Tyre Deflators - recommendations?

Staun are the accepted best. They can be set to a required pressure

I used a Bushranger gauge that had the ability to deflate as well simply by pushing a piece on the line to the gauge

Sorry, I have to vote against Stauns, the work fine, but aren't all that practical in many situations.

For the record I had / still have a set of genuine Stauns, and used them a lot for initial trips away.
I found doing sand driving, all good, would have them set for 18psi, and if I needed to go lower, would simply deflate wiht tyre pencil gauge nipple n the back a few more psi or whatever was needed.

Then, when doing Flinders terrain and SA outback track type trips, I set 2 of the Stauns to 24psi, and similarly aired down another couple of pis if needed manually.

Ok, so work fine, but starting to defeat the purpose of walking around for a particular pressure and screwing onto each of the 4 tyre valves in turn, then by the time you finished the 4th one the first was near ready to come off.

Eventually after seeing them used often, I went to an ARB EZ trye deflator, $60 with a little off the price.

Since then, a whole lot of others have flooded the market, and most likely out of same or similar Chinese factories, many of these cheaper ebay ones are in use by fellow 4WDrs without issue.

You can simply air down so much faster with the valve removal, and adjust to precise psi so much easier, as once you have been 4WDing a while you get to realise there is no perfect tyre pressure, you need to adjust up and down fairly often for different terrains and surfaces.

I have two pairs of Staun Tyre Deflators, which I have had for some 10 years.
One set is set for 28psi and the other for 18psi.
I placed a drop of red paint on one set to identify the lower settings I use for sand driving.
The higher set pressure (28psi) is for normal off road driving.
With four of them, you progressively screw one on to each wheel and pull the centre pin.
By the time I have gone around the car, the first has reached its set pressure.
All very simple and practical.

I also couldn't help myself and purchased an ARB EZ Deflator.
you have to screw it onto the valve stem, then undo and remove the valve with a specially designed knurled screw attachment, watch the pressure gauge and screw the valve back in.
Doing this for four or six tyres is somewhat time consuming and I haven't deployed this Deflator since first trying it out.

The Stauns are the best devices in my opinion.
Some folk set two at a higher and two at a lower pressure, which takes longer to deflate the tyres to the desired setting, but you only need to purchase one set.

I also started with the Staun deflators but found the arb one a lot more user friendly, quicker and equally well made. Once the valve is unscrewed its air down in no time and to what ever pressure you want. The Stauns will get to your preset then you may need the pressure gauge if you want a bit less. You dont really need four of them also as mentioned above.

Al I used the Stauns for quite awhile but found them a little hit and miss, mostly because they stuck open occasionally and kept deflating.

I now use these Ferret Deflators and have found them really good.
Simple to use, just count out the seconds to reach the desired pressure.
Found it to be a pretty accurate method and very quick.

They are hand made by a bloke in WA and pretty cheap at $30- each.

My Stauns have not left my shed for at least 8 years for the same reasons mentioned by others. The ARB ezy deflator is my choice when I wish to dump a lot of air. On the highway I run pressures of around 50 front 60 rear, so when I hit the dirt I have a fair bit of air to get rid of. As you travel the conditions change so the ideal pressure change. I have a internal tyre monitoring system and with information from them and track conditions I will make pressure adjustments. For these changes I poke a pencil in the valve and I have a rough idea of how long it will take to get to my target pressure. There after at each stop I may do some fine tuning, all very quick and easy. I have an Air-on-Board motor driven compressor with a hose outlet in the middle of my cargo barrier with a curly air hose always connected and just sitting on top of things in the back. This will reach all wheels so any upwards adjustments are just as quick as the downwards adjustments. I find this setup easy and simple so I am now not tempted to drive on hoping the conditions will change but never seem too.

After a decade with the Stauns I gave them away to a novice. Found they were too sticky and lost confidence in them. The ARB unit lets me air down to precisely the pressure I want and for large tyres it is very quick. Suggest you avoid cheap copies too.

ARB ez , easy fast simple
Colin

I have Stauns and an Ezy Deflator. The Stauns just sit in the glove box now unless I'm going on very soft sand. I have them set to 18psi.

I gave up on my stauns. They never set the same pressure twice, and takes ages.

Maybe not exactly what you are looking for, but after reviewing my whole air pressure setup following my ARB gauge being 10PSI wrong and costing me a set of tyres, I bought one of these.

Automatic tyre inflator / deflator

It works like the new service station ones. Just set the pressure you want ( manually or from 2 adjustable preset pressures), connect on tyre and drink beer. It beeps and stops when it inflates or deflates to the pressure you select. You can even over ride for inflating completely flat tyres or reseating. Deflating takes just over a minute.

It is individually calibrated, ( mine is within 0.3 PSI) and for the first time I have a gauge that agrees with my TPMS exactly, and I have confidence that the tyres are what I think they are.

BTW it is smaller than the dimensions on the spec page. It is 300mm x 100 x 90. About $280 if you shop around.

About 7 years ago I bought a set of Stauns and set them to 24psi which is a value I seem to often use. Soon after I was given a different brand (can't remember) for Christmas. I tried using them for a while but often found I wanted a slightly different pressure. I haven't used them in years and continue to use the tyre pressure gauge which connects to the end of the hose for my built in compressor.

It has a lever which you press one way to inflate and the other to deflate. When I want to air down I use it without plugging it on the hose. This is relatively quick and easy and I can go to whatever pressure I feel appropriate. It takes no longer to air down than using the Stauns by the time you go to each wheel remove cap, put them on and then repeat to take off and cap on. I actually don't trust them and always checked the pressure anyway. Mostly they were right but sometimes they were still high by a psi or 3.

I guess the Stauns are still in the vehicle side pocket but not sure.

Buy a quality gauge that can deflate and take te time to look at the scenery - what's the rush that a few minutes difference will make?

Now I wait for incoming !!

I used one of these Saves having two things to carry

http://www.bushranger.com.au/3_in_1_tyregauge.php#.VWpWSEbBaH4

Well Alan, you asked......"What's a good type of deflator that will last for a while?"

Looks like the answer is Staun. After all, there are dozens that have lasted in the glovebox for YEARS. All still like new!
Mine included. LOL

I must be a bit past it or maybe just easy to please.

I have found the little valve depressor on my PBL pencil type pressure gauge works a treat.

Then again I have never entered in the Paris-Dakar rally or any like event so time hasn't been all that critical.

Cheers
Pop

For those 4WD drivers who have not quite 'got-it-all' here is the ultimate inflation/deflation system....See it here.

G'day Equinox,
I just take my missus with me... Sue will start on one corner, just with a stick.. Count to 30 or so, and go to the next, I'll just check with a gauge, and adjust... Doesn't take long.. We looked at all the deflators, but decided we could manage with out... We did a trip to wa, lots of sand and dirt... Wasn't a problem.. Cheers. Odog

When I was in Dubai, we did a desert trip (organised, we were just passengers, but I'd say about 30 cars in our convoy only, with more than one convoy.)

After the drive to where the sand starts, there is a designated air-down areas, and on the way out there is a designated inflation station as all 30 cars come back at the same time.
The drivers all actually removed the valve. Deflation is so fast without the valve.
What surprised me was that they also remove the valve when Inflating. Again so much faster, even if you have to air up a little higher than required to allow for some air to escape when replacing the valve.

That put me onto the ARB deflator. A little more civilised than removing the valve with a normal valve tool, and no chance of loosing the valve (imagine it falling into the sand - lost forever)

But I would like to add that, in my opinion, the ARB model at $60 is exactly the same as some other 'brands' at $30. Only the packaging looks different, and the carry pouch. I have a 'Dune' brand (Anaconda) and it has not let me down

CJ