ffemt89

As the title reads, I'm looking to get into Co2 however I'm on a budget and don't want something that is going to break my bank. Any help appreciated!

neilshieh

give us an approximate price range you're willing to spend. i'd say about 50-70 for an entry level single stage regulator. around 60 for a 5 lb co2 tank. 30-40 dollar range for a paintball regulator setup. 10-20 bucks for a paintball tank. and 100+ for a dual stage regulator

ffemt89

Well this will be my first go with Co2 so wanting to stay on the lower end of things, I'd say whole set up I want to be around $150 or so

neilshieh

I suggest you buy a 5lb co2 tank locally first. look on craigslist or your local airgas. Remember... you get what you paid for, so you might want to consider getting quality stuff in the begining rather then paying double down the road when you run into a slew of problems with cheap single stage setups. If you're only dosing 1-2 bps then i suggest you get a paintball co2 setup. you should be able to get everything for under 50-60 dollars and just pay for co2 refills every 2-4 months. the benefits of a 5 or larger tank would be one 10-20 dollar refill would last you 1-2 years depending on how much co2 you are dosing. the refills for paintball co2 start to add up over time, so you may want to take that into consideration. If you're interested in some dual stage regs, i have some. though shop around with other hobbyists on here and theplantedtank and find a deal you like.

WabiKasuH20Fall

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1338227466.760138.jpg

I'll sell you this Dual stage for $85 shipped. Got this for Xmas used it for only two 20oz paintball bottles worth of time, no more then 3 months total usage. PM me if interested dual stage with solenoid.


From the mud grows a Lotus~
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neilshieh

That's not a dual stage. It's a dual GUAGE which is commonly confused. Dual gauges just means two gauges, one for the tank pressure (high pressure gauge) and one for the working pressure (low pressure gauge). usual single gauge regulators only have the tank pressure/high pressure gauge.
the milwaukee regulator simon is offering is a good entry level single stage regulator. however with these regulators there have been numerous reports of the solenoid failing and unsteady bubble count as well as the notorious end of tank dump where the contents of the co2 tank are expelled into the tank when the tank is almost empty and the pressure has fallen below 800 psi. dual stage regulators prevent eotd and allow you to use the gas until the cylinder runs empty.
if you're interested in these single stage all in one setups, either get the american made milwaukee regulators (although they're more expensive) or you could try the aquatek regulator which has the same components and cheaper price.
or... you could buy a dual stage setup.

WabiKasuH20Fall

Thanks for the clarification Neil I appreciate it I did not mean to mis inform on purpose. I agree with Neil about the less then ideal needle valve but for the price and what you are looking for its a fair option no pressure at all though I'm no hurry to sell this one.


From the mud grows a Lotus~
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neilshieh

I've used those needle valves before on a single stage regulator by JBJ, honestly... it does what it needs to do and works LOL. you just might have to adjust it every now and then especially with temperature changes. true, the bubble count may not be rock solid and precise as a 100 dollar ideal needle valve but i'm betting for your purposes it'll do. although for around 10-20 bucks you could get a decent to good one 10 times better than that needle valve.
just my two cents.

ffemt89

thanks for all the info, how does the paintball set up work?

neilshieh

instead of a regulator, the paintball setup uses an on-off valve. the most popular brand of on-off valve is asa and you have to buy the one with two ports. one for a small gauge and the other for the needle valve. you can buy these on ebay for from reputable sellers on TPT