Mid size Coltri compressors?

[Jimmer]

I'm day dreaming again about a home compressor. I think I've come to the conclusion that something along the lines of a Capitano or Mariner would be ideal. Something small enough to run at home in a garage, but capable of maintaining banks.

What I was wondering is how do the mid size Coltri's work for this purpose? Something like the MCH 8 or 11? Will it be reliable to run for prolonged time while topping off storage bottles with EAN32?

Thanks,
Jim

 

[widget]

Jimmer, we had a mid Coltri (I cant remember the model) on one of our barges in the harbour for a few years, worked fine, although it probably only ran for 3 or 4 hours a day. Unfortunately there was issues with support so when it was time to replace we did so with a Bauer Mariner, if I have to be honest, I think the Coltri required a bit more maintainance to work effeciently in the difficult conditions on board, but I couldnt really say one was "that much" better than the other.

I still believe for really tough working conditions Bauer is the better choice, but I would guess for your purpose either would be fine.

 

[rcontrera]

Just a quick note to give a little clarification on the Coltri mid sized machines.

There are really only two different compressors in the mid range ... the MCH 13 and 16. They differ by two piston and cylinder sizes but all the rest are the same. The MCH 16 runs a little hotter than the MCH13 mainly due to it's faster running speed but also due to the bigger cylinders.

The European MCH8 and 11 are really just a 13 that has had slower motors put on it to turn it at lower a rpm. The MCH 13 turns at 1350 rpm while the 11 spins at 1200 and the 8 at 900. They were made for people that had power problems.

In the US, we don't fool with the Italian 8 and 11 numbering due to motor availability. Ours is somewhere in the 8 range as it spins at 890 but puts out 4.6 CFM. It is still a MCH13 and, if you change out the motor, will put out almost 8 CFM.

The beauty of this little machine (let's call it the MCH8) is that it runs slower; and that translates to cooler; which again translates to longer expected lifetime. The drawback is that it is only a 5 CFM machine and costs exactly the same as the 8.6 CFM machine ... $6,600!

One other drawback is that, even though there are over 20 different distributors of the Coltri Compressors, most of the distributors re-brand them (I think I am the only one selling under the Coltri name) and finding someone close by to get you supplies and parts can sometimes be difficult. Of course with the internet flourishing like it does and forums like this one, help is only a few clicks away.

Hope that helped!

 

[Jimmer]

Ray, thanks for the info. I know Bauer parts are notoriously pricey, how are Coltri parts compared to Bauer in general? Also are those MCH 13/16 machines pressure lubed, or splash lubed?

 

[rcontrera]

Pricing for parts ranges from silly cheap to silly expensive.

The company has never done a study of exactly what each part costs them so pricing is more of a guess than anything else. But overall, the cost of parts is fairly reasonable.

All of the small and mid sized compressors (MCH 6, 13, 16, 26, 32) are splashed lubricated. Only the bigger MCH 30 and 32 are pressure lubed.