Victor Heavy-Duty Tire Inflator

[Robsama]

I'm not sure if these are good or not, but I found a pretty good deal on a tire inflator and I'm thinking about picking one up. Link is http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_x_1060041-P_x_x?cm_mmc=CSE-_-Shopping-_-VALUE3-_-VALUE4&srccode=cii_13736960&cpncode=19-47940654-2

If you use code BIG25 at checkout, it drops the price to $35.29 (plus tax where applicable) and under $10 shipping.

 

[AlexKJ]

IMHO I can't think in something "heavy duty" that is connected to the cigar lighter... Again IMHO, if a compressor is for real, it should have a connection directly to the battery.

Cheers

 

[Robsama]

Wasn't so much the "heavy duty" that is selling me on it. If it can top off my tires without having to go to the gas station, and it looks pretty cool, I wouldn't mind having it in the back of my Jeep. And for under $50.

 

[LibertyFever]

I don't know about that brand. Because it only has a cigarette lighter plug I suspect it doesn't have a CFM rate and it may take you forever to top up your tires. But it might be useful for bike tires and roadside emergencies.

Permanently mounted in the back of my YJ I have a SuperFlow MV-50 air compressor. It's capable of 2.54 CFM and from my experience I can quickly air up a single tire from 5 lbs to 20 lbs in about five minutes.

I paid about $120 Cdn for my SuperFlow MV-50 and have it mounted on top of a pressure tank in the back of my Jeep wired to the battery. Here's a link to somebody else's project;
http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f46/superflow-mv-50-masterflow-mf-1050-dual-air-396001/

 

[J-Thompson]

I use the MV-50 for the air on my 250 ,air bags for heavy loads and also to air up tires
or blow dirt off of me
it can take the 5 gallon air tank from 90 to 120 psi in about 90 seconds
so it is not a bad deal at all and at 1 time pepboys had them for about $60

 

[Dave]

I have the Superflow MV-50 that hooks right to the battery and it works good. I think it is more powerful than the ones that plug into the 12v outlet. It was a little more money though. I think I paid $59.95 or something like that for it at Pep Boys a couple of years ago.

I know I have seen the one you linked to Robsama. I think it was at Advance Auto, but I don't recall how much it was if you bought one in the store.

Dave

 

[jnaut]

I'm agreeing with above that even if it works fine, it will probably take a long time to fill a tire. Not enough CFM.

I don't carry a tire inflator with me all the time-- only when offroading. Now that I have my 1500 watt inverter, I just carry my 2 gallon 115v AC shop compressor and call it done. Way fast fillups and I avoid the purchase of a special 12v high-cfm compressor (which aren't cheap).

 

[LibertyFever]

You want something fast try a CO2 compressed air setup. Great for airing up real quick and popping tire beads back on. I remember seeing a bottle jack that ran off a CO1 compressed air cylinder plus those big rubber lift bags.

The only drawback is the dangers of carrying about a cylinder of compressed air at 1,500 to 2,000 PSI in the back of your Jeep. It should be fastened down.

 

[mjs020293]

I'm not sure if these are good or not, but I found a pretty good deal on a tire inflator and I'm thinking about picking one up. Link is http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_x_1060041-P_x_x?cm_mmc=CSE-_-Shopping-_-VALUE3-_-VALUE4&srccode=cii_13736960&cpncode=19-47940654-2

If you use code BIG25 at checkout, it drops the price to $35.29 (plus tax where applicable) and under $10 shipping.

Check Sears, they have several in or under that price.

 

[Eddielee]

I bought one of those units once - ended up throwing it away - way too slow, took over 5 minutes to pump up my kids football! Don't waste your money! jnaut has the right idea!

 

[J-Thompson]

You want something fast try a CO2 compressed air setup. Great for airing up real quick and popping tire beads back on. I remember seeing a bottle jack that ran off a CO1 compressed air cylinder plus those big rubber lift bags.

The only drawback is the dangers of carrying about a cylinder of compressed air at 1,500 to 2,000 PSI in the back of your Jeep. It should be fastened down.

I carry a 20# CO2 set up
it is stored as a liquid that turns to gas at temps above -200* or something crazy like that
or as long as it is under pressure
The bottles have a head pressure of about 900 psi or so
The cost of a home made set up is about $200 or you can buy them ready made for $300
CO2 can easily run air tools most of the 12V compressors even with a tank
can not run air tools and NOTHING under $300 can

 

[Robsama]

I'm agreeing with above that even if it works fine, it will probably take a long time to fill a tire. Not enough CFM.

I don't carry a tire inflator with me all the time-- only when offroading. Now that I have my 1500 watt inverter, I just carry my 2 gallon 115v AC shop compressor and call it done. Way fast fillups and I avoid the purchase of a special 12v high-cfm compressor (which aren't cheap).

You know what, that's a good idea. Getting an inverter and using that with a small compressor might be a better solution. Because then I also have a plug for anything else I might need power for.

Thanks everyone for your input!

And for tanks - You guys reminded me of something my father did when I was a kid. He has this old air compressor with no tank on it. This thing was loud and vibrated itself across the workshop when you turned it on. Somehow he acquired an old helium tank (he always "found" stuff like that) so he hooked the tank up to the compressor. It takes a good few minutes to fill, but it works like a charm. My father could have given MacGyver a run for his money.

 

[J-Thompson]

You know what, that's a good idea. Getting an inverter and using that with a small compressor might be a better solution. Because then I also have a plug for anything else I might need power for.

Thanks everyone for your input!

And for tanks - You guys reminded me of something my father did when I was a kid. He has this old air compressor with no tank on it. This thing was loud and vibrated itself across the workshop when you turned it on. Somehow he acquired an old helium tank (he always "found" stuff like that) so he hooked the tank up to the compressor. It takes a good few minutes to fill, but it works like a charm. My father could have given MacGyver a run for his money.

Good inverter to run that compressor is over $100
Compressor is over $100
wires for inverter will make cost more than a "home made" CO2 set up
and you still can not run air tools
and a 10# CO2 bottle will take up less space than the compressor

 

[jnaut]

Good inverter to run that compressor is over $100
Compressor is over $100
wires for inverter will make cost more than a "home made" CO2 set up
and you still can not run air tools
and a 10# CO2 bottle will take up less space than the compressor

Breakdown: Cobra CPI 1575 1500 watt/3000 peak inverter: $98 from Amazon.
Heavy duty cables for inverter -> battery connection: $24 (Amazon again)
2-3 Gallon Shop 115 vac Tank shop compressor with hose and assorted fittings: $65-$100 depending on brand and quality. I purchased mine a few years ago at home depot for around $60. Use it for all kinds of tasks including Airbrushing. Yes, is too small for most air tools, but I don't have, nor do I need air tools.

Total cost in my personal case: $200. Depending on brand and quality of all items purchased, maybe as high as $250.

As J-Thompson rightly notes, this setup isn't free. However...

Many people already have one of these three things sitting in their garage. For instance, I had the aircompressor in my garage for years. So the only thing I needed was the $98 inverter with the capacity to run my 2 gallon shop compressor.

Also, once you have the 1500 inverter, you'll be able to run a large swath of your POWER tools that you probably already own. With my 1500 watt inverter I can run the following:

Makita power drill.
Heavy duty Belt Sander.
10 amp Circular saw (the old school one from the 70's that works your biceps everytime you lift it).
Orbital sander.
Air Compressor (natch)
16" Electric Chainsaw (although that's right on the edge of the inverters capacity so not recommended-- will easily run smaller electric chainsaw)
Skil Jigsaw
Grinder

So in the end, the cost of my "air setup" is not just confined to an air setup. There are cheaper solutions to get super-fast (yes, faster than my setup) tire filling, but most of them will do one thing: fill your tires. With my setup, I can now run a small woodshop out of the tailgate of my jeep for around $220. And I can fill my tires much faster than one of those cigarette lighter compressors. It's a win-win-win for me.

I do agree that you need real high-pressure air (like a CO2/Scuba) setup to rebead a tire. And, if your shop is full of airtools, it won't work. But for my needs, it's THE biggest bang for the buck, bar none.

 

[J-Thompson]

If that fits your needs then great
however keep in mind that the performance of the compressors I found in the
under $100 segment at homedepot was about the same as the Masterflow MV-50
that I have in my truck
but the MV-50 cost 1/4 or so as there is no need for the inverter
add a small tank for about $30 and a pressure switch in the $15 range from HD parts
or Napa some pvc tube fittings and wiring and OBA for about $125 or so

 

[jnaut]

If that fits your needs then great
however keep in mind that the performance of the compressors I found in the
under $100 segment at homedepot was about the same as the Masterflow MV-50
that I have in my truck
but the MV-50 cost 1/4 or so as there is no need for the inverter
add a small tank for about $30 and a pressure switch in the $15 range from HD parts
or Napa some pvc tube fittings and wiring and OBA for about $125 or so

*shrug*

I can only report the performance I get from my 2 gallon shop compressor. As I say, it won't fill as fast as a bottle of compressed gas at many 100's of lbs of pressure. It is, however, an order of magnitude better than any 12v lighter based compresser I've ever used. Ever. Took 15-20 minutes for my friend to fill his tire with one of those standard tankless compressors, takes me about 3-5 minutes to fill (depending on level of deflation). Plus, because it has a tank, it will run and refill the tank while you're moving to the next tire and attaching the hose.

Plus, as stated above, you get the benefit of all the other tasks that can be performed by the inverter. The value of being able to run all of my electric 115v tools is well worth the price of admission.

Basically, what my solution is, is a middle-of-the-road solution. Not as fast as an aluminum 80 scuba tank with 5000lbs of compressed air, but way, WAY faster than a normal tankless 12v compressor. But the deal is sweetened by the high wattage inverter, which I think every offroader should have REGARDLESS of what on-board air solution they have.

Bottom line opinion: If you don't have to rebead a tire, for the money, you won't be disappointed. And of course, if you need to re bead a tire, there's always the redneck method... nana.gif

 

[LibertyFever]

I must admit that the inverter & 110 VAC air compressor was an idea I had considered too. But an inverter capable of powering a decent sized 110 VAC air compressor plus the cost of the inverter was more than my budget.

If the you don't think the MV-50 isn't up to the job then buy the larger MV-89/Q-89G. It should still cost you less than the inverter/110 VAC air compressor setup.

But in the end it's your personal choice.

 

[jnaut]

I must admit that the inverter & 110 VAC air compressor was an idea I had considered too. But an inverter capable of powering a decent sized 110 VAC air compressor plus the cost of the inverter was more than my budget.

If the you don't think the MV-50 isn't up to the job then buy the larger MV-89/Q-89G. It should still cost you less than the inverter/110 VAC air compressor setup.

But in the end it's your personal choice.

Yeah, for the young college kids on a budget, it's not a cheap solution. Especially if you don't already have any of these things in the garage. I already had the air compressor, so there was no outlay of funds for that. I was looking to upgrade my inverter anyway, so that was already in the budget. In the end, it was a marriage of convenience. Almost an afterthought. After I had these items I said "Heeeyyyy I know..." and have been happy every since.

Fun fact: The original reason I purchased the 1500 watt inverter had nothing to do with offroading, it had to do with home emergencies. I have a sunken driveway at my house with a drain at the bottom. During storm season here, (november) often leaves will blow into the driveway, block the drain all during a heavy rainstorm. The driveway starts to flood and if I'm not on top of it, it starts flooding in my garage.

The first time this happened, we had the ultimate trifecta: Heavy winds, heavy rain, and the power knocked out. I had to find some fast way to start getting the water up out of the garage which was now flooding into my finished basement. Long story short: I wanted to plug my 7amp shop vac in to my inverter and cleanup all the water before I had a disaster, but my old inverter wouldn't handle the vac. So there I was, with towels and a mop...

I vowed that sh*t would never happen again and as soon as it was in the budget I bought the new inverter. Runs that shop vac like a charm. And it's a big shop vac.