It doesn’t take long to realize that tire pressure fluctuates even when tires are in good condition. It needs to be checked periodically to confirm that these fluctuations are not significant enough to interfere with the vehicle’s handling, become a safety risk, or lead to premature tire wear of the tires.
An automatic tire inflator with a digital gauge is perfect for this task as it easily aids in identifying and solving the problem once you realize the air pressure is not ideal. You can also use it to inflate or deflate the car tire to the desired level.
Not every tire inflator with a gauge will sufficiently deliver your needs though, there are limitations and differences in quality and application that you should be aware of before stepping into the market. This article will take you through the features which make these tire inflators practical, including how to identify them and rate their limitations.
What to Look for When Choosing a Tire Inflator with Gauge
There are basic features that will influence how practical the tire inflator will be to your specific circumstances. These include:
The Source of Power
There are 2 main options to consider when it comes to powering the pump and motor that keep a tire pressure gauge running: corded or cordless tire inflators.
- Corded inflators derive their power from the car’s battery and are either plugged into the car’s 12V jack or clipped directly to the battery. This way you will require jumper cables.
- Cordless inflators on the other hand come with their own power stored in rechargeable batteries. Some of these batteries are built into the inflators such that you will need to plug in the entire inflator to recharge. The rest of them have removable batteries that are recharged off the units.
Due to their self-sufficiency, cordless inflators can be applied to more situations, some even unrelated to tires, like air mattresses and pool floatation devices. Corded inflators have the advantage of accessing power when needed. You will not find yourself in a situation where they have run out of charge as long as your car battery is functioning.
The Inflation Capacity
Go for the best tire inflator with the highest pressure rating available even when you think you don’t need the extra muscle. The higher the level of pressure the compressor can produce, the faster it will fill your tires, saving you precious time. Get a rating of at least 100PSI for regular tires whose recommended PSI is between 30 and 40. A 150PSI inflator will inflate your tire even faster. The less time you need to inflate your flat tire, the faster you can get back on the road.
Check out this AstroAI Digital Tire Inflator with Pressure Gauge is a cut above the rest of the tire inflators with its 250PSI rating.
The Duty Cycle
This term refers to the amount of time the tire inflator can work continuously before it needs to cool down. Heavy duty air compressor motors run at relatively high speeds to produce maximum pressure, and this is accompanied by friction and heat. Their petite nature also makes them heat retentive so they will need to cool down more often. The average duty cycle for a regular tire inflator is 15 minutes before they require a break.
The shortcomings of a short duty cycle will be felt especially if you are filling larger tires with high PSI requirements as they take longer to fill. This is another reason to go for an inflator with a gauge with a high PSI rating.
Clarity of The Gauge
For an inflator with a tire gauge to be efficient, the gauge should be easy to read at a glance regardless of the prevailing circumstances. This facilitates the required multitasking for filling up or deflating the tires’ pressure as required while keeping a tab on the pressure reading.
Readability is achieved through a combination of large fonts, illuminated backgrounds to enhance visibility in poorly lit environments, and aptly sized displays. Several analog tire gauges don’t have a backlight and are usually challenging to read at night or under dense cover. The advanced digital ones come with backlit LED or LCDs while some intermediary ones are fitted with glow-in-the-dark displays which also serve the purpose.
Different Pressure Measurements
Choose a tire inflator that features different pressure units, so you don’t have to memorize accurate tire pressure formulae for converting your readings. You have no control over the units the manufacturer will use to display the recommended tire pressures that are usually indicated on the driver’s door, inside the fuel cap, or in the vehicle’s handbook. This is mostly dependent on the country of manufacturing of the vehicle or tires and might be difficult to understand.
A comprehensive tire inflator with gauge has dials featuring commonly used pressure measurements like pound-force square inch (PSI), kilopascal (kPa), and BAR. PSI is common in countries that use the imperial system like the United States and the United Kingdom while kPa and BAR are common in countries that use the metric system, which includes most of Europe. Because our cars and tires come from all over, you might be faced with the challenge sooner or later.
The AstroAI Tire Inflator with Pressure Gauge has 4 measurement ranges that clearly display exact pressure readings on its backlit LED screen
The Length of The Air Hose and Power Lead
The ideal hose length for a tire inflator is manageable in relation to the size of your vehicle. If you know you’ll need it for truck tires, make sure it is long enough to enable the inflator to get to all the tires but sufficiently short so that there is no excess slack which will cause tangles and might even trip you in the process.
The larger your vehicle, the longer the hose needs to be so you can reach all the tires from the power source. This situation doesn’t come up with cordless tire inflators as you move with the units from one tire to another. Look for tire inflators with coiled hoses as they are easier to manage despite their length. They are springy and will only stretch to the required length and revert to their original shape once done.
Automatic Shutoff Function
This regulatory feature is important as it protects both the tires and the tire inflator from possible damage during inflation. It allows you to schedule the inflator to shut down automatically using 3 parameters: pressure, temperature, or time.
The programmable pressure regulator instructs the inflator to stop pumping once the tires attain a determined PSI, ensuring there is no overinflated tires. It can also be set to stop inflating when the inflator reaches certain temperatures that are deemed extreme to prevent overheating and allow the unit to cool off. The same logic is applied when setting it to shut down after a specified time.
Portability
You should be able to carry your portable air compressor or portable tire inflator with you without compromising your storage space or adding substantial weight to the car. This makes it easier to have it with you at all times, which is the only way you are assured it will be accessible during those emergencies. Cordless tire inflators with gauges are the most portable tire inflators as they don’t require cables, which adds to their versatility.
Bells and Whistles
Gone are the days of manual air tools. No longer are we stuck in positions where we have to sweat with a manual tire pump and a separate inflator gauge. and These are the extra features that come with the tire inflators that may come in handy when you least expect them to. It is good to be aware of them so you can use the tire inflator to its full capabilities. They come in the form of mini torches, adaptors, USB ports, and others.
You never know when you might need to inflate a tire at night or under deep cover. The adaptors allow you to use the tire inflators on other items like footballs, children’s toys, and footballs. They go beyond tire inflation and can also be used as adapters to connect other accessories to your car’s power if it doesn’t have a USB port, provided they have 12V ports. This allows you to juice your tablets, smartphones, or cameras on the go.
