Air compressor

Hi James,
you need to look at what you will be using it for... most likely use is tyres for 4x4, so a high volume compressor would be a priority. Do you want a portable or fixed in vehicle?

Most of the decent compressors are not that more expensive than the cheapies. You get what you pay for. Ensure you get a reinforced hose with it, not plastic. The plastic deteriorates quickly and subject to easy breakage especially in the tropics.

Hope this helps

Just get one from ARB .

If you are also only going to be using it on one car you may consider getting it mounted in the engine bay. If you do then make sure the hose is a good one (post above) and long enough.

An easy way of packing it hey!.

Ours is in the engine bay and my sons is in a box. He is mounting his in the engine bay before his next run.

Just my input.

Bushranger Maxair as a portable compressor.
ARB as a good compact unit. Casual use.
Boss 3 cfm compressor for pumping up oversized tyres, reseating beads. (continuous rated)
Endless air belt drive for running air tools etc.
Air-up for portable high speed inflation/competition.
Warn powerplant possibly the ultimate winch/compressor combo.

I have two...one is a high volume cheapy....and currently the second one of this type as the first died when it threw a leg out of bed....but I did not pay a lot for it and so it did not matter and was easy to replace.

I also have a air tank underneath as I have made this compressor a permanent fixture.Image Could Not Be Found

BUT my back up (which I carry all the time) is a blue tongue 30 lpm and will never let you down....this one I do recommend but there are so many to choose from...take your pick.

This is the one I use and it performs great

Kingcrome Air Compressor

Cheers Tony

As many have said it really depends on how much you are going to use it ad for what. If you are a casual traveller and only air up and down occasionally then there are some good ones around the $200 mark. If you are a regular raiser and lowerer of tyres then you are now looking at around the $350-$400 mark.

We use a Big Red under bonnet and a Bushranger Supermax as a portable unit and both perform well albeit the Supermax is very quick. It also reseats a bead on a tyre where the Big Red really struggles

One of my trainers has just purchased the new ARB underbonnet or in a box compressor and it is brlliant. We back to back tested it against the Big Red startring from the same pressures and the same tyres and he was finished and packed away two minutes quicker than me. Very impressed and the price is excellent as well. Something better will always come along and we wear compressors out every three to four years so it will be interesting to see if anything is going to beat the ARB one in around a year's time

So again it all depends on your needs and the price you are prepared to pay. One of the 4WD magazines did a compressor test this year so search that out as well

Regards

RobA

imjame,
ARB units are reasonable and spare parts are available.I have had a nylon valve fail in one after a lot of use.I now carry spares and are easy to fit if it happens.
Cheers Guy

i've got a bushranger maxair II compressor, definately are good value when you pick them up at the 4wd show for $175. they retail for around $300 or just over i think.
have pumped up 2 fourbies and 2 caravans tyres one after the other several times after beach runs, so they can handle lots of continuos work without overheating.

Compressor Test Results here.

Compressor-Test

Regards

Derek from ABR

Hi James

I have a typhoon had it for a long time now has never let me down

Gday James,
I've got 3 compressors:
A 10 year old Blue Tongue 3 that has pumped up a million tyres without a hassle. Cost $380 in 1999/2000.
A Terrain tamer twin cylinder that has gone into my daughters LandCruiser that works slightly quicker than the Blue Tongue, and has a nice gauge in-line. Only cost $125 - show special 18months ago.
A very big Terrain Tamer (Series 3) that is supposed to pump up really quick. But it draws up to 45amps. I tested it today and an older cranking battery dropped to 11.8V when it was taking 5 minutes to pump a 285 tyre from 0-40psi. Then I tried the same again hooked up to the starting battery while the motor was running at 14.2V and it pumped the tyre in half the time. It cost $200 but came with rather cheap looking curly hose that isn't long enough to go around the vehicle. I'll get a new hose for it and supply it with enough electons via a decent hardwired cable.