12v air compressors..

[jeeper]

I have decided to be in the market for some 12v air compressors. We nearly had a serious need for one on our last outing (thanks Derek ) . I wished I would have had one in my car a couple days ago when I stopped to help a lady who had a blown tire.. only to find her spare was flat . I also would prefer one in my tow rig to keep in case of motorcycle flat, etc.
We have an upcoming trip, where we may be alone for a few days.. So I am wanting to be as prepared as possible.

I would be buying at least 2, most likely 3 of them. This makes an ARB $270 pump out of the question. I am shooting for $50/each or less.

Space really isn't too much of an issue, but a Large one would be inconvenient.

These two have caught my eye the most:

http://www.superflowair.com/hv40a2/

http://www.masterflowair.com/mf-1040/

They appear very similar, except the superflow has a light. Both can be had for $39.

What knowledge can you share? What are some good vs bad brands?

 

[Rot Box]

I have this lil' guy: http://www.amazon.com/Industries-MV50-SuperFlow-High-Volume-Compressor/dp/B000BM8RT8 I haven't put a ton of miles on it but I've had it for a few years and it's been great for airing back up after a day on the trail and such.

 

[SLC97SR5]

^^ I have 3 of those pumps and have not had any issues. Great pump for the money.

 

[jeeper]

That pump had great reviews, but was a bit more that I wanted to pay.
I'd only be able to get 2, and would have to transfer between a couple vehicles.. But if thats the best option, then so be it.

 

[jeeper]

Low Range has those for a pretty good price. Maybe I'll give them a call.

 

[TurboMinivan]

But if thats the best option, then so be it.

It is your best option, by far.

A major tip-off to the capability of a 12v compressor is how it gets its power. If it plugs into your cigarette lighter outlet, the motor is capped at ~ 10 amps of current draw, which means it is a small, weak, slow compressor. The MV50 suggested above is different: instead of plugging into the cigarette outlet, it has clamps which are attached directly to a car battery. This sounds inconvenient, but in reality the relatively speedy operation makes it so, so worthwhile.

Long story short: the MV50 is the ultimate value in 12v portable air compressors. To get better performance, you'd need to spend three or four times as much. Even if this means your budget only lets you buy two rather than three, you'll be far better off this way.

PRO TIP: last time I needed one, Low Range Offroad had a killer deal on the MV50. I'd call there to check before buying from Amazon.

 

[Spork]

I have this lil' guy: http://www.amazon.com/Industries-MV50-SuperFlow-High-Volume-Compressor/dp/B000BM8RT8 I haven't put a ton of miles on it but I've had it for a few years and it's been great for airing back up after a day on the trail and such.

I've got one of these also.

 

[jeeper]

Hmm. Low range seems to do an end of summer sale each year, and I haven't seen it yet this year.. This may be the right moment.. and may get me close enough to still buy 3.

 

[Tonkaman]

Hmm. Low range seems to do an end of summer sale each year, and I haven't seen it yet this year.. This may be the right moment.. and may get me close enough to still buy 3.

Don't forget my Christmas present while your at it...

 

[Kevin B.]

May I suggest a Viair 88p? It's only a couple bucks more than the Masterflow, and I think it's a better quality pump. I've had the 90p for four years now and I flog the hell out of it. I haven't paid attention to it's duty cycle since day one, and it's getting a little tired but it's still going, not bad for $75. The 88p is new on the market, and it's less expensive with better stats than the 90p I have - it's probably the next compressor I'll buy, and I'll retire the 90p to the wife's truck for emergency duties.

And in terms of "prepared as possible", don't forget a good tire plug kit (with LOTS of plugs) and a can of fix-a-flat.

 

[nnnnnate]

I have looked at little compressors so many times over the last 9 months. I read threads, look at reviews online, search for the best prices, and then get confused about what I want vs. need vs. how much I want to spend before finally giving up and not buying anything.

Maybe this thread will help me just go out and pick one up.

 

[Kevin B.]

Come check out mine any time, Nate. We'll time how long it takes to inflate one of your tires and you can go from there.

 

[jeeper]

How long is the hose on that viair? One of the very appealing things about the super flow is the coiled 16' air hose. I could have the pump permanently in place, and still get to each tire..
But I imagine a longer hose could be put on the viair

 

[jeep-N-montero]

I have the MV50 as well and have used it on the Jeep, trailer and the tow rig, it laughs at the 65 psi required in the tires on the tow rig and have aired the 35's on the Jeep from 15 to 35 psi without a break. It wont run air tools but most of us will never need it for that, you could always run a pair of them to an air tank and air tools would run just fine.

 

[Kevin B.]

The hose is not super long, but between the battery cables and the hose I can reach all four corners on the F150. It's not long enough to reach with just the stock hose.

If you're going to mount it, won't you want an air tank too? That would make the stock hose irrelevant.

 

[N-Smooth]

I have the MV50. The first one I had stopped working after a few uses so I took it back to Checker and they gave me a new one. It's not as fast as my friend's ARB (duh) but it gets the job done and I feel better having it in my rig.

 

[MOODY]

I have this one:


http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005ASY23I/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_9?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER


Purchased after someone stole my MV that I had for years. A little more $ but quality is noticeably better.

 

[DAA]

I've worn out several MV50's. They are a solid bang for the buck, but you'll definitely go through them if you use them a lot. At one time I had three of them mounted under the hood of my Jeep.

You can see two of them in this pic.

Had them on a pressure switch, with a tank, running off a continuous duty 85 amp marine solenoid, with a dash switch.

All three eventually needed to be replaced. One of them I replaced with a Viair 400P, which has interchangeable parts - the MV50 is a direct chi-com knock off o the 400P. The 400P is built about 1,000 times better though. Then I took the three of them out and replaced them all with one Puma, which kicked the crap out of the MV50's, all of them, all by itself. The amp draw was a bit much though and I burned up a couple 40 amp fuses at the battery before replacing the Puma with an ARB dual, which is what I'm running now.

Still have a couple working MV50's around. They are a solid bang for the buck. Think the most I ever paid for one was when Costco had them for $40. The rest were $25 each a Pep Boys. The ARB I have now was $500 or so, which could have kept buying a lot of MV50's .

Of them all though, I think the "best" one is that Puma. That is one sturdy, ass stomping 12V compressor. And a really good value too. Paid about $180 for it, complete with tank, pressure switch, regulator etc.

- DAA

 

[nnnnnate]

Do you have a link to the Puma Dave? What about any comments on the size of it, if I remember right it was a fair amount bigger than these other ones that have been listed.

 

[DAA]

The Puma is quite a bit larger - most of that is the tank, which can be removed, but just the compressor itself is larger too, the head is massive compared to an MV50.. I'll do some google fu and see if I can find a link. I only ever found one place to buy them, I "think" it was Buzzard Gulch, but let me look and see what I can find.

- DAA