UPS tracking says my Freedom 8 is out for delivery today
I bought it to replace my Shoebox so I can keep up on my air usage a little better.
Mostly I shoot the Haley 257, 35 shots or so and I have taken a 44 cf bottle from 4500 down past the 3400 PSI level I like to shoot at, but nothing drains it like the Ranger 45.
I already had a 125 PSI shop compressor, and it should take about 45 minutes to get it all up and running.
I am rebuilding my Shoebox, new crankshaft and connecting arm, about the only thing other than Orings that can wear but usually don’t.
I have a local buyer it seems for the Shoebox and will give him a Shoebox 101 class, teach him how to do a cylinder rebuild, how to set up his filters and what to get for a filter.
When I bought it 3 years ago now, it was the chain drive unit. I upgraded to hardened pistons, belt drive and grooved cylinders, Tom Kaye has always been there for me when I needed anything.
Biggest maintainence tip I can give, is heat is your enemy, avoid it at all costs. I always keep the cover off and two fans blowing on mine, it drastically cut the rebuild intervals down.
I really loved my little Shoebox, it has allowed me to delve into the PCP world in a way I could have never dreamed of with a pump or a scuba bottle, but I will not miss that clacking noise as it gets to 4500 PSI. The belt drive conversion quieted it down considerably, however I am really looking forward to that electronic shutoff feature of the Freedom 8.
Regards,
Roachcreek
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Great write up and Pictures. Looks like there are a few more guts inside the freedom 8 but still simple.
Yes, he is a legend in air gunning too.
I am one of his biggest fans, he has always been there for me when I needed anything done on the Shoebox.
I am convinced that you just can’t shoot big bores without a Shoebox.
RC
Tom Kaye is a freaking genius and we are lucky he has turned his attention to making this compressor.
He is a legend in Paintball and now in airgunning as well
Good on you Tom
Twice as fast? Wow!
I should be finished setting my up tomorrow. Sure will make testing bullets a “LOT”easier. 😉
Thanks to OldGoat, It arrived in fine shape. He actually welded up a two partition stainless box to ship it in. 😯 Un-Real!
KnifeMaker
It arrived about 1:30 this afternoon on the Brown truck.
I opened the box and found it was double boxed, another box inside, between the two boxes were the replacement crank shaft and connecting arm for my old Shoebox.
I reassembled the old Shoebox, and set it aside and opened the box for the Freedom 8.
When I got it unwrapped I set the two side by side to see the differences in them.
It came with the top nipple and the vent rod assembly uninstalled, so I installed the vent rod assembly and then fore go the top nipple and screwed my moisture filer,particulate filer and inline guage assembly to the to of the Freedom 8.
The Freedom 8 already had lube on the pistons, so I plugged it in, hooked up the air to the imput and a scba bottle with 4000 PSI into the output and turned up my HF 6 gallon 1.5 HP 150 PSI pancake compressor from 80 PSI to 120 PSI.
I flipped the operating switch, the cooling fan came on, but not the Freedmo 8. So I inspected it, and found it is a two postion switch. I moved it one click further to the right and it started quietly running.
It took less than 20 minutes to top off the scba tank from 4000 PSI to 4500, no knocking noise from the switch being hit like on the old one, it just quietly ran until the pressure was reached and shut off. The cooling fan continued to run until I put the switch into the left postion and that was it.
I love it. It also allows me to have more room on my busy bench due to that fact that no cooling fans are needed.
The Freedom 8 came with two rebuild kits and one set of additional cylinder ferrels. Not a lot of fan fare, no trouble to set up, I just switched things over from one Shoebox to the other.
It relly looks just like the old one, same size, just quieter and twice as fast.
Regards,
Roachcreek
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Thanks guys!!
Tom