Advice on portable compressors

[peterdevlin]

Folks,

I'm thinking about getting a portable compressor.

I have a couple of questions:

1) What sort of price range are new ones?
2) Any recommendations on make/model?
3) Where in the UK is a good place to get them from?
4) How easy are they to move? (I'm assuming they are a similar weight to a set of twin 15s)

Thanks,
Peter

[Compressor Dude]

Peter
I will do my best to answer your questions but will advise you from the start that I am biased as I sell them!
1 The smallest portable units are usually 100 litres/minute (3.5cfm)
and are available in either 225 Bar or 330 Bar format, and inclusive of
VAT are just over £2K. Other variations such as extra hoses and dual
charging pressure facility available at extra cost.
2 As I said, I am biased, but I think you will find many members of this
board will agree that the Bauer products are the best on the market.
3 Divex is the UK distributor for Bauer diving compressors with the main
base in Aberdeen and a satellite office in Chertsey.
4 The Junior 2 driven by Honda petrol engine weighs 44kg and is
easily lifted by a fit diver and fits in the boot of most cars.
If you drop me an e-mail on: bmulroy@divex.co.uk I will forward a spec sheet and a scale showing the various charging times for different size cylinders.

Best regards
Bernard

[AMW]

Always a hard one as people like what they have (if it does not give any problems). As for me I have a Bristol (BP 2.5) it has worked well for twenty years up to 320 bar. Bristol were taken over by Hamworthy, you can still get the BP as reconditioned units and they are very rugged and just keep going.
Andrew.

[Duncan Price]

Originally Posted by peterdevlin

1) What sort of price range are new ones?

I paid £1200 for a reconditioned Hamworthy arranged by AMW.

Originally Posted by peterdevlin

2) Any recommendations on make/model?

One like mine - though Bauers are very good but more £.

Originally Posted by peterdevlin

3) Where in the UK is a good place to get them from?

AMW

Originally Posted by peterdevlin

4) How easy are they to move? (I'm assuming they are a similar weight to a set of twin 15s)

I've got a petrol and electric motor for mine. I leave the electric on most of the time and only put the petrol on for holidays. Its more bulky than heavy but not to hard to lift in/out of car. Two people makes the job easier. I keep it on a sack truck and tend to wheel it in/out of the house for filling though I've run it (on electric) inside Whitewalls. I tend to home fill all the time as it saves expensive trips to the dive shop just to top up your tanks from 150 bar and I get "better" fills ;-)

TOP TIP: With the petrol let the engine cool before putting it in the car our you can melt the plastic trim in your boot.

[AMW]

Sorry to say the price has gone up a bit since you bought yours
Andrew.

[charlie rh]

A few of us have got the 3.5 cfm Bauers, and find them a great unit.
We haven't had them long but so far so good.