A car definitely needs basic tools and accessories, including a best tyre inflators. You never know when you need to refuel your tires. It helps to keep your car’s tires healthy, providing minimal tire wear and also keeps you safe when behind the wheel.
It is a moment and also a lifesaver because it will help you avoid the line to fill the air at gas stations and when you discover a puncture in one of your tubeless tires, it will definitely be useful.
There are several manufacturers of tyre inflators on the Indian market, which makes choosing a difficult one. So here is a list of the top 5 recommended tire inflators:
Our Top Pick
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10 Best Tyre Inflators Review
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What to Consider When Choosing the Best Tire Inflator
Before comparing products, it’s helpful to have a little background. This section will cover the key considerations to keep in mind when looking for a tyre inflators. From power source to readability, pay attention to these factors when making your choice.
Power Source
Tire inflators use electric motors and pumps to fill your tire. They need a power source to do that, and there are two options: corded and cordless.
Corded inflators that use 12V power plug into your vehicle’s 12V jack to run off the car’s battery. Some may clip directly to the battery, like jumper cables. Twelve-volt inflators are convenient because they don’t require keeping an additional battery charged. As long as the car’s battery has power, the inflator can operate.
While most corded inflators run on 12V power, there are flexible models that use both 12V and 110V power. These models plug into an outlet for power.
Cordless inflators are battery operated and use rechargeable batteries to power the motor and pump. Some cordless inflators have built-in batteries that charge via USB or 110V power, while others have removable batteries.
Cordless inflators offer quite a bit more flexibility than a 12V charger, as they don’t require an additional power source around to fill a tire. For this reason, they’re just as good at filling bike tires and sports equipment as they are at pumping pressure into car tires.
Pressure
When it comes to tyre inflators, pressure essentially equals speed. The higher the pressure a tire inflator can produce, the quicker it can fill a tire. In order to avoid spending too much time filling a tire, look for a compressor with at least 100 PSI. However, an inflator with a maximum pressure of 150 PSI will have it up and running even faster. Most tyre inflators can fill your car’s tire to the 30 to 40 PSI the manufacturer calls for.
Gauge Readability
To get the most wear and mileage out of car tires, fill them with the optimal amount of pressure that the manufacturer recommends. This is usually around 35 PSI.
To put the proper amount of air into the tire, a tyre inflator needs a gauge that’s easy to read. Inflators with digital gauges are the easiest, especially if they have a light in the background (known as backlit). However, analog gauges also work if their faces have large numerals. Most analog gauges don’t have a backlight, though, so they can be challenging to read in low-light situations.
Automatic Shutoff
Small air compressors are stout, tough machines, but they can overheat if they run too long. Manufacturers protect their tire inflators by including built-in automatic shut-off functions.
The three measurements that a tyre inflators can take before shutting off automatically are pressure, temperature, and time. A pressure shutoff is particularly handy, as it can be set to the desired pressure, and the inflator will stop pumping air once the tire reaches it. Likewise, if the tyre inflators starts reaching a dangerous temperature (typically around 200 degrees Fahrenheit), it will shut down until it cools off. A built-in shutoff could also start a cooldown process after running for a prescribed amount of time, usually around 15 minutes.
Hose Length
Trying to fill a tire with a short hose isn’t much fun, but tripping over a long, tangled hose isn’t much better. A tyre inflators with a 16- to 20-inch hose generally works best—long enough to easily reach most tires but still manageable.
For a longer hose that’s also manageable, look for a tyre inflators with a coiled hose. These hoses stretch considerably, often enough to fill each of the four tires without moving the compressor. These inflators can be very helpful for off-road enthusiasts and large vehicles like pickup trucks and SUVs.
Weight and Portability
People often look for a tire inflator over a standard air compressor because they’re light and portable—and that’s an excellent reason. A tire inflator can often weigh less than a pound, so you can carry it in one hand.
When heading out on a road trip, a tire inflator can be a handy tool, though trunk space can get tight on a longer trip. A compact inflator can fit nicely in the trunk without taking up valuable space needed for luggage or snacks. Most tire inflators fit this bill, but compact models take up little space.
Ease of Use
If the tire-pressure warning light pops on indicating some lost pressure overnight, the fix needs to be fast and straightforward, which requires a tire inflator that’s easy to use. While tire inflators are often simple by design, there are a few features that can make using them even easier. For example, a programmable pressure regulator will prevent overfilling the tire. A built-in pressure gauge shows how much pressure is going into the tire without having to remove the hose to check with a separate tire gauge.
Also Read – 10 Best Motorcycle Jackets of 2021 – Review & Buying Guide
Other Uses For An Air Compressor
Aside from pumping the tires, Air compressors can serve many other purposes as well. These compressors are great for spray painting, removing dirt and debris, powering tools, and other odd jobs as well. Some of them are:
- Spray painting
Air compressors in a car can also be used to spray paint the car using a spray gun. You can do this by sealing the area you want to paint to avoid spills on areas you don’t want to paint.
Always use a respirator along with an air compressor.
The pressure of the compressor should be adequately increased for pumping out the paint in the right amount from the gun.
- Powering air tools
Another great use of air compressors is for powering the air tools of your car, such as grinders, driving air-ratchets, and many others.
This is achieved with the help of a large compressor. While using for such purposes, the compressor should be powered rightly as per the required capacity of the tools you have.
- Unclogging dirt and debris
Compressors can also be used for removing any dirt or debris clogging the holes in the combustion chamber.
It also works great in eliminating loose rust from the surface. You can even remove rusted/rotted areas safely by blasting the air compressors in the target area.
Safety precautions to be followed while using tire inflators.
Operating a tire inflator is pretty simple if you follow all the instructions properly.
However, to prevent any damage to the car or the equipment, it is safe to follow certain precautionary measures. These are:
- Always connect a tire inflator to a 12V power socket in the car.
- Don’t use an ‘unrestricted’ air inflator. Such inflators come without a gauge or pressure control device; it is safe to avoid them.
- Always keep the car engine running as the tire inflator can drain the car’s battery if the engine is turned off.
- Always check the tire before using an inflator. Inflating a tire with a large puncture or tear will be worthless. In such cases, it is better to replace the tire with a spare one.
- After connecting the inflator’s nozzle to the tire, look if it creates any sound when you turn it on. If you somehow ignore this and carry on using the inflator, it will cause air leakage in the car. So if there’s a hissing sound, turn off the inflator and fix the nozzle tightly.
- Always use an inflator with a long cord to stay outside the ‘explosion trajectory’ during the inflation procedure.
- Do not over or under inflate your car as it can ultimately damage the tires and destabilize the vehicle while driving. The ideal PSI level can be easily checked on the car owner’s manual and the tire description.
- Remove the inflator as soon as you have reached the required psi level. This is crucial in preventing any air seepage or over-inflation.
How to Use a Tyre Inflator?
A tyre inflator is a simple machine that transfers compressed air to flat tyres. It has main parts – the adapter and the compressor air supply. The adapter acts as a seal with valve steam at one end. A compressed air supply is there on the other end. The pressure gauge is another part that tells you the current pressure of the tire. It also helps you monitor when you reach your required PSI level while inflating. These, too, come with a handle that is generally pressed to transfer the compressed air to the tyre. Usually, the whole process takes around 2 to 3 minutes.
Types of Car tire Inflators
According to the operation, car tire inflators are available in four types; manual, cordless, digital, and DC tire inflator.
Manual Tire Inflator
These tire inflators come with a foot pedal and a cylinder. They are operated by foot, so they are handy in the case of emergencies where electricity is not available. Manual tyre inflators are ideal for bikes as well as cars.
Cordless Tire Inflator
Like the name, these are handheld devices and are operated by lithium-ion batteries. This is an excellent option to use, but it is expensive.
Digital Tire Inflator
Digital tire inflators include a digital gauge and a pre-set digital compressor to help you inflate your tire easily. They also include an LED light to allow you to perform your task even in the dark. The pre-set function of these tyre inflators makes it easier to inflate your tire.
DC Tire Inflator
This is the most common type of tyre inflators available in the market. These tire inflators require 12V DC power for operation, so they are usually connected to the cigarette lighter of the car. Because of this, DC tire inflators are preferred by most people. Further, these are portable and easy to store. The main drawback of this tire inflator is that you can’t use it when the car battery is flat.
Warranty
By purchasing a car tire inflator, you are making a one-time investment, and the warranty is what makes your investment secure. So, make sure that you are buying a car tyre inflators with a decent warranty period. Plenty of brands of offering one year of warranty on their product and you should consider a brand which gives you one year or more time warranty, so you feel assured.
After considering these factors, you can check reviews to know more about the built quality and design factor. These factors will ease up the work for sure.
Read Also – Best tyre inflator for car and motorcycle, Keeping a sturdy heavy-duty tyre inflator.
Frequently Asked Questions About Car Tire Inflators
- Is It Safe to Over Inflate A Tire?
No, not at all. If you fill too much air in the tire, then the center part of the tire will wear off, and sometimes it can explode the tire. Also, the tire will not come in contact with the road, and the wheels will keep bouncing while driving. Therefore, it is very risky, and you should avoid this.
- How Do I Decide the Right Pressure of My Car?
The right pressure of the car tires is usually provided in the door sills or fuel filler cap of your car. Also, you can find this in the user manual of your car. You should check the pressure of your car on a regular basis to maintain the right pressure in your car tires. This way, you can prevent your tires from getting flat.
- What Is the Standard Pressure of Car Tires?
Generally, the standard pressure of the car tires ranges from 30 to 40 PSI. Further, it changes depending on the size of the tire and the weight of the car. Therefore, you can check the user manual of your car to know the appropriate pressure required for your car tires.
- Can I Drive My Car with Low-Pressure Tires?
If you drive your car when the tires have insufficient pressure, then the tires will wear off, and sometimes it can completely damage the tires. Further, the under-inflated tires get overheated easily. Therefore, you need to avoid your car when the tires are under pressure and ensure to maintain the standard pressure all time.
Bottom Line
It is important that you have a quality tyre inflator pump because these can come in handy during the emergency. We mentioned the products which are affordable and reliable. Hope, this list of top 10 best tyre inflator pump will help you grab the best deal and saving money.
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