-
Buy Now Pay Later Flexible Options*
12v Air Compressors
Product added to cart
12V Air Compressors
The 12 V Air Compressor is a very handy tool when going camping or four wheel driving. They can be used for inflating mattresses or pillows. Pumping up tyres especially if travelling across sandy terrain. They are even useful if you are having a day out in the park or at the beach. Pumping up the footy or beach ball, even basketball. Bicycle tyres are not a problem, whether it is a pedal or e-bike.
They are a portable air compressor and some come in a compact carry case. Easy to use these air compressors have a number of attachments designed so you can inflate a variety of products. Power is from the old cigarette lighter socket or directly off the vehicle battery. Most units have an air pressure gauge.
These are not the type of compressor that will spray paint a car or run air powered tools. They are simply used to pump up items that are inflated by air.
Popular Questions Asked
How do I choose a 12V Air Compressor?
These first 2 points are important as is the price and the features that are important to you. Important to you may be the length of the power cord to reach the battery or length of the air hose so you can reach the trailer. It will vary according to your circumstance.
- Air Pressure - The most important point here is pick the item requiring the maximum air pressure and work on a compressor that will pump that up. Don't buy a compressor that can only inflate to that maximum pressure. Add a little reserve so you are not making the compressor work too hard. So if the item needs 30 psi get a compressor that can pump to 35 psi or better still 40 psi
- Attachments - Does it come with all the pieces you need to pump up your e-bike tyres, basketball and SUV tyres?
These next 2 points are nice to know but not the be all and end all. They may help if you can't decide between 2 models.
- Duty Cycle - When a compressor pumps air this generates heat, especially in a small compressor that revs very fast and trust me they do. They have a thermal cut off that switches off the power if it gets to hot and lets the compressor cool down. If not for this the compressor would seize up. This is expressed as a percentage of time. If it is 75% and the cycle time is 2 minutes, then the compressor runs for 1min 30 seconds and is off for 30 seconds. This is only really important if you are inflating something requiring a large volume of air in one go, like king sized air beds.
- Air Flow - Usually in litres per minute. How much air it can pump.
Can I run a 12V Air Compressor off an Auxilary or Deep Cycle Battery?
The answer here is no as compressors are high amp or current devices and will chew through a battery. Best to run them off the normal start or crank battery ideally with your engine running so it can keep the cranking battery topped up.
Product Availability by Store Location
Hours
