+1
It is just grab the hose and push onto the valve.

The compressor is always turned on and up to pressure, but never runs unless I draw volume enough to lower the tank to the low-pressure setting.
The regulator is always set to my bike-tire pressure rating.

I switched from a hand-pump to a compressor when I learned the futility of trying to pump up (4) 30x9.5" Jeep tires with a hand pump.

Nope, WTF people, a floor pump works fine to add a few pounds. We're not filling tractor tires here!

What's going on with leaving the tank full all the time? Aren't you supposed to store it empty so the moisture doesn't rust it out?

I leave my 60GAL pressurized all the time, I have a valve at the bottom that I turn depending on how much usage it gets to allow the water sitting at the bottom to escape. Been like this since installed 4 years ago.

It is actually bad for the tank walls to always be de-presurized and presurizes every time you need to use it.

I got this compressor at Lowe's for about $40 about 6 months ago. It is a good multi-purpose compressor - I frequently use it for the bike tires and have even used it successfully on an SUV tire. It has an auto shut-off feature for any desired pressure, so there's no eye-balling the pressure gauge for the right place to stop.

I have only used it with the AC outlet power, not the DC auto power. Also, I've only filled my bike tires to 120psi, but it does that so easily that I'm sure it would go higher if necessary (at least in AC power).

I remember walking home many years ago after airing up the tire on my "new" Schwinn Varsity. I way over estimated the amount of air needed when going from airing up large balloon tires on my previous bike to the skinny ones on my Varsity.

My compressor bleeds off pressure slowly even when not in use, and has to fire up periodically to get back up to what it is set at. This may be because of the quick release attachments I use on the various hoses. It is noisy when it turns on and runs for a moment or two. And it isn't that far from where I sleep. So I turn it off when I am not using it. Starting from atmospheric psi, it takes a while for it to get up to pressure, and I will have used my floor pump and be around the block long before that happens.

a sandblaster, on the other hand, now that I can definitely get behind.

I have a 60 gal for painting. Why get another pump for bikes? It's always at 120 psi, regulated to 110. It cycles on only every other week. Perfect.

(oh yeah: air tools are awesome)

It will, but you have to REALLY be in shape to do it!

No, it's not. The steel used in compressor tanks is stressed to below its fatigue limit, which is the point at which it will not fail due to fatigue from stress cycling. They are, however, subject to rust, which is why tanks that are left pressurized are typically equipped with a spitter valve that automatically opens during each inlet pressure surge to drain water. You can also replace the valve on the bottom of the tank with an elbow and a length of pipe (make sure your fittings and pipe are pressure rated for your tank pressure!), then put a valve on that - then any water will pool in the easily-replaced pipe, which you drain at regular intervals.

Well, I bought that Black & Decker unit today for the sale price. Lowes had them stacked by the registers down by the lumber. If it works as promised, it will be great not having to go outside and rig my car's unit, especially at night and/or in the rain. I have 5 more tires to do, and now I can just stay in the basement.

+1 C'mon

I've seen those suggested here and I guess they work, cuz so many have suggested them. I'm a machine kinda guy and I have no desire to hand pump a tire, unless I'm on the side of the road.

I might use the B&D machine for other stuff too.

I have a 15 gallon Craftsman compressor. Bought it back when I thought I'd be working on cars more (HA!).

That being said - it could wake the dead. Being a bit of a bike tinker and insomniac, its much easier to fill up bike tires @ 4am with a floor/foot pump.

Amen.

I recently wrestled with the idea of buying an floor pump or compressor. I'm glad to say I bought neither. The only purchase I made was for a high-pressure tire gauge and presta/schrader adapter. The local gas station has all the air I need for free. Short of that, for emergencies I still have my hand pump; which can get me TO the gas station. I don't see the need for anyone to own a floor pump with free air at the stations. Albeit, every station may not be running 120 PSI like mine, so that's an issue. But if you're lucky enough, even racers could fill up their tires earlier in the day before an event. I think the floor pump is just a convenience. That's my 2 cents

It's good to have a decent one at home anyway for your car tires! But you could also get a 5 gallon air tank and fill that up. It should last a long time for a bike and will be quiet.
https://www.amazon.com/Wilmar-W10005-.../dp/B000FW7W54

I've had an air compressor for years. I use it with my tackers and nailers. I've never been tempted to pump up my tires with it.

People who think they need a compressor to pump up bike tires fall into two camps.
Those who are afraid of exercise.
Those who do not have arms.
I am sympathetic to one of those groups.

glad someone posted to this thread cuz I forgot to come back after doing a set of tires

last weekend I finally got around to mounting the 5 tires I had on my checklist. the pump is great! quiet enough too! it was a nice day so I worked outside - I also wanted to teak everyone bike brakes and shifting, etc. with each tire I just went down the basement steps right near by back patio, and sat next to my "air station" which was my bottom step with the compressor right there. the compressor has an autoshutoff you can set to 40 or 60 or 80 or 120 etc, and it works! I have a patented pressure guage and they match up just fine.

got my hybrid back on the road, got my kids bikes ready for summer. funny thing is each of their bikes ahd 1 wheel with a cone that was too tight, my son's rear was the worst. so a quick adjustment made all the difference.

it would have been so annoying to run to my car in the parking lot for each wheel - I have a car compressor - or worse yet - drive to a gas station

seems like most responders to this thread aren't interested - that's OK, but if any are then I DO recommend this unit. You'll find the hose and power cord are short but I've been able to work with them OK. I just keep a decent extension cord with it.

If I ever own a house, I plan to acquire a compressor. You can run a lot of power tools (socket wrench, table saw, drill press, router, power sander, lathe...) off a compressor, so if you do carpentry or home improvement it ends up being very worthwhile. I have helped lay hardwood floor, done car repair, and a lot of light carpentry, and I physically am not strong enough to do it all manually. Almost no one is... power tools are a tremendous advantage for that kind of work. Since any house we end up owning is likely to be older, being able to do repairs myself will be a real help.

I wouldn't buy a compressor just for bike tires tho. A pump costs $30, and a useful compressor costs more than my bike.

I have an air compressor. I use it to power nail guns. Its not worth the time, or the noise, to use it for bikes.

+100
It's sitting right there, why not use it?

I have a small 120volt air compressor w/o a tank that I found alongside the road. I also have a 5gal. compressor to run my air tools.
I used to use a foot pump.

Bit of a side note. I discovered that it is possible to operate a brad (or finishing) nailer off a floor pump. The air volume used per cycle is low enough. My compressor was out of commission once, so I tried it. I had to hold the end of the air hose into the presta chuck with one hand while pushing down with enough force to create 100psi on the guage. In the other hand I operated the nailer.

A possible solution for when you can't get your compressor close enough to your work location, or you don't have access to power. For many nails, it would be best to have a friend operating the pump.

Consider yourself extremely lucky, the reason I had to buy a compressor was the gas stations never had one or it didn't work, or the very rare time there was one you had to feed it quarters. I can't remember the last time I found free air, its been many years.

Nope. LCF is chock full of holy rollers preaching that any non "human power" expended on any task that they don't consider necessay is wasteful.