Best options for portable tire inflators? Or just go with a Power Tank-type of product? (1 Viewer)

[dealmaker]

My little red inflator from O'Reilleys or wherever is close to 20 yrs old and in my old age I'm too impatient to wait so long for it to inflate four 33" tires.

What are my best options to replace it? Or should I go Power Tank? I don't want to go OBA unless there's a real easy bolt-in solution for an '06 LX. And even then I'm leaning towards portable only.

I would probably need to inflate/deflate no more than 4 times per one of my typical outings. Some may be at elevations of 6,000+ ft in altitude, if that matters.

 

[gnob]

co2 is my favorite.
portability is huge.
i don't think any pump can beat it speed wise either.

 

[thebigredrocker]

I've seen @LandCruiserPhil mention he likes puma air. He might even sell systems.

 

[Josie'sLandCruiser]

VIAIR brand air compressors. They offer different sizes for faster filling/larger tires.

I also have a CO2 tank and while it is fast it is large (20# size) and heavy while a portable air compressor is much more compact and easy to stow.

 

[Hulsty]

ARB has two variants of portable compressor to suit what you want.

 

[Land Shark]

I'll suggest the VIAR air stuff as well. While I don't own any of their product I did purchase one for the ex wife and she loves it. They are pretty small etc and while not as fast as ARB twin or CO2 they are easlily packed away. If space is not a concern go with the portable ARB twin and you will not be dissapointed.

 

[ducktapeguy]

There are a ton of options on the market right now to suit any need or budget. I have a couple of Viaair compressors, they're decent and relatively quiet, but if you want speed, the fastest portable compressor right now is the Napa Maxi Trac or one of the many copies. It's twice as fast as the ARB dual, at 1/4 the price. It's big, loud, and quality is questionable, but for speed it's probably the fastest 12V compressor you'll find. One problem is it's too fast, as many people have experienced, you really need a 4 tire inflation system to air up all 4 tires at once to take advantage of the air flow, because it puts out so much air the schrader valves limit the flow rate and causes a lot of back pressure.

I posted a short review of it, I can fill all four 33" tires on my FJ40 in about 5 minutes.

 

[Live to Ski]

I went with air armor. What sold me was a) portable, b) ammo can packaging (robust/good form factor) c) Good performance specs.

I got a good deal a few years ago. Kinda pricy now.

 

[BucketEighty]

I had CO2 for my Jeep on 35x12.50R15's and now I have a Viair 450P for my 80 series on 265/75R16's (~32x10.50)

The Viair 440P is the fastest portable tire filler they sell. It has a higher amp draw than the 450P and it's louder but if speed / volumetric flow rate is your priority get the 440P.

I got the Viair 450P because it's quieter and lower amp draw and a higher duty cycle. I don't think the duty cycle matters now that I have it, I wouldn't come close to the duty cycle rating (need to stop filling and let the compressor cool) for either the 440P or 450P filling my little 32" tires. I do appreciate that it's quiet though, since I'm sometimes filling up in a campground after dark or with sleeping kids in the vehicle and the 450P isn't louder than my idling engine if you stand 20ft away from the truck.

CO2 Pros:
Fast
Quiet
Doesn't need to be plugged in to 12V power so it can be more portable / not tied to the front of the vehicle
Puts out enough volumetric flow rate to re-seat a bead
Puts out enough volumetric flow rate to run air tools
Cheap up-front cost (I bought an industrial aluminum tank, not PowerTank branded, and a regulator, hose and tire filler attachment all from my local welding supply)

CO2 Cons:
It runs out
It's cheap and accessible to fill up in some areas, expensive and hard to find suppliers in others, depends on where you live
It may be faster to exchange your tank for one that's already been filled, rather than have your tank filled, which is a great argument for using a plain industrial aluminum tank instead of a fancy painted PowerTank branded tank. Some suppliers won't fill while you wait.
You really need to hard-mount it to the vehicle (PowerTank brackets will work with regular industrial tanks and are a great solution). In a wreck or rollover the tank is a real hazard to occupants.

Viair Tire Filler Pros:
It works as long as you have 12V power (doesn't run out)
Smaller than a CO2 tank and easier to pack with your gear, doesn't need to be hard mounted but still should be tied-down or contained somewhere safe
No fill-up cost

Viair Tire Filler Cons:
The faster 440P is loud
It's slow
More expensive up-front than a CO2 setup
Can't run air tools unless you add a tank
Can't re-seat a tire bead unless you add a tank

 

[Skniper]

I went with air armor. What sold me was a) portable, b) ammo can packaging (robust/good form factor) c) Good performance specs.

I got a good deal a few years ago. Kinda pricy now.

Thats kinda cool.

 

[gdg11]

i use breathing air, my bottle is 3000 psi, con would be running out, but lots of pros using air tools, being able to fill a 120 psi tire quickly, blowing out a air filter, i volunteer localy so i can always go fill it

 

[Blue77FJ40]

Check out extremeoutback.com. Also Puma 12v compressors. Extreme also sells high output belt drive units for an engine.

 

[PAToyota]

I have to say that this little unit has earned my respect. Obviously not as fast as a power tank setup or even the Viair/ARB/Puma type setups. But the advantage is portability. When I bought it I was figuring to use it on bicycle, motorcycle, and lawn/garden tires and inflating the air mattress, but it will fill the 285/75-R16 tires on my trucks too - it just takes awhile.

Long story, but I had to help my eighty-year-old parents with a flat tire. Put this and a DeWalt impact in my motorcycle's saddlebags, rode over there, and ended up using the impact and inflator to fill up the flat - only to determine it had a screw in it, fill up the spare - because it was totally flat, change the tire to the spare, top off the other three tires, fill up the spare on their other car - yes, it was totally flat too, and top off the other three tires of that car. Granted, these were passenger car tires needing 36 to 44 psi, so not the volume of truck/SUV tires. I took a pair of 5Ah batteries because I have been using the first one for other things and it was down to two of three bars, but I did all of that and still had a charge.