Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Yes it's much easier to use the compressor than to change a tire. I run over a lot of nails so this gets me to the mechanic (or at least the gas station) hassle free.
I have always found it handy to have a compressor in the car, especially if you are on a road trip, even with new tires. On two occasions, both freezing winter nights with single-digit temperatures, mine have come in handy. And, I do have AAA, but would rather not sit by the road and wait for something like air.
__________________
All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.
~William Shakespeare (As You Like It Act II, Scene VII)
I have one of these (not with the fancy automatic setting though), and have found it very handy. We've used it on vehicles, bicycles, trailers, and the suspension airbags on my boyfriend's truck. We're actually wanting to buy another one so he can have one (so he can give mine back to me, really ).
I'd much rather spend $30 on one of these and know that if I have a slow leak in a tire or need to adjust my air pressure to handle a load I can at least get to the next town, than have to sit on the side of the road in the middle of winter waiting on someone to come rescue me.
I get one every year or so at Sears/K Mart. It's a Craftsman and it's frequently on sale at a similar price...they don't last forever and they have a warranty, so I haven't actually had to buy one in some time. Around here air at the gas station is typically 75c and I've owned some tires and wheels over the years that simply could not hold air. My Aura used to bend steel wheels on a regular basis and I'd have to add 15-25 psi a day to a tire on occasion.
these things usually overheat before you get any real pressure in them. Spend a little more and you can get a compressor that'll fill up tires very quickly. Not portable though.
these things usually overheat before you get any real pressure in them. Spend a little more and you can get a compressor that'll fill up tires very quickly. Not portable though.
Overheating can be an issue if you're trying to inflate a tire from zero. If you're just trying to add a few pounds on the go, no problem.
FWIW Big Lots has a larger sized but manual air compressor with an LED lantern on it for $20, Victor brand. I just used mine today to add some air to a co-worker's tire that was nearly flat, flat enough that I wouldn't have wanted to drive the car the 2-3 miles to the nearest 7-Eleven where they have a coin-op compressor.
Highly recommend these not only for a sudden low tire but also to people who don't have the space for a "real" compressor.
I don't know about the Slime compressor but a better buy for portability and utility may be one of the emergency battery jump starters with a small compressor built in it. Just this past week I found myself 100 miles from home with a flat tire on my trailer from a slow leak. I aired the tire up, drove home then repaired the tire myself in the comfort of my shop.
Another time, while driving to Albuquerque, I found myself stranded on the Interstate about ten miles east of Moriarty when I realized my alternator on my F150 had quit. Oddly no dash lights were ever displayed so I had no advanced warning until the truck stopped. The truck had simply run until the battery died and, consequently, so did the ignition. We hooked up the emergency jump starter charger to the truck's battery for a few minutes were able to drive on to Moriarty where I had a full charge put on the truck battery. That got us on into Albuquerque where I replaced the alternator myself for the cost of an Autozone alternator. Had I had to have someone replace the alternator out on the road, the cost would have been tripled or quite possibly more.
I often use these jump starters to start my old tractors but recently, and more relevant to this discussion, is my use of a emergency jump starter to power my Smartphone through the jump starter's cigarette lighter feature while I was attending to a rent house whose electricity had been shut off between tenants. I suppose I could have also used the 110 feature on the jump starter to power a few lights in the house but I had a gasoline powered generator with me at the time for that purpose.
I've had a couple of these very useful tools but the one I have now is this one; also from Walmart:
Last edited by High_Plains_Retired; 12-20-2013 at 03:47 PM..
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
). 
