I've made the decision, I'm going to get a compressor. All I need it for is airing up-down my own or a buddy's tires. I'm also a guy who likes to do things the right way one time, as opposed to piecing it together later. So... when the guy at 4wheel parts tries to sell me a tank setup as well, should I do it? He says I need it for setting the bead on a flat tire, but I've always been able to use a ratcheting strap for that; he says for running an impact wrench, but I've got a colapsable tire iron that never runs out of air. If you've got a tank as part of your air system and think it was worth it, what are you using it for? If you've got a compressor, do you wish you had a tank as well?
Why do you need an air tank.
- Thread starter jonsolbe
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Bounty__Hunter
Super Moderator
A tank is simply storage, it may help to compare it to the function of the battery in the electrical system.
A tank may be less important if you have a high volume compressor that can keep up with the demand of airing up tires, like an engine driven York. I'd definitely recommend a tank if you have a low volume compressor like an electric.
I run a York and a tank. The extra air storage is nice as the tank can refill as I'm moving to the next tire, then that tire will fill more quickly than if I had no tank.
Compressors also generate a lot of heat, and many have less than a 100% duty cycle, so giving the compressor a break by having a full tank is a good idea.
A tank may be less important if you have a high volume compressor that can keep up with the demand of airing up tires, like an engine driven York. I'd definitely recommend a tank if you have a low volume compressor like an electric.
I run a York and a tank. The extra air storage is nice as the tank can refill as I'm moving to the next tire, then that tire will fill more quickly than if I had no tank.
Compressors also generate a lot of heat, and many have less than a 100% duty cycle, so giving the compressor a break by having a full tank is a good idea.
So, basically the only reason is to turn on the compressor 5-10 minutes before you need it so the tank will be full and you can air up faster? Everyone mentions air tools but I've never seen anyone bust out an air grinder/cutter, chissel, sander, etc. Perhaps I'd be better off getting just a compressor and spending the extra money on an extra batter? When I was at the parts store yesterday there was the viair setup but also an arb compressor. Anyone have experience using the arb pump for more than just lockers, like airing up a tire?
Then your probably not on extremely hard trails. I have used a number of air tools on the trail to fix mine, as well as other vehicles whether it was a impact gun to change a tire or tighten up u-bolts to using a cutoff wheel to cut scrap metal to weld something back together to get off a trail.
IMHO, With out a tank and some method or regulating the pressure inside that air line while airing up tires can be very dangerous and perhaps deadly. Even if you run your compressor for 1 minute and do not have a means to evacuate the air from your air line, something is going to blow due to extreme amounts of pressure. Sorry but if you need to ask IF you need an air tank, then you probably don't understand what the point of "doing it right the first time means." Cheap is no Justification for unsafe workmanship and equipment.
Ouch Johnny, I guess this isn't quite as friendly a forum as I'd thought. I guess I've been able to do everything I've needed so far with a rechargable battery powered unit, like my dewalt: cutting sheetmetal with a sawzall or die grinder, grinding off a rusted nut, drilling a hole. I've never been unable to loosten a lug nut or bolt with a little wd40 and a cheater bar. That's including many, many field fixes far outside the city limits of your Boston, and while working full time on a large wheat farm in the middle of nowhere. On our service rigs, the goal was to have as few redundant systems as possible: therefore fewer things to go wrong. We carried a large lincoln generator/stick-welder, oxy-acetylene setup, 2 ton hydraulic boom hoist, and a big air tank (no compressor) that was filled back at the shop and was large enough to air up one, maybe two tires. But, any air tools we ran required the 220 volt hard-wired twin-stage 30 gallon air compressor back at the shop, not a 12 volt howmeowners model with a 2 gallon tank. I guess what I was looking for was a friendly discussion (not a reiteration of which 2" lift to buy, or 'hey, is this a good deal on a used jeep?' or "which winch is the best?") on whether or not an air tank was necessary above and beyond a 12V compressor when used on a trail jeep. If you've been in a situation where you've saved the day with your air tank, I'd really like to hear about it. If you're a guy who's been able to successfuly save the day without an air tank, perhaps with a cordless rechargeable unit, CO2 compressed unit, or other power tool setup, I'd really like to hear about it as well. If you installed an air tank and have never needed it, I'd like to hear about that too. I'm not interested in the latest shiny gadget just because it rattles and looks cool under the hood. I want as little clutter and as little to go wrong as possible. I've searched the forums and found none-such discussion, one which may serve useful to those of us little people who haven't run any of the extremely difficult trails that you usually navigate near Boston.
It was constructive critism regarding safety. If your so knowledgable you would have known that and not asked the question in the first place and thrown out that age old "do it right the first time" phrase. The 12 volt unit your refering to will not put out nearly the psi that a belt driven OBA unit will, plus it has safe guards built in to regulate the line pressure. If you were talking strictly about bolting in a compressor and not actually taking the time to build a engine driven unit, my appologies, I must have miss understood you end goal.
Honestly If you prefer to carry all of that equipment in the back of your jeep, 12 volt grinder, cut off wheel, drill or what ever you carry none of which requires a compress air source to operate, then why ask about OBA?
Congrats on all the tools you use in the field, I am sure they provide you with much satisfaction, and at the end of the day prove that you have done a good days work.
Lastly since you feel like mentioning it..
Of course you won't find trails listed on the internet in Boston. It's a F-n City, do you sincerely think that people in LA, Chicago, or Houston actually wheel in those cities?
Fact is 99% of the land we recreate on is private land, land that myself, as well as the cooperative work of many individuals work very hard to secure, agree on leasing agreements for, perform land/trail cuts and maintanences. Because it is private, we do not advertise it there for we keep intersurfing dweebs off the land destroying it.
Fact, Over the last 4 years Massachusetts has lost almost a 1000 acres of public land that the 4wd community had recreated on. currently the closest trail to Boston is a scant 2 hour drive. We all can live in Puget Sound.
If you need a forum to research land use in New England here is a couple
Welcome to NEOW.org - the Internet Home of the Northeast Online Wheelers
Northeast Association of 4WD Clubs
Good luck with your search on the components you would like to use.
Honestly If you prefer to carry all of that equipment in the back of your jeep, 12 volt grinder, cut off wheel, drill or what ever you carry none of which requires a compress air source to operate, then why ask about OBA?
Congrats on all the tools you use in the field, I am sure they provide you with much satisfaction, and at the end of the day prove that you have done a good days work.
Lastly since you feel like mentioning it..
Of course you won't find trails listed on the internet in Boston. It's a F-n City, do you sincerely think that people in LA, Chicago, or Houston actually wheel in those cities?
Fact is 99% of the land we recreate on is private land, land that myself, as well as the cooperative work of many individuals work very hard to secure, agree on leasing agreements for, perform land/trail cuts and maintanences. Because it is private, we do not advertise it there for we keep intersurfing dweebs off the land destroying it.
Fact, Over the last 4 years Massachusetts has lost almost a 1000 acres of public land that the 4wd community had recreated on. currently the closest trail to Boston is a scant 2 hour drive. We all can live in Puget Sound.
If you need a forum to research land use in New England here is a couple
Welcome to NEOW.org - the Internet Home of the Northeast Online Wheelers
Northeast Association of 4WD Clubs
Good luck with your search on the components you would like to use.
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Utah_jeepster
Super Moderator
The ARB air pump is a low volume\ high PSI compressor with a 33% cycle rate that can be used to air up tires after a trail ride but it does take some time to fill a 35 inch tire, I think I read some where 7-10 minutes from 12 PSI to 32 PSI per tire on a friends XJ with out a tank. With any 33% cycle rate compressor you have to watch out from over heating it while airing up since the Mfg recommends that it only runs 20 minutes out of each hour.
Personally I run a Viair 450C electric with a tank (2.5 Gal?) and it takes 5-8 minutes a tire. I think they rate my compressor as a med volume/high pressure. Even with a tank I can not run a air tool but I can re-seat tires with the valve stem removed with and or without a strap.
One of my jeep Buddy's runs a York and a tank and fills two tires at a time in less than 5 minutes. With his set-up has can run cut off wheels and other assorted air tools for a limited time, and has no problems re-seating tires without a strap.
Each system works fine and problem free for 5 or so years now.
As bounty has said the tank is only a storage device and is useful in a quick blast of 120 PSI air if needed.
Personally I would set your system up without a tank and see if you need it later, it doesn't take much to re-route your original pumping.
Personally I run a Viair 450C electric with a tank (2.5 Gal?) and it takes 5-8 minutes a tire. I think they rate my compressor as a med volume/high pressure. Even with a tank I can not run a air tool but I can re-seat tires with the valve stem removed with and or without a strap.
One of my jeep Buddy's runs a York and a tank and fills two tires at a time in less than 5 minutes. With his set-up has can run cut off wheels and other assorted air tools for a limited time, and has no problems re-seating tires without a strap.
Each system works fine and problem free for 5 or so years now.
As bounty has said the tank is only a storage device and is useful in a quick blast of 120 PSI air if needed.
Personally I would set your system up without a tank and see if you need it later, it doesn't take much to re-route your original pumping.
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Thanks Utah jeepster. Also, Johnny and I have reconciled through personal e-mail and I appologize to all for our brief childish interaction. I've never broken and axle or needed a welder while on trail, so I guess that probably does mean that I'm not running on extremely hard trails. But I am rather proud of abusing my nice rubicon on a regular basis and not just hauling groceries with it! I think traction is my main concern now, and a good 12V compresor will be a good start for airing up/down. Maybe the tank money would be better spent on the next better model of compressor now?
pitbulld45
New member
Have you considered making your ac compressor into an air compressor? It is fast but you would need a tank for that.
