Bell Aire tire inflator

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Jun 1, 2012
Messages
491
Location
PA
Not sure this is the right forum, but anyway: I just bought a Bell Aire 5000 tire inflator from AAP; $41.xx with a coupon code and store pickup. The one piece that was missing from my in-trunk "be prepared" kit.

None of my tires was low, but just to see how it worked I pumped a coupla psi's into the left front, which was a hair lower than the right. Seemed to work fine; did not take long, though it was not much air, as noted. My issue with previous, less powerful inflators that friends have used (and once I used on behalf of a very car-phobic lady) is that it took forever to make any impact on a very low or flat tire.

This is the second-best/most expensive inflator Bell Aire makes. Figured it's worth it to get a good one if I'm gonna get anything.

Anyone have or use one of these?

Thanks.
 
I bough a couple tire inflators from Home Depot last year for $4/ea. It is a little slow(about 3-5 minutes) to add 5-6 PSI to a 235/45-17 size, I used 1 inflator about 6-7 times so far and it worked okay. For $4/ea I'm not complaining about little slowness. For 10 times what I paid I think yours is probably much faster.
 
I've owned an inflator, I own a compressor.

Nothing beats a good quality, high volume bike pump for topping up tires, IMO. It may be slow for pumping a flat tire, but so are the little 12v units. A bike pump packs easily and is completely benign. We're not setting beads.
 
I wish I'd seen those $4 Home Depot inflators!

I have a couple $8-10 12V cigarette lighter inflators, and I have a 12Volt (direct to battery) 150 PSI Compact Air Compressor $60 from HF (really more like $45-48 with a coupon). I also have a real air compressor.

http://www.harborfreight.com/12-volt-250-psi-compact-air-compressor-4077.html - small, compact, I just keep them in the car in my tool bags. noisy and slow, but better than having a flat. I also keep tire plug kits handy in my tool bags.

http://www.harborfreight.com/air-tools/a...ssor-69285.html - not quite as small, I toss it and a Jump'n'Carry in the car on long trips.

The little inflators work okay on car tires, but still take a long time. The direct to battery works fast. The compressor is the best. Each have their purpose though.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: thr_wedge
I wish I'd seen those $4 Home Depot inflators!

I have a couple $8-10 12V cigarette lighter inflators, and I have a 12Volt (direct to battery) 150 PSI Compact Air Compressor $60 from HF (really more like $45-48 with a coupon). I also have a real air compressor.

http://www.harborfreight.com/12-volt-250-psi-compact-air-compressor-4077.html - small, compact, I just keep them in the car in my tool bags. noisy and slow, but better than having a flat. I also keep tire plug kits handy in my tool bags.

http://www.harborfreight.com/air-tools/a...ssor-69285.html - not quite as small, I toss it and a Jump'n'Carry in the car on long trips.

The little inflators work okay on car tires, but still take a long time. The direct to battery works fast. The compressor is the best. Each have their purpose though.


I have been using this one - http://www.harborfreight.com/12v-100-psi-high-volume-air-compressor-69284.html for over a year now. I LOVE the thing.

It's been run through it's paces, too. One off roading trip someone else's compressor died so it inflated 4 of my tires and a friend's 33x12.5 tires! It was warm and it did take a few minutes - but it did get the job done!

That and bead leaks on my vehicles, plus helping people out here and there.

Just lube it up every few uses and it's good. I thought I broke it - dropped it and it started leaking. Turns out the handle came unscrewed!
 
The rapid fill 12V air compressors (usually $50-60 in the stores) tend to be faster and the direct drive quieter too. However, if starting them above 30psi they are capable of popping the cigarette lighter fuse, repeatedly. you have to start them first then connect the hose...
 
I bought two Craftsman 12V digital portable inflators on black Friday weekend 2011. They usually retail for about $29.99 in store, but they had a managers special for $15.

The most air I had to use it for was when the tire shop re-balanced my tires and only set them at 30 psi instead of 36 psi as required by Mazda. I like to run them at 38 psi. The Craftsman air compressor got them up to 38 psi really fast, and not to noisy either.

In the past I have used inexpensive units I picked up at Ross, and Big Lots. They were all slow and really noisy, and did not last long.

Sorry, I have no experience with Bellaire brand.
 
Originally Posted By: meep
The rapid fill 12V air compressors (usually $50-60 in the stores) tend to be faster and the direct drive quieter too. However, if starting them above 30psi they are capable of popping the cigarette lighter fuse, repeatedly. you have to start them first then connect the hose...


Interesting!
 
Originally Posted By: meep
The rapid fill 12V air compressors (usually $50-60 in the stores) tend to be faster and the direct drive quieter too. However, if starting them above 30psi they are capable of popping the cigarette lighter fuse, repeatedly. you have to start them first then connect the hose...


There's only so much you can run through a 20 amp fuse. Though the nice ones might be more efficient (power in to air out0 than the cheap ones it can't be by an order of magnitude.

I guess hardwiring would be the way to go about it, with some sort of fused quick-connect at the battery. By this point you might as well put another quick connect on a trickle charger.

If you were into road service you could have it puttering away in your trunk into a portable tank, as long as you could count on it shutting off at 90 PSI or the tank max.
 
I have this and works great - got it on black friday for like half the price about an year ago.
However, it's pretty powerful and people have reported blowing cig lighter fuse, so I either use it connected to car battery directly, or more often, I use it plugged into the 12v outlet on my Kloe (sp?) Jump starter, which has no problem powering the pump.

http://www.amazon.com/VIAIR-85P-Portable...s=tire+inflator
 
In addition to being careful about the starting the compressor, then attaching the air line, be aware that some of these small units don't like running for very long. Compressing air generates heat and you can burn these things out. Try not to inflate an entire tire from flat with it.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top