Pump performance, or lack thereof…
This refers to the sticky about AF pumps, as well as all the other pumps out there.
As you might know (or maybe not, it doesn’t matter), I bought a brand new AF pump from a most righteous member of the forum here.
It’s working perfectly, despite the headcase that all the bad reviews about it gave me…
So I’d like to drill down a bit on everyone’s opinion.
In order to quantify a pump’s performance, you gotta give a notion or example about how you’re using it, yes?
In other words, before you slag it, how many times do you use it during a shoot session? Were you giving it the “rented mule” or “red-haired stepchild” treatment? 😉
For example, if you’re slinging six rounds per minute and you feel the need to bang on the pump every five minutes to top off, I can see where problems could occur.
No, I don’t work for AF, just wondering….
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Yes the older AF pumps are not the same as the current ones. The older one IIRC were FX and better then the current ones that have been sold currently.
maybe we should also mention whether it’s a af/fx or af/bejing benny as in “made in china”. I was using our new bejing pump for the first time last night and as it was just about at 3000psi it felt as though it kicked back I looked at the gauge and it was down to 2500psi. Needless to say I wasn’t very happy, took a smoke break and then gave it a couple more pumps and take a look at the gauge and it climbs back to approx. 3000psi all by its self. Strange 😯
10-4. Didn’t mean to sound dismissive. I also posted here that the thing needs a larger base.
My brass cracked and now has a bunch or gorilla glue around it.
Dude, what do you mean, it “tipped over and went “pfft””? You didn’t notice that the thing was forward-heavy with the tank on?
Well that sux, but that ain’t AF’s fault.
Next?
Buzzcat, I knew the thing was forward heavy (there is another post in this forum where the same thing happened) but I propped it up the best I could during the recommended break period and the thing tipped over. What should one do? Bleed the thing and unscrew the reservior every few hundred psi? Or should AF skip the direct attachment and include a braided hose or suggest one at least? Perhaps a larger base or a reservior stabilization system would be the ticket 🙄 .
I’m glad you have good luck with yours as I hope mine works fine when I get it back. I’d like to use it as a supplement to the scuba. And I cannot speak for the pump internals… mine worked great for three times. However lots of others have had many types of problems with these pumps. and if I were the folks at AF, I would garner all feedback and refine things accordingly b/c all the warranty returns are costing them lots of $$ which could be used on other things such as cool accessory development.
Dude, what do you mean, it “tipped over and went “pfft””? You didn’t notice that the thing was forward-heavy with the tank on?
Well that sux, but that ain’t AF’s fault.
Next?
I have owned my AF pump for some time now, no trouble to date.
Probably fill 2-3 times a week.
I put a tiny bit of silicone grease on the pump shaft almost every time before I start to pump. She seems to like it.
Also, I give her a break, pump from 1800 to 2000, then 2000 to 2300 and so forth. The hand pump works for me.
I now have a 3000 psi scuba tank, after that runs down I still use it for what is worth, then top off with the hand pump.
I am looking in to getting a 6000 psi nitrogen tank now, just kinda of waiting til the wallet is full to purchase a regulator, then The hand pump might get a little dusty.
From the start, if I could do it all over again, nitrogen fills would be the way I would have gone.
Initial big investment at first ,however in the long run te smart way to fill.
Nope…no abuse….the thing tipped over (during the recommended break)with the reservior attached and sheared the brass fitting at the base. pfff it went.
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I got the AF pump today…I filled the tank about 6 times I guess and at one point the pump would not pressure up….I would pump and it would pffffft. I finally got it to pressure up and fill the bottle but then it wouldn’t release the pressure from the pump…Like a valve was getting stuck….I left it alone for a while and the pressure bled off ….Haven’t used it since…Too busy looking for a hill pump….That’s my story….