Question Trying to decide between an electric powered or gasoline powered MCH-6 Icon...

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Wallowa

Contributor
Messages
112
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Location
NE Oregon
# of dives
5000 - ∞
Not asking about the purchase of the Coltri compressor per se but would appreciate any recent first hand experiences from those with this compressor in terms of air quality....specifically have you ever tested for CO and under what conditions...portability would be great but not if I have to be concerned about high levels of contaminants in the cylinder air even if I am scrupulous about where and how I run the compressor and equally meticulous about servicing and filter/lube changes...in short even if I use the gas model very carefully, is the CO level going to be an issue; especially on dives at 4+ATAs?
 
Not asking about the purchase of the Coltri compressor per se but would appreciate any recent first hand experiences from those with this compressor in terms of air quality....specifically have you ever tested for CO and under what conditions...portability would be great but not if I have to be concerned about high levels of contaminants in the cylinder air even if I am scrupulous about where and how I run the compressor and equally meticulous about servicing and filter/lube changes...in short even if I use the gas model very carefully, is the CO level going to be an issue; especially on dives at 4+ATAs?
CO is always an issue with gas drives. If you use the snorkel and aim it into the wind, it is fine. But the unit has basically no filtration so if the wind shift or dies out, you will have measurable CO in your gas.
 
CO is always an issue with gas drives. If you use the snorkel and aim it into the wind, it is fine. But the unit has basically no filtration so if the wind shift or dies out, you will have measurable CO in your gas.
Thanks...but what do you mean that it has no filtration? That the filtration cartridge is inadequate?

 
Thanks...but what do you mean that it has no filtration? That the filtration cartridge is inadequate?

Yes.
It is completely inadequate.
It is a cheap compressor built to be cheap. They addressed the ridiculous small amount of oil with the new icon line, but it is still a cheap throwaway machine.
 
I think you should distinguish what you specifically mean by "inadequate". Because the MCH6 pumps EN 12021 grade "breathing air" using the PMV, condenser, and standard 3-part filters. So it's entirely adequate for giving you good quality air.

If your main complaint is that you have to change filters more often than you would like, that's a different kind of inadequate. But that's easily addressed by simply buying more filter cartridges or repacking your own. They're easy to check and change when needed.
 
Yes.
It is completely inadequate.
It is a cheap compressor built to be cheap. The addressed the ridiculous small amount of oil with the new icon line, but it is still a cheap throwaway machine.
No Tracy...don't hold back...how do you really feel? :cool: Sounds like a Brit who likewise despises the MCH-6 Icon but never quantifies in detail the operational inadequacies in this compressors...guess we all have our differing views, some based on details and some on whims.

To each their own, but I was hoping this forum would stick to objective discussions; otherwise we get misinformation and a lot of bloviating.:wink:
 
No Tracy...don't hold back...how do you really feel? :cool: Sounds like a Brit who likewise despises the MCH-6 Icon but never quantifies in detail the operational inadequacies in this compressors...guess we all have our differing views, some based on details and some on whims.

To each their own, but I was hoping this forum would stick to objective discussions; otherwise we get misinformation and a lot of bloviating.:wink:
He's not wrong. That pump is designed to be as cheap and portable as possible, they do this with really high RPM which comes with generating a ton of heat. Compromises include but are not limited to. High RPM means more heat means you have more CO being generated by the pump itself which happens with all oiled compressors but the amount generated is directly related to the heat of the oil. They then give it a very short duty cycle so it doesn't heat soak itself. They then give you a teeny tiny filter because it has to fit within the frame.
Is that a problem? Certainly not, it does what it is meant to do, fill a single 80, wait a few minutes, fill another 80, wait a few hours, lather rinse repeat. What is it not meant to do? Fill multiple sets of HP steel doubles, bank bottles, etc. but the compressors that produce the same cfm that can do that are about 3x the size of that compressor so they can keep themselves cool.

Now, why is the filter inadequate? There is supposed to be chemicals in the towers that convert CO to CO2, so CO should literally never be a problem with a compressor. How much CO you suck into the intake combined with how much CO the compressor creates itself will determine when the filter needs to be replaced and you need to have a CO meter to check that out for yourself for filter changes or you need to be a much better filter tower on the compressor to handle the quantity of CO that is coming out of it.
 
Sounds like a Brit who likewise despises the MCH-6 Icon but never quantifies in detail the operational inadequacies in this compressors...guess we all have our differing views, some based on details and some on whims.
To each their own, but I was hoping this forum would stick to objective discussions; otherwise we get misinformation and a lot of bloviating.:wink:
"Than I opened the 3rd stage and one of the arms on the piston is broken. Apparently Nuvair won't sell just a new piston so a whole new 3rd stage is also on the cart.
About $600 in parts so far"
ROFL and you wonder why I despise this crap.
 

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