Looking for budget compressor and inflator&deflator combo

[Fordified1]

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[Hockey13]

I was looking with the same parameters back in 2022. I ended up going with Tricky’s compressor and made my own 4-way lines.

The thing with premade 4-way lines is that they’re crimped and a mess to untangle and keep neat (I’ve got a little OCD). Here’s what I did:

#1: Buy the Tricky Compressor

#2:
Harbor Freight Air Hose – I used (2) 50' hoses and cut them. I don’t remember the exact lengths, but with the compressor near the front driver-side bumper (where the battery is), I made:

Two long equal-length hoses (rear tires to front)

Two short equal-length hoses (front tires)
The polyurethane lets them coil neatly.
Harbor Freight 1/4 in. Polyurethane Air Hose

#3:
Harbor Freight Tool Bag – The Hercules 17 in. Tool Tote with 19 Pockets fits the compressor perfectly, like it was made for it. Also holds the front hoses, inflation/deflation tools, and the distribution block.
Example Image

#4:
Air Manifold – I used a Pneumatic Manifold Block Splitter from Amazon.

Male quick-connect on the single-port side (to compressor)

Four female quick-disconnects on the other side

One end port has a pressure relief valve

The other end has a digital PSI gauge
Amazon Link

#5:
Air Valves – Installed near the compressor on each air line. This lets me control airflow centrally—no need to walk around to each tire.
Harbor Freight Ball Valve

#6:
Lock-On Air Chucks – Used on the tire ends of the hose. Easy to find on Amazon.

Overall:
This setup has worked great for the past 3 years. I can usually set up and inflate faster than people using ARBs, and it even seems quicker than setups that use T-off hoses (one per side of the vehicle).

I don’t use this for deflating—though it could work—I just pull the valve cores.

Additionally, unlike the ARB, it would be portable and able ot be used for anyone, anywhere. There have been moments where I thought it would be nice to have the ARB such as a spontaneous trail that was unplanned. Other than that, and space, I cant justify an ARB other than the "Cool" factor.

I'll take a couple photos of it stored for reference when I get home.

 

[Doc TOC]

Do u know if it can also be mounted under the hood?

Yes. Exactly like the ARB.

Don’t waste your time on 4 way hose kits

I agree. I made my own. By the time you're done walking around, setting it all up, waiting the same amount of time to fill the lines, a single hose is just as effective and easier to keep clean.

MOST IMPORTANT THING: Keep your hoses and valve stems clean when filling!! If you don't, you can mess up your TPMS devices. Carry a micro fiber cloth in your hose bag. Keep the hoses in a separate bag that can be washed out. Clean your hose(s) when you get back home. Beats having to dismount tires and clean or replace TPMS units.

 

[Fordified1]

Keep in mind that some of the cheaper high volume compressors don’t have a pressure switch and you will overheat them doing one tire at a time. A 4-way is the best way to go with them. @Tricky Mike offers an add-on pressure switch for his. On the other hand the small hand-held inflators have a lower duty cycle and you should probably only do one tire at a time giving a little cool down between tires.

 

[userdude]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/116486398474

Nothing better for brute power in this price bracket.

And a budget 4-way: https://www.ebay.com/itm/116581413126

Four way has the inescapable setup/teardown time cost, though. That's my problem. Do a really good 5psi dual with quick setup and nobody would care about the four, since you spend most of the time setting up/tearing down at that psi.

 

[Returntothefog]

Four way has the inescapable setup/teardown time cost, though. That's my problem. Do a really good 5psi dual with quick setup and nobody would care about the four, since you spend most of the time setting up/tearing down at that psi.

Yea this is what I’m worry about too, so much things to consider

 

[userdude]

I would say go with a good Viair single that pushed 3-5psi and do a dual hose setup, or go with a good 2-3psi that you can mount and pull a hose for. I would suggest the MORR 5.6 but that's out of your price range.

If you want the low-down, @Tricky Mike and @popo_patty can help. It's not that hard once you get past the FOMO. Here's Popo's video (see below), which dials back a lot of the manufacturer marketing. They're basically all the same except MORRFlate's PSI Pro, which is pretty expensive and I wouldn't advice (or the ARB mount). Lots of crow shiny got have it, but even MORRFlate's Tyler uses a 5.6 and says the Viair stuff is pretty good.

You just don't want to spend 90m in a Holiday Inn parking lot at 4am like I did waiting for a Husky "truck" air compressor to get these big tires filled.

 

[Tricky Mike]

Four way has the inescapable setup/teardown time cost, though. That's my problem. Do a really good 5psi dual with quick setup and nobody would care about the four, since you spend most of the time setting up/tearing down at that psi.

Honestly I usually just use half of the 4-way myself. A single hose to do 2 tires is pretty easy but still saves time.

 

[userdude]

Honestly I usually just use half of the 4-way myself. A single hose to do 2 tires is pretty easy but still saves time.

Oh, I thought you had to worry about the compressor overheating. I've never tried two hoses on a twin.

 

[Tricky Mike]

Oh, I thought you had to worry about the compressor overheating. I've never tried two hoses on a twin.

2 is a little restrictive but not as bad as a single, you'll get 4 37s done without hurting it, just give it a cool down before sharing with your buddies.

 

[j_marinelli]

Made my 4 hose air up (and down) myself using the video below:



For compressor I ended up using my Ford Pass Points to get the Ford Performance (ARB single) in the tool box. If you have any Points, might be worth a look. All the ones that people have posted in here will work well.

 

[userdude]

2 is a little restrictive but not as bad as a single, you'll get 4 37s done without hurting it, just give it a cool down before sharing with your buddies.

Interesting, will have to try that. I've only had it get hot maybe 2-3 times (hot to the touch). Usually my MORRFLate TenSix (non-pro) doesn't overheat and gets done for all four tires in 2-3 minutes max. It's just 3-5 minute setup, 2-3m teardown. The time airing up usually feels very secondary by then. The whole thing was close to $500 and honestly, it shouldn't be half that amount.

 

[userdude]

The thing you want to know is that Shrader valves, the capped valve on the tire, can only move so much psi. So going too high the pump can't use it to air the tire up. and I would guess it'd get hotter. Singles running four big tires air up might be more prone that a twin that can push enough air to balance a 35" tire long enough to air it up. That's where the tradeoff's come for the most part.

 

[Brian_B]

You just don't want to spend 90m in a Holiday Inn parking lot at 4am like I did waiting for a Husky "truck" air compressor to get these big tires filled.

Yup. Been there. The next day I ordered the 2.5gal Milwaukee compressor (not the tire inflator)

The Milwaukee tire inflator is nice - you can set the pressure and it gets a 35” tire there quickly.

But I went with the full on air compressor that:
a) can fill up a tire just as fast (but you can’t set it and forget it without something third party),
b) can run air tools in the field with it,
c) *could* run an air locker if you wanted to,
d) with a Fuel M18 12Ah battery can fill up about 12 tires, and
e) I could justify it to my wife by using it to remodel one of the bathrooms

My son has the m12 inflator and even that little thing kicks the crap out of the 18V Ryobi I was using that took me 90 minutes that night - just might need more than 1 full battery to get through 4 35s

My m18 setup takes about 10 minutes for all 4 tires, including dragging everything out and putting it away. The m12 maybe 15? It’s not that much slower as long as you have enough charged batteries, and is like 1/5 the size.

That all said, if I were to go permanently installed, I’d call Tricky

My Jeep buddy has the CO2 canister and loves it - he can fill all 4 of his tires in about 3 minutes. But it does maybe 10 tires and then you have to pay to get it recharged.

 

[Oldhippie]

@Oldhippie did you ever do an install thread? Thanks!

no never did an install thread but the Marz video you posted is very good and I still just use the battery clamps for wiring…party on!

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