DFWdude

Just bought this tiny, hand-held wonder off Amazon to top off tires. It works great... You set the pressure desired and it stops when reached.

Topped up 3psi in front tires and 2psi in the rears in just 10 minutes with tons of battery power left over...

The short fill hose seems odd at first, but it works fine, and makes for a small package in the trunk. Has an onboard light, too.

I posted the link, but Amazon doesn't like.. just search for XDO Tire Inflator... On sale for just $35.00, it might be a good stocking stuffer for your kids, too. No affiliations at all, just a nifty find I thought I'd share...

cetialpha5

I just do the Ryobi tire inflator. You just stand there til it hits the number you want, only takes a minute or two, It's $25. You do need the battery and charger though. I already have a bunch of their other stuff like the drill, impact driver, sawsall, vacuum, light, etc and I still have a drill I bought 18 years ago. Basically the batteries wear out and the tools don't really wear out when you don't use them that often. You could pair it with a 1/2 inch impact wrench just for tire emergencies, they have a $99 kit with battery and charger but that particular model is only good for 375 foot pounds which in theory should be enough but I had someone tighten lug nuts on so hard before that a regular tire shop couldn't get them off with a regular air impact. They also make one that's 1170 foot pounds, got that one on sale a while ago for $159 with battery but right now it's $219 without the battery.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/RYOBI-ON...737D/307627867

https://www.homedepot.com/p/RYOBI-ON...65K1/320033027

BenzV12

I bought Michelin brand a similar product , I find it very useful too . Honestly, it made me wish W212s had a 12V outlet in the trunk because checking or inflating would be easier

DFWdude

Um, yeah, but this one is the size of an original Sony Walkman cassette player. USB charger cable provided (just add your smartphone rapid charger).

Fliplegend

I have a Ryobi as well but this indeed looks like great stocking stuffers. What is the charging port? Mini-USB or USB-C?

DFWdude

Standard USB-A to USB-C (at the inflator).

DFWdude

Drat! It's 7am and 53° out, and you made me get dressed, disarm the house security alarm, grab my camera and walk outside to the garage to verify that my 2016 W212 has a 12V socket in the trunk.

So, I fell for it... Shame on you...

pierrejoliat

Both my 212's have a 12V outlet in the trunk

strife

if you see people using impacts to tighten wheel lugs at a tire shop, don't go there, period.

Fliplegend

For the most part this is good advice but my indy uses a cheap cordless impact just to tighten the lugs then uses a torque wrench to finish. So if you only see them use an impact, indeed, run.

W205C43PFL

The idea seems good. Curious though, is the pressure gauge accurate, were you able to confirm it with a dedicated gauge. Thanks : )

DFWdude

LOL, I was composing as you were asking...

I drove the car this morning, and I called up the TPMS Tire Pressure page right after startup. Idea was to check to see if the inflator cutoff pressures were accurate with the car's readouts.

The result is yes, the tire pressure readouts from the TPMS system agree within 1psi. Two of the tires were exactly the same as the desired pressure, one tire was 1psi over, and the other 1psi under.

I can't get closer than that without OCD fidgeting with my hand-held gauge. And these days I try to limit my OCD fidgeting.

W205C43PFL

Thanks for confirming

Left Coast Geek

I've been carrying a Viair 88p behind the drivers seat of my pickup truck for years... it can take all 4 truck sized tires from offroad 8 PSI to highway 50-70 PSI in about 20 minutes total. Those little inflators would melt down if you tried that.

juststeve

My wagon has a folded spare tire and came with the small MB compressor. A few years ago, I switched to 18v Makita because they offer 300 different tools including two small air compressors. I seldom need to plug in the 110V compressor anymore.

S-Prihadi

I bought a Xiaomi tire pump when I did 1st time Jakarta-Bali-Jakarta in 2020.
I decided I don't want the battery version but the 12V socket version would be better as I also carry emergency tire puncture
repair kit and felt that car 12V battery would be a better power source if lots and lots of air is needed.


I only use this portable unit in Bali when car was 1 month there and 1.0 psi typical air loss.

If in Jakarta home base, I do not use "wet" air from this portable compressor.
I use my super dry scuba tank air or nitrogen filled if tire brand new from shop or I am at a tire shop.
Nitrogen is not important to me, but super dry air is. After all our normal ambient air is already 78% nitrogen.

As to high leverage wheel bolt opener, I carry my 2 feet long torque wrench if on such long trip.
So I get to open up bolts easy and get accurate torque when tightening.

I bought recently a low cost high torque impact hammer which supposedly can do 300Nm tested.
I rarely use it and I don't like NOT able to feel bolts or nut thread engagement/resistance when being loosened, so manual non power tool work I prefer best.
The only time I use it was, when my wheels are jacked up and I wanted to loosen the bolt, no need someone to press the brake pedal or wheel on the floor again,
the impact hammer can loosen it from its fast CCW impact, that is all I ever used it for...so far.

rapidoxidation

This is what is on my truck along with a bunch of other Big Blue tools. I also put it in the tow vehicle when camping, and can't overexaggerate how much I use it.

juststeve

Previous owner of my car (from California) had his tires filled with nitrogen. This State requires auto repair shops to top off any tires deemed to be under pressure. Most of the invoice comments express his wishes that shops not add common compressed air to his tires. All were followed by push back statements from each shop. great reading..

DFWdude

I wonder how much energy and greenhouse gasses are created in the process of separating 79% Nitrogen from common atmospheric air? Now we're really off topic...

Left Coast Geek

main reason for nitrogen is that its dry. dry scuba air would be just as good. compressed air with too much water vapor in it doesn't hold as stable a pressure, in cold weather, that water can condense and lower the tire pressure.

S-Prihadi

For every 1,000 liter of air at 30C, if humidity is 100% which is easily achieved in the tropics if at tire pressure 34PSI ( 2+ ATM ), there will be approx 30cc or water vapor in that 1,000 liter.
I think our tyre at best is 40 liter equivalent ambient pressure air volume. If 1 cc of water alone is already 20 drops.

Wet air is bad for everything inside the tire, more so if electronics like TPMS transmitter. Aside from tyre pressure swing due to the water vapor vs heat.

Back in the old days when dive compressor operator maintenance was VERY bad with their media filters replacement, finding water in scuba tank was common.
A common USA 80 cubic feet sized ( ambient air equivalent ) or 11 liters size for European scuba tanks can hold approx 2,200 liters of air at 3,000PSI or 207 BAR.
So poor maintained compressor can easily fill up to 30+ CC of water vapor per 1 tank fill at extreme azz case.
So if a diver do say 50 tanks dive a year before the annual servicing of the scuba tanks, finding lots of water in the tank is not uncommon

Nowadays everytime I get new tires, even with nitrogen filled. I do twice empty + fill up at home with my scuba tank air to make sure air is dry inside the tire.
When installing tire they do use some sort of lubricant. I am just being extra **** .... LOL

ygmn

I just keep one of those small brad nail gun compressors in garage plugged into wall.
USe a small super flex 30ft hose
and tis gadget my Son loaned me which he got from Matco when he worked at a dealership.
DELUXE DIGITAL TIRE INFLATOR - BURGUNDY DT8 | Matco Tools
All I had to do was buy a new hose. AMAZON yeah

I love it as you connect and fill and release until happy.

Where I found another company makes them and cheaper.
Under $80.

Scroll on page and this contraption for you cordless peeps:





All it needs is another line to connect to other side tire so you can be sure they have same pressure by filling them with same hose at same time.
SO I think I may just remove the hose and get another just like it as I Like the locking chuck.
Then get some air plumbing bits from work (shhhhhh) and add a TEE and 2 lines about 10ft long so I can connect to say both rears and stand in back and add or release air but be assure both tires as same exact pressure.

kajtek1

I was dealing with those small compressors when working in construction with trailers and they are very short-lived.
It took inflating trailer tire from 0 to 50 psi, what took long time and then compressor would not build 50 psi anymore.
I finally ended with Firestone compressor, who with cost above $200 really last.
So keep that compressor for emergencies, but don't plan on doing normal maintenance with it.
Also when choosing tire inflator, have humidity in mind. Lot of small shop compressor will build lot of water in them, beside that cheap ones can spit oil. Preferable way is to fill up compressor tank day before, so it can cool down, drain the water from tank and then use it for tire inflation.
Or invest in tire driers.
Some racers report that nitrogen fill proved too much hassle for them, when advanced tire driers did the job just fine.

rapidoxidation

Does anyone here have any first hand experience of moisture in their tires causing issues?
Cuz I sure haven't and don't. Theoretically, I don't doubt it is possible but... again... Does ANYONE here have any DIRECT experience with issues caused by "wet" air in their tires?

DFWdude

None. Zero. Zip. Nada.

IMO, this is a "First World" discussion. If you are stuck on the side of the road with an inflator that doesn't work, you are not going to quiz anyone who stops to help, "Excuse me, but does your compressor put out dry air?" Um, no...

The spare tire in the trunk of every car I've bought will sit there for more than 10 years, and I will not hesitate to use it when needed, regardless of how much water vapor has "compromised" the tire. SCUBA divers trust their lives to rubber hoses in salt water environments without a second thought.