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140 Reviews

116 out of 119 people found this review helpful:
Gets the job done

Overall works pretty well.
Positives:
- All hoses and wires and adaptors store inside the unit, for neatness.
- built-in handle is nice
- long 12V auto power cord
- two-year warranty

Negatives:
- When it stops automatically after inflating one item (such as a tire), it must be turned off and back on to inflate another item, or to increase pressure setting and continue filling.
- the AC power cord is extremely short. Pretty much requires an extension cord.
- the air hose is fairly short.
- The noise it makes is quite loud, though not as loud as some I've heard.
- fitting the cords and hose back into the storage compartment is not easy.
- the valve adapter is plastic, not metal, and doesn't seem sturdy. It works so far, however.

89 out of 92 people found this review helpful:
Better than most in this price range

I have used it for about a week now. It is much better than the one I got from Walmart. The major issue I see is that the pressure gauge on this machine is rather small and it will be hard for you differentiate between 27psi versus 29psi without using an external gauge. My Toyota Camry calls for 29psi and my other car asks for 34psi front and 36psi rear. It was impossible for me to read 34 vs 36 psi on this machine's gauge.

Tip: To get the best out of this machine - get a good external mechanical pressure gauge with a relief valve (you can get a decent one for under $10 at Walmart). Then set the dial on this machine to be slightly over (2-3 psi more) the pressure required (I set it to 30psi when filling my Camry which needs 29 psi). Fill the tires with air using the machine. Then use the external gauge to measure the pressure and release the air using its relief valve until the pressure is at the desired reading. Works like a charm for me.

Other than this, the machine is quite nice and with a 2 year warranty it is a good buy. Amazon's price was amongst the lowest I could find.

49 out of 52 people found this review helpful:
Good Price But Far From Perfect

First thing you should know, the Air Station Inflator is LOUD. Wear ear plugs if you care about your eardrums. Secondly, you must shut off the inflator and start it up again for every car tire. Third, the AC cord is a measly few inches. You will need to buy an extension cord. Finally, buy a digital car gauge to make sure you have an accurate measurement.

I thought it would be a snap to fill my own tires but it's laborious, tedious, and loud. You might want to look at a more expensive, quieter model.

Update 8-12-07: With its imperfections noted, I continue to use the Black and Decker and have gotten used to it. Sure, it's loud, but it beats going to the gas station and putting quarters into the air machine and scrambling to put air in your tires with your allotted 5 minutes. So for 50 bucks, the Black and Decker is worth it.

19 out of 19 people found this review helpful:
The inflator I was expecting

Don't bother with cheaper inflators, this is good for AC and DC connections.

W\It's compact, look like the built is good, but the platic hose connection looks fragile.

I like the auto shut-off feature, I have seen it only in few inflators.

16 out of 17 people found this review helpful:
One potentially major flaw

This unit was not as loud as I expected. The previous inflator I was using was obnoxiously loud at a frequency that was very unpleasant.

The other inflator had severe vibration issues and due to its shape and lack of stability would shake until it landed on its side. This unit is stable and because of the rubber knobs on the bottom remains rather still.

I like the feature that lets you set the desired PSI and then automatically shuts off when it reaches that pressure. It makes the slowness much more tolerable when at home because you can simply do other tasks while it's working.

After filling up my tires using similar settings for the front and for the back, I measured the pressure of the tires and found that they were accurate to within 1 PSI.

I timed the first tire I inflated at a little over 4.5 minutes to go from 20 PSI to 30 (YMMV depending on what you're inflating). My truck is a full size '86 Chevy C-10 and there is adequate length to hook the unit up to my vehicles power and easily inflate the tires.

For all of the things I like about this unit, there is one thing that causes me to give it a 3 out of 5 rating. The valve adaptor lever looks as though it might not last very long. That is the very reason I'm buying a new inflator because the valve adaptor lever broke on the previous (non-B&D) unit I was using.

On the large picture on the box, the lever looks as though it is one solid plastic piece but it isn't. The way it's actually designed, it should be made out of metal. I just don't see this poorly designed plastic lever holding up for the long haul. For $50 I expect something solid that I know will last.

I looked through the reviews on here and the oldest one is from November of last year. I can only imagine that, given time, several people on here will end up with broken valve adaptor levers. I'm going to return this item for something with more solid construction.

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