The New Astro Dial Face Tire Inflator

[CobraRed]

Anyone else get this email? Haven't seen a new inflator type in awhile.
I personally use the digital one but know peeps that prefer dial face.

http://www.astrotools.com/index.php/tpms-dial-tire-inflator-w-stainless-hose-0-65psi.html

First one I've seen with a stainless hose besides Snap-On:

 

[Vantastic]

I got the email too. I think I may buy one. I'm tired of using two tools when filling up tires.

 

[CobraRed]

the 60psi Joes Racing one is the only other one I've seen that's similar. Rubber hose and no mention of accuracy, tho.

All these inflators with that go to 180-200psi and barely readable hash marks, what are people inflating??

 

[WhataTool]

180psi isn't even bicycle or 18-wheeler tire territory. I'm not sure why so many are that high.

 

[thatguysb]

I have a regular Harbor freight unit. Works excellent. It maxes out at 120psi.

 

[bwringer]

If someone made an inflator with a right-angle chuck, they would instantly sell about a zillion to motorcyclists.

That straight-on chuck is utterly useless, and the common angled "ball" chuck is very nearly useless.

 

[hancock1701]

Yeah, I've been looking for one that doesn't go to high, maybe 60psi so I can easily fill and read my tires around 30psi, but couldn't find it.

 

[WhiffySpark]

Yeah, I've been looking for one that doesn't go to high, maybe 60psi so I can easily fill and read my tires around 30psi, but couldn't find it.

The astro goes to 65... Lol

 

[hancock1701]

Sorry, didn't pay enough attention. Thanks for pointing that out. I might get this when my HF one breaks then.

 

[dailydR1ver]

Anyone know where to buy one? The only place I can find it is on the astro site.

 

[CobraRed]

Anyone know where to buy one? The only place I can find it is on the astro site.

Only place I've seen:

http://www.mytoolsforyou.com/automotive-tools/APT-3082.html

 

[WhataTool]

Besides the psi range, how is this different to their other inflator?

 

[Astro_Pneumatic_Tools]

Besides the psi range, how is this different to their other inflator?

The simplified dial face:
- PSI only, no BAR. This also allows us to push the hash-marks all the way out on the edge of the face and have the readings on the inside, making for more room between the psi marks which means 30psi and 30.5psi are night and day.

But mainly the hose and air pressure sensor. The hose is braided stainless by popular demand, and the pressure sensor is much more sensitive - something we've been working on for awhile.

3081
Resolution: 2psi
Accuracy: +/- 1.2psi

3082
Resolution: 1psi
Accuracy: +/- <1psi, or 1.5% on average.



_________
Chris
Product Manager

 

[BD1]

I'm assuming the schrader needs to be in for this to operate. That would be slick for quick filling tires that were just mounted.

 

[hangfirew8]

Very nice. It's now on my want list.

 

[94blu1500]

I'm assuming the schrader needs to be in for this to operate. That would be slick for quick filling tires that were just mounted.

That looks like same style chuck as the blue point tire inflator/gauge and should work without the schrader valve in the stem.

I really like the look of the astro gauge and would buy one if I wasn't constantly working with tires that are 90-100 psi

 

[crucible]

Not experience with the Astro (I'm glad they exist).

But, how 'bout made in USA Miltons?

http://www.amazon.com/Milton-503-Inflator-Gauge/dp/B001O2ZT40/ref=sr_1_10?srs=2596600011&ie=UTF8&qid=1441817780&sr=8-10&keywords=inflator

I have the exact one above and it's a made in USA, right angle, old school service station quality inflator (you can get most kinds of connectors for these-straight, angles, right hand, etc.)

 

[gungatim]

If someone made an inflator with a right-angle chuck, they would instantly sell about a zillion to motorcyclists.

That straight-on chuck is utterly useless, and the common angled "ball" chuck is very nearly useless.

Agreed. I ended up making my own to my own specs.

start with a Milton blow gun, remove the brass nozzle end. screw in 1/4" pipe to your length, adapt down to 1/8", then a guage that only goes to 100psi, tee'd to the 1/8" small 45 deg. angle head inflator.

works great for anything except innertubes on wheelbarrows that are completely flat.

You can use it one handed (no floppy hose do deal with) and the other nice thing is you can customize where the guage is, size, etc. to what you like most. If you don't have all the parts laying around like I did, you can buy new for <$25 and make it from scratch...

 

[Astro_Pneumatic_Tools]

I'm assuming the schrader needs to be in for this to operate. That would be slick for quick filling tires that were just mounted.

Not at all. If you pull on the lever, air comes out whether attached to anything or not. Works great on just mounted tires w/out schrader's.

That looks like same style chuck as the blue point tire inflator/gauge and should work without the schrader valve in the stem.

I really like the look of the astro gauge and would buy one if I wasn't constantly working with tires that are 90-100 psi

Our 3081's are massively popular - which go to 180psi, could possibly meet your needs.

http://www.astrotools.com/index.php/dial-tire-inflator.html

Agreed. I ended up making my own to my own specs.

start with a Milton blow gun, remove the brass nozzle end. screw in 1/4" pipe to your length, adapt down to 1/8", then a guage that only goes to 100psi, tee'd to the 1/8" small 45 deg. angle head inflator.

works great for anything except innertubes on wheelbarrows that are completely flat.

You can use it one handed (no floppy hose do deal with) and the other nice thing is you can customize where the guage is, size, etc. to what you like most. If you don't have all the parts laying around like I did, you can buy new for <$25 and make it from scratch...

All of our inflators are standard 1/4npt - so you can effectively put almost any attachment on you like.


_____________
Chris
Product Manager

 

[engineer2]

What goes so high?
Racing bicycle tires ~90 to 140 psi
Commercial airliner tires ~150 to 280 psi (a few go even higher)

 

[CobraRed]

What goes so high?
Racing bicycle tires ~90 to 140 psi
Commercial airliner tires ~150 to 280 psi (a few go even higher)

So... 0.5% of the market? That's what all the manufacturers are designing for?

 

[knobby]

If someone made an inflator with a right-angle chuck, they would instantly sell about a zillion to motorcyclists.

That straight-on chuck is utterly useless, and the common angled "ball" chuck is very nearly useless.

Not to derail the thread but on my bikes this is one of the first mods that I do.
https://www.kurveygirl.com/shop/index.php?cPath=169

 

[engineer2]

So... 0.5% of the market? That's what all the manufacturers are designing for?

Most manufactures should give you a choice of ranges to fit the application.
Some of them might want their gauge to survive being connected to a 150 psi air compressor.
Some may figure the average consumer won't notice any inaccuracies using a 200 psi gauge for a 36 psi tire.

 

[CobraRed]

Some of them might want their gauge to survive being connected to a 150 psi air compressor.

In what way does hooking up an inflator with a 65psi gauge to a 150psi compressor make the inflator not survive?

 

[404]

The reason the gauges go so high is so that the user will not bend the needle when he pushes the trigger with no tire attached. I fixed this on mine by putting in a 60 psi gauge and a regulator set to 59 psi.

Due to the mechanism dial pressure gauges are most accurate at the middle of the scale, since I fill to 35 I chose a 60 scale. If a person fills to 50, choose a 100 scale.

 

[bsaint]

Our commercial tires at work are 150 psi.

 

[CobraRed]

The reason the gauges go so high is so that the user will not bend the needle when he pushes the trigger with no tire attached. I fixed this on mine by putting in a 60 psi gauge and a regulator set to 59 psi.

???

Are people under the assumption that these inflators' gauges measure the compressor pressure at any point?

If the inflator's hose is hooked up to a tire, it will read 0 psi (or just a lower than accurate psi level) when the lever is pressed and an accurate 35psi when you let go (for instance). If it's not hooked up to anything it will be 0psi when you press the lever and 0 psi when you let go.

Maybe Astro can clear this up?

 

[engineer2]

The valve in most inflators are designed to protect the gauge from over-pressurization. When you pull the trigger, it lets air into the tire but it also closes the passage to the gauge.

Notice, you don't get a "live" reading as the tire fills up. The gauge usually goes to zero and when you release the trigger, you get the tire pressure reading.

If some clown uses the tire chuck to read pressure from a compressor or a high-pressure tire and they over-pressurize the gauge, it will often ruin it. Putting a high pressure gauge on it avoids warranty returns, bent needles, and covers 99% of the applications.

 

[Astro_Pneumatic_Tools]

???

Are people under the assumption that these inflators' gauges measure the compressor pressure at any point?

If the inflator's hose is hooked up to a tire, it will read 0 psi (or just a lower than accurate psi level) when the lever is pressed and an accurate 35psi when you let go (for instance). If it's not hooked up to anything it will be 0psi when you press the lever and 0 psi when you let go.

Maybe Astro can clear this up?

The valve in most inflators are designed to protect the gauge from over-pressurization. When you pull the trigger, it lets air into the tire but it also closes the passage to the gauge.

Notice, you don't get a "live" reading as the tire fills up. The gauge usually goes to zero and when you release the trigger, you get the tire pressure reading.

If some clown uses the tire chuck to read pressure from a compressor or a high-pressure tire and they over-pressurize the gauge, it will often ruin it. Putting a high pressure gauge on it avoids warranty returns, bent needles, and covers 99% of the applications.

Both correct.
All of our inflators can take roughly 200-220psi in, but are limited by their max reading for what you're measuring.
Sure you can damage the 65psi inflator if you're using it on a high pressure tire it's not made for, but we feel the few warranties we'll have to cover from this are worth the increased resolution and accuracy the average tech's going to benefit from when dealing with TPMS systems all day.

__________
Chris
Product Manager

 

[404]

???

Are people under the assumption that these inflators' gauges measure the compressor pressure at any point?

If the inflator's hose is hooked up to a tire, it will read 0 psi (or just a lower than accurate psi level) when the lever is pressed and an accurate 35psi when you let go (for instance). If it's not hooked up to anything it will be 0psi when you press the lever and 0 psi when you let go.

Maybe Astro can clear this up?

I cannot speak for Astro, but yes, if one pulls the trigger with no tire attached one will get the compressor pressure. Why is that a surprise?

 

[CobraRed]

Astro already did speak. And not only is that not true, it would be a fairly useless feature to have on your inflator.

 

[logical]

I cannot speak for Astro, but yes, if one pulls the trigger with no tire attached one will get the compressor pressure. Why is that a surprise?

Exactly...its a diverter valve (a "Y") with a pressure gage attached to one leg, an air hose to the other, and a tire to the bottom of the "Y", release the lever (closing the valve to the compressor and opening the path to the gage and its now just like any other pressure gage. If it's not connected to an air hose and the lever isn't pulled, it is just a gage. If the gage was broken and not leaking, its just an on/off valve between the compressor and the tire. The gage never sees pressure from the compressor directly.

 

[radrush]

I like the STEELMAN (97977) High Accuracy Digital Tire Inflato

Ranges from 0 - 100 PSI (+/- 0.25 percent PSI accuracy).
Reads in PSI, Bar, kPa and kg/cm2.
Features automatic temperature/pressure compensation and peak/valley/track pressure reading modes.

 

[CobraRed]

I like It's a STEELMAN (97977) High Accuracy Digital Tire Inflato

Ranges from 0 - 100 PSI (+/- 0.25 percent PSI accuracy).
Reads in PSI, Bar, kPa and kg/cm2.
Features automatic temperature/pressure compensation and peak/valley/track pressure reading modes.

Wow, that's badass.

Digital tho, a lot easier to make a precision digital gauge.

 

[M6erfan]

I like It's a STEELMAN (97977) High Accuracy Digital Tire Inflato

Ranges from 0 - 100 PSI (+/- 0.25 percent PSI accuracy).
Reads in PSI, Bar, kPa and kg/cm2.
Features automatic temperature/pressure compensation and peak/valley/track pressure reading modes.

 

[cajunfirehawk]

Wow, that's badass.
I like It's a STEELMAN (97977) High Accuracy Digital Tire Inflato

Digital tho, a lot easier to make a precision digital gauge.

It should be, its $150

 

[CobraRed]

It should be, its $150

Some of the tool truck infiltrators are almost that price and they don't guarantee any real level of accuracy.

 

[Ign]

I'd love to see something that goes to 80psi accurately for typical Load Range E tires but is still easy to read.

Also not aware of any bike clinchers that go over 120. Sew-ups and tubeless should be even less, that's the point.

 

[CobraRed]

I'd love to see something that goes to 80psi accurately for typical Load Range E tires but is still easy to read.

Also not aware of any bike clinchers that go over 120. Sew-ups and tubeless should be even less, that's the point.

Are there many tire pressure monitoring systems for load E range tires?

 

[Farmall450]

I'd love to see something that goes to 80psi accurately for typical Load Range E tires but is still easy to read.

Also not aware of any bike clinchers that go over 120. Sew-ups and tubeless should be even less, that's the point.

I agree. Lots of 3/4 and 1 ton trucks and vans out there.