Floor Pump - which one to buy?
 

The floor pump gods laughed at me yesterday. They took out two of my floor pumps in one day. The first, a Blackburn, had its hose blow up (BAM!). The second had a meltdown in the head which is sealed and I can't repair. The hoses are not swapable.

So, which one to buy? The last Blackburn I had lasted about 2 years. My old Silca in high school and college lasted a decade.

Which floor pumps should I consider buying? Any slam dunks out there?

-GG-

I like my cheap Nashbar pump. I've had it for half a year and I've had no problems. I like it better than my friend's cheap Specalized pump which requires you to put more force. But it uses less pumps to get up to pressure.

I will be the first of many people in this thread to suggest the Topeak Joe Blow.

I have a 1 yr old Silca Superpista I'll sell you for cheap, although shipping won't be all that cheap.

I have two pumps (don't ask).

But yeah, have a Nashbar Le Orange (paid around $20) and a Topeak Joe Blow Pro (paid around $50).

The Joe Blow Pro is very nice. Chrome tube, feels very sturdy and the valve (I only have used presta) connector is very good, meaning it doesn't pop-off while pumping air (have only pumped up to 120 psi).

Both get the job done but I prefer the Topeak. It's a bit pricey though for a pump but if you ride a lot it's worth it IMO.

Specialized Air Tool Pro. Works beautifully, built like a tank.

That is all.

+1 on the Joe Blow Pro. I made the switch earlier this year to a Silca and have been very disappointed. It's 20 year old technology that doesn't work very well: Cheap parts, poor pumping, short tube and the pump head is hard to apply, leaks and is hard to remove.

The Topeak is the best pump I've ever had, with one complaint: The o-ring (10 cent part) on the pump head will fail after awhile and will start to leak. Topeak sells a replacement kit that's overpriced ($20). If you buy the pump from Performance, however, they will give you a replacement pump as long as you own it. I just turned in my 7 year old one and got a new one this week - no questions asked. For some reason I seem to wear out the o-ring about every 12-18 months, while a friend of mine has had one for 5 years with no issues. Guy at Performance recommended spitting on the o-ring before using to lubricate it.

Another happy user of the Joe Blow Pro here.

Another vote for the Air Tool Pro from Specialized...the Comp is fine as well.

Add the Silca Pista to the list as well.

Your blackburn pump is probably warrantied for life. Get them to replace that one at no cost.

I like my Blackburn air tower 4 better than my joe blow that failed, but probably only b/c it failed.

I bought a Genuine Innovations floor pump a few years back and it's worked just fine, though it would be nice to have the pressure gauge on top instead of at the bottom of the pump.

There are many purchases in life over which I vacillate.

Floor pumps would not be one of them. In cases like this, I tend to the following general guideline:

"Go to a reputable retailer that sells a sufficient variety of the item. Do not buy the cheapest one. Do not buy the most expensive one. Don't spend more than 5 minutes comparing features."

In this case such a retailer might be Dicks, REI, or an LBS. Probably not Walmart or Ace hardware.
*

I was able to get the regular Joe Blow on sale at REI several years ago, about '01ish. It's been great ever since and I haven't had to think about replacing it.

I've got a Joe Blow Pro and a 15-year old Silca. For being 15-years old and never having any maintenance, the Silca still works surprisingly well! The air pressure gauge seems a bit funny, but it still pumps as well.

That said, the Joe Blow is superior in just about every way: the gauge is at the top of the pump so it's easier to read, the handle is more comfortable, the pumping action is smoother, the head is easier to use, the hose is longer, the base is more stable, etc. Unlike the Silca, you can frequently find the JoeBlow Pro on sale. I think I paid $50 or $55 for mine during some REI or PB sale. At that price if it lasts a couple of years, which I have no doubt it will, it's a great value...

Specialized makes really good pumps, along with Topeka. I'm sure those Silica's are great but don't know if I really wont a pump that will last that long. The thing with my specialized is with the switch hitter pump head, the one that automatically switches between presta and schrader. It always lets a little air out of the tube, because the internals press the presta valve before the pump head is sealed around it. So the tube will have always leaked about 10psi everytime you pump it.

Serfas FMP 500 FTW.

I think FMP stands for BAMF Pump. Not sure why they got the letters in the wrong order. Everything leading up to the head is metal - brass fittings, metal braided hose. Durable stuff. Had several Topeaks that FORTUNATELY came from P* as they've all suffered failed seals - usually as I was topping up tires on the way out the door. Too many extraneous seals in the Topeaks for me to mess with them anymore!

Go to a shop and find a pump you like the look off and pump the tyres on a bike up to pressure- You will soomn find the ones you don't want.

Joe Blow Pro

I have a run of the mill Serfas pump. It has worked flawlessly for well over 2 years. Not a single problem for $30-35. Then, I decided to upgrade to Blackburn Airtower 5. The head does not fit that well on valve extenders. At least some of the Zipp ones. They tend to leak. They do seem to have a higher volume per down stroke, but who cares if it leaks!!

I just wished I had the 20 year old Silca pump I threw away a few years back during a move!!!

stay away from pedro. none of them lasted longer than a year. i look forward to the airtower 5 from blackburn (none CF of course).

I recently picked up a Spec'd AirTool Comp. Like the design/construction, but it seems to sometimes have difficulty opening my prestas. I.e. I pump and the pressure in the head goes way up, but only slowly retreats down to the pressure of the tube. Before anyone asks - YES, I do know how to open my presta valves.

Anyone else found this??

Yeah I forgot about that one to (see my post above). When ever I try to inflate a tube with no or little air in it, the gauge goes all the way around and the pump wont pump. The pump just fills its self with air. You have to wait for the needle to go down some and inflate it little bits at the time, then when you are able to get about 40psi in it you remove the head then put it back on again, and its ready to go. On second thought maybe I don't recommend this pump:p

+1 best floor pump i've ever used!

park tool = lifetime warranty, never buy another pump again

Nuf said :thumb:

differences btwn joe blow sport/sprint/pro?