Have you ever been stuck in a roadside emergency with a flat tire? Moreover, there’s no mechanic shop nearby, and you’ve no idea what to do now? If your answer is yes, then you must already know about Tyre Inflators or Foot Pumps. However, if you’re unaware of these products, then by the end of this article, you’ll indeed thank us!
So let’s find out the advantages of both Tyre Inflators and Foot Pump and see if they’ve any limitations or not. Let’s start with the basics:
What’s a Tyre Inflator?
Tyre Inflators are a modern device that comes with analogue or digital reading and helps you in refiling the air pressure. In simple terms, you can consider them as a sibling of a standard air compressor. Moreover, these portable devices only need a 12V socket to get the job done.
Now that you’re aware of its basic definition, let’s move on to its advantages:
- Firstly, these air compressors are pretty easy to carry and use. Apart from this, some Tyre Inflators also have a separate section to store all necessary cables and valves.
- Secondly, due to the presence of analogue or digital readings, Tyre Inflators are pretty safe to use. You can check the readings and shut the inflator off once the required amount of PSI has been reached. Moreover, many advanced Car Tyre Inflators come with automatic shut off features, ensuring that neither the vehicle nor the person gets hurt.
- Lastly, using an electric Tyre Inflator can also save time and prove to be a beneficial investment. For instance, Michelin’s High Power Tyre Inflator barely takes 2-3 minutes to reach the 30 PSI. While you can consider them a bit expensive, don’t forget that they’re also a one-time investment that can keep you safe from flat tyre situations for a long time.
What’s a Foot Pump? Are they still any good?
Like our typical Tyre Inflators, Foot Pumps are also used for supplying the air pressure in tyres. However, these devices are entirely manual and can be easily operated with feet.
Compared to Tyre Inflators, Foot Pumps can take around 10-15 minutes to inflate a tyre.
However, this time limit varies from person to person and depends on a Foot Pump type. But, are they quite useful like Electric Tyre Inflators and do they have any advantage to offer? Let’s find out:
- While both devices are pretty easy to carry, Foot Pumps are generally more lightweight and provide better portability. Thus, if you need to use it at different places, then Foot Pumps are more easily movable.
- Secondly, Foot Pumps can last much longer than a standard Tyre Inflator due to their simpler design. Thus, in terms of durability, a Foot Pump can easily beat any Electric Tyre Inflator.
Despite some of its advantages over a Tyre Inflator, a Car Foot Pump can prove a tricky product due to its specific limitations. Some of them are as follows:
- While an Electric Tyre Inflator only requires 2-3 minutes, an advanced Foot Pump with two cylinders can still take more time to reach the level of 30PSI.
- Also, many Foot Pumps are known to have leaking issues from the brass valves. As a result, you might not be able to inflate the tyre properly and might remain stuck with a flat tyre.
Takeaway
While both products can offer the same working, having an Electric Tyre Inflator is always a better idea. If you think that Tyre Inflators are more expensive than a Foot Pump, you might need to reconsider it. Remember, while having a Tyre Inflator might sound like a costly idea, it’s indeed a long term investment with positive results only.
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