Anybody interested in a $10 compact tire inflator?

I got this inflator at Canadian Tire for $9.99 in the hopes that the guts were a lot smaller than the box.
I suspect most of the el-cheapo inflators available have very similar innards.


Happily, the necessities are quite compact. For a really minimal solution you could stop here and wire the plug back on with a shortened cable but the rotating gear and exposed crank assembly are quite un-safe looking.


I decided to add side plates and wire the switch back in for convenience. I also decided to leave the pressure gauge on. It's not very accurate but gives a reasonable idea.



I need an inflator because I often 'Guerilla camp', sometimes a mile or two off the highway and dread finding a flat in the morning.
It draws over 4A so I'd probably start the bike first if I was alone and had to inflate from flat.

Nice post and neat work with the plates.
Only questions is whether it is reliable when you need it. I've killed severl ultra cheapies that saw almost no use but I never opened any of them p to see wwhat they looked like inside the case becasue they were in cars.

racer7 said:

Only question is whether it is reliable when you need it.

Click to expand...

I'll be happy if it gets me out of a single predicament.
It really isn't well made though.

I ran a tire up to 50PSI fairly quickly and it sounded the same before and after without getting hot so test PASS.

One word of warning, these little buggers get HOT, HOT, HOT while in use. If you have to use it to fill a flat tire, be prepared for the heat, allow the pump to cool .