Does anyone keep a 5-gallon portable air tank in their garage for adding air to their tires? I've got a small 12 volt compressor that will do that job, but it's slow and noisy. I want something that is quicker and more convenient. Could I fill up a portable air tank with the compressor I have?

Thanks.

 

I have a Air Tank that I carry around......I also have a Big compressor at home to fill up my portable.....
The 12 volt should fill the tank to the 12 volts pressure rating weather it be 60 or 100lbs.All depends I guess....

 

Two words:Harbor Freight

 

yes and yes

 

one word: COSTCO
http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product...at21273&topnav=

 

I have one of the small electric air compressors in my garage for inflating my tires. It's noisy, but not slow. It works pretty quick and only cost me about $30.

 

The air compressor that I have is an Interdynamics 250 psi portable 12 volt compressor. It works well, but it's just a pain to get out, unwind the cord, plug it into the cigarette lighter, start the car engine, hook up the hose to the tire, turn on the switch to the compressor, and then wait 2 or 3 minutes while it noisly tops off the air in my tires.

It just seems that it would be much quicker and more convenient to grab the small air tank, press the nozzle to the tire valve, and be finished in about 5 to 7 seconds. No noisy compressor running and no exhaust fumes from the vehicle running.

 

A tank works fine as long as the pressure is fairly high (full). It's when the pressure in the tank falls below the pressure you need that it doesn't work too well. That happened pretty quickly in my experience. YMMV

 

I have a 5 gallon tank from Sears, max air pressure of 135 psi. I fill it at the gas station, and it works just fine for the touch-up jobs. However, as someone mentioned as the pressure drops, if the tank pressure is only a bit above the tire pressure, then it may not fill the tire. If fact, the tire could backfill the tank. So I only let the tank pressure drop to 80 psi before I refill the tank.

 

Let's say that you had the portable air tank full and had to top off several automobile tires that were 5 or 6 pounds below your desired level of 36 psi. How many tires could you top off before having to refill the tank? Just give me a guess......... 5? 10? 20? 50?

Also, since motorcycle tires are smaller than car tires (in volume) I assume that the tank would top off more motorcycle tires than car tires?