Electric Air Compressor - Which Is The Best One For Your Bike?

Which is the best electric air compressor?

For the task of keeping your bicycle tires at their optimum pressure, using electric air compressors could be a great alternative to bicycle floor pump. Keeping optimum pressure is vital if you want to both optimize the tire performance and also to reduce the risk of getting punctures. There are many different types of pumps on the market that can be used for the job, some of which are manual, and some of which are powered. An electric air compressor could be one option, so here are a few questions you might wish to consider before buying one to keep your tires topped off:

What pressures do your tires require?
Are you looking for a multi-tasking electric air compressor?
Where do you need to use your pump?

These questions will get you started in finding out whether an electric air compressor will provide you with the performance you require.

Selected Quality Electric Air Compressors

Tips for Selecting the Best Electric Air Compressor

Performance

Electric air compressor performance is dependent on several factors that range from the tank size to the power of the pump that maintains the pressure within the tank. Electric air compressors are designed for inflation of lower pressure items or high-pressure operation with items such as nail guns or framing guns. Most will state that their performance is compliant with ISO 1217, but you should note that this only relates to a working pressure of 100 PSI at 20°C and 1 bar of absolute pressure.

Nozzles and Accessories

Most electric air compressors will come with a wide range of nozzles and accessories as they are designed to be multi-use items that are suitable for DIY projects as well as for general inflation duties. Commonly included nozzles are Schrader compatible nozzles, needle nozzles, and cone adapters. It is also usual to have a trigger section included so that for items without a built-in trigger, such as nail guns, the pressure output can be controlled.

Pressure Gauge

The first thing to note about electric air compressor performance is that it does not have a simple maximum pressure rating. The pressure rating is combined with the flow rate, in cubic feet per minute (CFM), to provide the pressure rating specification. It is worth noting that the maximum pressure rating stated on these devices is an instantaneous rating for devices such as DIY tools, and it is not a continuous pressure, as would be required in inflation activities.

Applications

Electric air compressors can be used for a wide range of uses that range from DIY applications, such as in frame and nail guns and also in paint spraying, to the inflation of beach balls. Each compressor usually comes with a range of accessories that make it a relatively simple job to select the right connector and link into the system of your choice.

Ease of Use

Electric air compressors are generally very easy to use. However, there are fairly strict maintenance requirements to keep the pump operating optimally. You are likely to find that the manuals accompanying some of these types of device do not provide you with all of the information you require to both operate and maintain your compressor properly and so you should always carry out additional research to ensure that you are not causing any damage to your compressor by not being aware of maintenance requirements.

Value for Money

Electric air compressors are generally a lot more expensive than other types of pumps that are used for bicycle tire inflation. Prices start at around $75, but they very quickly rise to several hundreds of dollars. If you only want an electric air compressor for bicycle tires, these items are not good value for money, but if you have a range of other uses for them, then perhaps they are more cost-effective but do look carefully at the specifications provided for each pump when you consider it.

Check out Electric Air Compressor Reviews


Model	Comments	Score
Porter Cable Oil Free Compressor	A good general purpose inflator, but as it is suitable for high pressure tires it is not dedicated built as a bicycle tire inflator.	3.0
Campbell Hausfeld Portable Air Compressor	Quite a good value for money, but it is not the best general use pump as it required some level of maintenance and specialist knowledge to maintain and use.	3.0
Porter Cable Oil Free Shrouded Compressor	A reasonable, general use electric air compressor, but it is not suitable as an everyday pump for a road bike.	3.0
Senco Horsepower 1 Gallon Electric Air Compressor	This little electric air compressor isn’t designed to pump air into all types of bike tires. It is still useful for occasionally topping off mountain bike tires.	2.0
Makita MAC700 Big Bore Compressor	A good general purpose accessory that can also deal with topping off some types of bicycle tires, but for other uses and for high volume inflation, this is not the tool of choice.	2.0
Makita MAC2400 Big Bore Compressor	A very useful general purpose electric air compressor anyone should have in his/her workshop. Just note that is is not suitable for road bike tires.	2.0
Campbell Hausfeld 8 Gallon Compressor	For light to medium duty DIY construction tasks it is a great electric air compressor. It is not designed to be use as a short operation time applications.	3.0
DeWalt Pressure Horizontal Electric Air Compressor	Hi quality pump, making your maintenance tasks simple to achieve. Good also for occasionally topping off tires, but if your air tank is not full you will have to run up the compressor. Not suitable for road bike.	3.0
California Air Tools Air Compressor	The California Air Tools Air Compressor is built to serve many purposes and to serve them for a long time. It is a high performance unit that works very efficiently and noiselessly but you will have to dig deep for these benefits.	4.0
DeWalt DWFP55126 Compressor	DeWalt has yet again lived up to its reputation for the production of highly functional, dependable tools with the DWFP55126 6-Gallon 165 PSI Pancake Compressor. It is a bit on the expensive side but worth every penny.	4.5
Rolair AB5 Oilless Air Compressor	The Rolair Oilless Air Compressor looks and feels good to carry and it will do a job for a number of years. It is a good bargain for its price range.	5.0
Kensun Heavy Duty Tire Inflator	The Kensun heavy duty tire inflator is a good choice is a reliable and efficient pump, and is designed for convenient use in many situations.	4.0
Kensun Portable Tire Inflator	The Kensun Portable Tire Inflator is a speedy, efficient, and quiet pump. It’s still powerful enough to make quick work of air your bike tires.	3.0
Master Flow MF-1040 Air Compressor	Using your car’s 12-Volt cigarette lighter, the Master Flow MF 1040 portable air compressor is one of the easiest compressors to use by far.	3.0
NorthStar Portable Air Compressor	The NorthStar portable air compressor is built to last for years and accomplish as many tasks as you can think of for a compressor.	4.0
Construction TA-2530B Air Compressor Tank	The Construction TA-2530B 1.5HP air compressor tank is a great find for those who need a heavy duty compressor at low cost.	4.0
Bostitch BTFP02012 6 Gallon Pancake Compressor	Perfect also for filling a variety of tires, this Bostitch BTFP02012 Pancake Compressor is made for a wide array of uses.	4.5