Technical Suggestions for a portable air pump

We are experiencing the effects of hurricane Helene, the winds topped out at 75 MPH, almost 7 inches of rain, flooding, trees down everywhere, in our yard and living on a circle both ways our of the neighborhood is blocked with down trees and power lines, no power for 101,484 Anderson residents.

To top it off my daily driver truck has a flat and having no electricity my big compressor is useless, fortunately while I was loaning a neighbor my logging chain he mentioned he has a portable air pump, This is something that could come in handy in situations like this or having it when we travel to shows.

Do you have one and what do you suggest? HRP

 

If you already have a battery system (Milwaukee, DeWalt, etc) keep with that system.... they all have inflators. I have 4 of the Milwaukee units, one in each truck/car. For big tires, they are slooooow. They will not inflate my 40" Goodyears on the jeep, I use a CO2 bottle for those if away from a compressor. Like everyting, dont buy on price... lot of off brand junk out there.

 

How are you on the internet with no power, just your phone?

 

There's lots of air compressors that plug into a cig lighter.

 

I always keep those cans of flat/fix around.
My wife bought this little battery powered inflater with a A/C or D/C hook up. Looks like a pistol.
It works like magic, blowing them up.
Ot course there's the big shop unit.

 

CO 2 bottle is genius. You know, tig and mig bottles would work in a pinch. Both are inert gas. Just need to make an adapter hose to an air chuck. Just don't use oxygen or acetylene.

 

I have DeWalt 18 and 20 volt stuff so I asked for a Dewalt portable 20v compressor. Works great! Main purpose was for the slicks on our Go Karts at 4 and 5 pounds. Turn it on, set the pounds you want and it kicks off when done. I use it on cars too. One day I pumped up four 5.50x17 tires and five 4.75x21 tires all from flat. On the ninth tire(21"l) half filled, the battery final stopped. That's a lot of run time! I usually use the 5ah battery.
I am carrying it right now in my '27 T Roadster. As we tour all over southern Utah on the back roads and side by side trails. It has been used many times in a month and still on same battery. Have also used it as a flashlight. Highly recommend.

Dave
Here we are at 11,307 feet on Brian Head at Cedar Break Utah

 

I bought this one that work very well. The 4 wheeler guys rave about them for airing up there tires after they air down for the trail.

 

Got a 1930 Cadillac manual trans here that has a PTO driven compressor pump. From the factory.
So, if you have a trans with pto capability, it wouldn't be too had to come up with something.

 

Bought this one at HF for when I had my travel trailer. There are smaller and cheaper ones but this one handles the high pressure/high volume of the 18 inch tires on my tow rig as well as the 10 plys on the trailer.
https://www.harborfreight.com/12v-150-psi-compact-air-compressor-63184.html

 

20V Craftsman system here. It'll pump up a completely flat regular sized tire in about 7min. Set it (the desired psi), and forget it! Shuts-off automatically. I usually keep it in my beater, 'cause, well, it's beater!

 

Fix a flat in a can is bad news, just ask a tire guy.

 

I hear good things about Milwaukee ones and I'm thinking about buying one. Co worker has one for off road stuff and he likes it.

https://www.milwaukeetool.com/Products/Power-Tools/Specialty-Tools/2848-20

 

I went through this 8 years ago, I have a Honda suitcase generator that I have for the race trailer. Power goes out I go get the generator fill it with gas (one handed mind you) carry it 100 feet to the house, get everything ready and the power comes back on. I can only speak from experience, f#$k that I bought the best all house generator I found and have not regretted it since. Oh all my compressors worked.

Pat

 

These work even when the power goes out! Pretty Traditional!

 

TRUE
Hiya Bill
I am a tire guy, Dealt with the mess more than a few times.
Got the shirts to prove it
When I am in rhe middle of nowhere with a screw in the tread, we'll deal with it at home.
No road fees when I am in my own D'way

 

That is the one you want, not the smaller 12V one.

 

My cousin stopped when he saw a pretty blonde gal with a flat . He had one of those screw in the spark plug pumps. Aired up her tyre and away she went. Put his plug back in a mighty big Knock suddenly developed in his engine . Seems the ball bearing valve in the end dropped out. Destroying one piston.

 

I go along buying a compressor that works with what ever battery pack drills and tools you have now so you can use the batteries. I have a Ryobi 18 volt unit that I bought because it came as part of a package with extra batteries and works with the stuff I already had. I had bought a used 4 piece set from a guy several years ago and have picked up other pieces including a 1/2 inch impact and the air compressor. Slow on bigger tires but it will get the job done eventually. the only rub is that there is no catch to lock it on and you have to stand there and hold it while it runs. One of those is worth having even if you have something fancier that will air up a tire faster. I have my dad's old 12 V plug into the lighter compressor that he carried for over 20 years and keep it in one rig. the little one is a lot easier to carry off in places like the back corner of the trailer that is not reachable with the plug in or hook to the battery units.

 

I have the 18v Milwaukee and I love it. Carry it everywhere I go.

 

I do that with my 18 Volt Ryobi, I carry the air compressor with a battery in it and the 1/2 impact with a battery in it with me most all the time. The compressor gets used more on my John Deere 325 mower than anything with all the goat heads around here. Those compressors are something you didn't know you needed until you have one no matter what brand you have.

 

I have 2 Harbor Freight compressors that plug into cigarette lighter.
1 is 20 plus years old. Still works fine.
No battery to charge and easily stored and carried at all times in trunks.

 

I have one of those HF types (It has "Green Slime" labels on it.) with the 'slinky-looking' coil air hose. It worked okay for about 8 years but that plastic hose eventually got hard and brittle. I still have the pump but I'm searching for a replacement airhose.
I also use it to inflate "toobs" when we float the river...... but I'm getting way too old to be in a crowd of drunk college-age kids anymore.

 

That's why ya gotta avoid strange blondes.... But not my dear sister, she's a good heart.
Now seriously always wondered what the gasoline will do to the innards of the tire / or tube

Here's hoping Danny recoups his loss. been lot of recovery in his life.
Like to say,, 'I know the feeling.' seemed like I was at rock bottom, and no hope of a rope.
My ManTRA now is Tuff E-nuff.

 

I have a Dewalt 20v one, that thing is the chit. Pumps up the always-flat 7.50-20 on my yard truck in the time it takes to hook up fuel and battery to the truck. The little cheapo ones that plug into a cigarette lighter etc are useless for anything other than bicycles.

 

I have a Viair 300P I keep with my 4x4 Toyota, fills my 33" tire from 15 to 30 PSI in about a minute. Alligator clips to the battery post which I prefer over cig lighter type. It comes with a tool bag that has plenty of room for more tools. Viair is a reputable name within the air suspension and offroad crowds.

 

you can pump that tire up, but it went flat for a reason?

 

Agreed - they can reside in the trunk for months and you don't have to worry about their batteries going dead. If you don't have a lighter plug in your car get one with clamps to connect directly to your car battery.

Mine is branded Green Slime but I don't think there's a lot of difference from one brand to another, they all do pretty much the same thing.

 

Actually, I am using my phone with the mobile hot spot and tethering it to my lap top, to be totally honest I don't understand how it works but Brenda & my daughter Melissa are both pretty smart when it comes to computers and
how all this stuff works. HRP

 

Stay safe.