Gerry G
05.01.2019
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When the maintenance shop closed down at the airport where the King Air I manage and fly is based, I needed a solution to tire servicing. So, I started shopping for an nitrogen cylinder, regulators, inflator, etc. and could have pieced a servicing kit together, literally from Amazon, and for less money than this kit from Aircraft Spruce would cost. However, one of the main problems was finding a regulator with gauges that read low pressures needed for precise pressures for aircraft tires. Most of the gauges were calibrated in 40 PSI increments. When I found this kit at Aircraft Spruce, I felt confident that it was best fitted to servicing aircraft tires accurately and high quality gauges and regulator, even though I think it is over-priced. The nitrogen cylinder is all DOT compliant, but unfilled of course. The regulator and gauges seem to be good quality. The gauges are marked in small increments good for precise inflation. PSI is marked in Red on the two regulator gauges. The inflator looked OK except that pressure release button on the side of it looked a bit odd. Also, the inflator pressure gauge is marked with PSI in black, instead of Red as is on the regulator gauges. I think that inconsistency in color markings is interesting. I wonder if Gen Tec even noticed that. That lack of color matching is only of concern to me in that it is a crack in the armor of minimizing human factor errors. That caused my rating to drop a 4, instead of a 5. When I received it I went to the local gas distributor and exchanged the new 20 cubic ft. cylinder with a used, refilled one (exchange is the way they do it here.) for only $14.00. Then I went to the airport to service my obviously low nose tire. The inflator worked fine, but the pressure gauge would not retain and show the actual tire pressure. Instead the nitrogen in the tire was released through that odd looking pressure release button. That was because that pressure release valve had fallen apart. The button had slipped off the valve, the valve had fallen into the inside of the inflator, leaving a free path for the nitrogen to escape from the tire. When I got back home, I found the release valve button and spring in the shipping box. I disassembled the inflator and retrieved the valve from inside it and then reassembled the valve (it is a Mickey Mouse assembly) and put the inflator back together and everything now works as it should. I probably voided the warranty on the inflator by taking it apart, but so be it. I dont have a high degree of confidence in that inflator, and will not be surprised if that release valve comes apart again. For all that, the best rating I can give is a 3. Even though I believe that it will serve my needs. I think Genstar Technologies Company could do a better job of selecting components for this kit. Maybe Aircraft Spruce should consider this when they market the GenTec product.
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John G
11.11.2020
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I am disappointed with the product I am sorry to say , the good point was that you sent it in a timely manner , but the product has issues for me . The Nitrogen bottle is a repainted O2 bottle which in itself is no issue , but it is dated 2017 and so will not be filled by my agent past 2023 so we are almost in 2021 now I will really only get two years of use , it cost me a further $150 dollars in tax to get the product delivered so at $500 for two years I dont see this as good value . sorry to be negative but you asked
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