Harbor Freight vs Costco Portable 12v Air Compressor - In Depth Review w/ Pictures

[IllianaXJ]

Re: Harbor Freight vs Costco Portable 12v Air Compressor - In Depth Review w/ Pictures

Thinking about pulling the stock airbox and seeing if it will fit there. If not, I'll probably just bolt it to the Tuffy box in the cargo area and live with the noise.

 

[ChuckstrPT]

Re: Harbor Freight vs Costco Portable 12v Air Compressor - In Depth Review w/ Pictures

Thinking about pulling the stock airbox and seeing if it will fit there. If not, I'll probably just bolt it to the Tuffy box in the cargo area and live with the noise.

Yeh, I've looked at fitting it between the airbox and the brake master....just doesn't seem to be enough room. I haven't taken off the airbox yet, but I'm hoping with that out of the way, maybe I could make it fit. I hate to go to an open intake, since we've got a bunch of water around here. I prefer the more protected intake, as opposed to a more open intake. As for the noise...that is why I want to keep it out of the interior...although it's really not THAT loud. You know you could put a remote filter/intake on the compressor (read Outside the passenger compartment), and I'll bet that would quiet it way down.
Thanks!

 

[yikes]

Re: Harbor Freight vs Costco Portable 12v Air Compressor - In Depth Review w/ Pictures

http://store.summitracing.com/egnse...h&DDS=1&Ntt=mv50&searchinresults=false&N=+115



I was thinking of one of these from Summit Racing. Any one have or used one ?

I got $ 50.00 Summit bux from the Dynomax exhaust I ordered.:clap: :clap:

Dave

 

[IllianaXJ]

Re: Harbor Freight vs Costco Portable 12v Air Compressor - In Depth Review w/ Pictures

That's the same one as the Costco unit in this thread. Go for it.

 

[xjjeepthing]

Re: Harbor Freight vs Costco Portable 12v Air Compressor - In Depth Review w/ Pictures

Same as my Pepboys unit. Works pretty well. I mounted mine where the factory spare was. Wired it through a relay and a toggle switch in my switch box. I also changed the air fitting to a standard fitting and got a longer coiled hose.

 

[IllianaXJ]

Re: Harbor Freight vs Costco Portable 12v Air Compressor - In Depth Review w/ Pictures

Ok, as someone with it mounted in the interior, how loud is it? Tolerable for the few minutes it runs to air up, or super loud?

 

[xjjeepthing]

Re: Harbor Freight vs Costco Portable 12v Air Compressor - In Depth Review w/ Pictures

Its not bad at all, but I have never sat inside while I used it. It really only takes a few minutes to air up from 15 to 32 LBS. 10 or 15 minutes tops.

 

[1996cc]

10 or 15 minutes tops.

Less than that!!

 

[Lowrange2]

Re: Harbor Freight vs Costco Portable 12v Air Compressor - In Depth Review w/ Pictures

I got a compressor from HF. It sucked. It worked for about a month and quit. I got another one in and it didnt work when i got it.

 

[outlander]

Re: Harbor Freight vs Costco Portable 12v Air Compressor - In Depth Review w/ Pictures

while we're on the subject...
I've seen exhaust jacks before and was wondering if anyone makes a exhaust powered inflater to fill tires?

I have the hf unit and have to agree it does get hot!!I only use it for emergencies though...better than nothing.

 

[xjjeepthing]

Less than that!!

It took about 2 minutes per tire to air up.

 

[DeftwillP]

Re: Harbor Freight vs Costco Portable 12v Air Compressor - In Depth Review w/ Pictures

while we're on the subject...
I've seen exhaust jacks before and was wondering if anyone makes a exhaust powered inflater to fill tires?

I have the hf unit and have to agree it does get hot!!I only use it for emergencies though...better than nothing.

I would think that the exhaust doesn't create enough pressure to fill tires. Then again, it does fill the x-jack or whatever its called and lift 4500# vehicles up.

 

[jeeperjohn]

Re: Harbor Freight vs Costco Portable 12v Air Compressor - In Depth Review w/ Pictures

I would think that the exhaust doesn't create enough pressure to fill tires. Then again, it does fill the x-jack or whatever its called and lift 4500# vehicles up.

The x-jack only needs a few PSI to lift a truck because it has a tremendous amount of area for that pressure to act on the item being lifted. The exhaust could be used to run a compressor but the engineering would not be worth it since there are already so many choices out there.

 

[karstic]

Re: Harbor Freight vs Costco Portable 12v Air Compressor - In Depth Review w/ Pictures

Anyone with the Costco unit have an o-ring failure yet?

http://www.socal4x4geocachers.org/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=382

 

[xjjeepthing]

Re: Harbor Freight vs Costco Portable 12v Air Compressor - In Depth Review w/ Pictures

If you take the stock fitting out of the compressor and replace it and then use standard air couplers that is not an issue.

 

[WheelinJR]

Re: Harbor Freight vs Costco Portable 12v Air Compressor - In Depth Review w/ Pictures

FYI, The red unit is manufactured by VIAIR, basically one of their units (i'd guess a 300 or 330) with a cover over it. The Central Pneumatic might not last long as it is a clone of a VIAIR, and they're dealin with a little legal issue right now, something about a patent, lol

Personally I'm sporting the red dude right now. Works good, but the gauge reads about 5-7psi off.

I notice that Smittybuilt is also selling the "Costco " compressor for a retail around $30 more than Costco.

Yup, also the VIAIR unit. They sell their XRC (mile marker) winch too. Harbor Freight sells that same winch as well.

Don't tell mom and dad I spilled the secrets!

 

[VIAIR]

Just as an FYI -

I work for VIAIR Corporation, and not one of the units shown in this thread (Q-max, MasterFlow, anything available at Harbor Freight) are manufactured by VIAIR. They are all clones, without the features that the VIAIR units come with. If it doesn't say "VIAIR" on it, its not a VIAIR.

I'm not selling anything, just trying to make sure that everyone has their facts straight.

 

[RedHeep]

Just as an FYI -

I work for VIAIR Corporation, and not one of the units shown in this thread (Q-max, MasterFlow, anything available at Harbor Freight) are manufactured by VIAIR. They are all clones, without the features that the VIAIR units come with. If it doesn't say "VIAIR" on it, its not a VIAIR.

I'm not selling anything, just trying to make sure that everyone has their facts straight.

Boy, do I feel better. I've been sleepless all these nights since July just wondering if those compressors were genuine.

Good thing some internet troll registered and drug up this thread to put it all straight.

:twak:

 

[2001XJ]

Boy, do I feel better. I've been sleepless all these nights since July just wondering if those compressors were genuine.

Good thing some internet troll registered and drug up this thread to put it all straight.

:twak:

that's hilarious:laugh:

 

[outlander]

Re: Harbor Freight vs Costco Portable 12v Air Compressor - In Depth Review w/ Pictures

while this thread is dredged back up.....
rugged ridge has a compressor out for $99.00 that looks alot like the hf unit I own
http://www.tellico4x4.com/product_info.php/cPath/909_910_3300/products_id/25415