Months prior to re test? Effectively the same, 5 years between tests - but aluminium’s are cheap enough to not bother testing..
Re test cost? Should be same irrespective of type, but varies depending on who you go to
Re test ease of use? No different to you regarding testing, the correct fibres can be more ergonomic when you’re playing
Re test likelihood of failing??? You’re going to have to try hard to break an aluminum, you can easily scratch the finish of a fibre which should not affect it. But the first stage of a test is visual inspection - if the tester doesn’t like the look of a deep scratch etc then it’s an instant fail. The easy solution is a bottle cover
For 99% of new players I would recommend going for an aluminium until you decide on exactly what will suit you........
‘Steelies’ in paintball these days are actually aluminum. There might be a steel one still about, but I wo
(Roughly) A standard aluminium cylinder will cost around £30-£40, a standard fibre will cost £150, and premium ultra lite fibres £200+
The normal timeframe between retests is 5 years, but aluminium’s are legally valid in the UK for 10 years between tests. However most sites will permit cylinders to be used for 5 years between tests.
When an aluminum is marked that it has a 5 year test cycle then we should stick to that
Aluminum cylinders have an unlimited lifetime, if they keep getting tested. (But with the cost of a new aluminum vs the cost of a test it’s not generally worth the cost to test them)
Fibre wrapped cylinders typically have a maximum 15 year life - which means they need to be tested for continued use from the 5 and 10 year point.
(you don’t need to hit the right dates, but like an MOT you need to be in date to use the cylinder
A newer international standard allows certain types of fibre wrap to have an unlimited lifetime, however these mostly seem to still have an expiry date shown
Test costs vary. If you can do a face to face drop off and pickup then it’s around £25-£30
More if it needs to be posted to or from the test centre.
There can sometimes be tests for as little as £15 or £20
On a test price of £25, a £150 fibre cylinder would cost £200 over 15 years
(Averaged to £13.33 per year)
An aluminum at £30 used for only 5 years averages at £6 per year
An aluminum is the cheapest to start you off and has the cheapest lifecycle costs
(You could potentially get some scrap value out of it at the end of its life too)
A fibre wrap gives you the advantage of 50% more air when you have 4500psi fills available. But most sites supply 3000psi fills only. So you don’t get the advantage of the extra pressure.
Special events such as scenarios, big games and tournaments may bring in HPAC etc to provide higher fills to 4500psi
Players then need to make sure they use the right fill station for their cylinder.
A 3000 bottle should only be filled at a 3000 fill station - you can technically fill at a 4500 fill station if you are careful but you will get shouted at
A 4500 can be filled at either (but won’t get to its capacity unless at a 4500 fill station?
Back in the day when there were not many fill stations and there was a long queue in the morning I would get my first fill at the 3000 fill station instead of waiting for 4500, then top up later
Fibre cylinders are lighter than aluminum
But only when like for like.
A ‘standard’ 3000psi is 48ci and a ‘standard ‘ fibre is 68ci
Their weight is similar, you get 20ci more space in a 68ci
A small 48ci fibre is lighter than the standard 48ci aluminum
Unless you are counting milligrams or are a weakling then you won’t notice any practical difference in weight across a day
Modern guns should be efficient, and unless you are a super ninja shooting ropes, never being eliminated and never eathen you will be fine on the fill for a 3000psi between games or between respawns
The real advantage of fibre is the range of size and shapes. You can fine tune the right bottle to your arm and elbow length for personal ergonomics
Aluminium’s typically have a flat base (there is one aluminum that I have seen that has a curved base, but I don’t think it is sold anymore)
Fibres have a curved base which helps them sit in your shoulder as a rolling stock
The cylinders themselves are just a bottle that holds air. They perform no differently
The regulator may have the ability to be adjusted in its output pressure or be quicker at refresh rates if you are making sustained high rates of fire
Unless you have a special gun then the regulator won’t make much noticable difference - it gets air to the gun.
Old regulators might have a higher output and could blow the internals of some modern guns.
Certain older model guns required a specific low pressure regulator
The only maintenance would be if there is a need to replace o rings or burst disks.
But for most players it’s hands off and won’t notice any problems as long as you keep a fill nipple cover on to avoid dirt and debris etc, and don’t over fill
