Customer Reviews

Blackburn Mammoth 2 Stage Bicycle Frame Pump

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

It's rare for me to rate an item 5 stars. This item though qualifies. It's extremely well made out of aluminum, is easy to use and very lightweight. It pushes a lot of air for its size and yet even when you get up to 80-120 lbs it still is fairly easy to operate. I'm quite impressed with how great it works. Works with both presta and shraeder valves, you just need to unscrew the top and flip a piece inside the head.

This is probably the best compact pump I've owned in over 15 years of cycling.

****EDIT***
I'm lowering this to a 4 star review, it has a few flaws, difficult to swap between shraeder and presta valves. And my first attempt at using it on a presta valve resulted in a broken valve. That's more due to my skill than anything but still, was quite frustrating at the time.

Blackburn's Mammoth 2 Stage bicycle pump sufficiently inflates mountain type bicycle tires, as I decided to do a test after my purchase since I was in the process of replacing my bicycle tires.

While it is not as fast as a full size bicycle pump, it works if you get a flat tire while biking and need to make an emergency repair.

The pump appears well made and time will tell how it holds up. It provides sufficient air considering its size.

The pump can be converted for use on presta and schraeder valves, just be careful the part does not fall out and disappear.

My only complaint was figuring out which way to turn the head piece to lock it in place to pump.

Do not buy.

I bought this pump in July of 2010 and had to use it for the first time on the trail last nite and it failed to perform. The maximum pressure I could obtain was 45psi . . . and I was sweating my butt off - I worked long and hard at it and finally gave up and cut our ride short due to the low tire pressure. I'm a big, strong guy so strength was not a problem. When I first received the pump I did test it and did figured it would take some effort to pump the tire up and I anticipated a workout last nite, but I did not complete my initial testing by pumping the tire fully - shame on me.

The tire was a 700 x 38c hybrid - ridden at 75 to 90 psi depending on surface.

I purchased this pump for the following reasons:

1. 2 pressure settings, high volume and high pressure.
2. Rebuildable.
3. Lifetime warranty.
4. 120 Maximum PSI.

I suppose I could try and send back under warranty, but having to pay for shipping, how many times are you going to do that before you abandon the product.

I don't know how Blackburn can advertise and claim 120psi for this pump in good conscience, Blackburn - shame on you. I will not be buying any further Blackburn products - I feel they are not trustworthy and do not believe their products will perform as claimed.

Definitely the best "pack pump" I have used. I have used a couple Topeak pumps and an older Blackburn and was not impressed with how many strokes and/or how difficult it was to fully inflate a tire. With this pump I inflated a set of 2.1" XC tires to ~40psi in about 80 pumps each, starting on low. It only took a couple minutes to inflate each tire which is amazing. I took the 30 seconds to read over the directions so I had no problem figuring out any of the functions of this pump. I don't see why anyone would have an issue operating it. I have only inflated the 2 tires at this point so I can't speak to the longevity of this item.

Bottom Line: I would recommend this pump to anyone.

Just got this pump and tried it out on a totally flat BMX tire. Filled the tire to 50 pounds in 25-30 easy pump strokes! My previous pump would have taken over 100 very vigorous strokes and a lot of effort (really, I would have to take a breather in the middle). The 2-stage feature is wonderful: filled the volume on "low" pressure (took about 15 strokes), then switch to "high" for the last 15 strokes.
The one thing I don't like is the design of the low-high lever: it's very stiff to operate, there's not much place to get a grip on it, and you could easily rip your fingernail off trying to get the lever to move. Because of this basic design flaw I'm giving it 4 stars.

TIP: as with ALL outdoor equipment, don't wait until you're on the road to familiarize yourself with how the pump works. Be sure you have it set up for your type of valve BEFORE you need to use it. (Mine came set up for Shroeder valve, which was the right one.) And practice a couple of dry runs on the valve lock-on feature (either by just twisting and observing, or by attaching to an inner tube if you have one around) to be sure you know which direction to turn the pump. One reviewer said, "the head locking system and the direct attachment to the valve make this expensive pump a subpar product." To each his own, but I found the head locking system and direct attachment very simple, functional and practical. Very stable when pumping up the tire.

I have only had this pump for one day, so I can't speak to its durability. But in terms of filling a tire quickly and easily, right out of the box it's the best pump I've ever owned. One hopes that they will improve the high-low lever design soon. It's a shame to have a good product marred by one cheap component. Charge 50 cents more to cover the cost, and do it right!

This pump worked reasonably well until it gave up the ghost after less then 3 months, during which I had used it less than a handful of times! Contacted BB CS but received no reply. Besides these annoyances, the head locking system and the direct attachment to the valve make this expensive pump a subpar product. Save your hard earned cash for a Topeak Mountain Morph, mini morph or a Lezyne micro floor drive, vastly superior products!