Thoughts on portable air tank 5 gallon for tires

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901Memphis

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I am thinking about getting a 5 gallon portable air tank to keep in my trunk for filling up tires. Does anyone have experience on how many times you can typically use them to top off low tires before they need to be refilled? The one I was looking at is 5 gallon and holds 125 psi. I seem to find my tires down to 20 psi and I usually add to around 35 psi... Any idea how many times I can do that? This is one I'm looking at. Or one similar. Speedway 7296 5-Gallon Portable Air Tank https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003Y3BRKW
 
I've got a 5 gallon air tank and a little "shoe box" Black & Decker air pump. It suits my needs. I usually pump up the tank to around 60 psi, the little compressor struggles a bit beyond that pressure. I can generally top up the tires on 3 cars in the driveway with the fall seasonal air pressure drop, generally 3 to 5 psi per tire, before recharging the air tank. I'll give the air tank a full charge before topping up the spare tires, spring and fall. Sometimes I'll use the set-up with a blow-off gun for little jobs like blowing out spark plug cavities before removing the spark plug. The blow-off gun works OK for small jobs. The tank's not too bad to lug around the cars. I don't have a heated garage (you get water in the bottom of shop sized compressor tanks) and I never felt the need for a full sized compressor. The small tank never seems to accumulate water. I've turned it over and vented it, but no water comes out. For filling a tire out on the road in an emergency situation, I'd consider one of those small 12v air pumps. A dinky air pump will get the job done, it just takes time, maybe 10 or 15 minutes. I've got one of those in the trunk of my car. Just my experience.
 
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I have a gas station with free air, and the compressor they have is very fast, so I was thinking it would be easier to air up a tank and keep it close than to drive to the gas station every time I need air.
 
Memphis, Do you not like (or unable) to use the 12v plug type inflators? I don't know how long a 5 gallon would hold up with 125 psi starting, but I would bet it wouldn't be very long.
 
Originally Posted By: Timo325
Memphis, Do you not like (or unable) to use the 12v plug type inflators? I don't know how long a 5 gallon would hold up with 125 psi starting, but I would bet it wouldn't be very long.
Plus the air will usually leak out if left for a while. Still a good idea to get the compressor.
 
I wouldn't get a 5 gallon tank since the 11 gallon tank I have can barely fill 1 flat tire. The 11 gallon tank would be much more useful with double the volume, but even then it doesn't take much to run it down to 30 psi and then it's pretty much empty. I just sold my pickup that had a 80 gallon tank inflated to 160 psi. That would fill a lot of flat tires, and run air tools. I miss it now since it wouldn't fit in my Tahoe, and now all I have is a 11 gallon tank, which is helpless in comparison.
 
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Originally Posted By: 901Memphis
Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
I use a bicycle pump on my tires. Takes me about 10 pumps per psi.
Umm no
Umm yes But IIRC its about 20 strokes with mine, or maybe 25 I'm on the lookout for a discarded propane cylinder to try as a tank but so for no luck. Did see one but when I went back with transport it'd gone. Scrap scavengers are pretty quick around here.
 
Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
I use a bicycle pump on my tires. Takes me about 10 pumps per psi.
Agreed. This is the most portable solution. If OP finds tires at 20 from 35, the root cause should be found.. I'm not seeing how a finite volume of stored air, at relatively high pressure, is a good idea. If anything, buy a vlair 88p or similar, which attaches to the battery and can pump up a tire readily. Smaller and not restricted like an air tank.
 
A 5 gallon tank will not bring 4 large tires from 20 to 35 PSI. I think a better suggestion is a quality 12V pump that runs from a 12V outlet, not one of those battery powered jobs.
 
Bike pump here too. A farm I worked for as a kid always had an "air pig" which was a 20lb propane tank with compressed air in it. It seemed to be more of a PITA then anything as it always seemed to be nearly empty. If you had something like a scuba tank then you fill up lots of tires but you'd have to have a serious way to mount it in a vehicle so it didn't kill you in a medium accident... $20 bike pump works for me.
 
I have a 4 gallon air compressor at home. It starts up at least twice while topping off four tires (adding 5 psi). A 5 gallon air tank won't be enough IMO. I would buy a small air compressor and keep it at home. Fill the tires up at home. If you have a tire very low while you're out on the road, find a gas station with a compressor, or install the spare tire.
 
Originally Posted By: Ducked
The 12V things always burned out on me, though maybe an expensive one wouldn't. If I was doing a lot of this (say desert or beach driving) I might try and get one of the spark plug hole pumps, though I dunno if they are still made. http://www.aerostich.com/tools/tire-repair/pumps-air-compressors/engineair-power-pump.html For my current use the bike pump is simple, cheap and reliable.
Oh wait.... I only have a 3-cyl engine....maybe the plug hole pump will have to wait for another vehicle. I dunno how well it runs on 2 cylinders.
 
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