Idiot Youtuber drills holes in cheap compressor to make it more like an ARB

[r2m]

Also, I forgot to mention that something that I keep in my rig all the time is a very simple, very cheap, foot stool.
It is amazing how handy it is for inflating tires, needing a step up for the roof rack, a stool when you just need a place to sit, when Granny needs to be given a ride in what she claims, monster truck that you've ruined a perfectly nice car.
Amazon product ASIN B01LYW5BFB

 

[WTITW]

First, great deal with The North Face!
Second, my inflator actually has a threaded brass fitting that threads onto the valve stem. It's hard to see and kind of blends in. I too don't want to spend my time bending over and holding that thing on the stem.
Quick question, does you air gauge give a live reading when you're actually adding air so you can see the pressure rising? Or like most, do you have to stop a moment and let the gauge pressurize?
If so, I really like your setup and it's giving ideas! The only thing I would change is the digital readout. I really don't like tools that use batteries, especially tools that don't get used too often. It's just too easy to forget about them and then when you need it, the tool is flat-lined, dead battery. I'd much rather have a analog dial read out, and I always keep an LED head lamp in my door pocket which I check the batteries far more often that I would any other tools.
Also, and I don't know about your tire gauge, some of them use those dime size batteries, which makes it even more useless since you probably won't be able to cannibalize batteries from any other tool.
A little tip, I have ALL my equipment running on either AA or AAA batteries. I can always steal from one tool to use in another if batteries ever fail. This applies to all my Army equipment and regular outdoor gear.
That is one of the very few things I've ever found to be common in any country around the world (I've been to Australia, Africa, Central America, Europe, and most of the U.S. and I can ALWAYS find AA or AAA batteries!! Albeit, they may not be the best quality, but hey, they'll get the job done, right?

The gauge dances about 8-8.5 psi higher than actual while the compressor is pushing. I fill to 35 so when it hits 43, i shut the fill valve to stop the compressor and it’s usually around .75-.25psi off. Im as anal retentive as the rest of you so that usually results in me pulsing the thing or venting the ball valve until it pegs 35.

The gauge is 2 aa and has auto shutoff after 2 min. Supposedly 450hr run time which would mean essentially... forever running it 2-3 times a month for 10 min but we’ll see. It is Amazon crap : /

I tried two analog gauges before and just didn’t like them as much. You gotta love that backlight on the digital gauge. I wanted a higher psi gauge in case I put a tank in and I carry a little analog gauge as a backup. I thought a 150-200psi analog gauge would be a pain to read accurately for the 18-45psi range. A digital gauge gives you good accuracy over a wide range without the eyestrain.

But I agree with all your points. I’ve auditioned three gauges.... so far : )

 

[andymmiami]

I am curious to know how the even less expensive harborfreight option would hold up compared to that smitty built option.

12V 150 PSI Compact Air Compressor

Amazing deals on this 12V 150Psi Compact Air Compressor at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

I only mention it because I needed an innexpensive air pump to inflate the tires on our fleet of cars as generic maintenance and I figured how bad could the harborfreight option be. Then I saw op's video and realized the HF pump looks just like that smittybuilt one.

 

[WTITW]

I am curious to know how the even less expensive harborfreight option would hold up compared to that smitty built option.

12V 150 PSI Compact Air Compressor

Amazing deals on this 12V 150Psi Compact Air Compressor at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

I only mention it because I needed an innexpensive air pump to inflate the tires on our fleet of cars as generic maintenance and I figured how bad could the harborfreight option be. Then I saw op's video and realized the HF pump looks just like that smittybuilt one.

Yeah, a lot of these compressors look very similar. I’m sure there are vendors using the same manufacturer. Although, IMHO that one only looks similar in that it has the same accessories. There’s a bunch on amazon that look much closer.

 

[r2m]

Note that when you're looking at these pumps (or any other product with cheaper knock-offs), the packaging (read: pump housing, base, connections, etc.) may look the same which may be on account of them sourcing them from the same vendor as Smitty (or whoever).
The big difference in these products will wind up being what's inside. Are the electronics/PCB's as good or cheap Asian knock-offs. Same for internal materials, is it forged/machined/formed steel or cheap castings that break easily?
Just remember what's looks the same on the outside, may not be the same internals.
That's why I usually trust the Amazon reviews. I look for the highest reviews AND the MOST review. I don't trust an all 5 star review with only 5 reviewers. But 3,000 reviews with an over of 4 or 4.5 star rating? Yea, I can buy that.