Why do none of them work? My wife’s car’s tires were all low on air (don’t ask) so we traded cars. I must have stopped at half a dozen gas stations on the way home before I found an air compressor at a Circle K that wasn’t “out of order”. I had to pay, but it took credit cards instead of $2 in quarters, which I didn’t have anyways.

Now I have to get an air compressor big enough to fill four tires at a time for our home garage.

I have a nice one in the garage, 80 psi truck tires no problem, if needed.

One local station has a pretty good one, when it’s working. This is a Casey’s gas station. I try to never need one. A few years ago I added one to carry in my truck. It hooks to the battery, pretty good for what it is. I’ve mostly used it for others.

I got this from tirerack.

If you did find one that worked, those shitty 4-quarter ones would just pump oversaturated air into your tires. Other than emergencies, just use a home compressor.

My little pancake does a fine job for our 3 vehicles.

Best gas station air pumps I've found are at BucEes. They let you set the pressure on the machine & it'll auto-stop when it reaches it.

Alternatively, though they tend to take a while, the 12v pumps you run off the cig lighter port also get the job done in a pinch.

I've got a Milwaukee M18 compressor. It's pretty small, and fantastic for tires. Couldn't run air tools on it or anything like that, but it makes quick work of any tire in my household, and any time I travel or go wheeling it goes with me for air up duty. I'd imagine most of the other battery tool manufacturers have something similar.

quote:

Originally posted by Georgeair:
If you did find one that worked, those shitty 4-quarter ones would just pump oversaturated air into your tires. Other than emergencies, just use a home compressor.

Oversaturated air?? Those compressors don't have tanks and are simply compressing the ambient air. It's unlikely to be much different than the air at your house...Not to mention that the OP is located in 'Ariz Zone A' anyway! What am I missing?

Honestly though, it's REALLY nice to have air at the house! I have a 6.5 HP 60 Gal. (vertical tank) 10.5 SCFM @ 90 PSI Compressor and a full compliment of air tools, so I can basically 'air anything' I want, anytime I want.

If you need a portable compressor to keep in your car/power from your car battery, VIAIR is the way to go!

Get this one --> https://www.amazon.com/VIAIR-0...ressor/dp/B00CDWJRZW

The VIAIR 87P is powered directly from your battery, and will inflate an empty tire effortlessly! It's duty cycle is exponentially better than the common/cheaper air compressors that are powered by 12V outlet in your car. The 87P is impressively robust and sounds like a precision 'well oiled machine' (even though it's an oil-free design). You won't be disappointed

Just go to Lowes or Hope Depot and buy yourself a nice air compressor that plugs into your car or house outlet. I bought a kobalt air compressor from Lowes for less than 100 bucks and it works great. I recently had a flat and it pumped my tire up in just a few minutes from 6 psi to 33 psi so I was able to make it home and plug the tire from the safety of my driveway. It stores in the trunk just fine and takes up very little space, its light weight so anyone can use it and its simple to operate so a good unit and much better than having to search for air at a gas station.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Kobal...-Electric/1000092575

This message has been edited. Last edited by: calugo,

Every Discount Tire location that I have ever seen, has a pull-through lane for complimentary (as in FREE) tire inflation. Just pull in and one of their worker-bees will come out and inflate your tires, while you wait!

You do not have to be a Discount Tire customer for this, but you might decide to become one when you experience their courteous service.

I think that they use a 78% nitrogen blend.

2nd on the VIAIR. Keep one in all our vehicles and RV.

Third the Viair! Got one when I was driving full sized trucks. Never will I buy anything else. Duty cycle is key with small compressors. I can run mine pretty much 100% to fill big tires. Burned up many a small cheap compressor before I paid for a good one.

Another vote for Viair. I've got 2 of them, expensive but worth it. You can't kill them. Buy once cry once.

That's what I love about being in Wawa-land here

They always work, they usually have two of them and they are FREE. They are the kind that you set your pressure and when you reach it, they beep.

You'd think the other places would figure that out that charge for it. If I'm stopping for air, I may as well get gas and maybe a coffee or a snack or hoagie.

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:

I think that they use a 78% nitrogen blend.

Hah , hah . I get it .

Remember pay phones???? Most of them were out of order and missing the receiver.

We’ve got a couple M18 Milwaukee portables at work, they work great, I used one the other day to air up a Semi tire out on a the job, didn’t quite get it to 110 psi but it was enough for the guy to get the truck and lowboy back to the shop, he didn’t do a pretrip so I fault him but it was better than him popping it off the rim. Highly handy for pickup tires etc

So now it's time for you to buy an inexpensive plug in electric tire inflator or home compressor. And a decent tire pressure gauge, one that you didn't buy from Wallymart. Buy one from NAPA Auto Parts and you should be gtg. Whatever you do, NEVER trust any pressure reading from any type of free or pay-for air service at any gas station or quick stop, and don't EVER guess the tire pressure by looking at the tire itself and guessing you have about the right amount of air. I see this at a local Wawa, chicks and dudes pumping up their car tires while looking at it trying to figure out if they have the right amount of air. Not only is it bad for your tire, it can also be dangerous at highway speeds when that tire decides it doesn't like the amount of air you did, or didn't, put in.

As an experiment, after you buy your compressor and tire gauge, try inflating it by guessing how it looks, then check it with your tire gauge, and you'll see what I mean. I'm a DIY car guy and I can't do it just by looks, and never knew any mechanic who could it either.

Years ago, I bought a portable air tank and kept it filled to 100 PSI. There is a large air compressor where I use to work and I can fill the tank there. There are also a couple of gas stations in town that have powerful compressors and I could also fill in there.

Last year, I traded a box of 9mm ammo for a used compressor my neighbor had. It doesn't seem to have a lot of power.

Several years ago on this fine forum there was a discussion on which home compressor to get and the consensus at the time was one from California Air Tools. It is extremely quiet and will take care of mt F-350 tires in short order.

This is the one I have..

https://www.californiaairtools...pressor/cat-1p1060s/


Harbor Freight has their version of the same unit…

https://www.harborfreight.com/...ompressor-64596.html

A decent bike floor pump works. Might take 10-20 pumps per pound depending on size, but might be better than a special trip. Air is the same.

Lowe's stores have free air down at the Pro / Contractor end. QuikTrip's also.