Buying a compressor to save money

[Gone for diving]

As stated, you'll never save. Not just because of ongoing costs, but because it will never be enough and you'll keep throwing money into it. My initial reasoning for wanting a compressor is I live 2 hours from the dive sites I frequent, so I just drive up for the day to dive. If at the end of the day I had to get fills then drive home, it would be pretty late. It got tiring. Trying to get fills at my local dive shop was a joke. Doubles were $30-40 a pop and usually underfilled or off by multiple %. So originally I wanted a Bauer Jr. Then I realized it wouldn't be enough, so I got a used K14. That was great for a while, but then I needed a booster too. Then I decided I needed to start vipping and cleaning all of my tanks, so I bought all of the gear necessary for that including a tank tumbler. What I didn't know is that because I'm filling my own tanks, they're always spotless. My tanks always needed to be tumbled previously because of the crap gas the local dive shops near me were pumping. So all of the tumbling equipment sits unused. Then I decided I needed bank bottles. God only knows what's next.
Point is, buy a setup if you think you'll enjoy it and it makes life convenient. Expect to spend twice your initial budget. I really enjoy forgetting all of my problems by walking out into my garage and filling tanks and working on dive gear. I estimate I'm in the $18-20k range with everything I've purchased (that's a very conservative number cause the real numbers are scary). Luckily I bought more compressor than I needed from the get-go or I would have had to buy twice.

I agree when you have a compressor it does tend to keep going in what you want to add on, bank ,etc
But Ill bet you are doing more diving or different diving,
so that will cost you more at the dive shop,

I know when I got my first compressor I was not diving that much, but after it was like should have a big compressor,
I actually dived more and I was more spontaneous,

I think its mostly convenient, to have a compressor,
buying new it's harder to break even, some people can save money doing it, by waiting for a good deal on a compressor,
But if you are someone that just decides they are buying something, without waiting for a good buy, then yes it's hard to break even,

 

[grf88]

With a bit of fudging you can probably make some kind of financial justification for it but the real reasons for getting your own compressor are the convenience and the fact that you are the type of person that just wants one and can afford it.

 

[Couv]

the real reasons for getting your own compressor are the convenience and the fact that you are the type of person that just wants one

Ding, ding, ding! There is the answer. I've only had a compressor for a couple of years now; but for the convenience it's provided me over the last couple of years I'm very happy I invested in it. If it would die tomorrow I would do it all over again.

 

[rob.mwpropane]

I agree when you have a compressor it does tend to keep going in what you want to add on, bank ,etc
But Ill bet you are doing more diving or different diving,
so that will cost you more at the dive shop,

I know when I got my first compressor I was not diving that much, but after it was like should have a big compressor,
I actually dived more and I was more spontaneous,

I think its mostly convenient to have a compressor,
buying new it's harder to break even, some people can save money doing it, by waiting for a good deal on a compressor,
But if you are someone that just decides they are buying something, without waiting for a good buy, then yes it's hard to break even,

Mine was used, $2700 shipped to my front door. Bought from a commercial diving company in FL. New I think they're $6 or $7K for a Rix? Way too rich for my blood. Used is great if it works out, but it's still a roll of the dice. It did take a little while to find, and I'm so grateful that I got it before the cost of EVERYTHING sky rocketed. I can't imagine what the same deal would have been today.

With a bit of fudging you can probably make some kind of financial justification for it but the real reasons for getting your own compressor are the convenience and the fact that you are the type of person that just wants one and can afford it.

Justification / rationalization for sure

For those following / reading, these are somewhat rough real world #'s for this last year based on my experience;

Costs;
Compressor, whips, fittings, etc. = -$4000
Cost for O2 -$30
Cost for diesel fuel (I've used 7 gallons YTD) -$25
Maintinence for compressor = -$60 (grease and 2 belts so far)
= -$4115.00

Savings;
No cost for fills (60*$12 / fill) = +$720 (does not include nitrox fills at all, would have been another +$136 this year, $17 / tank*8 tanks, I'm guessing)
No cost for VIP's (15*$25 / tank) = +$375 (I'm guessing here, I honestly don't remember what VIP's cost)
No cost for driving to LDS (I figure 1.5 trips / month, 30 mile round trip) = +$144 (saved fuel for the year)
= +$1239.00

So after the 1st year I think I'm realistically somewhere around ~ $2876.00 out of pocket.

I'm not sure what my time is worth, but there were times before I got the compressor that I litterally didn't have enough of it to even get fills. So owning a compressor has absolutley been one of the most convenient things I've ever done. The shop that I keep the compressor at and the quarry I do a lot of practicing in are about 2 miles from each other. I've done more diving this year alone than my 1st 3 years put together, and we're not done yet.

It's not for everyone, I think it's a huge commitment. If I didn't have a family of divers these #'s would be drastically different also.

 

[archman]

So buying a compressor is like buying a boat?

 

[formernuke]

So buying a compressor is like buying a boat?

I hope not

 

[rob.mwpropane]

So buying a compressor is like buying a boat?

I can assure you I'll use a compressor much more than a boat.

 

[clownfishsydney]

November 22 I will have had my Bauer Junior II compressor for 20 years. I have kept accurate records of costs and fills. Current cost per fill is AU$1.60, say US$1.45. This includes all costs, electricity, repairs and consumables as well as 100% write down of the capital cost of compressor. In fact cost is really lower as I have solar power and only fill when sun is out.

Here is a link to my article on my website about it.

Michael McFadyen's Scuba Diving Web Site

 

[rob.mwpropane]

November 22 I will have had my Bauer Junior II compressor for 20 years. I have kept accurate records of costs and fills. Current cost per fill is AU$1.60, say US$1.45. This includes all costs, electricity, repairs and consumables as well as 100% write down of the capital cost of compressor. In fact cost is really lower as I have solar power and only fill when sun is out.

Here is a link to my article on my website about it.

Michael McFadyen's Scuba Diving Web Site

That.is.awesome.

 

[formernuke]

November 22 I will have had my Bauer Junior II compressor for 20 years. I have kept accurate records of costs and fills. Current cost per fill is AU$1.60, say US$1.45. This includes all costs, electricity, repairs and consumables as well as 100% write down of the capital cost of compressor. In fact cost is really lower as I have solar power and only fill when sun is out.

Here is a link to my article on my website about it.

Michael McFadyen's Scuba Diving Web Site

I wonder if I could go solar for compressor fills