tempocyclist

I've got the biggest model (this one) and it'll inflate a road bike tyre from completely flat to full pressure faster than I can do it with a track pump. If I get a chance I'll time it.

Battery life is a slight downside. It is only good for around 5-6 full inflations before it needs charging (around an hour or so to charge up). Using it to top up your tyres every so often nets plenty of battery life.

It's also pretty loud, but not as loud as firing up an air compressor! Don't use it to inflate your tyres in the room next door to your sleeping wife at 4am before a ride...

t2p

I went with DeWalt because we already had DeWalt tools / batteries

I use a presta-shraeder adapter - thread the adapter onto the presta valve - then thread the inflator hose on to the adapter

I run Aerothan tubes that have plastic presta valve stems that can be an issue - a standard Silca head will not remain on the valve stem

( I have two different Silca pumps with two different chucks/heads - installed new seals on both - and neither will remain on the Aerothan valve stems )

so I purchased a Hiro V3 chuck/head

but then began to use the portable inflator - so I never did use the Hiro head

I could attach the Hiro head to the portable inflator - but the procedure I currently follow is quick and works well


the portable inflator is probably one of my most valuable tools - if it broke I would replace it immediately

t2p

for car / truck tires

portable inflators can especially become a valuable asset during cold winter months when temps dip below freezing

most convenience store and service station hoses that sit outside can become inoperable when condensation and moisture in the hoses or heads freeze

the portable inflator does not have this issue

Chuck Naill

Honestly, the Topeak Road Morph G pump is all I need. I use an old floor pump for the children's bikes. I have a proper compressor for all others.

spelger

if you do use this be careful of the fittings. nothing but friction holds them in place. and if you need to cut the hose for any reason make sure it is square and well seated when inserted.

cyccommute 

But is there a reason to suspect that your current gauge is bad? If there is a problem with your existing analog gauge, why not replace it? Or is it just “old” and not sexy like a digital one is? Gauges don’t really wear out with use…at least not the kind of use that we cyclist put them to.

big john

No problem with my low pressure gauge and the current one is 4 years old. The pump I use for the road bike has an analog gauge which is fine.

I was just thinking if the OP was buying a compressor the digital gauge that it came with might be more trustworthy than some older digital gauges.

And having been a car mechanic for nearly 50 years I don't find sexiness in tools or mechanical things.

tcs

My tank stays pressurized, even with the pump turned off for weeks. Instant ready-to-go.

tcs

But not necessarily a powered compressor. Hand jobs are available for the tubeless crowd:

https://enduro-mtb.com/en/best-tubel...flator-review/

Eric F 

Good to know, and I appreciate the info. My challenge with a compressor - even a small one - is a place to put it in my shop, and limited mobility. I could probably figure out how to make it work, though. At the moment, I'm not seeing a compelling advantage over my cordless inflator idea.

Eric F 

Yep. Airshot works for me. Welll...it did until my floor pump started struggling with higher pressure demands.

seypat

If you are running tubeless, I'd get a compressor for the garage/shop and a decent hand gauge. If away from home, a hand pump or inflator and hand gauge. You could also use a Schrader to Presta adapter/hand gauge and any source of air you have access to.

BTW, I work in the construction tools industry. The pneumatic tools/compressors out there are as generic as they can be. Most of the brands are manufactured/contracted by the same companies. Black & Decker owns most every brand and they dumb down all of them to meet price points. That includes the ones listed as "Pro grade" in the Big Box Stores. There really isn't much "Pro grade" left in power tools. All are produced to go the length of the warranty and thats it. Read the fine print on the warranty also. In the case of a homeowner, that might be one season. So, basically buy the cheapest one you can find and throw it away when it quits. Here is the parts website for some of the brands until the B & D umbrella.

https://www.toolservicenet.com/

GamblerGORD53

Last week I got new car tires. They put in 31 lbs while my old ones had 35 I think.
So I got out my seldom used full size floor pump out of the trunk. Only took 40 strokes to bump it 3 lbs. Easy as pie.
Would have took all day with the POS cigarette lighter plug in electric one I had 12 years ago for a Christmas present I think.

icemilkcoffee 

The small 'pancake air compressors' are pretty compact. Some larger ones are upright like a water heater, so the footprint is still pretty small.
In any event, if you have a wood workshop, I am sure you have other occasions to use an air compressors. Air tools. Spray finish, etc.

Eric F 

I understand the size. My wood shop space is in the opposite side of my 2-car garage from my bike shop/storage space, and finding a way for a compressor to serve both sides would take some planning and rearranging. At the moment, I don't have any pneumatic tools, and I don't have plans to go down that road for wood working (which is really at a newbie hobby stage for me). As I mentioned before, my current tool family is all Ridgid 18V, which is why the Ridgid inflator makes sense, if I'm going to go that route. If I go with a compressor, it would probably be set up to be dedicated to bike stuff. The portability of a handheld inflator is attractive, however.

Eric F 

I have an old 12V car tire inflator, too. It sucks, and has a permanent home next to the spare tire in my SUV.. From everything I can tell, the type of cordless inflator I'm considering is significantly more efficient than the old ones.

Eric F 

There are a lot of reasons why a compressor makes sense for my needs, but there are also some challenges with implementing it in my space. Honestly, a good floor pump would get the job done for me with minimal fuss, and would have the portability I want. That said, the comments from people who are happily using some sort of cordless inflator device have me intrigued.

seypat

I don't run tubeless. I keep my bikes(many) at my place of business. I have a full size compressor there and........................use a hand pump to air up the tires on whichever bike I'm going to ride. There is one bike at my house that my wife rides. Also a hand pump there for air purposes. I also have 3 or 4 smaller portable compressors that only get used if needed on some type of project away from my business. If anything, spend some money on a decent gauge if you want/need accurate pressure readings.

seypat

Not bike related, but realize that a small pancake style compressor in the 1 1/2-2HP range will not do high volume stuff like running a paint gun. Check the CFM delivery of the compressor before you buy to see that it will do what you ask of it.

Eric F 

My main 3 bikes (road, gravel, MTB) are all tubeless, but installing new tires and having to seat beads is not something I'm doing very often, and I already have a device to assist with that. Like you, most of my pump use is just topping off before my ride that day. I'm not nit-picky about being super precise with pressure, but the poor resolution of high-pressure pump gauges for low-pressure needs irritates me. My current pump has a 0-160 gauge, which isn't bad, but most current road pumps have a 0-220 gauge, even if the pump isn't capable of pressure that high. I have a small Topeak digital gauge that I use when I feel the need for a second opinion, but I would happily do away with the back and forth of pump, check with digital gauge, adjust pressure, check again, etc. The cordless inflator would let me pre-set the pressure I want, and automatically shut off when it's done. While it's doing it's thing, I can be putting on my shoes, or something else to get myself ready to roll out.

Eric F 

I appreciate everyone's input. It has helped me think through my options and evaluate my needs with the way I use a pump. A compelling argument can be made for either a good floor pump or a small compressor, and they are definitely valid options - maybe even better options in some ways. However, I haven't come across anything that tells me a cordless inflator is a poor choice. Maybe I'll find that it was a mistake. Maybe not.

EDIT: Inflator and presta chuck ordered. Worst case scenario...Inflator idea doesn't pan out (inaccurate/inconsistent pressures, too noisy, and/or unable to provide sufficient pressure for tubeless booster), and it gets added to the rest of the cordless tool family to be used for other airy purposes. Silca chuck gets installed on the new floor pump that I would probably get to serve my inflation needs.

Eric F 

First test with the Ridgid inflator...I topped off my MTB and road bike tires using the thread-on presta adapter that came with the inflator. As designed, it stopped automatically at the pre-set pressure, and a double-check with a separate gauge confirmed that the inflator is accurate enough. I was very pleased at how quickly it got the job done for both tires. Using the adapter is kind of irritating, and the schrader fitting on the hose is a little odd, but those issues will be remedied with the Silca presta chuck that is on the way to me. The one downside that is immediately apparent is the noise. It shouldn't be a big deal for my needs, since it will mostly be used in a detached garage, but it could be a concern for others considering this option.

smd4

I love my Hiro. You said you had an affinity for well-made simple devices, and this is definitely one. It's appropriate that the picture you posted makes it look like a tiny work of art. It is. But its function is flawless.

(Just FYI--the chuck's rubber insert has to be "pre-loaded" using he screw on face of the chuck to get it to seal with a squeeze of the lever. If it's not pre-loaded correctly, it can slip off. Pre-loading only entail screwing the face on tighter or looser, depending on what you need. By the sound of the term, I thought it was something more complicated).

Eric F 

Cool. Good to know. Even if the cordless inflator doesn't work out, I figure the Hiro will get used on whatever other device I use.

Hiro11

I assume these hand held compressors are loud. I'm always pumping tires before early morning rides and that's a deal killer.

I went the splurge direction and bought a Silca Superpista Digital with the Hiro chuck. Yes, it's $349 but it's basically perfect, I use it daily in season and it will never wear out. Perhaps unnecessary, but it's nice to use something so well made.

Every bike I have is tubeless. For seating tubeless tires, I bought a generic 6 gal compressor and a Prestaflator Pro. This setup was less than $200 total and will seat anything from a road tire to a fatbike tire instantly. Use this setup a few times and it pays for itself vs going to a shop.