Air inflation.
- Thread starter IATool
- Start date
Hawke
Well-known member
I just bought a Makita 18V inflator. Can’t fault it.
matt_i
Well-known member
I would agree and go with whatever Lithium ion battery platform you are already invested-in.
No cords or long hoses is a great gift.
No cords or long hoses is a great gift.
pizza
Well-known member
The thing about those 12v compressors is the gears. Wifie had one in her car when we married. Didn't work worth a sheet. I tossed it but opened it up first. Nylon gears, stripped. Now how are you going to know whether the one you buy has nylon gears or not?
An actual compressor is much nicer than an inflator. However, I have to ask, how much are you willing to spend and is space a consideration?
At around $100 there are several options for cheap compressors. Figure another $20 for a cheap accessory set that will have a hose, air chuck and blow gun. The up side here is the compressor will fill the tires fast from the tank.
Here is an example of a typical accessory kit. Walmart, HD, Lowes, HF all sell similar kits. People often talk down about the coiled yellow air hoses but I like them. They are no good for things like impact wrenches or cut off wheels but they are just fine for inflating tires or using the air gun. The coil part is nice since I don't have to wind up the hose when I'm done.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06W2FW89L/?tag=atomicindus08-20
At $100 you can typically find the 6 gallon Porter Cable or similar pancake compressors. These are noisy and have relatively low flow rate (fast compared to an inflator but slow compared to most air compressors). They aren't too heavy to carry around and 6+ gallons of air in the tank means you can fill it up then carry to the tire and expect to at least get a fully flat tire to "OK to drive to garage". If the tire is just low it will happy top it off. Here are a few examples
https://www.cpooutlets.com/porter-c...il-free-pancake-air-compressor/pcbnc2002.html - This is refurb but this unit is often on sale for $100 new at places like Lowes/HD/etc
https://www.harborfreight.com/8-gallon-2-hp-125-psi-oil-lube-air-compressor-68740.html - This is a common HD 8 gallon compressor. These are heavier than the 6 gallon pancakes but they have wheels. These are noisy like most pancake compressors. The pump can flow more air so if you have the space this might be a better choice.
https://www.harborfreight.com/2-Gal...-Hand-Carry-Jobsite-Air-Compressor-64596.html - this is a bit more money. The tank is smaller than the others and the pump is weaker... but these are much quieter. It goes from being next to something that is loud to something that is like a box fan running at full blast. You will hear it but in the garage it's not obnoxious.
The fact that you get the compressed air gun for blowing things off is a bonus.
However, all this still costs over $100 and is not something you keep in the trunk.
There are options for cheaper compressors like these
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Briggs-S...mpressor-with-8-Piece-Accessory-Kit/215595050
https://www.harborfreight.com/3-gallon-13-HP-100-PSI-Oil-Free-Pancake-Air-Compressor-61615.html
These are around $40-60 and often include limited accessories. The down side is the pumps are often very slow (inflator speeds) and the tanks, due to a low peak pressure and small size, aren't really enough to inflate a tire without cycling the pump. I'm not sure if I think they are worth it over a 12V or 120V inflator. I guess they are basically the same as a 120V inflator and cost about the same.
I have used the 12V inflators. If you get one with a pressure shutoff the *slow* inflation speeds aren't too bothersome. I think of these as great to have in the car, not great if inflating tires is something I do frequently. Still, these can be had for under $20 and are great for *occasional* use.
At around $100 there are several options for cheap compressors. Figure another $20 for a cheap accessory set that will have a hose, air chuck and blow gun. The up side here is the compressor will fill the tires fast from the tank.
Here is an example of a typical accessory kit. Walmart, HD, Lowes, HF all sell similar kits. People often talk down about the coiled yellow air hoses but I like them. They are no good for things like impact wrenches or cut off wheels but they are just fine for inflating tires or using the air gun. The coil part is nice since I don't have to wind up the hose when I'm done.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06W2FW89L/?tag=atomicindus08-20
At $100 you can typically find the 6 gallon Porter Cable or similar pancake compressors. These are noisy and have relatively low flow rate (fast compared to an inflator but slow compared to most air compressors). They aren't too heavy to carry around and 6+ gallons of air in the tank means you can fill it up then carry to the tire and expect to at least get a fully flat tire to "OK to drive to garage". If the tire is just low it will happy top it off. Here are a few examples
https://www.cpooutlets.com/porter-c...il-free-pancake-air-compressor/pcbnc2002.html - This is refurb but this unit is often on sale for $100 new at places like Lowes/HD/etc
https://www.harborfreight.com/8-gallon-2-hp-125-psi-oil-lube-air-compressor-68740.html - This is a common HD 8 gallon compressor. These are heavier than the 6 gallon pancakes but they have wheels. These are noisy like most pancake compressors. The pump can flow more air so if you have the space this might be a better choice.
https://www.harborfreight.com/2-Gal...-Hand-Carry-Jobsite-Air-Compressor-64596.html - this is a bit more money. The tank is smaller than the others and the pump is weaker... but these are much quieter. It goes from being next to something that is loud to something that is like a box fan running at full blast. You will hear it but in the garage it's not obnoxious.
The fact that you get the compressed air gun for blowing things off is a bonus.
However, all this still costs over $100 and is not something you keep in the trunk.
There are options for cheaper compressors like these
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Briggs-S...mpressor-with-8-Piece-Accessory-Kit/215595050
https://www.harborfreight.com/3-gallon-13-HP-100-PSI-Oil-Free-Pancake-Air-Compressor-61615.html
These are around $40-60 and often include limited accessories. The down side is the pumps are often very slow (inflator speeds) and the tanks, due to a low peak pressure and small size, aren't really enough to inflate a tire without cycling the pump. I'm not sure if I think they are worth it over a 12V or 120V inflator. I guess they are basically the same as a 120V inflator and cost about the same.
I have used the 12V inflators. If you get one with a pressure shutoff the *slow* inflation speeds aren't too bothersome. I think of these as great to have in the car, not great if inflating tires is something I do frequently. Still, these can be had for under $20 and are great for *occasional* use.
chrismenke
Well-known member
I have an air compressor and still favor my little Ryobi inflator rather than dragging the line out to the driveway and back.
csp
Well-known member
Craigslist and FB Marketplace are generally flooded with small air compressors.
Of course, buyer beware but with the volume I've seen it shouldn't be hard to find one in good condition.
Of course, buyer beware but with the volume I've seen it shouldn't be hard to find one in good condition.
RTM
Well-known member
I prefer my small B&D inflator over firing up my pancake compressor. The time to get 6 gallons up to pressure, plus the noise, and dragging out a hose, is painful vs reeling out the extension cord and inflator.
I also have wimpy in car 12v inflators that I save for road use, to preserve their fragile life, as noted above.
I also have wimpy in car 12v inflators that I save for road use, to preserve their fragile life, as noted above.
I can't imagine giving up the space any real compressor would take inside my cars trunk.
Weak point in all low cost inflators is rapid heat build up, especially plastic units. Not a real issue for "most" cars as almost all will top up 4 tires.
As said, get whatever fits your lithium battery platform. I use an OLD C2 and once a couple quirks are understood, it still does fine.
Weak point in all low cost inflators is rapid heat build up, especially plastic units. Not a real issue for "most" cars as almost all will top up 4 tires.
As said, get whatever fits your lithium battery platform. I use an OLD C2 and once a couple quirks are understood, it still does fine.
MushCreek
Well-known member
Unfortunately, Milwaukee is rather proud of their M18 compressor, and I'm not going to go into another platform (M12) just to get an inflator.
If you really, REALLY need it portable then get an inflator powered by cordless tool batteries, lighter outlet, or direct car battery connection.
The latter is necessary if you don't want it to take a very long time.
However any of these portable inflators have a terrible lifespan, roughly a few dozen hours at most. Maybe that is all you need, but a few dozen hours is being optimistic and unrealistic for the lower cost options which can't even run long enough to inflate a single tire from flat before overheating.
I'd had enough of that fiasco and went with a small, quiet, California Air compressor near my garage door, and a 50' hose which is enough to get anything in the immediate driveway area. To be clear this is dedicated to inflation use and very minor other things.
It's rated for thousands of hours instead of the single-digit I got out of my Masterflow MF-1050 after 3-4 repairs.
It takes a lot less time to use a compressor and drag a hose out (if on a reel), than to wait on a portable inflator, unless you're only topping up a couple PSI per tire on one vehicle. The portables that have a pressure setting shutoff will at least let that time be semi-unattended, but then you also can't monitor how hot the portable is getting, and yet with many today you can't anyway because that tiny tiny compressor is housed in a big chunk of plastic that is worth more than the compressor itself is.
It's a bit laughable how small some of the portable battery powered ones are, and you don't have a choice really, try to get a suitable size and then you're going to have to get a proper air compressor with a tank from that tool brand which somewhat defeats the purpose of having it battery powered for the convenience and small size.
Ultimately it depends on whether you like disposable tools and how often you use them.
I am a bit confused about people who want to keep one in their trunk. I've never had a flat where it leaked so extremely slowly that a tiny inflator could keep up enough to get me anywhere and as long as it takes to use, I'd just put a spare tire on.
Then again there are those few times where you might be able to put a plug in a tire right on the spot and inflate it, but I find all those cases less important if you're not traveling outside of cell phone service or where a flat tire could leave you stranded in an inhospitable environment.
The latter is necessary if you don't want it to take a very long time.
However any of these portable inflators have a terrible lifespan, roughly a few dozen hours at most. Maybe that is all you need, but a few dozen hours is being optimistic and unrealistic for the lower cost options which can't even run long enough to inflate a single tire from flat before overheating.
I'd had enough of that fiasco and went with a small, quiet, California Air compressor near my garage door, and a 50' hose which is enough to get anything in the immediate driveway area. To be clear this is dedicated to inflation use and very minor other things.
It's rated for thousands of hours instead of the single-digit I got out of my Masterflow MF-1050 after 3-4 repairs.
It takes a lot less time to use a compressor and drag a hose out (if on a reel), than to wait on a portable inflator, unless you're only topping up a couple PSI per tire on one vehicle. The portables that have a pressure setting shutoff will at least let that time be semi-unattended, but then you also can't monitor how hot the portable is getting, and yet with many today you can't anyway because that tiny tiny compressor is housed in a big chunk of plastic that is worth more than the compressor itself is.
It's a bit laughable how small some of the portable battery powered ones are, and you don't have a choice really, try to get a suitable size and then you're going to have to get a proper air compressor with a tank from that tool brand which somewhat defeats the purpose of having it battery powered for the convenience and small size.
Ultimately it depends on whether you like disposable tools and how often you use them.
I am a bit confused about people who want to keep one in their trunk. I've never had a flat where it leaked so extremely slowly that a tiny inflator could keep up enough to get me anywhere and as long as it takes to use, I'd just put a spare tire on.
Then again there are those few times where you might be able to put a plug in a tire right on the spot and inflate it, but I find all those cases less important if you're not traveling outside of cell phone service or where a flat tire could leave you stranded in an inhospitable environment.
Bretny
Well-known member
I have a slime brand compressor that's about 15yrs old and has been carried in 3 dif vehicles. It's also seated a bead on a truck tire way out in the woods. That was 45min of non stop pumping. I'm not sure a cordless one will do that.
There are some pretty good, not terribly expensive portable 12v compressor options out there. Look for some of the brands that are more geared towards the off-road crowd that are intended to be used on bigger tires and have higher duty cycles and you shouldn't have any issues using it on a normal vehicle.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004K296N6/?tag=atomicindus08-20
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005ASY23I/?tag=atomicindus08-20
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004K296N6/?tag=atomicindus08-20
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005ASY23I/?tag=atomicindus08-20
honcho
Well-known member
Bought the Milwaukee M12 inflator last holiday season for around $100 with a 2ah battery and the 12v USB Charger. They are my most used M12 tools. The 2ah battery is marginal for actually filling up a car tire but for adjusting pressure or dealing with a single very low tire it does well. Being able to attach, set a pressure and walk away for whatever time it takes to do the job is great. As an aside, the charger also converts an M12 battery to a USB power pack. Very handy.
That said, I'm not sure I'd buy an M12 inflator if I didn't already have M12 tools.
That said, I'm not sure I'd buy an M12 inflator if I didn't already have M12 tools.
I think you need to prioritize your needs.
The compressor is great if you’ll only use it in or just outside your garage where an air hose reaches. If you’re filling tires from 0, it does the job quick.
The inflator can either run off your 12v source or you can get the cordless variety. Short run times/duty cycles, but more than sufficient for topping off tires or filling a single tire from zero. And they fit in your car taking up little space. If emergency use is your goal, these are really the only practical choice.
I’ve got 3 compressors at home. 2 portables and a small 20 gallon with a reel. I stopped using all of them for tires and just use the cordless dewalt. I use it on the garden tools, neighbors 15hp generator, etc. And it lives in my car. It’s always ready to go when I need it and always nearby. No fussing with cords. The 5ah battery gets charged once a year, it lasts a long time topping up tires.
With respect to emergency use, you could wait 1-2 hours for AAA or roll up your sleeves and start changing tires in 20F or 90F+ temps In your work clothes, but sometimes that’s not particularly convenient. With a slow leak it’s a lot more convenient to put some air in, limp it home where you have access to tools to quickly deal with the screw or nail.
I love well made tools that last a really long time. Heck, a bicycle pump will last you 50 years. But I also value convenience. But if convenience isn’t important, my local gas station has free air available. Top off when I get gas, no additional expense needed. But I have to wait in line, because apparently everyone else likes access to free air too.
The compressor is great if you’ll only use it in or just outside your garage where an air hose reaches. If you’re filling tires from 0, it does the job quick.
The inflator can either run off your 12v source or you can get the cordless variety. Short run times/duty cycles, but more than sufficient for topping off tires or filling a single tire from zero. And they fit in your car taking up little space. If emergency use is your goal, these are really the only practical choice.
I’ve got 3 compressors at home. 2 portables and a small 20 gallon with a reel. I stopped using all of them for tires and just use the cordless dewalt. I use it on the garden tools, neighbors 15hp generator, etc. And it lives in my car. It’s always ready to go when I need it and always nearby. No fussing with cords. The 5ah battery gets charged once a year, it lasts a long time topping up tires.
With respect to emergency use, you could wait 1-2 hours for AAA or roll up your sleeves and start changing tires in 20F or 90F+ temps In your work clothes, but sometimes that’s not particularly convenient. With a slow leak it’s a lot more convenient to put some air in, limp it home where you have access to tools to quickly deal with the screw or nail.
I love well made tools that last a really long time. Heck, a bicycle pump will last you 50 years. But I also value convenience. But if convenience isn’t important, my local gas station has free air available. Top off when I get gas, no additional expense needed. But I have to wait in line, because apparently everyone else likes access to free air too.
same here, I have a little black and decker inflator that runs off 110v in the garage so I don't have to drive to the polebarn to air up my wifes leaky tires all the time.
it's noisy, but fills quite fast, maybe 2/3 as fast as the compressor/tank does.
I have no idea if they still make them as I got this at a yard sale years ago for a buck or two, but would buy another one if this one took a ****.
actually they do make them but I can't find any specs on the new ones, mine is 1.0 cfm @30 psi, 3.3 amp motor.
Attachments
Outlander
Well-known member
I have, and use one, on my ATV. Got me 20 km out of the bush once, stopping evey 5 km or so to pump some more air in before it stopped taking air.....in the parking lot!
TuxThePenguin
Well-known member
If you ONLY want a tire inflator, then buy a tire inflator. If you want a general purpose machine, then buy a compressor.
Here's an example of what happens when you want a purpose-specific air tool (a duster in this case) and you try buying a compressor:
(Not my video)
Sometimes a general purpose machine can do the same job as a purpose-specific machine, but the purpose-specific machine can be much nicer to use.
Here's an example of what happens when you want a purpose-specific air tool (a duster in this case) and you try buying a compressor:
(Not my video)
Sometimes a general purpose machine can do the same job as a purpose-specific machine, but the purpose-specific machine can be much nicer to use.
Could I suggest that Lokithor JA301, which is Jump Starter, Air inflator, flashlight and power bank 4 in 1 item?
That just compounds the problems. The typical inexpensive inflator is already dreadfully slow and prone to overheating then when you get an AIO, the compressor is that much smaller and more prone to overheating before it gets the job done.
I have an AIO, and upgraded to an inflator that was about 10X as fast, then after several repairs, upgraded to an air compressor for tire inflation duty. There is no contest, you want a regular compressor of reasonable size unless the top priority is portability, then can own both. I know it is hard to imagine owning both and never using the anemic portable inflator except in an emergency but that is how to preserve its lifespan so it works well when you need it in that capacity.
As for what Tux wrote, there are so many things wrong with that and the video that I don't know where to start. Some undersized Ryobi battery powered compressor is not representative of compressors in general, more like trying to stretch and strain to make a worst case argument because you know it isn't true in general, only in extreme cases.
When you try to go cheap then need a lot of time trying to justify it, and argue extremes outside the normal type of product experience, it is a sure sign it is a bad argument.
I'm not even going to delve far into the fact that the average shop compressor lasts roughly 400X as many running hours. That # is not an exaggeration, not even for the sub-$200 price class of modern oilless compressors. Been there, done that, get a portable inflator then only use it when you have to.