Portable Tire Inflator Recommendations?

[smm345]

I am looking for a second (Better?) portable tire inflator. Attached is a photo of the one that I have had for 3 years: a BON-AIRE "Truck and SUV" (300 PSI) model. It has worked well (at least to top-off SUV tires), but if there is something better that any of you guys have used, I would like to know about it/them.

The BON-AIRE has an internal battery that can be charged via AC and can also be powered directly via DC plug. It has a Quick-Connect filling attachment and has held charges well. On the negative side, the On/Off and Power Type selection switches are not marked at all (I had to use a label maker) and the Pressure Guage (auto shut-off)is poorly marked and calibrated.

I am looking for the same type of configured inflator but "better". Suggestions? Recommendations? Brands to stay away from? Thanks.

Attachment 11094

[Just a Jarhead]

I keep my Xantrex Powerpack 400 in my SUV all the time. Inflate tire, jump start a car. It's come in handy quite a few times for both.

I used to use it to watch football games on a 13" tv while tailgating back when I used to have Dolphins season tickets. I bought a spare battery and made a set of small jumpers running the installed battery and extra battery in series.

Also used it for powering fans after a hurricane and power was out so you could cool off enough to sleep here on muggy hot south Florida summer nights. Lots of uses for this little diddy & I've had it over 10 years. Can also use it to power my alarm system in my house for a week or better if need be under same power out situation and the alarm back-up battery runs out.

http://www.amazon.com/Xantrex-XPower.../dp/B000157TP8

[Kokopelli]

I've used a MV50 for 4-wheeling and general use for about five years. It works great.. Ron

http://www.amazon.com/Industries-MV5...552143&sr=8-27

[smm345]

Thanks for the comments guys...., the powerpack function of the Xantrex unit adds options that I may need to reconsider.

[CarbonCycles]

KISS...buy a bicycle tire pump. Car tires use the common schrader valve. The bicycle pump may take some effort, but it will never need a electrical power source; runs pretty silent (if that is a concern of yours) and probably cheaper.

I use my floor pumps pretty often when I'm checking all our car tires.

[5566]

I have thought about a manual pump also, any idea of how many pumps to inflate an average auto tire with one?

[CarbonCycles]

I've found that for my floor pump model that it takes roughly 10 pumps for each psig. I also have better control over how much air I want to add...I'm pretty anal when it comes to air pressure in the tires.

[Cesiumsponge]

You can theoretically damage seals on a bike pump with extended use on things like car tires because the friction generates a lot of heat, at least on the smaller pumps. Just keep the o-rings properly greased up and in good shape, and stick with a quality pump.

[ST911]

I've found that for my floor pump model that it takes roughly 10 pumps for each psig. I also have better control over how much air I want to add...I'm pretty anal when it comes to air pressure in the tires.

Are you in a high performance or precision driving application? For most of us, worrying about small tire pressure increments would be like a 10MOA shooter sweating 1/4 MOA scope adjustments.

Do you use a precision tire gauge to measure the air pressure? What's the accuracy of the standard gauge you buy at a auto parts, air-tool, or hardware store? Do you adjust the air for different ambient air temps, humidity, altitude, etc? Is there really a difference between 34 and 36psi.

[CarbonCycles]

Nope, I just carried over my anal retentive tire pressure from all my years of racing road. A few psi difference in your tires can make or break things when racing.

I normally use a quality digital gauge that has been properly calibrated for the air pressure ranges of interest. I got mine on Amazon. You could adjust for all the factors you listed below because they all have an inter-related effect, but I typically just check all my tires in the early morning before sunrise when the ambient temperature is the coolest (air is the densest).

I've personally found that a few psi difference in my Michelin MS2s can alter my fuel economy by 2-5%.

Are you in a high performance or precision driving application? For most of us, worrying about small tire pressure increments would be like a 10MOA shooter sweating 1/4 MOA scope adjustments.

Do you use a precision tire gauge to measure the air pressure? What's the accuracy of the standard gauge you buy at a auto parts, air-tool, or hardware store? Do you adjust the air for different ambient air temps, humidity, altitude, etc? Is there really a difference between 34 and 36psi.