Replies

1. 
   DanH | Jun 05, 2009 06:07pm | #1

   I've had a couple of such battery-powered pumps. Some are halfway OK and some pure junk. I suppose a few of the better ones might actually be good.

   Re bike pumps, you want to pick a "fat tire" pump with a large diameter cylinder. These are designed to only pump up to 50PSI or so and do more volume with each pump. A skinny tire pump will get up to 150PSI but will take 2-3 times as long to fill a tire.

   Even with the fattest of fat tire hand pumps, it will take a lot of pumping to fill a completely flat auto tire, but I've used even skinny tire pumps to add 5 pounds or so without having a heart attack.

   As I stood before the gates I realized that I never want to be as certain about anything as were the people who built this place. --Rabbi Sheila Peltz, on her visit to Auschwitz
2. 
   bobl | Jun 05, 2009 09:35pm | #2

   if you have a compressor, I would use that.

    

   bobl          Volo, non valeo

   Baloney detecter    WFR

   "But when you're a kibbutzer and have no responsibility to decide the facts and apply the law, you can reach any conclusion you want because it doesn't matter." SHG

3. 
   CCI | Jun 05, 2009 10:31pm | #3

   Auto parts store or Grainger or maybe even HD will have a part called a  tire chuck.  It looks like the end of the air hose at a gas station.  Add a quick change male adapter and use your compressor.  Sooo much better than a small electric pump ( not to mention a hand pump).

4. 
   Hudson Valley Carpenter | Jun 05, 2009 10:40pm | #4

   I've had a cheapie 12V compressor in my truck for years.  Paid about $10 new.  I bought it so's to make it easier to plug nail/screw holes and re-fill truck tires, without dismounting the wheel.  Or to refill a slow leaking tire so that I can hear the leak and find it, or drive to my tire dealer and get it patched. 

   So the aim is to avoid jacking up the truck and changing the tire.  Reasons are many, from bad weather to poor situation for jacking to general lack of enthusiam for that job.

   It takes a while to fill up a tire, from zero pressure, but that doesn't bother me at all. 

   It only takes a minute or two, to add pressure to each tire.  That's another common use of course.  The 12V cord is long enough to reach all four wheels.

   One last big item, re-inflating the spare.  I had a well worn snow tire let go, fall apart, a few years ago.  So I had to drop the spare, jack up the truck, and swap the tires.  That spare, being under the truck, hadn't been checked for air in years.  It was close to flat itself so it would've been useless if I hadn't had that nice little compressor behind the seat.

   Of course it's able to inflate other things like bike tires, air mattresses and beach balls. 

    

   
   

   ---

   Edited 6/5/2009 3:50 pm by Hudson Valley Carpenter

5. 
   GregGibson | Jun 06, 2009 12:25am | #5

   My Uncle had a peculiar tool, years ago, and I've never seen another. 

    Air line with a tire chuck on one end, and the other end was threaded to screw into a spark plug hole.  Of course it took a little work with a socket wrench, but you could unsrew a spark plug, thread in the air line, and inflate a tire with the engine comprssion. 

   Greg

1. 
   DanH | Jun 06, 2009 12:38am | #6

   Yep, that was standard equipment on a Model A.
   As I stood before the gates I realized that I never want to be as certain about anything as were the people who built this place. --Rabbi Sheila Peltz, on her visit to Auschwitz

1. 
   PaulBinCT | Jun 06, 2009 12:58am | #7

   Ummm... doesn't that fill your tire with fuel/air mixture?

   :SPaulB

   http://www.makeabettertomorrow.com

   http://www.finecontracting.com

1. 
   DanH | Jun 06, 2009 01:00am | #8

   You gotta be careful to not smoke around that tire afterwards.
   As I stood before the gates I realized that I never want to be as certain about anything as were the people who built this place. --Rabbi Sheila Peltz, on her visit to Auschwitz

1. 
   Gene_Davis | Jun 06, 2009 01:58am | #9

   What do you think of this?  http://www.aerostich.com/catalog/US/Engineair-Power-Pump-p-16780.html

   I should have checked out Riderwearhouse before I posted this on Breaktime.  My need for the pump relates to my motorcycle, and this little gem just might be the best thing yet.

   I'm heading out soon for a long solo ride of a few thousand miles, and want something to have in the bags that is small.

   At my little local Sears store today, I bought a unit about the size of a dictionary that plugs into a 12V cigarette lighter jack.  It works well, but I'm liking the idea of having the engine pump for long trips. 

   View Image

   "A stripe is just as real as a dadgummed flower."

   Gene Davis        1920-1985

2. 
   Hudson Valley Carpenter | Jun 06, 2009 02:20am | #10

   Here's a pretty complete discussion of motorcycle tire repair on the road, with lots of options for inflation tools.

   FWIW, I own a '98 Suzuki Bandit 1200 and a couple of dual sport bikes.  I carry a plug kit and a C02 inflator with extra cartridges. 

   http://www.soundrider.com/archive/tips/Motorcycle%20Tire%20Repair.htm

3. 
   DanH | Jun 06, 2009 05:39am | #11

   Of course it won't work on your Honda 90, but is probably fine otherwise, and may be the lightest/most compact option. Otherwise a mountain bike (ie, fat tire) "frame pump" hand pump would probably be the ticket.BTW, what PSI do MC tires generally run?
   As I stood before the gates I realized that I never want to be as certain about anything as were the people who built this place. --Rabbi Sheila Peltz, on her visit to Auschwitz

4. 
   Gene_Davis | Jun 06, 2009 02:47pm | #13

   My first Honda was a Super 90.  The one I ride now is an ST1100.

   Rear tire pressure is 42 psi, front runs at 36.  I get about 8K miles on a tire set.

    

   View Image

   "A stripe is just as real as a dadgummed flower."

   Gene Davis        1920-1985

   Edited 6/6/2009 8:02 am ET by Gene_Davis

5. 
   jonblakemore | Jun 06, 2009 06:01pm | #19

   Do you have ABS on the ST?I've always wondered what it would be like to ride an ABS bike. 

   Jon Blakemore RappahannockINC.com Fredericksburg, VA

6. 
   Gene_Davis | Jun 07, 2009 03:22am | #24

   ABS?  No I don't.

   I gotta be real careful, and I don't drive after dark.  And when in deer country, I stay off the roads in early a.m., and after cocktail hour. 

   View Image

   "A stripe is just as real as a dadgummed flower."

   Gene Davis        1920-1985

7. 
   DanH | Jun 07, 2009 04:07am | #25

   > and after cocktail hour.Yeah, those deer are most dangerous when they're drunk.
   As I stood before the gates I realized that I never want to be as certain about anything as were the people who built this place. --Rabbi Sheila Peltz, on her visit to Auschwitz

8. 
   Henley | Jun 06, 2009 04:16pm | #14

   I've done some long solo riding and I think simpler
   might be better.
   Size and weight are huge concerns. So, to me frequency of use
   is a factor here also. Then reliability, given when you need it you need it!
   so don't rely solely on Co2 cartridges. You get one shot.. Given you only need it in an emergency I would think about
   a bike pump.
   http://www.coloradocyclist.com/search/results/ Many high quality pumps here and all will far out do
   your psi needs. Yup your arm will be tired, but you'll hardly ever need it anyhow.

9. 
   Hudson Valley Carpenter | Jun 06, 2009 06:16pm | #20

   I agree, a bicycle pump is a good idea, as a back up to the C02 inflator on a tour. 

   I put almost as many miles on my recumbent touring bicycles as I do on motorcycles so I have to do tire repair fairly often. 

   The pump linked here is the one I've used for several years.  Unlike other "frame" pumps, this one has a folding foot which allows it to be used like a floor pump.  That feature makes it much easier to pump up a bike tire.  

   The Topeak Road Morph is a big favorite among cyclists who carry a pump, instead of C02.

   I haven't tried it on a motorcycle tire but I'm sure it would work OK, although it would probably take ten-fifteen minutes of steady pumping to fully inflate a tire. 

   http://www.topeak.com/products/Mini-Pumps/RoadMorphG

    

   Edited 6/6/2009 11:20 am by Hudson Valley Carpenter

10. 
    Henley | Jun 06, 2009 08:56pm | #21

    Yeah, that's a nice pump. I've filled a honda civic with a frame pump before. Not fun, but it does the job.

11. 
    Luka | Jun 06, 2009 09:58pm | #22

    "I've filled a honda civic with a frame pump before."That's some monster frame pump !!I've seen people get a lot more than just a frame pump into a civic, before.;o)...Never let a computer know you're in a hurry..You are always welcome at Quittintime

12. 
    Henley | Jun 06, 2009 11:18pm | #23

    The sedan maybe, but this was the hunchback!

13. 
    Henley | Jun 06, 2009 04:17pm | #15

    So, where are you headed?

14. 
    Gene_Davis | Jun 06, 2009 04:41pm | #16

    Canada's eastern provinces, and the Gaspe peninsula of QC. 

    View Image

    "A stripe is just as real as a dadgummed flower."

    Gene Davis        1920-1985

15. 
    Henley | Jun 06, 2009 04:47pm | #17

    Oh man, your gonna have a great time! I'm very jealous.

6. 
   caseyr | Jun 06, 2009 06:02am | #12

   I have burned out a lot of $20 to $30 12v tire pumps. The short duty cycle seldom allowed me to fully inflate my tires without shutting the thing off to cool down. Occasionally, I didn't cut it off soon enough and that was all she wrote for that pump.

   I now have one that is heavier duty. Don't have it here with me to give you the name, but I purchased it a couple of years ago from G.I. Joe's in Portland for about $59. G.I.Joes has gone kaput, but I noticed something very similar at Harbor Freight. If it works similarly, it will pump up your tires in about 1/4 the time that the little $20 virbrator 12v pumps will. It also allows me to get up to 90 psi for my equipment tires with little problem and I can just keepit in the RV tool cubbie. Been very happy with the one I have but I don't know if the the Harbor Freight one is actually the same even though it looks very similar:

   http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=93186

   
   

   ---

   Edited 6/5/2009 11:13 pm ET by CaseyR

1. 
   Dam_inspector | Aug 05, 2009 03:42am | #27

   I had one of those Harbor Freight compressors, and it was great. Somebody else has it now, I'd like to bust their chops. It pumped up tires very fast.

7. 
   darrel | Jun 06, 2009 05:57pm | #18

   I had one of those $40 cigarrette lighter pumps. Noisy as hell and slow, but worked great. Was really convenient because you could use it anywhere as long as your battery had juice.

   I lost that when my car got stolen.

   Now I drag out the pancake compressor every now and then. But that's cumbersome to drag out of the shop up the stairs out to the street with a long extension chord.

8. 
   Wintersun | Aug 05, 2009 03:09am | #26

   I had bought a Black & Decker "Start-it" battery booster a while back and although it had a air pump I did not really expect it to work. I have a Chevy Tahoe with flaky wiring an periodically walk out in the morning to a dead battery which is where the booster back is great to have.

   I got a puncture on a truck tire and was able to use the Start-it to get the tire inflated so I could get it to a repair shop and have it plugged. I have used other air pumps and they did not put out enough pressure and would quickly overheat but this Black & Decker battery booster's pump worked perfectly.