Most gas stations provide compressed air for free? Whose Tardis are you flyin’, chump? 'Cause that damn sure ain’t been true in no part of Texas I ever been through in the past 40 years. (In the ‘70s, yeah, it was like that. But not for a long time.) And the busted-ass machines that used to steal a quarter before you found out that the hose leaked? They’re $2.00 now. For maybe enough air to fill the donut spare on a PT Cruiser. Maybe. (Oh, and the cashier inside the joint ain’t gonna sell you no quarters, you bring your own or keep walkin’.)
Buy the damn compressor and keep its battery charged. You’re going to need it sooner or later. OBTW, the plug-into-the-lighter-socket compressors can blow a fuse before they finish filling a tire, so if you think you’re going to get ahead of the game and use one of those, just be ready with spare fuses, too. And don’t even try putting in a heavier one, that’s a sure way to let the smoke out of the car’s wiring, and then you are completely effed.
@Perfect_Timing@werehatrack Dunno about NY, but in CA, free air is required only if you’re buying fuel. The relevant law can be found in BPC 13651 (a) (1):
On and after January 1, 2000, every service station in this state shall provide, during operating hours, and make available at no cost to customers who purchase motor vehicle fuel, water, compressed air, and a gauge […]
@mediocrebot Yeah I was gonna comment on this. I’m in Maryland and I only know of one gas station that gives free air. Pretty ingenious actually, because it’s also the busiest.
@werehatrack Came to the comments to mention basically these same things. There are some free ones around, but those are almost guaranteed to be broken when you try to use them. The paid ones only might be broken. And they’re all inconvenient compared to a battery powered one you can use at home.
I don’t think $30 is a very good deal though, ours was cheaper than that.
@werehatrack When I was first driving in the 80s, every station had free air and the machine worked about half the time. Then they started charging a quarter, then 50 cents, then a dollar…and the machine still only worked about half the time. In the last few years most places where I live have upgraded to big fancy automated machines that cost about $3 but work really well. I haven’t seen a free air machine in decades.
@kdemo@pmarin Discount Tires does free inflation as well, but popular locations may have a long line of folks queued up. They’re in a lot of states, from Arizona to Ohio at the very least. (They also fix flats for free. They have absolutely nailed the concept of keeping the customers loyal by providing real value.)
@tjamesturner Looks like the Craftsman has less than a third of the battery capacity - 6,000mAh vs 20,000mAh here. In practical terms, they claim four tires worth of service vs. sixteen for the Zuzee.
It’s also rated at 78dB vs. 50dB for the Zuzee - almost eight times as loud. That difference suggests that the mechanical bits are also different.
I bought a similar item at Costco a few years ago and going from a regular ol’ inflator (I think it had a sealed-lead-acid battery in it which made it very heavy, but would go a loooong time between charges) to a lightweight inflator which allows me to set the target pressure and walk away was an absolute gamechanger (and I never knew how much summer/winter temps impacted cold tire pressure until we got vehicles with TPMS features).
I can’t speak to the quality/capacity of this one, but mine (it’s made by Fanttik) will use nearly all of its runtime topping off my huge truck tires. (Far less so when it’s time to top off my spouse’s XUV tires.)
I also saw this thing https://www.amazon.com/dp/B099SBMBJV recommended and even though it was pricey for a short length of hose with a quick-connect end, it + my Fanttik inflator make airing up my tires a breeze vs. a PITA chore.
Many cheap inflators like this one fail quickly. Autozone carries Slime brand; if you purchase one of each model, you still won’t get all four filled before they all die. (Guess how I know!) (They refunded all.) (They still sell them.)
All I’m saying is: IMMEDIATELY test this on your tires after purchasing, so if it’s crap it dies during the return period! Maybe even let 5 lb out first to top off, which is safe to drive on.
The downside of these is it takes a long time to fill a tire, even if you’re just topping it off. The ones at the gas station will be significantly faster. Count on a minute or two with this, which may not sound like a big deal, but you’re squatting or leaning down in an awkward uncomfortable position. Nonetheless, I’d get an inflator for home use. It’s also handy if you happen to know how to plug your own tires at home. I actually already have two of these. But not this brand.
@marknmd They usually (can’t speak for this model) have an automated stop, so you set the pressure, attach the tire and walk away. Yeah, enough time to do something else if the tire is pretty large/flat, but you don’t have to watch it.
@marknmd Ah! It’s actually a feature mentioned in the description “Automatically shuts off once the preset pressure is reached to prevent over-inflation” so no need to hold down a button.
I might have to buy another, I agree with @IAmBroom that none of these products are particularly robust. In the car I have a version without a battery that plugs into the 12V knowing that, if I ever did need a battery powered one on the road, I would have forgotten to charge it (or left it on the charger at home).
@ergomeh@marknmd I don’t know I’d recommend tire plugging at least on something for long highway trips. I had a truck tire that had a leak and turns out it was a small piece of sheet metal probably from a roofing project. A local tire place fixed it, and I forgot about it for about a year and a few 1000 miles. Then Miles away in Tennessee, it massively “exploded” leaving little tire left. It was a pain to get road service as it was already evening.
Anyway later on I figured out it was that same “repaired” tire but it had worked for at least 3000 miles. I can’t prove it but suspect it weakened some part of the tire structure.
Also my wife caught a bungee cord hook in a Tesla tire. Prevailing opinion was “you don’t want to repair that.” Partly due to tire performance structure and high-speed rating. So another $700 for 2 rear tires. And this was the basic model. After that we signed up for Tesla tire warranty for a few $ a month. Didn’t know that was available.
@marknmd@pmarin Yeah, I always seem to pick up problems that are “too close to the sidewall” to be fixed. I carry a can of spray-inglop, which I’d use in an emergency, but haven’t had to yet. Punctures always seem to require a new tire (or two, or four on AWD). They seem to be quite rare. Tire technology has improved a lot in the last 50+ years, but most of our mindset seems to be from older technology.
@ergomeh@marknmd@pmarin A basic roadside tire plug kit is also a good idea for when the hole is just a bit too big. It’s not hard to do and you don’t even have to take the wheel off in some cases. It could get you to the next town or next month, so you can better plan for a long term solution.
If you have a truck/RV/big SUV, and go on long journeys, I’d recommend a larger inflator from on of the tool battery systems: Milwaukee, Ryobi, Makita, DeWalt. All have much more powerful (and larger and expensive) inflators. On big trips I usually carried one of those systems along with other tools like drill, impact wrench. I’d say the Milwaukee is my favorite but all worked well. All have auto-stop at a pressure you set. Most you can walk away from to avoid the noise, except the Makita where you have to stay by it and hold the trigger — annoying.
I bought the refurbished Fanttik one when Meh offered it. I love that stupid little thing. Screw on the stem, adjust the pressure, and let it go. It’s not quiet but it is just super convenient. Now, I have never had to fill up a whole tire but it is perfect for checking pressure and topping it off. Perfect for the average slob.
On any of these, be sure to check the pressure readings before it’s too late to return. I have one where i threw the box away immediately, because i thought, “how bad could it be for $12”. Turns out, pretty bad. (off by 10 psi at 40)
I like the idea of having it available so I don’t have to wait in the gas station or try to figure out their pump. I bought 2 extra for family members.
I can’t speak for this model, but search YouTube for “Amazon Tire Inflators SCAM Exposed” and you’ll see that many of these devices do not have the advertised batteries included. I bought a different one, a Nexpow N17, back in Oct for $20 on sale and haven’t had any issues yet. It advertised 9000 mha and can top up all 4 tires several psi each when needed. Haven’t had to fill a flat tire yet, but I expect it could handle one
@vijaysdad hard to believe, but even on this site, some things have been sold with internal batteries way under-spec or failing completely in a few months.
As mentioned, check out things as you can in the (short) return period.
Another reason I recommend my idea of using commercial power-tool batteries which are usually much close to spec and with a couple of Yr warranty on the battery. I have had a few power-tool batteries fail, but this was after many years.
@vijaysdad The last Zuzee Z55 was riddled with issues:
I received two that were totally discharged (which is not great for battery longevity); One seems to be OK; The other seems weak and battery dies quick, but still works fine w/ 12V.
The product photo that said “28,000mAh”, yet the manual included clearly stated 12,000mAh (4000mAh x 3), so less than half;
Since mAh is a useless measurement, This works out to 44Whr; I got about 39Whr out of the ‘good’ one, which is decent.
These cannot be charged with the 12V barrel plug
The manual says ~5 hours with a 5V 3A charger. Both needed an overnight charge. Most of my mehtastic USB-A chargers are 5V 2.4A. Putting a USB analyzer on it, it seems to only pull about 1.2A, or about 5-6W (And I tried with several chargers/cables).
Anyway, I’m curious what kind of luck y’all have with these. I’m also curious what the manual to this one says about the battery capacity.
I bought this model from Sidedeal in July, and it’s done well for me. Though, as @werehatrack wrote, it can blow a fuse when plugged into the 12v “cigarette lighter” outlet. However, the performance when running on 12v vs the battery is so much better vs. on battery. The enclosed documentation says there’s a “lifetime warranty” if you register within 30 days, but the QR code takes you to the home page of their website which has no indication that you can register the purchase, so who knows if you can actually use the warranty.
Specs
Product: Zuzee Tire Inflator Portable Air Compressor with Digital Pressure Gauge
Model: Z1
Condition: New
What’s Included?
Price Comparison
$66.66 at Amazon
Warranty
90 days
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Dec 22 - Friday, Dec 26
I am really pumped up about this deal!!
@yakkoTDI / Hanz and Franz are here to pump you up!
I knew we were suffering from inflation!
Most gas stations provide compressed air for free? Whose Tardis are you flyin’, chump? 'Cause that damn sure ain’t been true in no part of Texas I ever been through in the past 40 years. (In the ‘70s, yeah, it was like that. But not for a long time.) And the busted-ass machines that used to steal a quarter before you found out that the hose leaked? They’re $2.00 now. For maybe enough air to fill the donut spare on a PT Cruiser. Maybe. (Oh, and the cashier inside the joint ain’t gonna sell you no quarters, you bring your own or keep walkin’.)
Buy the damn compressor and keep its battery charged. You’re going to need it sooner or later. OBTW, the plug-into-the-lighter-socket compressors can blow a fuse before they finish filling a tire, so if you think you’re going to get ahead of the game and use one of those, just be ready with spare fuses, too. And don’t even try putting in a heavier one, that’s a sure way to let the smoke out of the car’s wiring, and then you are completely effed.
@werehatrack
/showme a tough bird telling the cow who ate the cabbage
@werehatrack Around here we have free air at WaWa stations and the compressors usually work with a pretty accurate gauge.
I also have the bonus of free air at my condo but I have to supply my own gauge.
@werehatrack @yakkoTDI
Costco also has an unattended free air station for customers.
ProTip: They don’t check.
Sam’s Clubs are probably the same, but you might need to ask one of the mechanics if it isn’t outside.
@werehatrack can’t speak for Texas (and kinda wouldn’t want to), but it’s a legal requirement in both NY and CA.
@Perfect_Timing @werehatrack Dunno about NY, but in CA, free air is required only if you’re buying fuel. The relevant law can be found in BPC 13651 (a) (1):
(Emphasis added.)
@mediocrebot Yeah I was gonna comment on this. I’m in Maryland and I only know of one gas station that gives free air. Pretty ingenious actually, because it’s also the busiest.
@werehatrack Came to the comments to mention basically these same things. There are some free ones around, but those are almost guaranteed to be broken when you try to use them. The paid ones only might be broken. And they’re all inconvenient compared to a battery powered one you can use at home.
I don’t think $30 is a very good deal though, ours was cheaper than that.
@werehatrack When I was first driving in the 80s, every station had free air and the machine worked about half the time. Then they started charging a quarter, then 50 cents, then a dollar…and the machine still only worked about half the time. In the last few years most places where I live have upgraded to big fancy automated machines that cost about $3 but work really well. I haven’t seen a free air machine in decades.
@merichmond @werehatrack
Might help if you mentioned which places those were.
@rpstrong @werehatrack I thought we were just sharing our experiences, not doing research. I live in North Carolina.
@mediocrebot - Is Les Schwab Tires a national chain? Around here they’ll inflate anyone’s tires for free.
@kdemo @mediocrebot they are very good. I think they are Western states only.
@kdemo @pmarin Discount Tires does free inflation as well, but popular locations may have a long line of folks queued up. They’re in a lot of states, from Arizona to Ohio at the very least. (They also fix flats for free. They have absolutely nailed the concept of keeping the customers loyal by providing real value.)
@kdemo @werehatrack Yes, I have used Discount Tires and recommend them too.
/youtube David bowie tire pressure
@phendrick uh, don’t think David B sanctioned that one. I’ll Try again,
@phendrick
/youtube David Bowie, under pressure
@phendrick
I picked up a craftsman brand unit for the same price last month. looks like it’s 6$ more today https://a.co/d/iUcPth1
@tjamesturner Looks like the Craftsman has less than a third of the battery capacity - 6,000mAh vs 20,000mAh here. In practical terms, they claim four tires worth of service vs. sixteen for the Zuzee.
It’s also rated at 78dB vs. 50dB for the Zuzee - almost eight times as loud. That difference suggests that the mechanical bits are also different.
@rpstrong nice contrast. I’m not sure the battery size matters to me, but that noise difference is huge!
@tjamesturner That ten foot, 12v cable should ease most cases of ‘range anxiety’, reducing the battery advantage.
BTW, it looks like the Craftsman might be using (4) 18650 cells vs. (4) 21700s for the Zuzee - but that’s a guess.
I bought a similar item at Costco a few years ago and going from a regular ol’ inflator (I think it had a sealed-lead-acid battery in it which made it very heavy, but would go a loooong time between charges) to a lightweight inflator which allows me to set the target pressure and walk away was an absolute gamechanger (and I never knew how much summer/winter temps impacted cold tire pressure until we got vehicles with TPMS features).
I can’t speak to the quality/capacity of this one, but mine (it’s made by Fanttik) will use nearly all of its runtime topping off my huge truck tires. (Far less so when it’s time to top off my spouse’s XUV tires.)
I also saw this thing https://www.amazon.com/dp/B099SBMBJV recommended and even though it was pricey for a short length of hose with a quick-connect end, it + my Fanttik inflator make airing up my tires a breeze vs. a PITA chore.
@andymand thanks for the quick-connect link. Not quite sure yet if it’s worth $25, but added it to my wishlist!
Many cheap inflators like this one fail quickly. Autozone carries Slime brand; if you purchase one of each model, you still won’t get all four filled before they all die. (Guess how I know!) (They refunded all.) (They still sell them.)
All I’m saying is: IMMEDIATELY test this on your tires after purchasing, so if it’s crap it dies during the return period! Maybe even let 5 lb out first to top off, which is safe to drive on.
The downside of these is it takes a long time to fill a tire, even if you’re just topping it off. The ones at the gas station will be significantly faster. Count on a minute or two with this, which may not sound like a big deal, but you’re squatting or leaning down in an awkward uncomfortable position. Nonetheless, I’d get an inflator for home use. It’s also handy if you happen to know how to plug your own tires at home. I actually already have two of these. But not this brand.
@marknmd They usually (can’t speak for this model) have an automated stop, so you set the pressure, attach the tire and walk away. Yeah, enough time to do something else if the tire is pretty large/flat, but you don’t have to watch it.
@ergomeh Good to know. Mine is a Harbor Freight, it doesn’t have that. Mind has just a trigger you have to hold. Thanks
@marknmd Ah! It’s actually a feature mentioned in the description “Automatically shuts off once the preset pressure is reached to prevent over-inflation” so no need to hold down a button.
I might have to buy another, I agree with @IAmBroom that none of these products are particularly robust. In the car I have a version without a battery that plugs into the 12V knowing that, if I ever did need a battery powered one on the road, I would have forgotten to charge it (or left it on the charger at home).
@ergomeh @marknmd I don’t know I’d recommend tire plugging at least on something for long highway trips. I had a truck tire that had a leak and turns out it was a small piece of sheet metal probably from a roofing project. A local tire place fixed it, and I forgot about it for about a year and a few 1000 miles. Then Miles away in Tennessee, it massively “exploded” leaving little tire left. It was a pain to get road service as it was already evening.
Anyway later on I figured out it was that same “repaired” tire but it had worked for at least 3000 miles. I can’t prove it but suspect it weakened some part of the tire structure.
Also my wife caught a bungee cord hook in a Tesla tire. Prevailing opinion was “you don’t want to repair that.” Partly due to tire performance structure and high-speed rating. So another $700 for 2 rear tires. And this was the basic model. After that we signed up for Tesla tire warranty for a few $ a month. Didn’t know that was available.
@marknmd @pmarin Yeah, I always seem to pick up problems that are “too close to the sidewall” to be fixed. I carry a can of spray-inglop, which I’d use in an emergency, but haven’t had to yet. Punctures always seem to require a new tire (or two, or four on AWD). They seem to be quite rare. Tire technology has improved a lot in the last 50+ years, but most of our mindset seems to be from older technology.
@ergomeh @marknmd @pmarin A basic roadside tire plug kit is also a good idea for when the hole is just a bit too big. It’s not hard to do and you don’t even have to take the wheel off in some cases. It could get you to the next town or next month, so you can better plan for a long term solution.
KuoH
@ergomeh You may be in luck! I ended up with the Harbor Freight one, and it’s refilled at least 10 times over the last 2 years; still going strong.
NEVER EVER plug it onto the tire valve without turning it on first! The directions are very clear about that.
A TV deals site (not Morningsave) has an identical-looking unit but with different name. On “sale” for $55.99 today.
If you have a truck/RV/big SUV, and go on long journeys, I’d recommend a larger inflator from on of the tool battery systems: Milwaukee, Ryobi, Makita, DeWalt. All have much more powerful (and larger and expensive) inflators. On big trips I usually carried one of those systems along with other tools like drill, impact wrench. I’d say the Milwaukee is my favorite but all worked well. All have auto-stop at a pressure you set. Most you can walk away from to avoid the noise, except the Makita where you have to stay by it and hold the trigger — annoying.
I’ve filled both my minivan and little civic with their other one a couple times. Handy to have around, and…
They didn’t say it couldn’t make a margherita.
@HRabie I think it could charge a BlendJet from the USB port. Not a heavy-duty margarita but would work in a pinch.
I bought the refurbished Fanttik one when Meh offered it. I love that stupid little thing. Screw on the stem, adjust the pressure, and let it go. It’s not quiet but it is just super convenient. Now, I have never had to fill up a whole tire but it is perfect for checking pressure and topping it off. Perfect for the average slob.
@heymoe9 I am glad I bought mine (same as yours). It is very loud and very slow, but
it does inflate your tire when you have no other way!
@tommytoad0 Yep. It’s perfect for when my car tire pressure sensor comes on.
On any of these, be sure to check the pressure readings before it’s too late to return. I have one where i threw the box away immediately, because i thought, “how bad could it be for $12”. Turns out, pretty bad. (off by 10 psi at 40)
As Yogi Berra said, “If ya need one, you’ll find out when ya don’t have one!!” 🫣
I like the idea of having it available so I don’t have to wait in the gas station or try to figure out their pump. I bought 2 extra for family members.
I can’t speak for this model, but search YouTube for “Amazon Tire Inflators SCAM Exposed” and you’ll see that many of these devices do not have the advertised batteries included. I bought a different one, a Nexpow N17, back in Oct for $20 on sale and haven’t had any issues yet. It advertised 9000 mha and can top up all 4 tires several psi each when needed. Haven’t had to fill a flat tire yet, but I expect it could handle one
@vijaysdad hard to believe, but even on this site, some things have been sold with internal batteries way under-spec or failing completely in a few months.
As mentioned, check out things as you can in the (short) return period.
Another reason I recommend my idea of using commercial power-tool batteries which are usually much close to spec and with a couple of Yr warranty on the battery. I have had a few power-tool batteries fail, but this was after many years.
@vijaysdad The last Zuzee Z55 was riddled with issues:
Anyway, I’m curious what kind of luck y’all have with these. I’m also curious what the manual to this one says about the battery capacity.
I bought this model from Sidedeal in July, and it’s done well for me. Though, as @werehatrack wrote, it can blow a fuse when plugged into the 12v “cigarette lighter” outlet. However, the performance when running on 12v vs the battery is so much better vs. on battery. The enclosed documentation says there’s a “lifetime warranty” if you register within 30 days, but the QR code takes you to the home page of their website which has no indication that you can register the purchase, so who knows if you can actually use the warranty.
@tet3 Looks like you get a whole 90 days in full from meh.com on this sale
Well, math is mathing, I guess
40 is definitely “over 3”
/giphy crackling-melodious-reindeer
Mmmmmmm, reindeer steaks!
@ybmuG Donder and Blitzen! No! They deserve sous vide!
Got it and put it to use immediately. It works great. No regrets!