Customer Reviews

Campbell Hausfeld RP420050AV 120 Volt Digital Tire Inflation System

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I purchased this about seven days ago. I just read the instructions and used it. First, the knob promptly fell off. Getting it back on in the proper position took some finagling. Then, despite repeated attempts, it wouldn't allow me to set the correct tire pressure. I never did get it to work correctly. When I first took it out of the box, it was immediately evident to me that it was cheaply constructed and it appeared to me to be very much over-priced. My advise which, by the way, I am following myself today, is to purchase a good, "old fashioned" tire inflator/compressor, a good tire gauge, and save yourselves $40.00 or so to actually accomplish the same goal for which this cheaply made unit was intended but failed to do.

This compressor is fairly small and light, it measures 11 by 5 by 8.5 inches and weighs probably under 2 pounds. According to the manual, it draws 3 Amps at 120 Volts, which makes it at least 3-5 times more powerful than a portable compressor powered from auxiliary socket (those are typically limited to <10 Amps at 12 V). Performance-wise, it seems to be beating cheap $20-range compressors by a factor of 5 to 10. It takes about 30 seconds to pump a sizeable SUV tire (e.g., 235-65-R17) from 28 psi to 32 psi. At this speed, adding air to the tires is a fast and easy process.

This great performance does not come as a surprise. Generally, 12 V sockets in cars are protected with 10 Amps fuses, which limits the power which compressors can draw to 120 Watts maximum. The best portable compressors run at 20-30 Amps but they have to be connected directly to the car's battery, which is a somewhat messy and sometimes dirty process. With at least three times greater power (360 Watts) and larger air pump size one can expect much faster performance from this compressor - and it does deliver.

It creates a fair amount of noise, in my judgment close to the noise level of a typical vacuum cleaner. Since pumping time is usually short (unless the tire is completely empty), noise is not an issue, and in any case it is quite tolerable.

The round bright display is a nice feature, but unfortunately it is quite inaccurate. My compressor shows approximately 4 psi lower pressure than a portable digital gauge and TPMS display in the car. Hence, I have to set in to 35-36 psi in order to get actual pressure to 32 psi. It is frustrating to see such inaccuracy in a fairly expensive compressor - they probably could've made it accurate by spending extra thirty cents on the parts but they did not. This is the only reason why I ranked it four stars. You have to have either a separate tire pressure gauge or TPMS with pressure indicator in the car just to calibrate the compressor, or you need to get it freshly pumped to a target pressure by a tire shop or using a more accurate compressor. Then you can plug this one in and it will show you what reading this correct pressure corresponds to on its scale.

The compressor comes with one year warranty, which is nice as it suggests some level of quality. It does not come with a power cord, but I do not see it as an issue because one has to use an extension cord anyway to be able to reach every tire on the car, and extension cord can be plugged directly into the compressor. The good part is that it comes with a wall hanger and screws to hang it in the garage.

Since it is automatic - you dial in the desired pressure (with the correction for the gauge error) and push the start button - it is very easy to operate, and there is no need to watch the pressure as it runs. When the target pressure is reached, it shuts off by itself. To pump the next tire, you disconnect the air hose from the valve stem, connect to the next tire, and press the red button again. Very easy.

I used in only on 8 tires so far and can't judge the build quality and reliability, but so far the impression has been very positive. Compared to my portable "emergency" compressor, this one is nicer, quieter, and SO MUCH FASTER! Of course, this speed comes at a price of portability - you need 120 V to plug it in, and obviously it requires too much power to be compatible with a basic 100 - 175 W car inverters. It is a compressor for home, to be kept on the garage wall to be used to add air to the tires ones per month for fuel efficiency, etc.

It is a pity that they did not built in a flashlilght into it as it would be helpful if one has to work in a poorly lighted conditions. The screen creates some light, but not quite enough if you use the compressor it in a garage in shadow of the car.

The manual is very detailed and clearly written - even though the operation is so simple that one hardly needs the manual.

Overall, I think it is a good choice for home use.

My test results are:
A) Set/choose target digital reading(lower number on Pump)by turning the dial knob and pump the tire until it stops.Now the upper number is the same as the lower number which means the psi in this tire is supposed to be what you initially set/choose.
Question is:How accurate is this final PSI in your tire.Well look some numbers below.
Set 20,pump the tire to 20(until stops)-- Measured by a Digital accurate meter=16
20, -- =17.5
23 =19
23 =20
25 =21.5
25 =22.5
27 =24.5
30 =27
30 =27.5
33 =31
33 =31
33 =33
34 =31.5-32
35 =33
35 =32.5
It means to have an accurate psi in the tire you have to set/choose the lower digital number a few PSI above your desired PSI ( as you see in the chart).
The digital numbers are large and black on blue background(light)which is cool.
The pressure hose hides in a chamber on the pump and the 3 prong 120 Volt cord plugs to the opposite side of the pump.
In my opinion the price is too high.Well it is a cool digital gadget which pumps with
low noise and it is better to buy this useful item instead lottary tickets or........

It doesn't get any easier than this. Set the pressure desired, connect to valve, push the start button. It's small and light. The air hose stores in the side. Connects directly to an extension cord, so there's no cord to mess with. It's VERY loud, but most small compressors are. That's not a problem, though, because you can start it and then walk away-- it shuts off when the desired pressure is achieved. It's FAST, too, unlike many 12V inflators. Now you won't have any excuse for not having every tire you own inflated to the correct pressure at all times. And if you have a noncritical item with a slow leak, this is exactly what you need. I haven't had it long enough to judge it's durability, but so far I'm tickled with it. It's a little pricey, but the convenience might be worth it to you.

This is an acceptable product, easy to use, and for that reason, people who bought it are likely to use it. Unfortunately, it does not measure the pressure accurately. It gives a reading that is about 3psi higher than it actually is in the tire, as measured by other devices. I believe one other reviewer also has noticed this problem. Perhaps the manufacturer purposefully built this error into it so they won't be liable for any excess pressure being pumped into the tires.

I've only pumped up some bike tires and a few volleyballs and soccer balls. This thing looks great. I particularly like the fact that I can tell it the pressure I want, start it up, and walk away knowing it will only inflate it to that pressure. It is MUCH faster than the one I have that runs from a cigarette lighter.

I don't know yet how reliable, durable, etc. It is a little loud, but I suppose that is to be expected.

I really like the approach of simply dialing your desired pressure and letting the compressor work until it hits the goal and then shuts off. It did just that, for 2 trailer tires, and then it failed when I tried to inflate a third tire on our truck. All it does now is make noise and blow air out the side, not through the hose to the tire.

Do not waste your money on this loud piece of junk!

After much web reading/searching, I bought this CH product through Amazon. It arrived in 1.5 days.

I immediately read the instructions and hooked it up to each of the four tires on one of my trucks. Knowing(from some of the reviews) the screen would read low, I set the pressure 4 lbs above the recommended cold PSI. The inflator pumped the tire up to that PSI and shut off though it took a few extra seconds for the last lb.

It's not as noisy as my 20 year old Black and Decker inflator. It did not lose any air when attaching the universal adaptor to the tire valve stem...not an ounce! It even has a a holder for the tire valve cap.

Would give it a '5' except for the low pressure reading.

This compressor actually makes me want to fill up my tires, something that was always such a pain. I was contemplating between the non-digital cheaper version but am so happy I went with the digital one. I've had mine ~6 months and used it probably 15 times, so far so good.

I bought this product to replace another Campbell Hausfeld product that served me well for over ten years. The first time I used it was to add air to a nitrogen filled tire that had a slow leak. I needed to put some air in to take it to get the tire repaired. The unit would jump to 50psi and shut off. Finally I put it in manual mode. The other day I used it to fill my daughter's tires, which are air filled, and it worked like a charm. I like this better than my other CH unit because that one was battery powered. You had to charge it every six months and it took forever to inflate a tire. If you have AC power available, this is great. It fills the tire quickly. I only wish it could handle more than 40psi before going to manual mode. Overall, I am very happy with this product. BTW, I love the digital readout. No guessing!