[Bobonli]

Anyone using an air compressor for their tires in their home shop?

The Bontrager compressor caught my eye in the LBS and I'm thiniking of getting it for home and keeping my floor pump in the car for field trips and to help out the occasional stranded cyclist.

Any downside to using a compressor, assuming of course you use it correctly?

 

[JCavilia]

Any downside to using a compressor, assuming of course you use it correctly?

Other than cost, no real downside. Using it "correctly" of course implies inflating carefully to avoid blowing off an improperly seated tire, etc. That may take a little more care than with a hand pump, but I assume the bike-specific unit is designed to work slower than a big auto-garage thing.

Storing a floor pump in the car full-time may not be the best thing if you live in a warm place and have to park in the sun. Prolonged heat may shorten the life of gaskets and such, but if you lube and maintain more frequently that should be manageable.

I'd just buy another floor pump, personally. I'll always opt for a hand tool unless the power tool saves time or significant effort. Pumping bike tires in a home shop seems like a hand-tool kind of task, since it takes almost no time..

 

[Bobonli]

Good point about storing the pump in the car. Maybe I'll treat myself to new floor pump and put the old one in the car.

 

[MikeBiker]

I use my compressor on my mountain bike tires. I don't have a presta adapter, so I hand pumb the road bike.

 

[ukiahb]

I bought a cheap Husky compressor/inflator at Home Depot that will go to 130 psi, added a high pressure inflater and put a quick connect on it so I can switch from presta to schrader. It works really well when changing tires, but a floor pump is still better for topping them up. Also very handy for car tires, etc....well worth the price ($75) if you have a few bikes, cars, motorcycles and lotsa tires.... The presta setup was easy to make with a few adapters and a Silca chuck.

 

[krisdrum]

I have the "Slime" branded compressor that Nashbar sells. I have it in the trunk of my car (has a car plug on it instead of a standard 2 or 3 prong). I use it as emergency backup in case I run out of CO2 or whatever. It would be cool to have on in the garage as well for quick fillups, but I haven't seen one with a standard plug.

 

[benchpress265]

I use my porter cable compressor in my shop, I also have one of those pro type lever action tire inflators so you know exactly how much pressure is going into the tire.

 

[lawrence]

I have a full shop at my house and a floor pump is faster than the compressor when you have to plug it in or turn it on and wait for it to build pressure.

 

[tom_h]

well, I've had a heavy-duty , belt-drive Emglo (tm) compressor for some 10 years. Use it for pneumatic tools, car tire inflation, general shop use, and of course bike tires.

The better compressors have a pressure regulator and accurate guages, so I just set regulator to desired pressure (eg, 110), and fill tire until the "whooshing" air flow in hose stops, and I know I'm at exactly the correct pressure. Takes just seconds...

 

[nor_cal_rider]

I used to use my Craftsman compressor with an "Air Bob" (accurate inflator with a gauge and bleed valve) to pump up my mtn and road tires. Then I got tired of listening to the compressor every other day as it tried to get enough pressure to take care of the road tires. Picked up a cheap Spez. floor pump and have been really happy with that for a solution. Just a few pumps every other day keeps my road tires at 100 psi, and no noise to deal with. I can also toss it in the back of my truck and take it with for group rides and centuries. Now my compressor is relegated to just taking care of the car/motorccle tires and maybe the kids bikes if I already have enough pressure in the tank.

 

[OES]

Anyone using an air compressor for their tires in their home shop?

The Bontrager compressor caught my eye in the LBS and I'm thiniking of getting it for home and keeping my floor pump in the car for field trips and to help out the occasional stranded cyclist.

Any downside to using a compressor, assuming of course you use it correctly?

Best purchase I ever made was a portable Ryobi cordless 18-volt compressor (uses the same battery as my cordless toolset) that will run up to 160 psi effortlessly. It'll inflate the hell out of anything quickly, lasts a long time on a fully recharged battery, and you can fling it in the backseat. It's the last tool I'd let go, next to the Ryobi cordless drill. Seem to remember about 60 bucks on sale? Bargain.

 

[lalahsghost]

I used to use my Craftsman compressor with an "Air Bob" (accurate inflator with a gauge and bleed valve) to pump up my mtn and road tires. Then I got tired of listening to the compressor every other day as it tried to get enough pressure to take care of the road tires. Picked up a cheap Spez. floor pump and have been really happy with that for a solution. Just a few pumps every other day keeps my road tires at 100 psi, and no noise to deal with. I can also toss it in the back of my truck and take it with for group rides and centuries. Now my compressor is relegated to just taking care of the car/motorccle tires and maybe the kids bikes if I already have enough pressure in the tank.

+1 :thumbsup:

I bought the $35 wrench force floor pump after nearly a year of using the ole' air compressor. I pump faster, and more frequently with the floor pump.

 

[tojnom]

I bought a cheap Husky compressor/inflator at Home Depot that will go to 130 psi, added a high pressure inflater and put a quick connect on it so I can switch from presta to schrader. It works really well when changing tires, but a floor pump is still better for topping them up. Also very handy for car tires, etc....well worth the price ($75) if you have a few bikes, cars, motorcycles and lotsa tires.... The presta setup was easy to make with a few adapters and a Silca chuck.

I have a Husky compressor from Home Depot too. Works great for tubeless and quick inflations. For $75 it's a good investment.

 

[ericm979]

I have a shop compressor and shop air plumbed into my garage. But it is easier and faster to use a floor pump than to turn on the compressor, wait for it to fill, and then use it. I wind up just grabbing a floor pump and using that. Most of the time I only need a couple pumps to get the tire up to pressure. When I have changed a tube it still only takes about 30 seconds. I even use the floor pump for topping off motorcycle tires. I will use the compressor when I change a motorcycle tire or to run air tools (the air impact wrench is the best thing ever).

The compressor puts out so much air that you have to be careful to not over inflate the tires. A small in-line regulator would take care of that for a home setup, but it is something to be aware of when using the hose at a gas station where there is no regulator I have seen more than one rider explode a tire that way.

The other thing about compressors is that they often put a lot of water into the compressed air.

 

[Touch0Gray]

I have a shop compressor and shop air plumbed into my garage. But it is easier and faster to use a floor pump than to turn on the compressor, wait for it to fill, and then use it. I wind up just grabbing a floor pump and using that. Most of the time I only need a couple pumps to get the tire up to pressure. When I have changed a tube it still only takes about 30 seconds. I even use the floor pump for topping off motorcycle tires. I will use the compressor when I change a motorcycle tire or to run air tools (the air impact wrench is the best thing ever).

The compressor puts out so much air that you have to be careful to not over inflate the tires. A small in-line regulator would take care of that for a home setup, but it is something to be aware of when using the hose at a gas station where there is no regulator I have seen more than one rider explode a tire that way.

The other thing about compressors is that they often put a lot of water into the compressed air.

I have a 17 gallon setup and the garage is plumbed with a manifold and 3 regulators for different pressures. As for the moisture I have traps in line. I still use the floor pump on the bike tires because by the time I close the drain valve (YES, IT IS INDEED A GOOD IDEA TO DRAIN THE TANK EVERY DAY) and pressure up the bottle to 150, then shut it down and drain it, it is quicker and CERTAINLY more environmentally sound to do so.