Best floor pump
 

Good morning all! I recently obtained a Flextail Tiny electric pump, as I want a pump with accurate psi readings. I thought the Flextail would do that, but its readings are off quite a bit. It's also a disappointing product for several other reasons. So, I thought to invest in a high-end floor pump. I have in mind the Silca Pista or Terra, or the Cannondale Precise pump. The latter gets great reviews and is very reasonably priced. I wouldn't mind a Presta-only pump. School me please! Thank you.

I've got a Silca Pista I bought in 1988 that is still going strong, so my recommendation would be for the modern version.

If you're just concerned about pressure readings you can get a gauge for about $12. I have the low pressure style for mountain bike.
ACCU-GAGE® by Milton® 0-160 PSI Presta Valve Bike Tire Pressure Gauge with Bleeder Valve - ANSI Certified (miltonindustries.com)

I have a 25 year old Serfas floor pump that still works fine. I also have a cheap floor pump that's about 10 years old, at least.
When you decide what pressure works best for you, consistency is more important than outright accuracy. If your gauge reads 10 psi high and you always use that gauge, then it doesn't matter how true it is.

I have an electronic gauge that works really well. But I want a floor pump that gives very accurate measurements. I want to avoid the "pump, screw on the gauge, measure, pump some more, and deflate a bit" cycle. I just want a really accurate floor pump. I got one recommendation from mprince for the Silca Pista, so there's that.:thumb:

Silca Pista is, what, $200? So there's that. Serfas pump, around $40. Is there a big difference in their accuracy? I doubt it. Will the more expensive one last longer? I don't know but I have a 25 year old pump that still works fine and was nowhere near the cost of a Pista.

And unless your pump gauge gives wildly different readings each time, consistency is the most important.

I never use screw on pump heads, except for suspension pumps.

I absolutely love this pump. So easy to attach. Accurate digital pressure sensor.

https://radian-usa.com/products/zilc...oor-model-rf-s

QUOTEAnd the gauge is up high where you can read it. Having the gauge down on the floor is like having your watch on your ankle

I have a Topeak, Joe Blow digital sport floor pump. It’s been very reliable, have had it 6-7 years still on the original battery, Accurate enough, I got it to set pressures on mt bikes where I run low pressure in tubeless tires, 15 or so, and an analog pump didn’t show me that with accuracy. $86 at REI.

I bought my Silca Pista in the early 70's and can still get parts easily when needed.

Silca pista from the 80's too. I bought the rebuild kit and it is like new. The barrel is fairly short, so it takes a lot of pumps and I have to bend over. That's my inside pump. Seems appropriate to use that when I work on bikes from that era.

My JoeBlow finally fell apart after a few rebuilds. LBS sold me a Specialized pump for about $50 and it works great. Both valve types, Good seal. That stays in my car all the time. You don't need to spend a lot for a good pump.

I bought the Lezyne CNC pump yesterday. Let's see how it is. I'll report back.

I use this and it’s SOLID. I thought the chuck was only so-so. I splurged and got the world’s BEST chuck, the Hirame from Japan. The combo is, IMO, the best floor pump setup around. I can’t say enough good things about the Hirame, but a copy is the Silca Hero which is also an option.

pic:
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...3e0cc121d.jpeg

I have accumulated several old Silcas. Standard and pista. They all work fine. Both kinds and parts are easily found on eBay. Not expensive. On Craigslist now and then too.

I've had my Pista since 1978, it's still working fabulously. And the gauge on it is pretty accurate and reliable. Pump leather head on plunger, Hose and head have been replaced...
It does require more strokes than many of the larger, newer pump designs. Mine is the 'cheaper' one with the plastic handle - which cost $60 in '78...
'Steel', in this case, 'Is Real'... it is Columbus Straightgauge tubing...

Pista pump can be had at REI for $149 and if you're a COOP member you get additional 20% off thru 5/25...

I also have a Serfas pump as a backup, very sturdy and reliable, it also is a 'loaner' for friends... Gauge is consistent but reads about 10psi low... Knowing that I adjust, and also alert anyone who gets to use it.
YMMV
Ride On
Yuri

REI shows a Silca Terra pump or Pista for $149, a Pista Plus for $199, and something called a Super Pista for $500.
Page 2 of Bike Pumps: Portable, Hand, Mini Bicycle Pumps | REI Co-op

I'm not knocking Silca, I'm sure they make a fine product. There are certainly plenty of Silca devotees who pop up on these threads.

I'll admit I'm cheap when it comes to tools. During my working years as a car mechanic, I spent thousands on tools, but nothing compared to some of the guys I worked with, who had $60K and even more in their tools. I bought Snap On for things that mattered and cheaper stuff when I could.

There may be people here who can spend $500 on a Super Pista, and that's their business. Someone must be buying them. To me, a floor pump isn't a big deal. All it has to do is inflate tires. If I had to buy a new one, I might spend $100, but probably not.

I've been using a Specialized Airtool floor pump for several decades, don't really remember how many. It's worked well for me. Easily read and accurate gauge. $60-$70.

I have an old cheap Serfas floor pump that I bought 25+ years ago. Still going strong and the gauge is still accurate (compared it to two different digital gauages)

After decades of buying floor pumps, I've settled on the Lezyne CNC Digital Drive.

The digital pressure display is nice, but what I really like is the screw-on pump head. Unlike the press-on heads, there is no grommet to wear out.

I have a 1986 Silca Pista that I bought new at that time, a Leynze floor pump (don't know the model) that was given to me. It's about 10 years old, an Origin 8 floor pump that was a sample from the sales rep (prototype that didn't make it to market). About 15 years old.
The Silca still works and can be rebuilt from parts available from Silca USA. Unheard of customer support. This convinced my son to spend 200 bucks and get a modern Silca.
The Leynze works well and gets used once in a while. The origin 8 gets used more than the others because it has a thread-on head, which I prefer to a lever or the Silca push-oh head.
Comes down to one simple thing that one must do when choosing a floor pump. Pick a pump and use it. They are all darn good. If you want a legacy pump, the Silca is the only one available, and you won't be disappointed.

Got the Lezyne CNC floor drive with the 3.5'' analog gauge. Love it. Been flawless so far in 5 years. It looks like it's built like a tank.

I have a Serfas, but the nozzle is finicky. It's a newer model.

I’ve had the Topeak Joeblow booster pump since ‘21. No complaints and easily seats tubeless tires.

Yeah that’s my tubeless mounting pump too

but i do prefer the zilch for general use

I used a cheap pump for a few years, then switched to this: Airkompressor 10.0 Floor Pump – SKS USA

Okay, I received my Lezyne CNC 3.5 Drive today, and I'm a little flustered. First, I screwed it onto my rear wheel tightly enough to rotate the stem, which is potentially problematic. I use HED's "anvil" type stems, so the rubber portion has to always seat properly into the rim well. I don't know if it does now. There were no instructions with the pump, but a YT video I found explained that you cannot overtighten the screw-in chuck. But more challenging is that I'll pump the tire to about 75 PSI, but when I measure it with an Ettenwolf digital pressure gauge afterwards, it shows about 9-10 PSI lower. I know that the Ettenwolf is accurate, so I plugged in my old Serfas "Air Force, Tier Three, Model FP-13" pump and pumped the tire up to 75 psi. It measured a little over that with the Ettenwolf. It's weird because when I unscrew the Lezyne I lose some air, but not much. This is pretty frustrating. Anyone have any suggestions?