We went on a small get-away this fall in the West Virginia mountains. Things there are located FAR apart, including gas stations so when the tire light came on we struggled to find anywhere within an hour drive where we could get our tires checked.
We decided to find something to avoid the worry of not knowing if the tire is bad or how to fix it. Turned out we just needed to put air in it, so this mobile unit seemed perfect. Small, fits in the back without taking a lot of space, but comes with a long cord so you don't need additional accessories. The unit arrived quickly and testing it was a breeze. Well, it takes a while (that's a very optimistic way of putting it) to setup and inflate the tires. For our SUV it was about 20 minutes from start to finish - setting it up, 4 tires getting about 4PSI added to them, and packing it up again. It's not fast - but that's not why you want this. You can now check your tires regardless of how far there is to the next gas station (hoping they have compressed air).
The unit is light and very easy to operate. But because it's small and has long wires, it's a bit of a challenge to get the wires tucked in so it fits in the bag. You have to screw in hose into the tire - that did take me a few minutes the first time to figure out. Once inserted, the pump will start measuring the current pressure. Now, this will take a while - it went up from about 25PSI to 28PSI before it stopped at one time - that's before you start pumping air. Then all you have to do is turn it on and it starts pumping while you wait. It pumps VERY slowly as the PSI increases. But it gets there.
The unit has a memory - you can set how much pressure to put in the tire. I haven't seen the unit STOP when it reaches the number, but it does stop increasing the pressure according to the display. Once you're done with a tire, you turn the unit off (the light will stay on all the time it's hooked up), unscrew the hose from the tire and move to the next tire, rinse and repeat. We have a small Prius and a SUV - in both cases the electric rod is not long enough to reach around the car - meaning as you move from the driver side to the passenger side you have to drag the unit through the car - not over/above. But for both vehicles doing so gives you plenty of cable to reach each tire without any obstructions. The hookup seems far enough for most cars even though you have to go through the car to get to the passenger side.
It's a great road-side pump - good for long travels.
Note - the unit does get warm - close to hot - after being used for 15 minutes inflating 4 tires (yes it's slow!). But it has a good handle so you don't have to touch the metal side.
| Brand | EPAuto |
|---|---|
| Voltage | 12 Volts |
| Recommended Uses For Product | Tire Inflation |
| Power Source | Corded Electric |
| Noise Level | 84.2 dB |
| Special Feature | Automatic shut off |
| Included Components | 1 |
| Item Weight | 16 ounces |
| Maximum Power | 180 Watts |
| Capacity | 3.5 Liters |
| Color | Blue |
| Product Dimensions | 13.5"L x 8.1"W x 5.6"H |
| Air Flow Capacity | 1.06 Cubic Feet Per Minute |
| Model Name | 1 |
| Hose Length | 1279.53 Inches |
| Manufacturer | EPAuto |
| Part Number | AT-010-1Z |
| Item Weight | 1 pounds |
| Item model number | AT-010-1Z |
| Batteries | AAA batteries required. |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Item Package Quantity | 1 |
| Special Features | Automatic shut off |
| Batteries Included? | No |
| Batteries Required? | No |
| Battery Cell Type | Lithium-Phosphate |
