12 v air compressors and other equipment - What to buy

GrantSA

I believe it gets down to your requirements and finances as to what one to buy.

The two best units on the market would be the Blue Tongue (as you have indicated) and Big Red (available from TJM). Both are available in portable units which gives added flexibility.

The higher priced units have the advantage of a long operating cycle without cutting out due to heat overload.

The cheaper units? There are plenty of posts in the archives on these units if you wish to pursue them.

Tip. Next month there is a 4WD Show on in Adelaide where you will not only be able to check out the various units first hand, but can save a considerable amount of cash on show specials. Both ARB and TJM will have demonstrations of their products to help (or confuse) you in making up your mind.

On Tyre deflaters, I can only comment on the Staun brand.
These are simply the best. You get what you pay for matey.

Gday Grant,

Agree with above.

Even if you decide one day to get an airlocker, the other pumps can be moded to suit. The arb pump (which I have) is great, but slow. My other camping/4wd buddy's all have max air, blue tongue etc and have done 6 tracks before I'm finished.

Air jacks are quite good, but best used on the beach. The rubber material they use is quite touch, but rocks on tracks are sharp (just look at some tyres shredded for instance) and probably better sticking to the high lift jack.

Lightforce 170's are good, 240 XGT's and/or Blitz's are better, not much difference in price either if you know the right people. But they are a fantastic light equal to and if not better than the Hella range apart from the xenon gas lights...but then who has 1800 green ones to spend per light.

Staun are the big players in the market for tyre deflators, a year ago you could get them for around 60 bucks, but as the popularity grows, so has the price, if you pay retail, your looking at $80...great though, because if you have two sets, one for beach and another for rocks/dirt, by the time you screw them all on the first one is done and so on.

Good luck mate, and enjoy!

Cheers

Chris.

1) Compressors - there are that many out there now
Good thread on this -> http://www.outerlimits4x4.com/PHP_Modules/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=26251
ARB are good compressors, happy with mine, but they are slow. Then again it isnt a competition.
Big Red's are good
Blue Tounge are good

2) Never used one, but everyone that has them says carry 2 old bits of carpet - put one under it and one on top between it and the car when using it.

3) THE BEST ON THE MARKET.

4) Stauns are good, but remove the valve core and count to 15 then put it back in, you can work out the time it takes with yoru cars weight to let down 10/15/20psi as required.
Or the good old twig FREE OFF THE GROUND! by far the best value.

My ARB compressor is under the Jack's bonnet - have used it quite a bit and its always been good - would not be without a compressor of some sort - essential for reinflating tyres after sand work - can blow down dirty parts for repairs etc. - even used it to respray the trailer before sale too (I have a PVC tank in line to boost capacity) - I did blow a fuse at one stage when it got really hot, but it kept going happily - they don't have a thermal cutout - ARB says its not needed (so have some fuse spares). My Lightforce 170's (on an ARB bullbar) have been good too.

What sort of 4WDriving do you intend to do?

If you are doing a lot of sand work (beach or desert) then the compressor and deflators are the go.

If you are driving on rocky roads capable of shredding tyres I would go for another spare and some tyre changing gear such as Tyre pliers and repair kits, etc.

If you are doing forest tracks, etc you may need more recovery gear.

So you need to prioritise. What do you want to do now?

I started with a Snatch Strap, deflators (Staun of course) and compressor (Blue Tongue 3). I lived in Perth and we had a lot of beaches to drive on.....

The Kimberly, tyre shredding country...second spare, tyre repair kits, second hydraulic jack..

We moved to the NT, lots of rain , more bogging, water crossings, not so many beaches, so the snorkel, Tirfor (not a fan of electric winches) and more recovery gear.

Off Road caravanning and boat towing (need to catch a Barra)... upgraded rear springs and polyairs...

So as the circumstances I was likely to encounter in my 4WD change I get to buy more gear.....thats the excuse I use on the spouse...can't wait to win lotto and go straight to the nearest ARB and TJM Megastore

Wizard
Darwin NT
Prado TD

PS. I prefer Staun, they are factory preset to 18 PSI and can be adjusted to suit, easy to use....

Probably the next best 'investment' (after the vehicle) you can get is a good 4WD driving course. This will hold you in good stead for all your 4W Driving, and is definately one of those accessories that a lot of folk should be considering before loading up the vehicle with all the bells & whistles.
Just my opinion with no offence implied.

G'day Grant
1. Others have answered this and as I don't have an ARB compressor I can't comment.
2. Beware the air jacks in muddy conditions. Mate got bogged in the outback once and found he had all sorts of trouble getting it to stay under the vehicle - it just kept slipping out.
3. Most people rave about them but do consider just how much night driving you'll be doing. Do you really need the "best" if you're going to use them once in a blue moon? Something cheaper may be a better investment.
4. A suitable sized nail (with pointy end filed off) and a tyre pressure guage work well for me.

Before looking at Hi Lift jacks make sure you can use one on your car, if you can a hi lift can be used as a winch if you are desperate.
I've got Stauns and swear by them, I can get the kids to deflate the tyres while I'm doing other things.
As your in SA I reckon sand driving will be your main off roading so a snatch strap, some rated shackles and recovery points are essentialplus along handles shovel. i reckon the shovel will get you out of the poo more than all the others put together.

Grant,
I have a Maxair now, but used an original ARB pump for about 10 years. The Maxair is 4 times faster than the old ARB (which of course would not have been as good as it was originally). My compressor gets used every day to keep a 3 litre air tank filled for air horns, locker etc. Mine is about 18 months old, is mounted in the vehicle cargo area. I would have bought a twin tongue if the maxair had not come on the market, but as they about the same output capacity, but max air was $390- v twin tongue $790- it was a no-brainer to me.
Don't know about exhaust jacks....I assume that's what you meant....(to me an "air jack" is one of those that you see at a tyre repair place for putting under the axle instead of a traditional trolley jack).
I've got Lightforce 240s....have previously had Cibie Super Oscars and IPFs before them.....Lightforce are simply the best. Not sure about the 170s, but as the same technology applies, i assume they would be good too.
I've got Stauns...they're great. Sticks etc might be okay, but you need to keep your mind on the job or you'll end up with less air than you intended. I won mine in a ditty-writing competition earlier this year in 4x4 australia mag, so for me, the price was 50 cents!!!

IMHO you havn't looked very hard if you cannot see the value in the Blue Tounge over the ARB compressor. IMO I'd go the blue tounge every time over the ARB. The Blue tounge is the only 12v compressor I've seen with a continous duty cylce, meaning that it will not cut out or melt on you.
Just go and have a look at the two. the ARB looks try hard, the Blue tounge looks like a figin car altanator!