hrdknox1

As I age it has become more effort to put air in my tires using a floor pump. As a senior I have graduated to using an air inflator. I wonder why I hadn't thought of it sooner. Price wise the inflator cost less than my floor pump. Wisdom is invaluable......

Iride01 

Just make sure you practice with it. They don't all work in the manner you'd expect them to. And for some people that makes for extra frustration on the side of the road when wanting to do a hasty fix of a flat tire. That quickly turns to anger and rage at the product they bought even though they failed to use it correctly.

DiabloScott

Assuming you mean a CO2 inflator, you should know that CO2 migrates through the tube. You'll need to top off before every ride.

blinky

I too am a senior rider and had a lot of trouble getting the tires to 100 psi - ( in my 30's 120 psi with a floor pump was no problem ) - father time is a relentless opponent - I just recently got a 1 1/2 gallon Craftsman compressor with a Park INF-2 inflator - love it , gets to 100 psi within seconds and I don't risk a hernia - for on the road I use a threaded CO2 cartridge and a Silca EOLO inflator head , very small but works great - however the CO2 only gets the tire to 80psi which is enough to get me back on the road and eventually home .

hrdknox1

Not a CO2 inflator, an air inflator (compressor type) only suitable for home use. And yes CO2 does dissapate quicker than air so I always take it out when I reach home and refill the tube with air.

HillRider

Assuming you are describing an inflator head attached to an air compressor, yes the ease of use is much better but you have to include the cost of the compressor into the calculation. If you are using CO2 cylinders and an inflator head for routine use, the cost will soon be prohibitive and, as noted, CO2 "leaks" out of the tube much faster than air.

I'm also a senior rider (is 79 senior?) and fairly light and I can still use my Park FP-4 to get to 120 psi with no problems. I do have a compressor but it's only bicycle use is to blow solvent off of freshly cleaned parts during overhauls and to seat tubeless tires.

hrdknox1

I am talking about an AIR INFLATOR (pictured), not a compressor. Most good pumps (picturued) are higher priced.

Iride01 

You carry that with you on your rides?! <grin>

Route 66

Life got so much easier when I switched to using one of these battery powered inflators.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

blinky

An inflator is fine , I have a hand held Craftsman inflator which I use for golf cart tires - it takes a bit of time though to pump things with an inflator compared to a compressor - paid $190 for the Craftsman - have a 25' GoodYear rubber hose with Park inflator adapter for the bikes and another with ball chuck for the cars ( use a hand held pressure reader) - compressor is so much faster - the guy above who uses a floor pump to get up to 120psi is my hero .

Iride01 

You pump golf cart tires to 120 psi? That person would be my hero too. But not for being able to pump to that PSI, but for being able to pump that long.

120 PSI is only a dozen or two pumps on a 25 x 622 tire, and most don't use that much pressure in them anyway. Though I still do sometimes.

fooferdoggie 

the makita works well though why they don't have a locking trigger is strange. but I put this head on it now its much better. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Route 66

I only use it for bike tires and so I don't miss having a trigger lock. This is the Presta adapter I have on mine:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

fooferdoggie 

with the replacement head you don't need the adaptor. it fits both so its far faster then screwing on the adaptor.

soyabean

You found a tool that can help you make your life better.

And despite that, you still have folks here telling you what is wrong and how should be doing things right Just ignore them and he happy with your new tool.

HillRider

Who said he is wrong?

blinky

It's an older 3 wheel cart & the tires have inner tubes - many newer carts have solid plastic or rubber wheels - the required pressure is pretty low but I think of "inflators" as an air pumping tool for beach balls , etc. , surprised me that OP is using one for bike tires - years ago I was running Michelin Pro 3 Race road tires and could get them up to 120 psi with my Specialized floor pump .

Route 66

I don't have to screw either side on, they both just push on and stay in place.

fooferdoggie 

all the adaptors I had you had to screw onto the valve. but I like not having an adapter that I will lose. the replacement head fits perfectly onto the makita hose./

Iride01 

"Inflator" sort of implies different things depending on how used. For a basket ball being filled from a pump or tire being filled with a CO2 cartridge it is just something used to allow you to get the air or gas from one to another them. On a air hose from a compressor we'd normally just use the air chuck connected straight to the air hose. However when using the term inflator along with air compressor, we should know that they are also implying something that lets you control the pressure at the business end of the hose or it simply includes a gauge so you can see what the tire pressure is when you let go of the trigger.

Maybe George Carlin could make something of that. It's okay to prick my finger, but it's not okay to finger my.....