Small Compressors

[BruceinFL]

Santa Claus is going to bring me a small air compressor for Christmas but he needs some help.  He has a choice between the Husky Easy Air to Go ($99.97 at Home Depot) or the Coleman Powermate Inflationmate ($99 at Lowes). Both are 1.5 gal tanks and small enough to carry in the RV. Does anyone have some experience with either than can help Santa's choice? 

 

[joelmyer]

Bruce,

I just bought the Husky at Home Depot.  My Sears 12VDC died on me & I decided to get a "real" air compressor.  I did a little little shopping on line, looked at the $1xx version at Sears and bought the Husky.

Have used it once and it worked fine. 

 

[BruceinFL]

Joel,
Mine died too. Was OK but took about 10 minutes to pump 2 psi into the tires. Guess the poor thing plumb wore out. The Husky and Coleman both are about the right size to chuck into the storage bay. Coleman may be just a tad less cumbersome than the Husky. By the way, I'm about ready to head west again...how about you? 

 

[joelmyer]

Joel,
Mine died too. Was OK but took about 10 minutes to pump 2 psi into the tires. Guess the poor thing plumb wore out. The Husky and Coleman both are about the right size to chuck into the storage bay. Coleman may be just a tad less cumbersome than the Husky. By the way, I'm about ready to head west again...how about you? 

The 5er has been sitting since we got back last summer.  I was prepping for a trip to the dump station and the tires were down 5-10 psi.  That was just too much for the 12dc guy.  Something mechanical inside broke & blew the fuse.

Moab is our next trip.

 

[John From Detroit]

In days of old when I pulled a trailer... It was a small trailer with high pressure tires, (by my standards, around 50psi, the MH runs at 100) I had an assortment of 12V, 120 V and storage tanks, cause let me tell you you don't move those small tired trailers unless the tires are inflated -OR- you want to buy a new tire (Even six feet is enough to ruin the tire.

Stupid cop gave me a ticket for disabled vehicle on property, to whit, old white trailer with no license plate
(If she'd have said Green I might have been screwed)

The city ordance says that to be a disabled vehicle it must be all of the following:

1: A motor vehicle  (Uh, what part of TRAILER has a motor in it?)
2: Incapable of being started and operated safely upon the highways (Got me there, no motor)
3: NOT bearing a valid registration (renewed and attached on Jan 25, ticket issued in September, and court date Jan 26 of the next year) The officer failed to show for the hearing.

 

[fixitman]

Put a Viair compressor and 21/2 gal tank on my tow vehical, has 40 ft hose to fill tires, and whatever you need to fill, works great for air horns too...
Cost was about 250.00
pumps up to 150 lbs, can fill empty tire to 45 lbs in about 4 mins..

 

[John From Detroit]

I did that with the MH too, worked great till I put some other stuff in the towed, and moved the compressor to the Hitch Hauler (Tm) cargo carrier located atop the hitch gear on the MH (over, and in front of the towed) even then it worked well till the tow bar broke... Towed came forward, hit Hitch-Hauler, broke it, dropped Air compressor and a portable generator and... Well, it was not a pertty sight (Never did find all of the compressor, can't find the Generator now either (I know I put it back inside the towed... must have taken it out Sunday to go to church and forgot to put it back, in which case it's sitting in Oakalama City, oh well, was well smashed so it may be for the best)

I now have a much smaller Sears compressor, 150 lbs, pancake shape tank, works great, used it a time or two already as one of the tires on the towed got "nailed" while I was traveling.

 

[2006F350]

Found a nice one at Harbor Freight http://www.harborfreightusa.com/usa/common/start.do Tools. It's a 12Volt that clips to the battery, (30 Amp Inline Fuse) not the cigarette lighter. 10 foot power cord, 30 foot coiled hose with a dial air guage. 150 PSI, but high volume (just over 1CFM at 90PSI). Comes in a nice carry case all for $69. Now, I have to figure out how to 'adapt' a dual chuck to the end of the hose as I don't have enought joints in my wrist and I don't think the hose is flexable enough to snake thru the holes to air my duals.

Larry

 

[King]

An Air compressor with a tank is a waste of space.  Buy a tankless compressor.  The only reason for a tank is to store compressed air, or to even out pump pulses for spraying paint.  I have a 110 v Campbell Hausfield compressor that is about a foot long, seven inches wide and eight inches high.  No problem getting 80 # for my class b.

 

[John From Detroit]

Now, I have to figure out how to 'adapt' a dual chuck to the end of the hose as I don't have enought joints in my wrist and I don't think the hose is flexable enough to snake thru the holes to air my duals.

You might try an valve stem extension (the bent kind) however you might be surprised at how flexable that hose is.

All depends on what end they put on the hose

(NOTE: I do not suggest leaving the extension on, just air it up, a few lbs over target, remove the extension and then de-inflate to target pressure)