The Avid Power lacks any sort of battery, but it does include a light and USB outlet for charging a phone. At $70, it’s a small price to pay for all it does.
Avid Power Tire Inflator: Price and availability
The Avid Power Air Tire Inflator’s $70 price is a bit below the Craftsman V20 Cordless Tire Inflator or B+D Inflator without their batteries. The difference is that the Avid Power Power Tire Inflator can’t use a battery. The company sells several other inflators that range from $40 to $200.
Avid Power Tire Inflator: Design and features
Housed in a red and black plastic case, the Avid Power Tire Inflator looks a lot like the Craftsman V20 Cordless Tire Inflator or the B+D Inflator. Its 11.4 x 6.3 x 7.5-inch size means that it is bigger than both, while its 5.3 pound weight sits firmly between the two. Still, it makes the Fanttik A8 Apex look positively tiny by comparison. The inflator can be powered by either a 12-volt car accessory adapter or plugged into an AC outlet — but lacks a battery option. Happily, both cords (and the two hoses) have holders, although the AC cord gets by with a Velcro wrap attached to the integrated handle. Well integrated, the Avid Power Tire Inflator has a handy fold-out case for the accessories, putting everything in its place. On the other hand, the compressor has a lot of cables and hoses hanging off the sides, making it look like a toy fire truck. The Avid Power features a 1.3-inch digital screen, which can show the pressure in Pounds per Square Inch (PSI), Bars or KiloPascals (KPA). The unit also has no fewer than six switches for selecting the units, adjusting the auto shut-off up or down, turning the light on or off as well as going between low volume (tires) and high volume (inflatable toys) uses. There’s also one for picking between AC or 12-volt operation.
Avid Power Tire Inflator: Setup
With all its paraphernalia, the Avid Power Tire Inflator can be a lot to carry around. It has a nicely integrated plastic handle that doubles as a place to stash the AC cord. Sadly it does not include a bag or case. It’s pretty easy to unspool the cord and plug the unit in. In fact, it should be at home in a garage (on AC power) and the roadside (using the 12-volt accessory outlet). In addition to the 27-inch hose for use with a tire, the Avid Power Tire Inflator has a 17-inch plastic hose for beach toys. With the nearly 9-foot AC cord and the 10 foot long 12-volt cord, the system can reach between 11 and 12 feet, depending on the power source. This should be more than enough. An additional bonus is that the Avid Power unit has a single LED light alongside a USB power outlet for charging a phone or tablet.
Avid Power Tire Inflator: Performance
Using the 12-volt power from my car, the Avid Power Tire Inflator did an excellent job filling my car’s tire to 30 PSI in 2 minutes and 57 seconds, faster than either the Craftsman V20 Cordless Tire Inflator or the B+D Inflator. It stopped at the preset pressure, and the pump’s internal gauge was spot on. While pumping the five element LED light show displayed it was working. It was, unfortunately, not as useful as the Prow’s progress graph but good for taking my mind off an otherwise boring task. While running, it emitted a loud hum that was annoying and vibrated enough for the pump to move around on the driveway. It also filled the soccer ball to 10 PSI in 13.6 seconds. The two years of coverage that Avid Power provides is in between the single year policy that most companies offer and the Lifetime warranty from RoofPax.
Avid Power Tire Inflator: Verdict
Had it come with an option to use battery power, the Avid Power Tire Inflator would have been a lot easier to recommend - especially with the built-in USB port and LED light. And, despite the fold-out accessory case, you’re still left with all those cords and pipes hanging off the side. On a more positive note the Avid Power Tire Inflator can refill tires relatively quickly, and has better warranty than a lot of other units on the market. The dual AC and 12-volt power supply options also add some extra versatility, making it useful no matter the circumstance.
