Ok, excellent information from a person who obviously knows what he is talking about. My problem is I am not well versed in working on high pressure compressors. My manuals for the several compressors I have owned [which all previous ones have failed after about one year ] do not have any instructions about how to do the detailed type of maintenance that Bchannell is talking about. All I do is follow what my manual says to do. The manual never mentions keeping the gauge block and fill line below the gun when filling. In fact, this is the first time I have ever heard of this procedure. I do watch you-tube videos on repairing various items and find them to be quite helpful; however, I do not attempt complex repairs based on those videos. I do NOT want to tear down a compressor and lube the piston, or even inspect it. There are so many unanswered questions. When reassembling the compressor how much torque is applied to the head bolts? How much lube is enough? When cleaning the compressor cylinder do I just wipe it off with a rag or do I use carburetor cleaner on it? And so forth.
I depend on the manufacturer telling me EXACTLY what to do to maintain the compressor. If they fail to do that can anyone reasonably expect me to get involved in tearing the machine down after one year of operation and perform maintenance that the manual fails to explain to me about how I would go about this maintenance? Can the manufacturer selling mail order expect a customer to pay the freight every year to mail the compressor back to them, pay for the service, then pay the delivery charges to get it back?
IMO, compressors are not being built well enough if all this detailed effort is required to keep them running. I want to shoot & not spend my time and money keeping my compressor running. Naturally, every machine requires maintenance. However, my lawnmower [gas] doesn’t require a tear-down every year. Sharpen the blades, clean or replace the air filter, maybe replace the spark plug? Even an oil change is fairly easy. In my experience the manuals tell the user how to do these things. Plus, information on internal combustion engines is widespread. Information on high pressure compressor maintenance is not widespread.
At this point I feel trapped. The PCP airgun shooter has to have a good compressor for today’s high pressure air guns. We are climbing to 300 bar being normal because the airgun technology is advancing rapidly and the high pressure gives the user a lot more shots. I like the idea of using higher pressure to increase my shot count. But if the compressors are going to fail after a year or so, especially if straining to reach higher fill pressures, unless extra beyond the manual maintenance is performed, what the heck? Is there any way out of this? Do I have to take a course in high pressure compressor repair? This is extremely frustrating for me. I don’t know about other PCP air gun shooters but the compressor failure problem seems to be acute. This endeavor is expensive already and replacing compressors every few years just isn’t feasible for an average person, IMO. AD2
. Idk. That suker pops loose at 3 grand and slaps you face you'll rethink on one to use next I guess
. If it ain't thousands it ain't pcp .
I hit a bird with my .177 TX at a (verified) 75Yards.... he got away though 
I immediately tested remaining energy of the 8.44 ammo through various mediums @ 75Y and realized she still had the power, my shot was just a little off. Had it been my S510 or Ghost same hit he'd a been down and a quick follow up would've done the job. Being a diesel mechanic pcps really make sense to me, got the tools already, I deal with air, fuel, hydraulic systems most days (many at the exact same pressures or more!) Buying lower dollar stuff can be totally fine with the caveat being...is it still safe to fill to 3k plus psi! I enjoy saving money but not at the cost of manufacturer preventable injuries. My fill system has been running strong for 1.5 yrs now for under $500 anyways (handpump and my sweat
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