Looking for air compressor

[winkosmosis]

Just spend $40 for a 12v air compressor that looks like it has a good gauge... The gauge is the important part.

[NiHaoMike]

Wait for a deal at Harbor Freight. You'll be able to get a reasonably good air compressor for $50 and a digital pressure gauge with fine adjustment valve for $15. It works much better than those cheap tire pumps.

I even added a few feet of 1/4" copper tubing (bent into a coil) between the pump and tank on mine so I can inflate the tires with cool air.

[dremd]

For inflating tires; $35 yellow 12 volt compressor at pepboys.
End of discussion.

[Clev]

Originally Posted by dremd

For inflating tires; $35 yellow 12 volt compressor at pepboys.
End of discussion.

Yup. A full size compressor is nice to have, but you don't want to carry it around in your trunk.

[j12piprius]

Originally Posted by Clev

I have the cheapy cigarette lighter version. They have the cheaper one (fills a tire in as little as 8 minutes!) and the more expensive version (fills a tire in as little as 3 minutes!) If you have any kind of regular leak, I'd say go with the more expensive one. The cheaper one that fills a tire in 8 minutes also takes 8 minutes to take a tire from 38 psi to 51 psi.

What is the difference between a cheapy one and one that's expensive?

There are some 300 psi 12v compressors on Ebay for less than $20.

[Clev]

My cheapy one was this one:

Walmart.com: Slime - Portable 12 Volt Tire Inflator with Built-in Gauge and Light: Automotive

After a few minutes of running, the tip of the cigarette lighter plug was so hot that it caused first degree burns. Eventually something inside the unit burned up, so I replaced it with another cheapy from somewhere else.

[j12piprius]

How about one like this?

Should 300psi be enough to pump tires to 50psi fairly easily?

Also how much does one of these run down the battery?

[Clev]

Should be fine, but for the same price, I'd pick one up from Target. That way, you have some recourse if it burns up in a week.

No worries about the battery. Even if you ran it for an hour, it wouldn't make a significant dent.

[dremd]

Originally Posted by johnlvs2run

What is the difference between a cheapy one and one that's expensive?

There are some 300 psi 12v compressors on Ebay for less than $20.

the cheap ones run for about 10 mins before over heating. Sometimes they recover, sometimes they do not.

I highly recommend the Yellow one at Pepboys. Often times on sale for $25 Sometimes on sale for $20 You can always return to pepboys as well. It will run continuously for 6 truck tires (Load range E 245 75 R16 i think) from 30 psi to 90 psi without missing a beat. However, make sure that you outlet is up to snuff, these pumps draw a SOILD 15 amps at 12 volts.

[j12piprius]

I ordered this 12v air compressor tonight.

And this AC to 12V DC power adapter converter.