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Portable Air Compressor for Seating Beads

Finder

Finder

Snooge!
Joined
Mar 10, 2004
Location
Bay Area
Moto(s)
R1200GS
Name
Dan
Hey All,

Did a search and saw a couple of threads regarding compressors and air tools. What I'm looking for however is a compact unit suitable for seating beads only. I do not plan on running air tools off it. What would you recommend as the minimum tank size for something like this?

Just FYI, I've seated beads using a donor hose, tire straps, and another overfilled tire, but that gets old quick. Thoughts? Would something like this suffice, or should I go bigger?

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00915309000P?prdNo=9&blockNo=9&blockType=G9

Cheers!
 
Interesting quest. What kind of tires and what kind of wheels? Also, why the requirement for compact? How are you going to travel?
 
If that's all you want it for, get a small CO2 tank. It's cheaper, quieter, smaller, lighter, and you don't have to plug it in.
 
This isn't going to be for travel. It'll be used stricty for seating beads on tubeless motorcycle tires. I'm fine seating beads on the road with tire straps and a donor hose when necessary. Unfortunately, I live in an apartment and thus the need for something I can carry around without too much fuss. A 20 gallon compressor unit is a litle big to carry up stairs to my apt. :laughing

I'm starting to swap tires a bit more often, and just need something capable of seating beads at home without breaking out all the straps, using donor tires and hoses, or carrying them to gas stations with free air (assuming I can find one these days). Just need something that works, and is portable enough for me to bring up to my apartment to gather dust in a corner.
 
just an FYI air and water are free at a gas station, whether they say it is or not...IIRC it is a state law. They just like to charge you if your not a paying customer but legally they are not allowed to. just mention that and you will get it free.
 
OldFatGuy said:
If that's all you want it for, get a small CO2 tank. It's cheaper, quieter, smaller, lighter, and you don't have to plug it in.
Click to expand...

CO2 Tank!! I was so fixated on a compressor, I didn't even consider a paintball tank with an air chuck. And I've been wanting to get back into slinging paint too! While I'm at it, I've been contemplating getting my own tanks for SCUBA. Could go that route as well! I owe you a beer, or three!

Cheers!!
 
Finder said:
CO2 Tank!! I was so fixated on a compressor, I didn't even consider a paintball tank with an air chuck. And I've been wanting to get back into slinging paint too! While I'm at it, I've been contemplating getting my own tanks for SCUBA. Could go that route as well! I owe you a beer, or three!

Cheers!!
Click to expand...

Happy to help. :Port
 
Finder said:
CO2 Tank!! I was so fixated on a compressor, I didn't even consider a paintball tank with an air chuck. And I've been wanting to get back into slinging paint too! While I'm at it, I've been contemplating getting my own tanks for SCUBA. Could go that route as well! I owe you a beer, or three!

Cheers!!
Click to expand...

DO NOT USE A SCUBA TANK TO FILL TIRES OR TO ATTACH TO A FILL HOSE.

I played paintball and change my own tires.

The pressure out of a typical scuba tank is an UNREGULATED 3.5k psi fill.
A typical regulated compressed air bottle at the lowest steps down a hot 3k psi fill to 800-450 psi.
A CO2 bottle is an unregulated 800 psi, depending on ambient temp.

buy a 1 -5 gallon pancake compressor and use it instead. When a tire is on the rim PROPERLY, the bead should hold a seal. So in practice, you can use a bicycle pump to inflate it.
 
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Karbon said:
DO NOT USE A SCUBA TANK TO FILL TIRES OR TO ATTACH TO A FILL HOSE.

The pressure out of a scuba tank is an UNREGULATED 3.5k psi fill.

A typical regulated compressed air bottle at the lowest steps down a hot 3k psi fill to 800-450 psi.

buy a 1 -5 gallon pancake compressor and use it instead. When a tire is on the rim PROPERLY, the bead should hold a seal. So in practice, you can use a bicycle pump to inflate it.
Click to expand...

isn't it sort of regulated by how much you turn the knob. We use to use scuba tanks to flour someones dorm room in college, and we were drunk. it worked perfectly.
 
I use a 10 gallon air tank. Same one I take to the track, use it to put race tires on my wheels all the time. Lowes like 25$. Works perfect, could probably seat/fill 2 or 3 sets before a refill is in order. 125psi 10 gallons. I think you can buy them at kragens too there just not as good as lowes model!!!
 
I use a small one gallon unit I bought off Craigsl. for $20. I need to disconnect the hose from the tire a few times to allow it to refill before the bead will seat. For tough jobs this size may not work and sometimes its a pain.
(It's noisy and constantly running as well)
 
Lester Green said:
isn't it sort of regulated by how much you turn the knob. We use to use scuba tanks to flour someones dorm room in college, and we were drunk. it worked perfectly.
Click to expand...

Ultimately that valve controls the flow rate of the air and not the pressure. When attached to the tank, the fill hose is a closed system. If the hose is connected and the valve is left open, the gas in the tank will eventually fill the fixed volume of the hose at the output pressure of the tank. Yes you can fill it the hose slowly, but uncheked, the pressure in the tank will eventually fill the hose to 3k.

Basically the tank will want to equalize itself into the hose.

And i suppose it is possible to keep the fill hose empty, attach it to the tire, then carefully and slowly fill the tire until the bead seats. At that point we're at "cleaning the chain with the bike in gear" territory.
 
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Karbon said:
A CO2 bottle is an unregulated 800 psi, depending on ambient temp.
Click to expand...

So? That's why you put a regulator on it.

*EDIT*

After checking some prices, I'm finding out that regulators are more expensive than I remembered. I've had my setup for almost as long as I can remember, and I don't remember spending that much on it. :dunno
 
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You can find a regulator for about 80 bucks if you look around. An Argon setup should do what you want. You can also find SCUBA regulators for cheap on Ebay and CL.

I use a bicycle pump, no problems seating dirt tires.

The law with the gas stations is if you purchase gas there BTW. If you don't, you are subject to their little fee, but I have always had them put the machine on for me.
 
mweitz said:
The law with the gas stations is if you purchase gas there BTW. If you don't, you are subject to their little fee, but I have always had them put the machine on for me.
Click to expand...

got a source, i was told it was the opposite. ;confused

NM it's AB351. free for PAYING customers is letter of law.
 
Last edited:
Karbon said:
DO NOT USE A SCUBA TANK TO FILL TIRES OR TO ATTACH TO A FILL HOSE.

I played paintball and change my own tires.

The pressure out of a typical scuba tank is an UNREGULATED 3.5k psi fill.
A typical regulated compressed air bottle at the lowest steps down a hot 3k psi fill to 800-450 psi.
A CO2 bottle is an unregulated 800 psi, depending on ambient temp.

buy a 1 -5 gallon pancake compressor and use it instead. When a tire is on the rim PROPERLY, the bead should hold a seal. So in practice, you can use a bicycle pump to inflate it.
Click to expand...

That's why they make first stage regulators, with low pressure ports at 150psi. I'm debating SCUBA or CO2 at the moment. CO2 is so much smaller and lighter for the amount of air, but I'll need to spend $40 on the regulator (150psi fixed), $15 on an adapter for 20oz paint ball bottles, and $35 on the quick connect hose and chuck. If I go the SCUBA route, I just need the tank ($130!!) and an air chuck.
 
Lester Green said:
got a source, i was told it was the opposite. ;confused
Click to expand...

Gas stations are required to provide air and water free to customers who buy gasoline or diesel. You may have to ask the attendant for a token or to turn the equipment on for you. If the attendant does not give you a token or does not turn the equipment on, posted on or near the equipment is the 1-800-356-7057 number where you may call to file a complaint. You may also submit a Complaint Form online to the Division of Measurement Standards.
Click to expand...

From this page, first link.

Ca Dept of Food and Ag
 
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