Small air compressors are extremely useful for airing up after a weekend of wheeling...while larger/more powerful options exist, a small reliable oil-less compressor is easy to carry around and takes up little storage space (and is easy to pass off to friends when they need to borrow it). RockCrawler.com tested out the Smittybilt 2870 while on a recent trip to Colorado and then put the stopwatch on.
The Smittybilt 2870 is a nicely designed kit...the compressor has an insulating handle (which is cool enough to hold even with the cast fins are 250 degrees)...the base is double-isolated for vibration...the coiled yellow hose can be bypassed for short connections...the air gauge is at the chuck end (where you are monitoring the tire pressure) and includes a pressure release on the back....considering the MV50 compressor I also have, this was definitely an improved design.
A few things come to mind when dealing with small 0il-less air compressors...speed of inflation, duty cycle and compressor heat. So, all of those were put to the test. Testing was on a set of 315-75-16 Goodyear MTR's...inflation range was 15psi to 45psi on all 4 tires....pausing only to change the chuck from one tire to the next.
First, air down to 15psi...
Next, I took a reference temp on the cast compressor fins....81 degrees to start
Set the stopwatch, and air the first tire from 15-45 - time elapsed, about 7 minutes.
And then, record the temperature of the cast fins on the compressor....200 degrees, not bad.
The Smittybilt 2870 is a nicely designed kit...the compressor has an insulating handle (which is cool enough to hold even with the cast fins are 250 degrees)...the base is double-isolated for vibration...the coiled yellow hose can be bypassed for short connections...the air gauge is at the chuck end (where you are monitoring the tire pressure) and includes a pressure release on the back....considering the MV50 compressor I also have, this was definitely an improved design.
A few things come to mind when dealing with small 0il-less air compressors...speed of inflation, duty cycle and compressor heat. So, all of those were put to the test. Testing was on a set of 315-75-16 Goodyear MTR's...inflation range was 15psi to 45psi on all 4 tires....pausing only to change the chuck from one tire to the next.
First, air down to 15psi...
Next, I took a reference temp on the cast compressor fins....81 degrees to start
Set the stopwatch, and air the first tire from 15-45 - time elapsed, about 7 minutes.
And then, record the temperature of the cast fins on the compressor....200 degrees, not bad.