[Quick Survey] Got a tire inflator? Tell us what's missing

[RB205]

I really don't care about battery powered inflators. If I'm just topping off, I'll use a corded digital Husky inflator that's fine for top offs but slow for air ups.

On off road days, nothing beats a 4 hose, 12V pump with two pistons of air flow. Mine doesn't have an auto shutoff but some do.

The big gap in the market is a battery powered two piston compressor. If one could flow as fast as my Morrflate, I might consider it, but again I'm not worried about one more cord when I'm already running 4 hoses around the car.

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[TreadAuto]

Really appreciate all the detailed feedback here, this thread has been gold!

After going through everyone's responses, a few clear themes are standing out:

Preset pressure + auto shutoff seems to be the #1 ask — nobody wants to babysit the gauge
Inflate AND deflate to a target PSI — especially useful for off-road airing down/up
Accurate gauge matters — a lot of you cross-check with Longacre or other trusted gauges and the readings don't match
Battery power vs. direct vehicle connection is clearly divided — some swear by dedicated battery packs (DeWALT, Ryobi), others won't trust anything but a direct 12V connection for truck tires
Speed & CFM — for truck and trailer tires, most of you want real airflow, not a bike pump in disguise
Bonus features getting votes: jump start capability, built-in light, phone charging, long hose

TNMike mentioned the DeWALT DCC020IB as a solid option — curious how many are running it and what battery size you're pairing it with?

Also: **battery inflator vs. direct 12V — where do you land, and why?** Would love to hear more from both camps. Drop your current setup below!

 

[OxygenMask]

Had 5 different rechargeable battery powered inflators. Not One would air up a truck tire on a single battery. TV Commercials are BS.
Cig lighter units work but are entirely too slow.
Inflators do not need to hit 100+psi - who is inflating semi tires?
Cig lighter inflators are limited by fuse amps.
I've had an ARB compressor and it was awesome, but I also had the air lockers, it's totally $#&@ stupid overkill in a RR, $$ + space.

I often carry 3 inflators.
A paddle board type - fast for rafts, air mattresses, inflatable tents, etc.
A tool battery type for mt bike tires (and at home for riding lawn mower, hand truck, etc.)
A cig lighter compressor, damn slow but it will get the job done airing up after off road.

I have good tire gauges, I do not need deflate setting ability, and I sure don't need a &$#@ app for it.

 

[SBB]

Back in the dark ages I used inflators that plugged into the cigarette lighter port.
Most were Harbor Freight, Walmart cheapo junk that took forever.
I discovered this,

https://www.milwaukeetool.com/products/details/m18-18v-cordless-tire-inflator/2848-20

We do offroad trail rides and Shelby Mountain Run events. Never have I run out of battery.
On the trail rides I air down then air up and then go help air up 3 or 4 others with the cheapo inflators.

You can set the pressure you want, it auto stops at that pressure, it's fast and easy.
We did a 6,333 mile trip out west and aired down and up many times and never had an issue. This inflator and the DeWalt equivalent are awesome, dependable, easy to use and cost friendly.

I recommend this inflator or the DeWalt.

 

[Loudpa]

The one I'm eyeing now for reference is listed below. There is also a beefer version available S7.

https://a.co/d/06qzcbIz

 

[OxygenMask]

Back in the dark ages I used inflators that plugged into the cigarette lighter port.
Most were Harbor Freight, Walmart cheapo junk that took forever.
I discovered this,

https://www.milwaukeetool.com/products/details/m18-18v-cordless-tire-inflator/2848-20

We do offroad trail rides and Shelby Mountain Run events. Never have I run out of battery.
On the trail rides I air down then air up and then go help air up 3 or 4 others with the cheapo inflators.

You can set the pressure you want, it auto stops at that pressure, it's fast and easy.
We did a 6,333 mile trip out west and aired down and up many times and never had an issue. This inflator and the DeWalt equivalent are awesome, dependable, easy to use and cost friendly.

I recommend this inflator or the DeWalt.

I'll have to check those out

 

[purdyd]

Really appreciate all the detailed feedback here, this thread has been gold!

After going through everyone's responses, a few clear themes are standing out:

Preset pressure + auto shutoff seems to be the #1 ask — nobody wants to babysit the gauge
Inflate AND deflate to a target PSI — especially useful for off-road airing down/up
Accurate gauge matters — a lot of you cross-check with Longacre or other trusted gauges and the readings don't match
Battery power vs. direct vehicle connection is clearly divided — some swear by dedicated battery packs (DeWALT, Ryobi), others won't trust anything but a direct 12V connection for truck tires
Speed & CFM — for truck and trailer tires, most of you want real airflow, not a bike pump in disguise
Bonus features getting votes: jump start capability, built-in light, phone charging, long hose

TNMike mentioned the DeWALT DCC020IB as a solid option — curious how many are running it and what battery size you're pairing it with?

Also: **battery inflator vs. direct 12V — where do you land, and why?** Would love to hear more from both camps. Drop your current setup below!

i have the dewalt

I use a 6 Ah battery with mine. But it also can run from 12v and comes with a cable to plug into a 12v socket. I have never had to use the 12v cord. I am a fan of the cordless as it is really easy to move from tire to tire. No long hoses or cords. But having the 12v backup capability is nice.

it also has a high volume pump output for a variety of things that need that. But you can’t set the pressure when using high volume. So I end up carrying another pump airbank, specifically for that which has a two stage pump and will shut off at a given pressure.

You also have to have the charger to charge the battery, it is not self charging.

one issue with the dewalt is if it goes to sleep or you turn it off, it forgets the pressure it was set to.

 

[TSY]

.. notably missing is the connection preferences. Please, no more thread on connectors - just no. Please equip the compressor with a standard QR air hose connector, and give us a QR connector to the stem.

As for the battery discussion - I'm in the camp of hauling less weight, and I don't mind clamping to battery terminals. But - having a pre-configured battery receiver on the unit would offer the best to both camps. (possibly offer a couple of snap-in bracket options for DeWalt, Milwaukee etc as an Lego style add on?).

 

[TreadAuto]

.. notably missing is the connection preferences. Please, no more thread on connectors - just no. Please equip the compressor with a standard QR air hose connector, and give us a QR connector to the stem.

As for the battery discussion - I'm in the camp of hauling less weight, and I don't mind clamping to battery terminals. But - having a pre-configured battery receiver on the unit would offer the best to both camps. (possibly offer a couple of snap-in bracket options for DeWalt, Milwaukee etc as an Lego style add on?).

I completely understand the frustration around connectors, let’s leave the topic of connectors behind! A standard QR air hose connector would be a great way to simplify things, and offering a QR connector for the stem would definitely streamline the setup.

Regarding the battery setup, having snap-in brackets for popular battery brands like DeWalt, Milwaukee, etc., would be a clever idea.

It would be great if we could find a balance that caters to both camps and keeps things user-friendly. This kind of flexibility could make a huge difference for many people.


Looking forward to hearing others’ thoughts on this!

 

[TreadAuto]

i have the dewalt

I use a 6 Ah battery with mine. But it also can run from 12v and comes with a cable to plug into a 12v socket. I have never had to use the 12v cord. I am a fan of the cordless as it is really easy to move from tire to tire. No long hoses or cords. But having the 12v backup capability is nice.

it also has a high volume pump output for a variety of things that need that. But you can’t set the pressure when using high volume. So I end up carrying another pump airbank, specifically for that which has a two stage pump and will shut off at a given pressure.

You also have to have the charger to charge the battery, it is not self charging.

one issue with the dewalt is if it goes to sleep or you turn it off, it forgets the pressure it was set to.

That’s a really solid breakdown — pretty much lines up with what a lot of us have experienced with the DeWalt DCC020IB 20V MAX Inflator.

And that memory reset issue… you’re definitely not alone there. We should definitely put that on the list when we design the inflator.

That “no pressure cutoff” limitation is exactly why a lot of people end up doing what you did, pairing it with a secondary air solution. Curious what airbank you’re running? A good two-stage setup that auto shuts off is a nice complement.

 

[purdyd]

That’s a really solid breakdown — pretty much lines up with what a lot of us have experienced with the DeWalt DCC020IB 20V MAX Inflator.

And that memory reset issue… you’re definitely not alone there. We should definitely put that on the list when we design the inflator.

That “no pressure cutoff” limitation is exactly why a lot of people end up doing what you did, pairing it with a secondary air solution. Curious what airbank you’re running? A good two-stage setup that auto shuts off is a nice complement.

I have the airbank pulse pro.

https://www.airbankpump.com/product...xGvhLsAzkRhgesa99NMZPk8zkIN4KOTVOqLW1Hacp-kl4

its pretty common in the water sports world. I’m using it to pump up kites for Kitesurfing.

it does have a memory of the last pressure set.

one of its issues is that it doesn’t have filters on the air intakes so if you use it at a sandy windy beach there can be issues

something to think about for a pump

in my case I 3d printed some fixtures and used open cell foam for the filter material

 

[TreadAuto]

I have the airbank pulse pro.

https://www.airbankpump.com/product...xGvhLsAzkRhgesa99NMZPk8zkIN4KOTVOqLW1Hacp-kl4

its pretty common in the water sports world. I’m using it to pump up kites for Kitesurfing.

it does have a memory of the last pressure set.

one of its issues is that it doesn’t have filters on the air intakes so if you use it at a sandy windy beach there can be issues

something to think about for a pump

in my case I 3d printed some fixtures and used open cell foam for the filter material

Honestly, there’s probably no “perfect” pump out there yet
While, setups like yours are probably the closest thing to a “perfect” solution.

 

[TreadAuto]

Curious how you all think about pricing for a tire inflator.
What price range feels reasonable to you based on features and performance?

 

[Bear376]

I have a Ryobi unit. It is not as intuitive as my previous RyobI, but it does a good job. It is slow, like all the other brands that I tried, but with auto shutoff, I don’t have to keep an eye on it. My big issue is that most budget pumps use a piston in a plastic housing. When they heat up, the fiction causes failures due to expansion. I would think putting a metal sleeve in, would fix that problem, but I doubt that it has not been considered.

 

[TreadAuto]

I have a Ryobi unit. It is not as intuitive as my previous RyobI, but it does a good job. It is slow, like all the other brands that I tried, but with auto shutoff, I don’t have to keep an eye on it. My big issue is that most budget pumps use a piston in a plastic housing. When they heat up, the fiction causes failures due to expansion. I would think putting a metal sleeve in, would fix that problem, but I doubt that it has not been considered.

Really good point, and probably one of the biggest weaknesses with a lot of the budget inflators out there.
It’s interesting you noticed the same “slow but reliable enough” behavior across brands too. That seems pretty universal unless you jump into the larger shop-style compressors or premium high-output inflators.

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