Anyone ever used a ...
 

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[Closed] Anyone ever used a track pump on their car tyres?

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After needing to give a front tyre a top up of air, the normal foot pump seemed to be knackered so I stuck the old track pump on and seemed to be so much better. Just wondering if anyone else uses one on a regular basis?

More importantly, could I angle this at the missus so I can get a nice shiny track pump for the bikes and leave the old one in the car?!


 
Posted : 13/12/2012 12:05 pm
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Yep, takes a while to inflate them. My Golf has a dented alloy which used to lose air regularly....

EDIT: 'had', I scrapped the car a few months back...


 
Posted : 13/12/2012 12:08 pm
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On a regular basis? You're having a laugh, it takes ages.


 
Posted : 13/12/2012 12:08 pm
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All the time and it works much better than the cheap rubbish footpumps that seem to be all you can get nowadays. It's only an £8 Tesco job too.


 
Posted : 13/12/2012 12:09 pm
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yep, it's fine for topping air up. we dont own a foot pump


 
Posted : 13/12/2012 12:14 pm
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Have done in the past but I have a nice big compressor to do it for me these days. 😀


 
Posted : 13/12/2012 12:14 pm
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Knackers the track pumps though. One car tyres has a lot more volume that one bike tyre. Okay for topping up though I guess


 
Posted : 13/12/2012 12:14 pm
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rennkompressor (sp?) so narrow barrel low volume (but rated to 300psi - I've no idea why) took freaking ages. Fortunately there's a sainsburys with free air is just up the road


 
Posted : 13/12/2012 12:15 pm
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One car tyres has a lot more volume that one bike tyre.

Yeah. Mine go up to 11.


 
Posted : 13/12/2012 12:15 pm
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Another yes. Cheapo Aldi one, great for topping up.


 
Posted : 13/12/2012 12:20 pm
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Yep, works ok. Just don't rely on the pressure gauge on it.


 
Posted : 13/12/2012 12:35 pm
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I tried it once (instead of a cheap double-barrel Halfords job I used previously) and I was amazed at how much more effort it took (and it's good quality track pump). Foot pump is way quicker/less effort.


 
Posted : 13/12/2012 12:42 pm
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Knackers the track pumps though

+1.
Just chucked my track pump out after trashing it pumping up car tyres 🙁


 
Posted : 13/12/2012 12:53 pm
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So track pumps break if you use them to pump air into tyres....interesting.

Yes, I use my Joe Blow to top up my car tyres, Do it regularly and you shouldn't ever need to add more than a few psi, so 20 seconds pumping on each tyre. The track pump gauge matches the petrol station one too, so I'm happy that it's accurate (accurate enough, anyway, what are the odds of my track pump and several petrol station digital gauges all being out by the same amount?). I pumped up a neighbours tyre that was down to about 10 instead of 30psi once, that took ages, but it did it.


 
Posted : 13/12/2012 1:08 pm
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Yes, for topping them up


 
Posted : 13/12/2012 1:10 pm
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I've had mine for years and always used it on car tyres.

I once successfully pumped up my van tyre with a tiny little mini pump after getting a flat when camped in the middle of nowhere.


 
Posted : 13/12/2012 1:13 pm
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Stopped using anything else a while back - fine for topping up and you can do it while the tyres are properly cold. Would need a lot of pumping to inflate from flat but I'm always surprised how little it takes to add a few psi. Why would it knacker the pump?

Pressure guage's aren't accurate enough though - bought a little digital topeak one to do the readings.


 
Posted : 13/12/2012 1:23 pm
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A 12v tyre pump cost me 20 quid from the local car shop and works fine (set the number, turn it on, unplug it when it stops). If a track pump is going to break after excessive use on car tyres, that'd probably cost you more than 20 quid.


 
Posted : 13/12/2012 1:45 pm
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If a track pump is going to break after excessive use on car tyres

Not had any problem with mine, just buy a decent track pump in the first place.


 
Posted : 13/12/2012 1:55 pm
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I use a track pump every time for the cars and motorbike. I'm not sure how anyone can have worn one out on a car tyre, my shop pump has pumped several bike tyres a day, six days a week for six years now and it isn't an expensive one. I can't see how occasional car tyres can cause more wear and tear than that?


 
Posted : 13/12/2012 1:58 pm
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Once had a flat on my Voyager when the boot was full and couldn't be arsed getting the spacesaver spare out, so I used 4 CO2 cartridges and that got me to quickfit


 
Posted : 13/12/2012 2:03 pm
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A 12v tyre pump cost me 20 quid from the local car shop and works fine (set the number, turn it on, unplug it when it stops [b]about 20 minutes later, per wheel[/b])

FTFY.

I have an inexpensive compressor, it takes bloody ages even for a top up. Major faff.


 
Posted : 13/12/2012 2:12 pm
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Think I used the trackpump once just out of curiosity.

Have a double-barrelled footpump for the car tyres I don't want to be wasting bike stuff on the car


 
Posted : 13/12/2012 2:27 pm
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Takes a long time, and they're not designed for is so some might well overheat. £5 compressor's just as quick, and much easier, so why not?


 
Posted : 13/12/2012 2:29 pm
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I bought a £5 one too, my god it's ridiculous. Half an hour for 10psi type ridiculous.


 
Posted : 13/12/2012 2:33 pm
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I also had a cheap (under £20) compressor, it was woefully bad. Took ages just to do a 'quick' top up. The track pump was quicker by a long margin.


 
Posted : 13/12/2012 2:45 pm
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Use a Joe Blow Sport to top up tyres on our camper van. They run at 65psi, more than I acn get out of any foot pump, and compressor cable is not long enough to reach the rear wheels.


 
Posted : 13/12/2012 3:23 pm
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FWIW my £5 tesco compressor takes my stupid big tyres up to 33psi in a few minutes. I reckon I could beat it with a trackpump but only by busting a gut.

It does make a bloody awful noise though.


 
Posted : 13/12/2012 3:31 pm
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Takes a long time, and they're not designed for is so some might well overheat. £5 compressor's just as quick, and much easier, so why not?

This. after using mine to top up the effing great balloons on my Alhambra, I went online and bought a 12V compressor for at most a tenner (Ring analogue from Amazon). Even if it takes as long its effort-free.


 
Posted : 13/12/2012 5:37 pm
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funnily enough I've just come in from doing checking car tyres with the track pump. However they are so low it will take forever to pump up so it's off to the garage for me.


 
Posted : 13/12/2012 5:39 pm
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Those cheap compressors knacker your ears though.


 
Posted : 13/12/2012 5:41 pm
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Nowt wrong with using a track pump to top up car & van tyres.


 
Posted : 13/12/2012 6:06 pm