Portable Air

Two thoughts... One, there's no way that little Smittybilt compressor has an honest 5.65 CFM rating, that's absolute pure 100% BS. They can only rate it that high when it's pumping into open air... not into the back pressure a tire presents. Our lungs can probably put out 5 CFM into the open air but our lungs certainly can't put anywhere near that into a tire. Realistically, that Smittybilt is probably putting out under 2 CFM into 20 psi if that much. An honest CFM rating includes the pressure the CFM was rated into which is not how Smittybilt rates theirs.

Two, you can put together a very nice portable C02 system for $160-170 or so by buying the parts on your own. I paid $80 or so for my 10 lb. aluminum C02 tank online, $50 for the regulator, and the rest on misc. parts purchased at Home Depot/Harbor Freight Tools. A C02 tank can put out an honest 4-5 CFM while filling tires and even easily drive air tools, not that I'd waste C02 on running an air tool. My home-built C02 OBA system can refill all four of my 35's from 6-8 psi to 25 psi in 5 minutes total, close to what my previous York belt-driven OBA system could do.
 
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Gotta love all this marketing gimmick bullshit these companies use (Metalcloak comes to mind) to sell us on their products.
 
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Jerry Bransford said:
Two thoughts... One, there's no way that little Smittybilt compressor has an honest 5.65 CFM rating, that's absolute pure 100% BS. They can only rate it that high when it's pumping into open air... not into the back pressure a tire presents. Our lungs can probably put out 5 CFM into the open air but our lungs certainly can't put anywhere near that into a tire. Realistically, that Smittybilt is probably putting out under 2 CFM into 20 psi if that much. An honest CFM rating includes the pressure the CFM was rated into which is not how Smittybilt rates theirs.

Two, you can put together a very nice portable C02 system for $160-170 or so by buying the parts on your own. I paid $80 or so for my 10 lb. aluminum C02 tank online, $50 for the regulator, and the rest on misc. parts purchased at Home Depot/Harbor Freight Tools. A C02 tank can put out an honest 4-5 CFM while filling tires and even easily drive air tools, not that I'd waste C02 on running an air tool. My home-built C02 OBA system can refill all four of my 35's from 6-8 psi to 25 psi in 5 minutes total, close to what my previous York belt-driven OBA system could do.
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Old thread revival.
Jerry how many fills do you get out of your tank? Autofill and auto correct can be real pains in the ass!
 
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xenocryst said:
@Jerry Bransford do you have a tutorial somewhere on how to construct that home brew OBA system?
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I bought a 10 lb. aluminum CO2 tank online from a beverage supply website where they are much cheaper for the same tank sold by a 4x4 site. Make sure it has the big plastic handle on it as shown in the first link.

LIke at this website: https://beveragelements.com/beverag.../10-lb-co2-cylinder-with-handle-aluminum-new/ (most sources are much more expensive than this one whose price is only $84.99)

Co2 tank.png


You can get a regulator from http://www.polyperformance.com/poly-performance-co2-fixed-regulator-227c-150

Then add the fittings & 45 degree angle to that regulator so it looks like the below. On the quick disconnect, be sure to get the 'Universal' style which fits both styles of male fittings commonly in use on air fittings. Add an air hose or coiled air hose and a tire chuck and you're done. Harbor Freight Tools has most of those parts, Home Depot will have the brass adapters too. Use teflon tape when putting them together. Make sure to only install the universal style quick disconnect or you may find yourself being unable to plug something into it later. Harbor Freight normally stocks them, my local tool specialty store carries them too.

reg-jpg.147563.jpg


I recommend this style tire chuck with a spring loaded clip. That way you don't have to hold the tire chuck on the valve stem while you're filling the tires.
41kLpgZGavL.jpg
 
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Serbonze said:
Holy shit. I've been looking at cordless impacts and not until I saw this post did it dawn on me that I have a Makita hammer drill with charger and three batteries in my garage that will work in that impact. No issue with it?

I feel so stupid...lol
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No issue whatsoever. I love it!

I've also had very good luck with Makita products in general.
 
Serbonze said:
Holy shit. I've been looking at cordless impacts and not until I saw this post did it dawn on me that I have a Makita hammer drill with charger and three batteries in my garage that will work in that impact. No issue with it?
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If I understand what you're saying, a hammer drill is not the same thing as an impact wrench, they are definitely not interchangeable. :)
 
My Makita definitely isn't a hammer drill, it's an impact wrench. I have a separate hammer drill :D
 
xenocryst said:
How do you refill the CO2 tank when it's time?
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Take it to a welding supply shop or a shop like Airgas, they refill gas cylinders for welders who also use CO2. Some shops just swap tanks with you so if you want to paint or keep the new CO2 tank you buy, find one that will just refill it and not want to swap it. Airgas will only swap tanks, they won't refill yours while you wait.
 
Jerry Bransford said:
If I understand what you're saying, a hammer drill is not the same thing as an impact wrench, they are definitely not interchangeable. :)
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Let me clarify for you. I have a Makita cordless hammer drill, a battery charger, and three batteries. The Makita impact that Chris linked uses the same batteries. Therefore, I can buy just the impact that he linked (that doesn't come with batteries or a charger) with no need to purchase anything else.
 
Rob5589 said:
Jerry, how and where do you mount yours?
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It's not permanently mounted, I usually just keep it inside a big huge aluminum storage box in the back of my Jeep. A cinch strap is sometimes used to hold it to the vertical section of the-most part of the rear rollbar as you can see below.

That's a bike lock through the top of it to add a little more security. And a protective black rubber crutch tip covering the quick connect fitting.

CO2-tank-on-Jeep.jpg
 
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For those that are leaning toward 12V compressors, most of them are total sh*t out of China. I'd be surprised if most of them can inflate a single tire before they seize up or wear out the valving/piston.

One option is the HP series air compressors sold by Pacbrake (aka Pacific Diesel Brake). This company sells product primarily aimed at the medium duty truck market, not the bubba's in their stinky modified pickup trucks. On a MD truck with juice brakes, there is no air system to operate the exhaust brake. So these compressors are designed for the long-haul, not occasional use. As such, they should hold up very well. They are packaged up in various kits but the basic compressor is reasonable.

http://performancetruckproducts.com/hp10142-pacbrake-12v-hp325-air-compressor

http://pacbrake.com/air/onboard-air-management/air-compressor-kits/

I'm sure Jacobs also sells a similar product (thru Cummins) but I've always found them to be a lot more money.
 
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