Air Compressors
Thread Starter
JK Super Freak
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 1,047
Likes: 0
From: Scottsdale, AZ
Air Compressors
I will say this now... I know nothing about air compressors accept that they're great when wanting to refill your tires after airing down. So let me apologize beforehand if a couple of my questions are way new'bish.
Questions:
1.) Can I get everything that I need for a workable/reliable air compressor for less than or no more than $500 bucks?
2.) What brands should I be looking at? Are some better than others?
3.) Could I do the install myself or is dealer/expert install recommended?
4.) How exactly do they work? Like, do I have to replace a canister every so often or something?
Thanks!
Questions:
1.) Can I get everything that I need for a workable/reliable air compressor for less than or no more than $500 bucks?
2.) What brands should I be looking at? Are some better than others?
3.) Could I do the install myself or is dealer/expert install recommended?
4.) How exactly do they work? Like, do I have to replace a canister every so often or something?
Thanks!
JK Super Freak
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 1,320
Likes: 0
From: WI
get a smittybuilt for $50 from 4wd
harbor freight also has one for $50 that is about the same.
I have the harbor freight one and my buddy has a smittybuilt they both fill our tires in an acceptable amount of time and they are not expensive.
harbor freight also has one for $50 that is about the same.
I have the harbor freight one and my buddy has a smittybuilt they both fill our tires in an acceptable amount of time and they are not expensive.
JK Super Freak
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 1,623
Likes: 5
From: Lawrenceville, NJ
Its about patience, utility, and generosity.
The lower end units take longer to air up.
The higher end units are faster.
If you get a faster unit, your buds will wait next to you while you are airing up, to borrow it when you're done.
So - the larger your tires, the more arthritic you are, etc..the faster you'll want your compressor to be.
If you want utility, say the ability to run air tools, it changes the set-up.
A good way to economize is to include a TANK. Even a cheap compressor can fill a tank to a high pressure (Say 150 psi) given enough time....so you could turn it on to charge the tank...and let it run until the tank is full....and than air up from the tank.
At 150 psi, a set of 33x12.5's might take ~ 4 gallons of air to air up from 15-25 psi or so (Lots of variable...but this is ballpark)
That means you might need 16 gallons at 150 psi to do 4 tires, once.
If you don't have room to carry the equivalent of a decent aquarium around with you, you could either do a few tires/one tire fast, and the others slowly, etc...
(Its not crazy to do one tire fast btw - You might need 10-15 minute/tire for an ARB entry level compressor for example....meaning ~ 45 minutes to ONE HOUR to air up...cutting 10-15 minutes off of that with that one tank shot means getting out of the park that much quicker.)
...or, get a faster compressor....etc.
The next question is generosity.....how important is it to NOT say NO! to a bud who wants to use your OBA?
This is because compressors have a DUTY CYCLE.
This means they are able to run for X minutes before overheating, and possibly being destroyed/damaged...the higher the duty cycle, the more time they can run w/o waiting to cool off.
A 100% duty cycle compressor is more expensive, and often has a built-in fan system and/or more efficient motors (Less energy turned into heat...), etc....but they can fill your tires, and all of your friends', no problem.
A typical 33% duty cycle compressor can fill your 4 tires, and then it should be allowed to cool down...if not, it potentially suffers an early failure, etc.
So - To decide what is a good choice, you need to evaluate:
1) How long am I willing to spend airing up?
2) Will I blow off my buds?
3) Will I run air tools?
After that - you can look at tank choices (You can run several smaller tanks, different shapes, etc...), compressor choices (PSI and CFM), and so forth.
The advantages to PSI are STORAGE (More air in same space), and, POWER, say to re-set a blown bead, etc.
The advantages to CFM (Cubic Feet per Minute) are primarily the time to reach a given volume, and, the ability to also run air tools, etc.
Most air tools need no more than about 90 psi, but 2-6 cfm at 90 psi.
Most battery powered compressors are hard pressed to supply that much flow at that pressure....and a tank is almost always required.
W/o needing to run tools, a good basic set up would be:
1) A compressor hard wired to the truck, with a cut-out switch in the dash.
2) The compressor fills a tank(s)
3) The tank sends a hose to the bumper, or other QD that you'll use to attach your tire filling hose, etc.
To make it work nicely, you'd:
1) Install a pressure solinoid to cut the power when the tank is full, turn it on when the PSI is low, etc.
2) Install a tank drain, to let out condensation, etc.
3) Install a tank blow-off valve, to avoid over expansion if filled when cool, and then heated, etc.
4) Install a one way valve on the compressor out-put, to prevent the pressurized air in the tank from backing back to the compressor, etc.
To run air tools, you'd just add a regulator to the out-put of the QD (Quick Disconnect air fitting), so you could adjust the actual PSI delivered (down to what the tool can handle w/o breaking, etc...).
(An oiler, condensate trap, etc...can just be plumbed into the HOSE that you use to power your air tools....or you just squirt some tool oil in as needed from time to time, clean them out, etc...)
So - Think about the above...its a driveway project...you should be able to do it yourself, and, I can make a wiring/plumbing diagram fairly quickly if needed.
Once you see what it is you are trying to do, its pretty straight forward really.
Plan B - CO2....Buy it, you're done, its w/in your budget, and its FAST.
Only real negative...you have to PAY to re-fill it, over and over again, forever....maybe $20 a pop, but that's maybe ~ 5 trips worth.
The lower end units take longer to air up.
The higher end units are faster.
If you get a faster unit, your buds will wait next to you while you are airing up, to borrow it when you're done.
So - the larger your tires, the more arthritic you are, etc..the faster you'll want your compressor to be.
If you want utility, say the ability to run air tools, it changes the set-up.
A good way to economize is to include a TANK. Even a cheap compressor can fill a tank to a high pressure (Say 150 psi) given enough time....so you could turn it on to charge the tank...and let it run until the tank is full....and than air up from the tank.
At 150 psi, a set of 33x12.5's might take ~ 4 gallons of air to air up from 15-25 psi or so (Lots of variable...but this is ballpark)
That means you might need 16 gallons at 150 psi to do 4 tires, once.
If you don't have room to carry the equivalent of a decent aquarium around with you, you could either do a few tires/one tire fast, and the others slowly, etc...
(Its not crazy to do one tire fast btw - You might need 10-15 minute/tire for an ARB entry level compressor for example....meaning ~ 45 minutes to ONE HOUR to air up...cutting 10-15 minutes off of that with that one tank shot means getting out of the park that much quicker.)
...or, get a faster compressor....etc.
The next question is generosity.....how important is it to NOT say NO! to a bud who wants to use your OBA?
This is because compressors have a DUTY CYCLE.
This means they are able to run for X minutes before overheating, and possibly being destroyed/damaged...the higher the duty cycle, the more time they can run w/o waiting to cool off.
A 100% duty cycle compressor is more expensive, and often has a built-in fan system and/or more efficient motors (Less energy turned into heat...), etc....but they can fill your tires, and all of your friends', no problem.
A typical 33% duty cycle compressor can fill your 4 tires, and then it should be allowed to cool down...if not, it potentially suffers an early failure, etc.
So - To decide what is a good choice, you need to evaluate:
1) How long am I willing to spend airing up?
2) Will I blow off my buds?
3) Will I run air tools?
After that - you can look at tank choices (You can run several smaller tanks, different shapes, etc...), compressor choices (PSI and CFM), and so forth.
The advantages to PSI are STORAGE (More air in same space), and, POWER, say to re-set a blown bead, etc.
The advantages to CFM (Cubic Feet per Minute) are primarily the time to reach a given volume, and, the ability to also run air tools, etc.
Most air tools need no more than about 90 psi, but 2-6 cfm at 90 psi.
Most battery powered compressors are hard pressed to supply that much flow at that pressure....and a tank is almost always required.
W/o needing to run tools, a good basic set up would be:
1) A compressor hard wired to the truck, with a cut-out switch in the dash.
2) The compressor fills a tank(s)
3) The tank sends a hose to the bumper, or other QD that you'll use to attach your tire filling hose, etc.
To make it work nicely, you'd:
1) Install a pressure solinoid to cut the power when the tank is full, turn it on when the PSI is low, etc.
2) Install a tank drain, to let out condensation, etc.
3) Install a tank blow-off valve, to avoid over expansion if filled when cool, and then heated, etc.
4) Install a one way valve on the compressor out-put, to prevent the pressurized air in the tank from backing back to the compressor, etc.
To run air tools, you'd just add a regulator to the out-put of the QD (Quick Disconnect air fitting), so you could adjust the actual PSI delivered (down to what the tool can handle w/o breaking, etc...).
(An oiler, condensate trap, etc...can just be plumbed into the HOSE that you use to power your air tools....or you just squirt some tool oil in as needed from time to time, clean them out, etc...)
So - Think about the above...its a driveway project...you should be able to do it yourself, and, I can make a wiring/plumbing diagram fairly quickly if needed.
Once you see what it is you are trying to do, its pretty straight forward really.
Plan B - CO2....Buy it, you're done, its w/in your budget, and its FAST.
Only real negative...you have to PAY to re-fill it, over and over again, forever....maybe $20 a pop, but that's maybe ~ 5 trips worth.
Last edited by TEEJ; Mar 7, 2009 at 04:18 PM.
Thread Starter
JK Super Freak
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 1,047
Likes: 0
From: Scottsdale, AZ
Teej...wow! Thanks for all of the info. I'm a tad confused but I'm pretty sure if I reread your info I'll understand it all. All kidding aside, thanks you guys. I really appreciate the help and what was written is very beneficial.
JK Junkie
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 2,164
Likes: 0
From: Catonsville, MD
JK Super Freak
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 1,117
Likes: 1
From: Piscataway,NJ
Here's one I did a few months back...
https://www.jk-forum.com/forums/modified-jk-tech-2/air-compressor-tank-installed-61831/
https://www.jk-forum.com/forums/modified-jk-tech-2/air-compressor-tank-installed-61831/