Portable air compressor

[jav_eee]

I carry a 10lb CO2 bottle for airing up.

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[pharmfrank]

I have carried a SLIME compressor for several years now in my minivan, never had an issue.
That said I just bought a Viair 400 P Automatic for the Gladiator and am waiting to see how
it performs. I have high expectations due to higher cost, reputation and build quality. Most
big box stores sell inexpensive compressors with cylinders smaller in diameter than certain
male anatomical parts, so they are slow, but for emergency use can serve well, but not as
dependably.

 

[RenegadeBI]

Im looking at air up solutions now as well. I wont be off roading tons, mostly just beach driving a few times a month. I keep coming back to the Milwaukee M18 inflator. Seen tons of reviews and Im pretty impressed. Crazy fast and portable. Considering theres no set up required like getting out multiple hoses, lifting your hood and connecting to the battery, its arguably as fast as or possibly faster than the 4 at a time solutions. It would also be easier to use around the house on other vehicles, boat trailer tires, and kids sports balls. Seems the best for me but still looking at options.

I went with the Milwaukee too.

 

[yukonosufan]

If you use Dewalt tools and batteries, Dewalt makes a nice portable inflator that also has automatic shut off. It will also run off of 12vdc as well as a 20v battery.

https://www.dewalt.com/products/power-tools/compressors/inflators

 

[KevinM60]

No issue, Just incase I get a flat on one tire and need to air up just that one tire.

If you need the 4 tire system You can always plug all 4 tires in while airing up just the one.
One of my tires may have developed a slow leak and I hooked up the 4 tire setup to bring it back up to pressure while also evening out all 4 to the same pressure.

 

[Zachanadandy]

Im looking at air up solutions now as well. I wont be off roading tons, mostly just beach driving a few times a month. I keep coming back to the Milwaukee M18 inflator. Seen tons of reviews and Im pretty impressed. Crazy fast and portable. Considering theres no set up required like getting out multiple hoses, lifting your hood and connecting to the battery, its arguably as fast as or possibly faster than the 4 at a time solutions. It would also be easier to use around the house on other vehicles, boat trailer tires, and kids sports balls. Seems the best for me but still looking at options.

Unless you're making opening the hood and clipping the compressor leads to the battery take 15 minutes the 1.6cfm compressor will never be anywhere near as fast as a proper 5+ cfm single or one of these crazy fast 10+ cfm duals. I haven't tried a dual yet but my old smittybilt 5.6 cfm single is 15 years old and is still fast faster than any of the battery options I've seen guys brag about on the trail and that's using it on 1 tire at a time. The math is pretty easy. If the Milwaukee takes 4 minutes to air up 1 tire, a 5.5cfm compressor will take 1 minutes and 10 seconds. The time attacking the hose to each tire is the same between the 2. As you get into bigger tires the gap grows much larger when you're talking 3.5 times the air volume. I haven't broke out a stopwatch, but if bet the 39s are in the 3 minutes per tire at 5.6 cfm. That would be pushing 11 minutes with the Milwaukee...per tire. Will a battery even last running 40+ minutes straight? Is the dirty cycle 100% because if it isn't it would be overheating by then.

 

[dave33]

Unless you're making opening the hood and clipping the compressor leads to the battery take 15 minutes the 1.6cfm compressor will never be anywhere near as fast as a proper 5+ cfm single or one of these crazy fast 10+ cfm duals. I haven't tried a dual yet but my old smittybilt 5.6 cfm single is 15 years old and is still fast faster than any of the battery options I've seen guys brag about on the trail and that's using it on 1 tire at a time. The math is pretty easy. If the Milwaukee takes 4 minutes to air up 1 tire, a 5.5cfm compressor will take 1 minutes and 10 seconds. The time attacking the hose to each tire is the same between the 2. As you get into bigger tires the gap grows much larger when you're talking 3.5 times the air volume. I haven't broke out a stopwatch, but if bet the 39s are in the 3 minutes per tire at 5.6 cfm. That would be pushing 11 minutes with the Milwaukee...per tire. Will a battery even last running 40+ minutes straight? Is the dirty cycle 100% because if it isn't it would be overheating by then.

No doubt the 4 at a time compressors are the way to go if you have that need but I dont. Im running stock 33" tires with no plans to go bigger, but if I ever did it would only be to 35's cause Im not gonna regear. Unless multiple reviewers are lying or misleading it should take about 2 mins worse case scenario to air up 1 of my tires, times 4 tires lets call it 10 mins of run time, easily within the duty cycle and battery life. Its set and forget, so as its working I can do whatever. My main usage is gonna be very sandy (beach) environments so all those hoses (couplers really) are gonna have a really good chance of getting fouled with sand as Im trying to hook them up. Ill be using this in summer heat at the end of a long beach day so not having to lift the hood and get blasted with that extra hot air Im happy to avoid. Will be much easier to keep my wife and kids tires at proper specs without having to maneuver the jeep into position. Same with the boat trailer behind the gate in the backyard, just grab the little compressor and go. Not to mention pool floats, occasional air mattress, and endless stream of sports balls and bike tires that need attention. Seems like the perfect use case for me. I will have my M18 friday and will post up a little review of exactly what I think about it after Ive used it a bit.

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