Bicycle Mechanics - Really good, durable floor pump..??

so I've been wanting to buy a decent floor pump, what are some
recommended brands..? any brands to definitely avoid..??

preferably something capable of both schrader and presta valves....
(i think most pumps can do that nowadays, but thought I'd mention it)

Thanks in advance..!! -Jack




p.s. I did a search and not much came up....

My Zefal Husky (which is more like the modern SKS Rennkompressor than the new Husky) is 20 years old and still going strong.
Avoid anything that uses much plastic in its construction.

Silca. Reliable (bought mine in '94 or '95) and rebuildable.

Silca. Bought mine in '90 and still use daily. Rebuildable. Only flaw is that not good for switching between presta and schraeder. Presta valve adapter very good. Schraeder is iffy. Not an issue for me as I am all presta. Would recommend with a replacement head from ?? Avoid aluminium barrel construction as well as the plastic construction noted earlier.

Silca. Reliable (bought mine in '94 or '95) and rebuildable.

I agree I love both of mine, however they are (atleast mine are) only good for presta. if you have a presta/schrader household you may need two pumps

I've always bought standard-grade floor pumps of whatever housebrand Performance sells. I'm thinking in the $20-$30 price range.

I have one that's about 15 years old, one that's about 5-10 years old and a third I bought last year. All work and have always worked perfectly and haven't needed any maintenance, ever.

I don't know what more I would want from a pump: cheap price, fully functional, long life.

Unless you're a pro mechanic or racer that pumps a lot of tires every day, I would be surprised if there's really a meaningful difference between pumps. Now a pro - they might need the durability and functional factors that a top of the line pump gives because they pump dozens of tires every day. But the above life just seems fine to me - I pump two tires up every day and the rest of the family's tires when needed - let's say 15-20 tires per week during the summer.

PS: all my (relatively) cheap-o Performance pumps work with schraeder and presta, both just fine.

I bought a Blackburn floor pump a long time ago (mid 90s). Still have it. Told my friends. Many have one. Bought another so I would have one for the trainer room. Well, you could say I bought another. I actually married someone who owned one (one of the friends that bought one).

Only failure is that the hose eventually cracks. I've "field expedited" a fix once, just before a race, in about 5 min. I've fixed 3 cracked hoses in 10-15 years, 2 on my pump, one on hers.

I've yet to replace a rubber washer, gasket, etc otherwise. Fits Shrader/Presta. I am fastidious about pumping up my tires, even on the trainer, so a pump gets used pretty much every time I ride.

I've flown with it a few times, knocked it around bringing it to races etc.

Smooth feel, good volume, good gauge.

I got the cheapest one, gauge on base. I think it was $29.99, maybe $19.99. Resembles the Air Tower 1 and 2. Those are rated low psi (120-140) but mine does 180 or something. I regularly go 100-140 psi, with certain tires I go 150-160 psi so they don't get all mushy on me.

cdr

Lezyne is a good alternative to Silca - solid build (all metal) completely rebuildable. Flip the screw in head for presta or schrader.

Unless you run a shop and use the pump hundred's times a day I don't understand the quest for the ultimate floor pump. I have a dual head ~10 yo no-name pump that I got from a bike shop for $15, it's all plastic and it works great. I just clean and lube it every couple of years.

Adam

Whatever pump you get, don't throw it into a box with a bunch of other bike stuff and then try to jam the box into a cupboard. You'll dent the tube of the pump, rendering a portion of the stroke inaccessible. At some point I'll contact Park Tools and see if I can order a replacement tube.

The Park Pro is better than the top of the line Specialized Air Master or whatever they call it today. I have had both and the Specialized is a major disappointment. The pump is too restrictive and requires too much effort to get air through it. The valve head also make an unreliable seal. Get a Park Pro. I understand wanting a nice floor pump, it makes an unpleasant task seem like fun when everything works perfectly.

Topeak Joe Blow...best one I've ever used. Friend of mine owns a shop and he recommended it. The valve chuck is the best.

I have Blackburn Air Tower 4 I think. It's great and the best part - lifetime replacement warranty on all Blackburn pumps!

Do the gauges on floor pumps ever give false readings or do they just fail outright when they go?

I have a floor pump from performance and it does a great job but i sometimes wonder about the gauge.

I have an old Silca, but I'm not sure how easy they are to get anymore. However, I just came across this (http://harriscyclery.net/product/sks-rennkompressor-floor-pump-3145.htm) at Harris Cyclery. Looks pretty rugged.

Beware of Nashbar pumps. I bought one of their L'Orange floor-pumps. The chuck (head) blew apart at high velocity - and almost sent a piece into my eye.

Serfas FP-200. Been using it for the past year and a half. Very easy on the body when pumping high pressure tires. Can't say it the most durable since I had it for a year and half, but out of all the pumps I've tried, this is the best for me.

I have a Joe Blow and a Blackburn. I like them both equally.

The Planet Bike ALX has worked very well for me. Parts are available if I need them.

Blackburn Air Tower

I have a Lezyne Classic Steel Pump that I bought from Probikekit that I like a lot. It seems well-designed and sturdy. And it works well. I particularly like that I don't break presta heads on my tubes anymore, as the chuck is thread-on.

I have a Silca and a Topeak Joe Blow Pro. The Silca is a classic and rebuildable, as already mentioned. The JBP has a neat "I don't care" Presta/Schrader head that you don't do anything to. Also the JBP has the guage way up high where old eyes like mine can see it without lifting the pump off the ground;-)

+1 Lezyne. My Alloy Floor Drive is amazing.

PlanetBike pumps work well(portable and floor models),
they carry lifetime warranties and are rebuildable.
PlanetBike donates 25% of profits to cycling causes:

http://ecom1.planetbike.com/pumps.html (http://ecom1.planetbike.com/pumps.html)

I have an old Zefal Husky and it works well, or did work well, but the rubber rings in the schrader head and in the presta adapter have both gone bad. Presta adapters are readily available but I had to ultimately glue my new presta adapter into the schrader head to keep it working.

I have an old Zefal Husky and it works well, or did work well, but the rubber rings in the schrader head and in the presta adapter have both gone bad. Presta adapters are readily available but I had to ultimately glue my new presta adapter into the schrader head to keep it working.
It's been mentioned on these boards before, but http://www.xxcycle.com/ is a good source for Zefal small parts. They're in France, but the shipping charges are very reasonable on small items.
The parts you need are here:
http://www.xxcycle.com/php/boutique/page.php?nom=RAYON&from=moteurDeRecherche&optionRecherche=&tri=prix%2CASC&onlySearch=auMieux&comparatif=&catSearch=&marqueSearch=&txtSearch=zefal+husky

Thanks for the pointer to xxcycle.com. Never heard of them. I kept the name in my bike supply notes.

I LOVE your name. I had to explain it to my wife.

http://www.biketoolsetc.com/index.cgi?id=4902058652&d=single&c=Tools&sc=Tire-and-Tube&tc=Valve-Adaptors&item_id=SK-3176

http://www.biketoolsetc.com/index.cgi?id=4902058652&d=single&c=Tools&sc=Tire-and-Tube&tc=Valve-Adaptors&item_id=SK-3203

so I've been wanting to buy a decent floor pump, what are some
recommended brands..? any brands to definitely avoid..??

preferably something capable of both schrader and presta valves....
(i think most pumps can do that nowadays, but thought I'd mention it)

Thanks in advance..!! -Jack

p.s. I did a search and not much came up....

I looked into this about a month ago and got several recommendations for the Topeak Joe Blow series. I don't doubt there are other good pumps out there, but I can't imagine there are any that are better for cheaper. Mine was $35 and is by far the best pump I have ever used, professional or amateur grade.

I've had two Blackburn Airtower's sieze up after a year or two. The good news is that you can just take them to an authorized dealer and swap it for another one, no paperwork, no questions asked.

I've had the same Zefal Husky for 13 years with no troubles, works great to 120psi+, no problems.

Thanks everybody..!! I appreciate all of the replies..!!

SKS Renkompressor. http://www.bikefix.net/2009/07/bikefix-exclusive-review-sks.html
Assembled with surplus King Tiger tank parts I'm sure. Probably will outlast your kids. Silca's aren't what they used to be and are overpriced IMO. 2nd choice, Blackburn Air Tower #4.

I've had my Silca floor pump for at least 25 years. It works well.