Bauer Varius V2B

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Waterskier1

Contributor
Scuba Instructor
Divemaster
Messages
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Location
Colorado Springs, CO
# of dives
200 - 499
Does anyone know about this compressor? I found one for sale (not local) that claims to be new, never used, kept in storage. They are asking $2000US plus shipping. It says it only has a 3.5 HP gas engine. Most of the small compressors I've seen have 5-5.5 HP gas engines. Was/is this a decent compressor? Are parts still available for a reasonable price (understand it's a Bauer). I think many consider Bauer a bit above Colti and Alkin, but I don't want something that will cost me a fortune to maintain.

The only think I found was a USNavy test on it. Says it averaged 2.07 CFM and charged a single 80 tank in 39 minutes. but it was a Varius G-3. Not sure how that differs from the V2B.

Anyone care to guess the weight of this unit? Is (was) it rated for continuous duty (bank bottles)? How about CB for <36% O2?

Any info, opinions, comments or links will be appreciated.
 
It's a small compressor with a small motor. so 2 cf sounds about right. It would be OK for CB, that is to say, as OK as any Bauer is (which means Bauer would say it isn't OK at all). Definately not for filling bank bottles - all the little Bauers with the exception of the Oceanus are rated intermittant use only. Depending on how old it is, it may have a tiny, amost useless filter stack.

For some reason, there seem to be a lot of compressor scams around. I get nervous when I hear new never used.
 
The Varius is one of the first of Bauers "New Style" portable designs, similar to the U-10 (Utilus 10) style. They featured a removable hinge plate that would allow you to switch from gas to electric easily, provided you had the extra hinge plate and motor or to carry the unit it two pieces (compressor and motor), making it light enough for one person to move around easily.

It was discontinued in favor of keeping the design down to one block which could be run with either a 2 or 3 hp electric motor, i.e. the Purus (2 hp) or the U-10 (3hp). The Varius was limited to a max of 2 hp electric. The Varius also differs from the other block in that it has a cam operated final stage, floating piston. Also it was a machine that Bauer used a funky filtration system on which they later discontinued. I have seen them with that filtration as well as the original "Triplex" filtration. As far as parts go, you would have to contact Bauer with part numbers to determine if they are available. I can't remember if Mako sold these units, but you might also try Porter at August Industries. He told me he purchased all of Mako's old Bauer parts inventory last year.

Unless you are familiar with the rebuilding of these units, I would not recommend filling storage with it and it was never meant for continuous duty. I believe that it has a lower max pressure rating than the Purus/U-10, but will have to look in a manual to be sure. When the Varius was new, it had a $1200.00 to $1500.00 price tag.

Craig
 
Vance and Craig,

Thanks for your responses. I think I'll pass on this. The Bauer name caught my eye, but I think I'd rather have current technology. The idea of a hinged plate is way cool. I plan on ultimately converting what ever I get to run on electricity also. I've been advised to get the gas model (which I need) can convert to electric instead of vice versa, since on some, the gas model is beefed up a bit more.

Again, thanks guys.
 
Not addressing your want for something that can be used with storage, but if you can get a hold of a Purus/U-10 in good condition, at a reasonable price, grab it! When they stopped production of the U-10 style, it was selling for around $3500.00 new.

Craig
 
That Varius (Craig's List) looks exactly like a Utilus 10. At least, one will know what to look for. The U-10 is also similar to the Junior although the chassis looks a little different. Both U-10 and Junior are well made, three stage, splash lubricated with smallish, one pint sump and typically are fitted to the Honda GX160; OK for filling individual tanks but not for banks as has been said. Varius, U-10 and Junior can pump to 4500 psi.
 
A few photos of the unit in question may add something to this thread. This post acts as a belated introduction as I have lurked here occasionally for some time without having had anything to add.

I happen to have one of these relatively uncommon (well, in our little corner of the globe anyway) little compressors. I picked it up off a local guy who had bought it off a German yachtie while in port for repairs, so it was fairly old when I got it. It had some surface corrosion from exposure to the elements, and he had been a bit liberal with the silver heat-proof paint as you can see. I have yet to remove it from the coils.

It's small, lightweight, and well suited for what I use it for - filling rebreather cylinders. The average filling rate to 250 bar is around 2.1cfm (at 2600rpm), less in hot weather, a little faster when it is cooler. I wouldn't recommended it for filling anything larger than an AL80, and one needs to be patient even then. It is setup to run on single phase power at present, and as others have pointed out, it has a tidy little removable base plate that allows one to switch the electric motor for a little Honda GX110 (3.5hp) in about 30 seconds when heading somewhere without power for a significant period. I don't tend to do this much as an AL80 of O2 and one of air can keep me diving 4+ hours a day for the better part of a week, but the two times I have taken it away, it has been reliable, lightweight and plenty fast enough for a group of RB divers. No more than one open circuit buddy allowed though, or they bring their own bigger unit to save us having to listen to the gas motor running into the night!

The filter stack is small, and takes a Lawrence Factor X22249 cartridge. Even with its low fill rate, this filter system is marginal. The factory setting for the over pressure valve on the top of the seperator was 225 bar, though with a few turns I have set it to about 260 bar without an apparent problem.

I haven't tried to obtain parts for this unit yet, though I imagine they may not be easy to source. It is used 4 or 5 times a month on average, and I change the oil frequently (Anderol 750) in the hope it will continue to run for a few trouble free years yet.

Regards

Greg
Northland, New Zealand
 

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Just one note here, I have a late '70's Purus and it is rated at 3.4 cfm and came with a 3.5 hp electric motor. The U10 is a lighter newer generation than the purus, but had very similar cfm ratings.

Ike
 

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