![]() ![]() On the downside, consoles didn't perform as well as handheld units in the one test we at the Gear Team were most concerned with: portable tire inflation. Somea re even incorporated into consoles with other tools, such as portable jump starters. Most feature multiple power options, numerous inflation attachments, and more features you won't find in a handheld. Consoles should be able to inflate almost anything, from car tires to sports balls to air mattresses for car camping to rafts, toys, and SUPs for fun recreation ( inflatable kayak, anyone?). Shop for a handheld inflator that features a work light for nighttime situations, a digital gauge for accurate readings and auto-shutoff, a clamp-style valve connector, and a 12-volt plug to reliably power the device with your vehicle when you need it.Ĭonsole units are ideal for everyday household and recreational inflation. A handheld inflator should be easily stashable and simple to use. Handheld is the way to go for a tire inflator to keep in your car in case of emergencies. The most important consideration when shopping for a tire inflator is what you'll be using it for. Portable tire inflators come in many shapes and sizes, but they effectively break down into two distinct types: handheld devices and console units. ) What to Look for in a Portable Tire Inflator Type ( Editor's Note: The above time-lapse GIF is around two minutes of actual time that Milwaukee inflator is a BEAST. Once we had our final tire inflator lineup, we ran them through the Gear Team wringer to see how they performed: which ones stood out, which ones dominated the competition, and which ones left us wanting more. Finally, we purposely avoided the plethora of tiny handheld inflators that look more like game controllers or smartphones than air compressors. We assembled a wide range of sizes, power, and styles to represent the many types of portable tire inflators on the market. In order to get a fair and impartial sample of portable tire inflators, we selected several brand names we know and trust, as well as a bunch of best-selling off-brand compressors with (usually) lower prices and (often) better ratings. Ultimately, we leaned into our expertise and automotive knowledge to whittle the list down to a manageable 13. Then, we perused the internet to find out which inflators were the most popular, the best sellers, and the highest rated. Some more expensive units may have 120V outlets on both windings, and in that case you will not need to worry about this solution.How did we pick our contenders? First, we polled the editorial staffs of Car and Driver, Autoweek, and Road & Track for the inflators our experts recommended. Rest easy knowing now you are spreading that load evenly over both windings in your generator.Īlways make sure to check your generator’s owner’s manual to see if all the 120V outlets are attached to only one winding. If two outlets are not enough, you can still plug an ordinary triple tap or distribution cord into the splitter. Using this splitter will save you the headache of tripping breakers, and not getting the power you need from your generator. Loading this end with too many items won’t stall the generator, but it might trip the breaker on the generator. Worst case scenario is the breaker fails, causing the winding to prematurely wear / fail. If you only plug into the 120V outlets, you only have access to 2500 watts. What can happen if you don’t use the splitter? You are now taking full power from both windings in your generator and using the unit to its full capacity. Splitting this outlet into two regular outlets will yield 2500W to both of them. The left outlets can only deliver 2500 watts because it is wired to one winding. The right outlet is wired to both. The home outlets are typically wired to one winding. However, the 240V outlet is wired to both windings on the generator. It has the typical household outlets, and a 240V outlet. This means it has two separate 2500 Watt, windings. ![]() The 120V outlets will only use 1 live wire, and connect it to only one winding, limiting your power usage. Each are wired differently in the generator.Ģ40V outlets use 2 live wires to carry current, and are wired to both windings on most generators. Many generators give you a single 240V outlet, and two or three 120V standard household outlets. A good example of this is our 30Amp to (2) 15/20Amp Power Splitter. The best way to get the full power out of your generator’s 240V outlet is by using a Generator Power Splitter. ![]()
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