The Slime COMP 07 Rechargable Tire Inflator is also marketed as:
Kwik Goal Portable Inflator
Campbell-Hausfeld Model CC2300
Unfortunately, the unit is sold with a cheap 12 Volt, 7.0 Amp-Hour internal battery that cannot hold up under the rigors and demands put on it by the general consumer. Anyway, the battery in any of these types of portable devices doesn't last forever and will eventually have to be replaced. Think of is as normal maintenance, to be done every two to five years, even with the best of batteries.
But a simple change to a 12 Volt, 8.5 Amp-Hour, high-rate replacement battery will greatly enhance its performance. Without going into a stuffy brain-dump: A simple 21% increase in Amp-Hour capacity (to 8.5 Amp-Hours) will double the amount of work the fully charged battery can do, under load, such as the internal 12 Volt compressor motor. The "high-rate" designation is also a type of battery that is designed to take heavy loads without damage -or shortened battery lifespan.
But don't make the mistake that many 12 Volt power pack owners sometimes do: Attempting to jump-start their car from this tiny device. Doing so will instantly destroy the unit's internal 12 Volt battery and literally melt the compressor case down. Also, never plug a 12VDC appliance into the "Output DC 12V" jack that exceeds about 0.5 Amps (6 watts). For example, plugging in a small 12VDC coffee cup warmer will draw 8-10 Amps and burn out the internal 12 Volt lead acid battery in a couple of minutes. You'll know when a sealed lead acid battery is burned out when the tremendous amount of heat from the dying battery melts and distorts the outside plastic case of the compressor and a sick vinegar smell emits from the now-dead internal battery.
That said, replace with: Power-Sonic PSH-1280 FR Battery, 12 Volt, 8.5 Amp-Hour, High-Rate Series. I ordered mine from BatteryPlexDotCom. Really, to install a lower capacity battery in a portable field device is just false economy. And note: The different brand names of this tire inflator seems to have battery terminals in one of two widths: "F1" designation is for the 3/16" / .187" wide metal terminal tabs on the battery, and the "F2" designation is for the 1/4" / .25" wide metal terminal tabs on the battery. So be sure to specify this, for a quick and speedy battery change with the internal wiring push-clips. To get to the internal battery, just lay the portable compressor on its side and unscrew the seven phillips-head screws that hold the halves of the outside plastic case together.
Now the portable compressor unit pumps up my 100psi bicycle tires -and 34psi minivan tires, with ease. The built-in pressure guage, in my unit, reads 5psi higher than actual, but that's easy to compensate for.
And the unit also now serves as a reliable 12 Volt portable power pack, a real workhorse, that is quickly recharged in the field with my portable 12 Volt wind generator, or my portable 12 Volt sun tracking solar panel.
I have also been pleasantly surprised with the unusually well-designed quick connect valve that seats perfectly on the valve stem, and releases without loss of tire pressure. Really, this has been a major headache with all my other air pumps, both manual and electric: When removing the quick connect valve from the tire stem, air always rushes out, and several more attempts have to be done before the tire is finally properly inflated, a real pain. But, to expedite things, and just to be sure, I usually disconnect the Slime COMP 07 quick connect valve from the tire valve stem as soon as the proper pressure is reached, with the air compressor still running.
The battery for this device is a lead acid battery, that is sealed, so that the electrolyte will not leak out of the battery. But, being a lead acid battery, it can do only half as much work, at 30 degrees Fahrenheit, as it will do at 70 degrees Fahrenheit. So either store the portable compressor in a reasonably warm environment until you need it, or accept its inherent shortcomings in a cold environment.
Also, never run the portable compressor down until it runs slowly, or ceases to run. This is commonly known as "batterycide." Doing so, even if promptly recharged, will greatly reduce the service lifespan, or even destroy, any good lead acid battery. Keep the portable compressor charged and ready at all times and you'll have no trouble. The LED Battery Check indicator is activated by turning on the Power switch (with the Compressor switch off). The unit is okay to run as long as the LED indicator is green "HI". The portable compressor should be recharged when the LED indicator is yellow "LOW". If at all possible, do not discharge the battery below 12.25 Volts. Always immediately recharge the battery after moderate-to-heavy use. You'll soon learn what this useful little compressor can handle -and can't handle.
And, being a lead acid battery, it will hold its charge for months and months, with very low self-discharge. Yet another advantage of lead acid batteries is that they are routinely recycled. In fact, a brand new lead acid battery, off-the-shelf, is manufactured from recycled lead.
One major, and justified, gripe many owners have with the unit is the ridiculous claim in the instruction manual that the device can be used to inflate air mattresses, rafts, etc.. Well, that's simply not true. The compressor is for pneumatic tires and soccer balls and footballs, etc. only (and maybe to run an airbrush). The hard-working piston in the compressor is only the size of your little fingertip, so it would take all day to fill up an air mattress, and keep filling it until the mattress bursts (if unattended). And the battery is not large enough to run the compressor that long anyway. For air mattresses and rafts, just buy a specialized high-volume, low pressure, 12 Volt air pump, and plug it into 12 Volt jack on your trusty Campbell-Hausfeld Cordlesss Air Inflator / 12-Volt Power Pack, and you're good to go.
A compact rechargeable inflator that uses a lead-acid battery. Noisy but powerful, it has handy storage for its components, but a useless pressure gauge.
After my last 12V-DC inflator blew the fuses on my Civic, I decided it was time for a tire pump that didn't depend on the car for power. This unit inflates my Civic tires about 2-3 times as fast as the old 12V.
It's not as loud as the car engine and the old pump were (running at the same time), but all the noise is from one point, so it seems louder to my ears. It vibrates enough to "walk" a little while running on the concrete floor.
The unit has storage panels front and back that store all of the cables/accessories that come with it, and a short instruction leaflet. The in-built gauge is useless. It approximates the correct pressure with the unit off (but not clearly enough to read a specific number). But turn the unit on, and the indicated PSI instantly jumps to 40psi and stays there.
I have to check the pressure before and after with my Accutire Digital Tire Gauge. An accurate built-in digital pressure readout would have been outstanding. The flip-tab on the hose is kind of stiff for the first few uses, I ended up letting a bunch of air out of my tires in the process of getting it locked into place.
The product's lead-acid battery has the advantage of no "memory effect", meaning charging the battery w/o discharging it fully doesn't shorten its life (like a Ni-Cad), but the drawback is that much like your car battery, a lead-acid must be kept topped off, and if you allow a lead-acid to drain completely, it fails and is no longer chargable. A Lithium-Ion would have been nice instead, since they are non-toxic (no special disposal needed) and are not harmed by being fully discharged.
I'm unclear on the choice of "Slime" as a brand-name, but it IS memorable, and the product is good. And it sure beats using a filthy public air pump at a gas station (and it's always freezing, searing hot, or raining when you need to do this), if you can even find one that's functioning.
This inflator could be quieter, use a Li-ion battery, and have a usable pressure gauge, but it gets the job done in a compact no-fuss package. Recommended.
Buy Slime COMP 07 Rechargable 12-Volt Tire Inflator Now
This seems like a very solid unit, but upon careful reading of the user guide I found that it should not be used to inflate while plugged in to the AC/DC power supply. The wording also implied that the unit should only be used to inflate while operating under its internal battery power, and that the 12v cigarette lighter adapter and Ac/Dc adaptor are for charging the battery only. The battery should also be routinely charged (5-9 hours) to prevent draining. I've written to Slime twice for clarification on the "don't inflate with the chargers" to see what the consequences might be if one did, but they have not responded. So if you don't remember to take it out of your trunk and recharge it periodically, it may be useless that one time you need it to do an emergency roadside tire inflation... Unless you have 5-9 hours to spare to charge it up first. Seems like a chance I wouldn't want to take. I returned it.
Read Best Reviews of Slime COMP 07 Rechargable 12-Volt Tire Inflator Here
This is essentially the same unit as a Campbell Hausfeld pump I had a few years ago. The only problem I have with that one I lost it. I honestly do not know what happened to it. Anyhow, this one looks, smells, sounds, and operates the same as the Campbell Hausfeld I had.
I followed the instructions to the letter charged it at room temperature for 18 hours right out of the box.
The test:
Two cars and one ¾ -ton truck, each with four tires that needed some (a few needed quite a bit of) air.
Two motorcycles, each with two tires about ten pounds low.
One riding mower, four tires that were in serious need of air.
All in all, twenty tires of various sizes. The unit filled all tires on one charge, and the yellow light was just starting to come on with three tires remaining. The truck tires are size LT275/65R20 (quite large); each were filled from ~60 PSI to 65 PSI, so I believe this was a pretty intense test for this unit.
The total run time to fill up all tires I estimate was about 70 minutes. The only rest time it got was moving from tire to tire.
Noise completely acceptable. Not as loud as some portable units I've heard. Quiet? No, but it is not what I would call loud. I would say "noticeable".
Valve on and off definitely tight, a little difficult in some situations. I recommend putting a little bit of oil on one valve stem. That will make it go on and off more easily on the rest of the tires.
Charging light stays on when plugged in, does not turn off when done. The manual recommends leaving it plugged in whenever it's not in use. I don't plan to do that. Instead I will charge it periodically.
I think this is a great unit, and it does what I bought it for keep me from having to drag out the extension cord when I need to check and fill tires. Is it the only pump I will ever need for all occasions? No. Is it the emergency pump I will travel with? No. Is it the pump I plan to use almost all of the time for filling tires? Absolutely. I am a creature of convenience :-).
I will update this review if anything out of the ordinary happens, but for now thumbs up!
I hope this helps thanks to everyone else for their reviews!
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I was hesitant to buy a product with "Slime" as the brand name. Nevertheless, it was on sale and I decided to risk it. Boy, was I pleasantly surprised! It was cheaper than my previous tire inflator from Sears( I called the red hot mama!) and was much better. It was easy to use and was powerful enough to inflate the tires on two vehicles quickly without getting hot. I would recommend it to anyone and plan to seek out the "Slime" brand next time.
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The item arrived time. I worked perfectly.
