Interesting to know that CFM ratings aren't accurate with the Amazon unit. Pittsburgh unit airs up faster at 1.35CFM but the Amazon says their unit is 2.12 CFM. I personally use a Viair 88P rated at 1.47 CFM. For anyone that is new to using "tire inflators", make sure you keep them off the ground. The vibrations from the tire inflator will kick up dirt and sand. I have personally seized up a tire inflator because it sucked in dirt particles causing the compressor to seize up. Find a safe place on top of your engine bay to mount your tire inflator while you air up. Don't take chances! Be safe and have fun on your adventures!

Good video, rather save 400 bucks and just wait the extra 10 minutes for 4 tires to fill

You shouldn't subtract the time to check with the on-board, it's part of the test since you have no choice to check it as it goes since it doesn't have a in-line pressure gauge the other two have. Also, great video and review, very helpful!

Thank you for reviewing gear people can actually afford

Good Video. Forgot to mention about the duty cycle and that can be a huge factor

This Young Man is a Great Addition To The Team at TFLoffroad. Super Job!!!

Really awesome detailed review like I was right with you. Every time you got a result you showed it to us the camera. Fantastic! Hope your getting paid, cause I'm buying the harbor freight one

I bought the Pittsburgh last year. It’s great for the half dozen trips I do per year. Definitely a good way to save money as you build your off road kit.

I liked how you started the Pitts HF AC before attaching to fill, just as owner’s manual instructed. Nice comparison. My Pitts HF seems to work fast & fine.

I got a 40$ hypertough air compressor that looks very similar to both of these from Walmart a year ago and it still works great.

I like these tech /gear reciews.

Quality video. I'd like to see the harbor freight compared to other compressors now. And also a comparison of winches, and lights.

Ok let's up the budget a bit to the smitty built, tuff stuff 4x4 and and vivar models i.e. compressors that run 120 to 150 and compare them to the 500 compressor.

sounds like buy 4 of the HF units, pump up all the tires simultaneously plus have 3 backups in case one fails and you still spent about 1/2 the price of the ARB. Hmm.

Excellent, thorough review Alex. Nicely done. IF the ARB had a gauge on the hose where you connect, it would be worth the money to me.(provided I wanted/needed such things) Since it does not, the runner up is the one with the gauge on the end of the hose. You say speed is the name of the game here. Speed of ARB wins, however, for me, convenience is primary. I don't want to be taking the chuck on and off repeatedly and then having to re-adjust because I went over, or under.

Nice job thank you, i previously saw ur vid some time ago but i recently picked up the Harbor freight unit. I'm on a budget and i normally do not go off roading too much but it will serve its purpose. Thx again

Good Stuff & Great Tips 👍 Thanks!

videos like this are why you guys are the best!

I literally just bought the Pittsburgh and w/ a 20% Coupon it was right at $50, so great deal for sure. I was using an old Stanley Compressor to air up after Off Roading. This Pittsburgh smokes the Stanley (of course the Stanley is a multi use unit). Great Review!

When the truck engine is off, the battery voltage will drop around 2 volts (from 14.4 to 12.7V) impacting the compressor performance. So your ARB compressor is probably better, but the test was not quite perfectly accurate

Very good comparison, Thanks Man

Shouldn't you have tested the 2 budget compressors with the engine running to be a fair comparison to the ARB?

Awesome video 👏🏼 do you run the car while u filling tyre?

The little compressor that came with my wife's Jeep works as well as the harbor freight model.

I appreciate the vid, good info thx fod sharing. I definitely know which i prefer now!

You need to check out the midrange compressors. Superflow MV50, TJM, etc. I've found the superflow is actually a little faster than the ARB for me.

I own the Harbor Freight compressor and it has worked very well when needed.

Good job on the video and test. How much weight was the Pittsburgh?

Good video, I’ve used these types of compressors for years. Regardless of the brand I find you’ll want to find an air source at the park if at all possible, they’re all kinda slow

I currently have this model Harbor Freight pump in my truck. I have no complaints so far.

Good review, thanks!

Picked up the HF compressor today with a 25% off coupon. Thanks for the video and recommendation.

Lol I bought this compressor at Harbor Freight today! The guy at the cash register warned me not to get the cheap ass one. He was right as the $65 one pushes 5X as much air. You have to hook it directly to the battery. I’ll be testing it out around Telluride this weekend. Oh yeah the Pittsburgh is $56 with the coupon.

While I was sure the arb would win, you can't subtract the time you used to check the pressure, and you need to add an air gauge into the price of the arb unit.

I have one of those Pittsburgh air compressors and it does pretty well and so far has held up. I will tell you though that after airing up two of those tires, it would be very hot. If I run mine for at least ten minutes it get extremely hot to the point that I turn it off when I'm done and let it cool off outside before I can put it away.

Amazing review. Earned a sub for sure

I'm curious about the tire deflators, are they worth having for airing down?

Very good review process.

I bought the HF compressor. The rubber hose gets very hot just filling one tire to 35 psi. You should check the temp there at discharge hose.

Ive had the Harbor freight unit hard wired under the hood in my 'Yota for a few years. Pretty darn good for the $40 or so I paid. I shared it with a few guys in our club once and it overheated and automatically shut down once or twice. It's still working fine. I also have an ARB locker and I will eventually use that as a back up compressor or a means to reinflate tires quicker. I don't see the point on spending hundreds on a high end unit unless time or airing up numerous rigs is a major factor. For Running air tools or reseating tires I'd probably get a tank type system.

Dude thanks for the info, short n quick....

Having the pressure gauge on the end of the hose is an added benefit over the compressor mounted unit. Having it on the compressor does you no good unless you set the compressor next to the tire.

I'd like to see a comparison like this on TFL Bike. For dual-sport riders, we like to ride to the trail and then play. I'd love to see a compressor that fits on the bike or under seat, air down at the trail and then pump up before the ride home.

I just bought the one at the harbor freight and it's awesome!

Just mount one of these in your trunk/cab/box. Buy a cheap car stereo wiring kit to run it to battery(for the heavy gauge battery wire) I see them for $10-20 all the time at liquidation stores. Grab a 25ft hose from harbor and run it right off there. Make a quick disco clamp on the compressor and on the wiring connection that allows the use of battery clamps as well, in case it needs to be portable again.

It would have been nice if you had taken Decibel and Temperature data on the ARB as you had done with the other two compressors. Other than that, great test of vital interest to us that quantifies exactly what potential buyers want to know.

Aye I've had that harbor freight one for years and it still works great 😂😂 nice video!

Great review

terrific video nice review you number one

Overall a very good review. Another point in Harbor Freight's favor is the placement of the air gauge. If for some reason you do need to string it out, having the gauge where the air is being input is much more convenient than on the body of the air compressor. One thing that could have been addressed in the review is the relative quality/strength of the clamps for attaching to the car battery. TFL Reviews was a good addition to their "franchise".

You can’t deduct time when in real time on the trail ALL your time counts

good stuff,,, thanks for the comparison!~

Good test, I purchased the harbor freight air compressor and I've aired up truck tires at a decent time. Not bad for the price, my dad liked it and ended up keeping it 😅 ill have to go get another one.

Might want to take in to consideration that the more expensive compressor was already running and probably full by the time you connected it to the tire, as with the other two you connected it to the tire as soon as you turned them on. Would that make a difference?

you can buy 4 pittsburgh air compressors and fill all four tires at the same time and still spend less than half of what a arb compressor costs. great video

In the real world all 4 tires need to be aired up. A good test to include would have been filling up all 4 tires to see if either budget compressor would have overheated and shut down, making you wait for it to cool off before you could continue airing up again. If "speed is the name of the game" that could add SIGNIFICANT time to the process. Some budget compressors may need as much as 20-30 *minutes* to cool down. It would be really interesting to see that test.

Great video bro

Nice video, pretty useful. One question: It wasn't clear for me why the car had to be started when using an air compressor, why was that? :/

83db vs 94 is like 3 times as loud right. 3db twice as lound twice the power. speakers anyway. google?? plus its lighter. I'd say its a toss up. temp could come down to where the heat is being sinked out.

I'm still kicking myself for not buying more of the Costco units offered for $25 many years ago. It was 120vac or 12vdc with digital readouts with automatic target pressure cutoff. We still use it in place of that tank of a compressor in the garage and take it with us on trips.

Much needed video

Question is, which one has coupons from time to time?

I run a vaiair 88P($65), it's decent but still not a $500 twin motor unit like your fancy ARB. Vaiair does have similar hardmount stuff to those if you want, they build air compressors for airbag systems.

The auto shut off feature would be the main selling point for me. Set it and forget it. Come back when the compressor shut off.

Was the LR engine running when you did the Amazon vs Harbor Freight test?

unless time is important, budget minded; I would use the Harbor Freight. Of course if you have ARB suspension components the cost of the ARB would be necessary. If the compressor is used often, the extra cost would be worth it.

Awesome video mate, I have never been stuck so haven’t needed to lower my tyres yet

I like this series. Surprised the Amazon didn't do better considering it does more

Biggest thing reliability and speed of use. Being on the side of the road won't give a crap about noise,weight, or style so long as it works.

An important factor is the compressor cycle time. Most need a cool down period between uses, say 40mins run time VS 20mins to cool. I have the Smittybilt 2781 (5.64CFM) and it takes me 4mins to get 4 285/70R17 tires from 20 to 30psi with a M.O.R.R. Flare 4 tire inflate / deflate kit. Speed is important when you get caught in the rain or have other things to do than look at a cheap air compressor.

I use a SuperFLow MV90. About twice the price/weight/speed of the compressors in this comparison. Good size for airing up 35" rubbers. Takes a few minutes per tire. Better value than the ARB option but not as compact/integrated.

Should I get the 2 year warranty? For the harbor freight one

To reduce the time required you need to idle the engine. It will keep the voltage between 13.3-14.7 volts. While you are idling place the compressor inside the vehicle on something soft to keep the vibration from damaging your interior and run the ac at high speed. You will need to extend your hose bu at the same time it extends the life of the compressor by reducing the heat. You did not tell us what the duty cycle time recommended by the manufacturer. Can you air up all four tires with the budget units with or without ac cooling without destroying each unit.

I've been looking for a review on these exact products on tires this size for a long time, thank you

No 18 second deduction for measurement should be permitted because during that time your vehicle installed pump is building pressure within the post-piston volume which even if it's just the hose would still be accepting then releasing the 18 second mass flow rate. Nevertheless your pump is still bad ass no doubt, but you can't easily loan it to a friend and it's mounted on your dash... My cheap unit is tucked up under my truck but it's still always there when I need it.

I’ve done a lot of off-roading, not once have I thought about airing down. I know it works for traction, but I don’t know that I like the risk of a shorter tire life. 🤷🏻‍♂️ Is it just me?

You should have the engine running on all of them makes it faster and doesn't drain your battery.

nice video, hit the things that matter. I think im going to pick up one of the harbor freight ones here soon on sale for $49.99 for my first one.

This Dude Looks Like Sid from Hey Arnold🤣

wonder how the single piston pitsburg is faster than the dual pump amazon, seems counter intuitive although obviously were missing the cylinder volume and the RPM under load but visually speaking youd think theyd be similar

I would like to see you guys compare some of the 12V air compressors that plug into the cigarette lighter. Btw, the ones from Autozone suck. They always break in less than a year. They’re also $20 and I’d rather have something instead of nothing in an emergency situation, but I think you get my point. Again, another great 👍 video.

So an ARB installed compressor which costs over $500 and requires the engine to be running or one of the 2 12 volt only units for approx $70. Depends on how much you want to spend on speed and reliability when you are on the road.

This was a great idea for the budget minded or off roaders just getting into it. Well done...Oh and more videos on the D3 please

It looked like the Amazon unit had a "SET" button. Is that for setting a shut-off point when it reaches a prescribed pressure? You didn't say.

ok, the budget units are 1/10th the price of the ARB, but when most people run their budget compressors to air up their tires they have the engine running so you're running off of 14+ volts from the alternator and not just the 12.8v of just the battery, so your comparison is bias towards the ARB. is the ARB 10x better?

I'm liking that Disco 2 👌🏻

Amazon basic has auto shut off which I haven't seen till you mod other compressor or go in the top their air compressor.

I just use a bicycle pump. High capacity with gauge cost about 20dls at walmart. Inflated my tire to 60psi faster than my air compressor. No need to plug it in and is a good little workout 👊

I bought 2 of those Harbor Freight style compressors from Lowe's, same shit, different appearance and mine auto-stops as configured. I have a Raptor with stock tires and air down maybe once a year if I am seriously on the beach. Otherwise it exists just to regulate a bit over time. My logic is I can run both during those once a year times to compensate for their overall slower fill time and I have redundancy in the event one goes out. Most of the time the truck gets one and the Tesla gets one. Overall, a basic $50 air compressor took almost 40 minutes to inflate those tires once, using those two at the same time I can be from 15 to 35 PSI in all 4 tires in under 15 minutes. The extra space taken up isn't that major as I have a plastic tote I keep my recovery straps and a collapsing shovel in. These fit in there just fine. Afterall, not like I put too much else on the bed.

I would have like to see a real world scenario where all 4 tires had to be inflated. How long would that take and would the compressor hold up? Are these budget compressor made to do this multiple times before they break? Or are they only good for the once in a life time when you can't get to a real compressor.

You can't subtract any time for you the gauge that's a disadvantage that have unless you put one in the system

Good info! Actually looking for the right pump without breaking the bank. Time vs $$

best way to air up tires, get a scuba tank. you can air up tires stupid fast and 1 tank will last a long time and only costs like $5-$8 to refill.

Great video, thanks for the info. Took a bit of poking around but I found one video with the info I needed. Thanks TFL

More videos like this would be cool!

Wheres the link to it? Most people put the links to whatever the video is about in the description.

I will probably get beat up for saying this, but I have had great luck with the overall quality of Harbor Freight tools. Also, you would get an additional 20% off the harbor freight with the readily available coupons

now you have to account for having 2 arb compressors on that unit.so if they gave me an arb shoot yeah ill take it but suppose you cut arb time in half then your more close on speed of the fill time.good job

can you see pressure while filling or attached?

I was expecting 50sec max for ARB at that price. You should not subtract any time since hose has no gage so you have to do the checks.