Foot pump or mini compressor?

It depends how often you have to use it. I reckon to pump up bike & car tyres occasionally only so use a foot pump. I did have a cheap forecourt compressor but it just jumped around making a noise. It took ages to pump a tyre up from flat. If you get one it is worth paying a fe pounds for it.

Alan

I use a mini compressor for the caravan tyres not quick but I can always have a beer whilst waiting

Foot pumps are ok if the ground is good or if you have a board to put them on

Tony

Mike

Yeah - They cost peanuts, can't see a reason not to have one.

In my case the tyres on "The Wagon" would take ages by foot, but with a cheap Halfords compressor takes minutes. Similarly the "Wwhy are these tyres so wide?" rubber on my BMW took a few minutes today instead of half an hour of sweating and a dead leg ;-)

Al.

I've got a very cheap & nasty one (6.99 iirc)from motorworld, and it's fine for adjusting pressure, or for blowing up bike tyres. The pressure guage on it is awful though, and it would take a long time to inflate a car tyre from flat.

No point in having a foot pump unless you've got flat feet.

Rob Graham

I took one apart once to fix it. The total volume of the pump is only a few ccs, perhaps 20 at the outside.

I'd drop £150 on a decent compressor and have the ability to run air tools as well. I've got a couple of the cheap ones, they're worth a fiver or so each just to have in the car for when you put the spare on and find it's got

Kill two birds with one stone and get one of those jump start packs with compressor (and light) built in. Self contained unit is much more convenient to use than a compressor alone which plugs into the cigar lighter. Although it's larger if you wish to take it with you in the car.

Peter Boulton laid this down on his screen :

The 12v electric ones are just about OK for small adjustments in pressure, asuming you are not in a great rush. I have a couple around for emergencies, but in my garage I have something much better....

I have one of those DIY mains compressors and the air piped around the garage to several outlets. It cost about £60 new and blows tyres up in seconds. I just looking for a good offer for a cheap but good (professional) inflater plus gauge to replace the cheap and nasty one I presently have.

I was fortunate to get a proper Dunlop tyre inflater with my big Sealey.

Having said that, I also have a little 12v job that I carry in the car with me. It is slow, but it does the job, and has got me out of the s*1t a couple of times when some scrote has let a tyre down. It's better than a footpump - especially with my dodgy knees!