How to Inflate Car Tires at Gas Station

Buying guide for best tyre inflators

Checking your tyre pressure on a regular basis is good for your safety, and it saves you money, too. A portable tyre inflator that works off your vehicle is a simple, relatively low-cost solution. There are lots to choose from. Having plenty of choice is great when you're looking to buy a new item, but the number of tire inflators available makes it difficult to pick the right model.

Our job at BestReviews is to help you make the right decision by providing you with the facts you need. The tyre inflators we recommend are here solely because they offer the best combination of performance, features, and value. The following tyre inflator buying guide details the areas we investigated. If you're ready to buy straightaway, check out our highlighted models, or read on to learn more.

Tyre inflator overview

A tyre inflator is a simple mechanism that works on the same principle as a manual bicycle pump. A motor drives a piston up and down a cylinder, pumping air through a tube connected to your tyre.

There are three kinds of tyre inflators generally available:

• 120-volt AC tyre inflators

• 12-volt DC tyre inflators

• Cordless inflators

120-volt AC tyre inflators plug into a normal household outlet. They're the most powerful of their kind, but you have to be able to get your vehicle close to the outlet or use an extension cable. They are not "roadside" models.

"If your tyre inflator is plugged into your car's lighter socket, make sure your vehicle door can't swing shut on the power cable and damage it."

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12-volt DC tyre inflators usually plug into your car lighter socket, giving you a convenient and very portable solution. The only drawback is pumping power. While these models can handle car tyres with little problem, some aren't suitable for truck tyres. You need to check. Those that are suitable for truck tyres may need to be attached directly to your vehicle battery.

Cordless tyre inflators would seem the ideal solution. There's no cable; all you need to do is charge the internal battery from time to time. This can be done via household outlet or your vehicle. However, they are quite expensive, and many are criticised for a lack of power and short battery life.

• If you only want to pump your tyres at home, a 120-volt AC tyre inflator is the most powerful solution, and prices are competitive.

• A cordless tyre inflator may sound like a great idea, but you get relatively poor performance for the price. Furthermore, there are often concerns about reliability.

• If you want a device you can use anywhere, and for various tasks beyond car tyre inflation – inflating balls, bicycle tyres, and so on – a 12-volt DC tyre inflator is the answer. Because of their all-round benefits, these are the models we focus on in this review.

Expert Tip

A 12-volt DC tyre inflator is a great general-purpose solution for keeping your car tyres at the proper pressure.

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Tyre inflator specifications

The most important question is whether the inflator will deliver adequate air pressure to fill your vehicle tyres. You might think that's a given with a product called a "tyre inflator," but that's not the full story. You need to check the tool's specifications.

Specifications can be very confusing. Many manufacturers give a maximum tyre size, but truck tyres can require more pressure than a car or SUV tyre of the same size.

It's important to check product details, but it's also a good idea to look at owner feedback to get a view of "real-world" performance from actual users.

"The common unit for tyre pressure measurement is psi (pounds per square inch). You might also find "bar", which is the metric version. It's actually the pressure that the Earth's atmosphere exerts at sea level. One bar = 14.5 psi."

STAFF

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• The psi (pounds per square inch) rating can be misleading. A 300-psi tyre inflator isn't twice as fast as a 150-psi tyre inflator. It's only one figure. In fact, it could be the reverse.

• What should also be indicated, but seldom is, is the CFM (cubic feet per minute) – the actual amount of air produced. Volume of air plus psi would be an excellent indicator of performance. Sadly, you rarely get both.

• Instead, most manufacturers give some indication of the type of tyre that their inflator is capable of filling. Avoid those that don't.

• Filling a standard car tyre takes between five and eight minutes. Tyre inflators that are capable of filling a truck tyre often take several minutes longer.

• If the tyre inflator draws 15 amps or less, it should work from your vehicle's lighter socket. More powerful models draw 20 amps – which could blow the lighter fuse. As a result, 20-amp tyre inflators need to be attached to your vehicle's battery terminals. Most also need the motor to be running.

Expert Tip

The friction of driving around makes the air in your tyres expand, increasing pressure. For accurate measurements, you should check your tyres before any journey, or leave your vehicle standing for a couple of hours before checking the pressure.

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Tyre inflator features

Some roadside tyre inflators are very basic, with just a standard analogue pressure gauge (dial). Others have useful additional features, including those below.

Be sure to check air hose and power cord lengths. Usually there is plenty of length, but several we reviewed weren't long enough to reach the rear of a King Cab truck or RV.

Flashlight

A flashlight might be built in. This is useful if you're trying to inflate a tyre in the dark.

Automatic shut-off

Some tyre inflators turn off automatically when they are finished; you simply set it and forget it.

"Be careful when inflating objects other than tyres. Most have much lower pressure needs than tyres do. If you leave your inflator unattended and over-inflate an item, it could explode!"

STAFF

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Digital readouts

Digital readouts are increasingly popular, but they don't guarantee greater accuracy. However, they are easy to read in poor light.

Overload protection

Overload protection prevents the tyre inflator from overheating.

Case

It's nice to have a case to keep the hose and cables tidy.

Did you know?

Poorly inflated tyres wear out faster, increase stopping distances when braking, increase the chances you'll have a flat, and waste fuel.

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Tips

• Be wary of excessive heat. Tyre inflators work very hard and can get hot. Use caution if you've been running the tyre inflator for a few minutes.

• Always read the instructions first. It's rare, but if pushed too hard, a tyre inflator could overheat and seize.

• Know how much time you need to fill your tyres. Maximum tyre inflator running time is usually around ten minutes. If you're doing a regular check and just topping up your tyres, that should be plenty.

• Take a common-sense approach to caring for your tyre inflator. Shield it from abuse, and your tyre inflator should last you for years.

FAQ

Q. What's the difference between a tyre inflator and an air compressor?

A. Very little. A tyre inflator is really a type of air compressor. However, most air compressors stop working when the air in a pre-filled tank is used up. A 12-volt DC pump has no tank; it will work until you have completely filled your tyre.

Q. Is there any way to plug in my tyre inflator at home?

A. The tyre inflators featured in this article are 12-volt DC models that are designed to run off your vehicle. You would need a 120-volt AC model for home or garage use. The two are not interchangeable. A cordless model solves both problems, but it has other potential drawbacks, as mentioned above.

Q. Isn't a foot pump a cheaper alternative?

A. Not necessarily! Cheap foot pumps tend to fall apart before very long; the hinges or the piston connecting rod tends to give out. A good-quality foot pump can last, but it can seem pricey when you consider that you have to put your manpower behind it.

How to Inflate Car Tires at Gas Station

Source: https://bestreviews.com/automotive/tires/best-tire-inflators

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