Originally Posted by
AndersMN
Think about how much more difficult it would be to blow up a balloon if it were held under a brick. Much more compression is used in gas station pumps, regardless of the desired PSI. If you haven't figured it out yet, try pumping your car's tires with a bike pump. I'm guessing not many of you have actually used a gas station's air compressor?
Are you for real? Pressure is pressure. The force you will feel pumping depends on pressure and the area of the piston in the pump only, whatever it is being pumped. Pumping car tire with bike pump sucks because of small piston in the pump, scaled so you can pump to high pressures, moves too little air in each stroke.