Carette 300 bar 4500 psi compressor review test - Part1

This is a 2 part review, in part2 of the review I will show how you can add your own PMV if you bought the standard version without PMV and autodrain.
Goto part2

My use-case for a compressor:

I need a compressor to fill up my 10L tank from 200bar to 300bar. I use a FX impact with a regulator set at 145bar. It has a cylinder of 480cc @250bar.

Time is no problem, I can wait 2 hours if needed to do the filling.

Since I am only topping up, I have no need for a PMV (in part2 I will install a bauer PMV).

I' m capable of timing 15mins to do the water draining, so no automatic stuff necessary.

I'm looking for a monthly top-up at a reasonable speed: 100bar x 10L = 1000L

I like to have guarantee for several years.

No more than 1500€

So I found this Carette Compressor at airgunheaven.com in Holland.

5 years guarantee on the compressor block

3 years guarantee on the electric motor

2 years guarantee on the other parts

25L/min fillrate -> 1000L should be done in 40 minutes. I can live with that.

My Compressor with the Philadelphia option ;-)

Specifications:

2 cylinder compressor 300bar

base model, no PMV, no automatic draining

Maintenance schedule:

maintenance part and item	maintenance content	maintenance Period	Remarks
Compressor host	Replace lubricating oil for 0.3L	10-20 hours	1st maintenance
Compressor host	Replace lubricating oil for 0.3L	40-50 hours	2nd maintenance
Compressor host	Replace lubricating oil for 0.3L	70-80 hours	repeat
Air intake filtration core	Check and sweep	60 hours	Replace if needed
Oil-water filtration core	REPLACE	20 hours
Belt	Check and adjust	65 hours	Replace if needed
Antifreezing fluids	Check and adjust	100 hours	replace once every 2 years

attention: only use good quality synthetic compressor oil!

Other reviews online:

an excellent 24hours torture test and tear-down:
http://www.talonairgun.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=52&t=35990#p371784

Some collected info after my first usage. 

Important: There is NO non-return valve in this compressor configuration, so you can ONLY OPEN your scuba tank AFTER the pressure in the compressor is HIGHER than the tank you are filling! You will harm the compressor otherwise.

update 2017-04-19 : there IS a non-return valve fitted just before the oil water seperator. The manual seems to be lacking this information :)

I pumped my 10L tank from 220bar to 300bar. The compressor was first let run for 10min with no load. Total time took less than 35minutes. No exact timing, will be for the next test. I was only interested in the heat signatures.

Heat signature after 10min with no load

As you can see the first cylinder gets a lot hotter than the second stage cylinder.

Heat signature after 45min with 300bar load

The same difference in temperature is there at full load, but no abnormal temps. The cylinder-heads themselves are staying cool due to the water-cooling passing through them. The other red marking in the picture is the belt.

Temperature readings of both cylinderheads. Spot1=cylinder1 - Spot2=cylinder2

Power was between 960W and 1020W

Just checking..

Temperature of waterpump after 45min

Temperature of air after 2nd stage cooling, before entering the water-oil seperator

Cylinder heat only +3C after charge from 220bar to 300bar

2.5 ml water-oil drained from system during the 35min session

Important: After each fill you should let it do a 3-5 minute no-load run with the draining port open, to clear out any condensate water in the first cylinder!

In part2 I add a PMV to the standard model.