12v portable air compressor for tires - 2025

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

Skniper

Skniper

10 Year 15 Year 20 Year
Joined
Sep 29, 2004
Threads
155
Messages
2,736
Location
Houston, the lower bowel of TX
I considered posting this in Expedition, or Camping, or Tools & Fab but it's appropriate enough here. All the searches I found on Mud are pretty dated information.

Recently we were on a long road trip out of state with a slow leak in a tire so I picked up a portable at Northern Tool...didn't need it thankfully, but opened it up and it was a cheap POS, returned it. So, looking for a good portable air comp for tires I can use in different vehicles as needed, not a permanent mount or hard wired, just a simple alligator clip on the battery terminals set up that I can easily reach all four corners with. Happy to pay a little extra.

What are the best options out there?
 
ARB have always made superb compressors with 100% availability of parts for repairs even. Their new brushless version is by, all accounts, another level up again. All ARB compressors are expensive. I've been running ARB compressors in my vehicles for 20+ years and highly rate them.
 
CO2 requires zero volts. :cool:
 
I have a Milwaukee cordless compressor and it’s great. I can do all 4 tires with one of the 5aH batteries. Obviously you need the extra batteries and a charger/inverter if you expect to be using it a lot on a trip.
 
I have an ARB single compressor that I ended up mounting in a used Pelican box I found on eBay. Mounted a switch inside and got some alligator clips with wires and soldered it all together. I just rest it on top of the battery during use. It’s a great setup as the box is large enough to hold the compressor hose and fittings too. I like having the versatility of a portable compressor as you can then help others out on the trail if needed or move it from vehicle to vehicle.
 
PBcuiser said:
I have a Milwaukee cordless compressor and it’s great. I can do all 4 tires with one of the 5aH batteries. Obviously you need the extra batteries and a charger/inverter if you expect to be using it a lot on a trip.
Click to expand...
I seriously considered something like the Milwaukee compressor, I have the batteries already, trying to avoid the whole charging/carrying batteries thing.
 
DrRock said:
I have an ARB single compressor that I ended up mounting in a used Pelican box I found on eBay. Mounted a switch inside and got some alligator clips with wires and soldered it all together. I just rest it on top of the battery during use. It’s a great setup as the box is large enough to hold the compressor hose and fittings too. I like having the versatility of a portable compressor as you can then help others out on the trail if needed or move it from vehicle to vehicle.
Click to expand...
Good idea. I didn't really consider ARB made alligator clip, portable units like @duncanrm mentioned too, or at least made to be portable like yours.
They are $pendy! (buy once cry once, right?). Might peruse the used market.
 
The VAIR units are excellent. I have two. One lighter duty for travel emergencies, and another heavy duty (33,% duty cycle) for the off road trucks.
 
I have a Puma mounted in the cargo area of the 60 and it's gotten a lot of use, but in the last couple of years I bought a Milwaukee and have found it to be really useful. With the Milwaukee I can throw it in to whatever we may be driving, easy to pull out for trailers, etc. and it takes up little room.
 
Skniper said:
Good idea. I didn't really consider ARB made alligator clip, portable units like @duncanrm mentioned too, or at least made to be portable like yours.
They are $pendy! (buy once cry once, right?). Might peruse the used market.
Click to expand...
Just to be clear, I didn’t purchase the whole ARB kit, I had the compressor left over from a previous build and then purchased all the needed wiring and switch from McMaster Carr and built that part out myself. Much cheaper than the ARB kit. Once could do the same with another compressor too. Sorry I don’t have pictures, my truck is in AZ with Kelly Saad getting painted so I ‘m not able to grab some for you.
 
4 tires at the same time.
You can go with AllTop or the more expensive brand Morrflate for the same parts but in a different color.

Posting some pictures for price reference only.


Screen Shot 2025-07-08 at 9.12.28 PM.webp

Screen Shot 2025-07-08 at 9.13.02 PM.webp
 
I’ve got an ExtremeAire mounted in a Pelican box (for swapping between vehicles) that I’ve been really happy with. It has a 100% continuous duty motor and puts out enough pressure to run my 1/2” IR impact.

Products | Extreme Outback

www.extremeoutback.com www.extremeoutback.com
 
DrRock said:
Just to be clear, I didn’t purchase the whole ARB kit, I had the compressor left over from a previous build and then purchased all the needed wiring and switch from McMaster Carr and built that part out myself. Much cheaper than the ARB kit. Once could do the same with another compressor too. Sorry I don’t have pictures, my truck is in AZ with Kelly Saad getting painted so I ‘m not able to grab some for you.
Click to expand...
Yep understood you pieced a "kit" together, I like that idea. Looking at a few ARB made kits around here (ARB #CKMP12), not bad pricing. Is that little compressor in the ARB kit a decent unit?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Back
Top Bottom