undrwater
Contributor
I think there are few posters who have the liquidity and DIY spirit to experiment with one of these. Methinks it would just be for the experience, as at the end it would likely not be practical.
Made in china "Scuba" air compressor
- Thread starter deepseamurse
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- compressor made in china
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SurfLung
Contributor
Pardon me if my reply repeats or misses what someone else contributed. I got a notice of this thread this morning, I'm at work, and I haven't got time to read through all of the entries.
While I am still using and still impressed with my "Cheap Chinese Filter System", I can't say the same for those one and two cylinder Chinese compressors. I was following them awhile back and asking alot of the same questions posed here, but eventually learned that the physical limitations rule them out for diving air.
Heat is the main problem. Heat causes dieseling of the lubricant which makes carbon monoxide. Heat causes them to wear out. You just can't get the pumping capacity out of one or two small cylinders, Yes it works okay for the small tanks of an air rifle. But filling 80 cf Scuba tanks is just too much for them. You see videos of owners hooking up water lines to cool down these compressors. I saw these compressors getting more and more improvements to resolve the issue... Saw one with actual radiators included. And the more they improved, the closer the cost got to just buying a real 4-cylinder scuba compressor like the Coltri MCH-6.
I've seen ones labeled DAV that look like copies of the MCH-6... And they cost close to the same... So why not be safe and buy the original?
I am currently running a 1980's Coltri MCH-6 that I bought for $200 used, and basically just cleaned it up and serviced it. I also run an old RIX SA-3 that I bought for $750, cleaned up and serviced. Last year I treated myself to a brand new Alkin W31 Mariner that cost $3500... Just braggin' now...
While I am still using and still impressed with my "Cheap Chinese Filter System", I can't say the same for those one and two cylinder Chinese compressors. I was following them awhile back and asking alot of the same questions posed here, but eventually learned that the physical limitations rule them out for diving air.
Heat is the main problem. Heat causes dieseling of the lubricant which makes carbon monoxide. Heat causes them to wear out. You just can't get the pumping capacity out of one or two small cylinders, Yes it works okay for the small tanks of an air rifle. But filling 80 cf Scuba tanks is just too much for them. You see videos of owners hooking up water lines to cool down these compressors. I saw these compressors getting more and more improvements to resolve the issue... Saw one with actual radiators included. And the more they improved, the closer the cost got to just buying a real 4-cylinder scuba compressor like the Coltri MCH-6.
I've seen ones labeled DAV that look like copies of the MCH-6... And they cost close to the same... So why not be safe and buy the original?
I am currently running a 1980's Coltri MCH-6 that I bought for $200 used, and basically just cleaned it up and serviced it. I also run an old RIX SA-3 that I bought for $750, cleaned up and serviced. Last year I treated myself to a brand new Alkin W31 Mariner that cost $3500... Just braggin' now...
SurfLung
Contributor
