Sept 04: 12v Compressors
Keep your tyres topped up on holiday and at home with these compressors and footpumps | |
12-VOLT COMPRESSORS
Twelve-volt compressors plug into your car’s cigarette lighter socket or 12V socket and use a combination of motor and small pump to force air into your tyres. In our test we measured how long it took each product to inflate a flat 165R13 tyre up to 30PSI, plus the length of the power lead and air hose, and the accuracy of the the pressure gauge. Some units have a digital display and work automatically – you dial in the desired pressure, and the compressor cuts out when the tyre reaches it. All units come with a selection of adaptors for use with footballs and inflatables, but for large inflatables, such as airbeds or dinghies, progress will be slow because these pumps throw out small volumes of air at high pressure – big inflatables need lots of air at a relatively low pressure. Some compressors have
a separate outlet for this job; often they will also suck air out. Lights are another common feature that contribute to a compressor’s usefulness.
DETAILED WRITE-UP FOR EACH COMPRESSOR, MAY BE FOUND IN THE SEPT 2004 ISSUE OF THE MAGAZINE. |
ITC Truck and SUV Compressor
Price £34.96
Tel 01604 646433
Website www.international-tool.com
Inflation test time 3.4 minutes
ITC’s compressor is from the same school of thought as Halfords’ Rapid unit (below). In other words, it pumps tyres up impressively quickly but doesn’t do a lot else. It’s also not as fast and it costs more.
FULL WRITE-UP IN THE MAGAZINE
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Halfords Rapid Digital Tyre Inflator
Price £28.99
Tel 08457 626 625
Website www.halfords.com
Inflation test time
3.08 minutes
When Halfords says rapid, it’s not kidding
– this must be one of the fastest compressors available. It is also one of the quieter units in the group. As with the Michelin (right), it’s automatic – simply set the pressure and leave the machine to do the rest.
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Michelin 12252
Price £34.99
Tel 01980 676400
Website www.caeurope.co.uk
Inflation test time 4.48 minutes
The Michelin name carries a lot of respect in the tyre world, and judging by this unit the company is keen to make sure its new accessories range keeps up the good work. What strikes us about this product is its compact size, especially as it doubles as an inflatables compressor/de-compressor. In other words, a low pressure outlet that makes short work of pumping up dinghies and airbeds, and also sucks them flat again, making them easier to pack away.
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Draper 65958
Price £12.95
Tel 02380 266355
Website www.drapertools.com
Inflation test time 4.3 minutes
Pressure monitoring is manual in this budget unit, but the gauge is clear enough, and reasonably accurate – the reading was over by a fairly nominal 2PSI. It’s self-contained with a compartment for the air hose and three adaptors, and the power lead wraps around the unit’s base with clips to secure it.
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Halfords Digital Tyre Inflator
Price £23.99
Tel 08457 626625
Website www.halfords.com
Inflation test time
4.32 minutes
This is a trimmed-down version of the Halfords’ Rapid Inflator. As you might expect, performance isn’t as fast as its sibling, but it’s no slouch either. Our test tyre reached the desired pressure in less time than with many of the compressors here. Halfords has retained the automatic operation and digital display, and the novel swivelling power plug.
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MVP Superline 5 in 1 Deflator/Inflator
Price £39.95
Tel 01332 290833
Website www.carparts-direct.co.uk
Inflation test time 4.10 minutes
This compressor is a real multi-tasker: it will pump up your tyres, inflate and deflate big inflatables, and is a powerful torch in its own right, although the gauge isn’t backlit. Its tyre-pumping
performance lags behind Halfords’ Rapid compressor but beats the Michelin.
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Michelin 12250
Price £24.99
Tel 01980 676400
Website
www.caeurope.co.uk
Inflation test time
10 minutes
With this Michelin unit you get the backlit digital
display and automatic
pressure monitoring, so the unit is a doddle to operate. But the 12252’s low pressure deflator/inflator is not included with this model.
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Draper 69164
Price £25.95
Tel 02380 266355
Website www.drapertools.com
Inflation test time 5.08 minutes
This unit inflates both tyres and low-pressure inflatables – it can deflate them, too. Its tyre pumping performance isn’t as snappy as many units here, but it isn’t embarrassingly slow either. The leads and hoses are amply long enough, and they all store easily in a single large compartment.
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| BOOSTER-BASED
COMPRESSORS |
Hamilton Classic Portable Power and Air Booster Pack
Price £49.95
Tel 08702 048080
Website www.hamiltonclassic.co.uk
Progress after two minutes’ inflation 13PSI
A superb all rounder that’s both well thought out and a good performer. Two minutes of pumping saw our 185R14 tyre’s pressure raise from 0 to 13PSI, which is marginally better than the other booster-based
compressors in this group
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Cosmo Model 9000C
Price £41.11
Tel 01509 500500
Website www.sip-group.com
Progress after two
minutes’ inflation 12 PSI
This is the cheapest of the booster products. It also has a safety feature that others might do well to emulate. On all other models the jump leads are permanently live, which makes it impossible to connect them to a vehicle without some sparking.
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Clarke Jump Start 910
Price £49.93
Tel 01992 565300
Website www.clarkeinternational.com
Progress after two minutes’ inflation 12 PSI
This is very similar to the Cosmo unit (left), but there is no isolating switch so the jump leads are permanently live. The combination of this with its £9 dearer price lowers its rating here. It’s a shame because, even at just under £50, this is still a lot of product for the money. The internal battery kicks out 900A peak, which means it will start most cars and 4x4s with dead batteries.
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SIP 07304 Rescue Pac
Price £58.74
Tel 01509 500300
Website www.sip-group.com
Progress after two minutes inflation 11 PSI
This unit is marginally slower than the winning Hamilton Classic (above) but the gauge is more accurate, with the error dropping to 1.5PSI. The jump leads are longer, at 60cm, but the air hose length drops to a still usable 65cm. It has only one 12V socket built in. But it’s the unit’s lights that really impress.
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Clarke FP200
Price £9.39
Tel 01992 565300
Website www.clarkeinternational.com
Pressure after 50 pumps 11PSI
For under £10 Clarke has produced a footpump that may look conventional, but performs almost as well as the sleeker-looking and more costly Michelin. After our 50-pump test the pressure wasn’t far behind, and the air hose is a very usable 60cm long.
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Laser 2666
Price £19.99
Tel 01926 815999
Website www.lasertools.co.uk
Pressure after 50
pumps 7PSI
At first glance, the Laser pump appears to be completely traditional. But when you look closer the high build quality becomes apparent. The frame is
covered in a thick, glossy black coating, and the barrel is beautifully finished in satin grey.
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Halfords Twin-Barrel Foot Pump
Price £14.99
Tel 08457 626 625
Website www.halfords.com
Pressure after 50 pumps 13PSI
This costs almost half as much again as the Clarke, and it’s
difficult to justify that higher price, despite it being the most effective footpump here. It does have a better clip for locking the two halves together – it’s the full width of the pump and slots into place around the foot pad. But points are lost for the gauge and pad.
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Michelin 12202
Price £19.99
Tel 01980 676400
Website www.caeurope.co.uk
Pressure after 50 pumps 12PSI
Making a footpump look desirable is no easy task. But Michelin has done just that with this unit, and at the same time addressed many other weaknesses in the traditional footpump. The most noticeable is the large foot pad area, which is covered in a durable non-slip rubber. Another improvement is the gauge.
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