sounds good, are they made here in the USA? Or more china stuff,,, I am just looking at warranty and parts incase something goes wrong or wares out ,
I would just like to know if the thing has a little backing from the company that sells it.
But your math looks great,,,
I fill my great white once a month, Its not like I will over load the work on the compressor, But like I said before I think I would increase my shooting and bring out my air hog 25 Marauder if I had my own compressor , Just saying….
Mike
Ok i just did the math… These can pump up to 6k psi if needed and they are rated at 25 l/min which is 52.97 CFH
The Omegas are rated at 23, and 22 CFH. The shoebox f8 is 8 CFH
dman
Is there a brand name? When will you have info on this compressor , 3 X faster than what compressor? Omega?
In fifteen day I will have my finger on the buy button on a Sheldon compressor, I am checking now to see if he takes PayPal,
Mike
Edited out
The EBay compressor low price sure is tempting. I fill my great white tank once a month at about 30 some odd bucks, Takes about two hours to drive there and back and have the tank filled..
I am 100 % positive I would shoot more if I had my own compressor, Even pull out the air hog 25 Marauder , Just saying….
Thanks for the information as I am sucking up all the INFO I can on compressors as I am weeks away from pulling the trigger…..
Mike
These compressors look pretty awesome. I have been thinking about getting one, but my local dive shop is only 15 minutes away and charges $9 for a fill. At most I need a fill once a week, so it’d take a while for the compressor to pay for itself, but man… filling up the tank while sitting on the couch is priceless…
Heres a little Info / Background on these compressors……
Todd Travis has been selling them for a while… At some point Raptor pneumatics signed a deal with the Manufacturer as the Sole importer for the US (possibly even North America)
Travis used to sell the Enclosed model ( like the original Raptor but white) . AOA wanted to change the Name of the Compressor to fit there Omega line. Joe B Gets his from todd travis also.. And Mrod Air was also getting them from todd.
Unless they came from AOA or one of AOA’s distributors they came from Todd Travis.
Raptor Pneumatics is not Happy about it and they are pursuing the issue. If it were me id pay the extra 50 knowing that i wont have an issue getting parts or getting it fixed. Im all for saving a dime but when the well dries up and Travis can’t get these no more and doesn’t have the parts to fix em where you gonna get em? I wouldn’t be surprised if Raptor has there units serialized and if yours wasn’t bought from them well…. Good luck.
Not sticking up for AOA here. But more like looking out for fellow airgunners. that 50 bucks wont do yah no good if you can’t get parts.
That new compressor that Joe B keeps advertising the Alpha 275 they are made from another manufacture. not as compact as the Raptors. they are free range and no one has them locked in as sole importer yet!
Boy that sure looks like a nice compressor.
It’s basically the same unit AOA sales and yes it’s the one on EBay, Actual Todd will provide service and parts if their needed, he’s been saleing these since 2010 as of Wednesday when I called an talked to him he had sold around 200 units. Not to say there couldn’t be something wrong with it, I’ll let you guys know how things go as soon as I get my shop finished and this little jewel setup and running. 😉
Is that one of the EBay compressor with no warranty ? ?
and no feed back?
and no after market parts?
Mike
That looks awesome, but when I google ‘omega compressor’ I get this: http://www.airgunsofarizona.com/Compressor.html
What’s that you have?
GsT
Look what the FedEx guy left me a Omega Compressor from Todd Travis in Texas, just came in Friday so haven’t had time to set it up and use it. 😀
Yep, once your in the southeastern conference 🙂
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For the Omega Super Chargers we use them so little as fast as they are as individual users they just don’t get much wear. Topping a tank off every other week and shooting a ton like i do is like twenty hours a year so five years is maybe 100 hours which is still just breaking it in.
Thats why the commercial ones are over the top unless you sell a lot of air or share one and split the cost. I bet my local dive shop runs his Bauer over a 100 hrs a month or so.