Portable compressor recommendations?

[Brian B-P]

The connection type does suggest the power consumption. For instance, of the two Harbor Freight units which I listed, the smaller one has a lighter plug and a 15A fuse; the larger one has battery clips and a 30A motor.

Having an adapter with battery clips and a lighter socket will bypass the tug's lighter fuse, but may not help much since the sockets are not good for high currents, and any compressor sold with a lighter plug probably doesn't draw a lot of current... I'm surprised that smaller Harbor Freight unit has a fuse as high as 15A.

Ironically, although the wide variety of available consumer goods is impressive, my guess is that most of them are made in China. The "Central Pneumatic" brand of the Harbor Freight compressors is obviously designed to sound familiar, referring to the well-known Chicago Pneumatic brand.

[Pete Dumbleton]

In my case, the direct clamp-on socket was to bypass the cigarette lighter's potentially weak wiring, based on inverter low-voltage shutdown experience, rather than its fuse.

[V'sGlassSleeper]

Ironically, although the wide variety of available consumer goods is impressive, my guess is that most of them are made in China. The "Central Pneumatic" brand of the Harbor Freight compressors is obviously designed to sound familiar, referring to the well-known Chicago Pneumatic brand.

Your quite right, Brian, and the Central Pneumatic one that looked half-way decent has brass fittings that contain lead (I checked out the downloadable owner's manual, which actually contained a warning, only because I guess they are being sold in California, which requires a Prop 65 warning label. I guess other states don't care?). Cheap imports of any kind (be they hardware or food) come at a high price on so many levels.

[ronsmith100]

Your quite right, Brian, and the Central Pneumatic one that looked hal-way decent has brass fittings that contain lead (I checked out the downloadable owner's manual, which actually contained a warning, only because I guess they are being sold in California, which requires a Prop 65 warning label. I guess other states don't care?). Cheap imports of any kind (be they hardware or food) come at a high price on so many levels.

I have to let my trailer tires down to about 15 psi when going back to the river (45 miles one way of wash board sharp rocks). So I bought a 12v compressor and it worked but took forever to bring them back up to 50. So then I went and bought 120vac compressor that works twice as fast but still slow and I have to crank up the Honda.

So now I just fill a small 10 gallon air tank to 100 psi and take me about 60 seconds each side to re-inflate.

Someone told me you can get real small nitrogen tanks too.

Ron

[Pete Dumbleton]

Your quite right, Brian, and the Central Pneumatic one that looked half-way decent has brass fittings that contain lead (I checked out the downloadable owner's manual, which actually contained a warning, only because I guess they are being sold in California, which requires a Prop 65 warning label. I guess other states don't care?). Cheap imports of any kind (be they hardware or food) come at a high price on so many levels.

I recently read the first couple of pages of "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" and learned that seltzer bottles had lead stoppers in them and the guy who would buy bottles and lead back was called a junkie... Times change!

[Brian B-P]

Someone told me you can get real small nitrogen tanks too.

Dry nitrogen has been used for years to inflate tires, and even run air tools to a limited extent, by auto racing teams. It doesn't really matter that it's nitrogen (rather than air), but the key is the pressure: with a tank at 30 times the pressure of the 100 psi portable air tank, a useful amount of "air" can be carried in a small space, with no need for a compressor. It's not a cheap way to go for occasional use, and once it runs out you're off to an industrial gas supplier (not just any gas station with a tire pump), but until it runs out it is effective.

[Chuck-H]

Hi kids!
I use the combo jump start, air compressor from Harbor Freight (39.99) It'll jump the truck and fill the tires to 65# fairly fast. Can also use it to power electric 12v blanket, 12v coffee pot, 12v heater(truckers cab heater) as it has a cigarette light OUTLET but uses clamps for jump starting. hows the campground hunt going? Hope to see you in the near future,
Chuck