Thread: Portable 12v Air Compressors

I have been using a Thumper Max for some time now and apart from the zipper falling to bits on the carry bag I cant fault the unit.

Originally Posted by trout1105

I have been using a Thumper Max for some time now and apart from the zipper falling to bits on the carry bag I cant fault the unit.

Gave up on the bag, but I'm hopeless with those things anyway. The Chinese don't seem to do bags, but I didn't buy it for it's bag. Agree, so far it is awesome.

Ive had a thumper hard wired and bolted into the tray of the Perentie for 2 years now. Aside from my deliberately undersized fuses going, its never missed a beat. It doesn't get directly wet, but its had a hard life exposed to dust and moisture. The supplied air hose is starting to crack where its been exposed to light and permanently attached to the ROPS, but that's the worst of it so far. Even if im on borrowed time with it, its still a cheap "service item" in my book

Originally Posted by johntins

My comment re the battery charger was merely to point out that I had a charger charging a lifeless truck battery, no volts whatsoever, and I needed to blow up a tyre. The charger has a 40A fuse protecting it, which only blows if I hook it up to a battery with a shorted plate. The Thumper fired up and inflated the tyre effortlessly, and never blew the fuse, or even raised a sweat on the ammeter on the charger.

Now, I'm no expert in things electrical, but to me it seems that 90A is 90A, which has been claimed many times as the draw of these compressors.

The cables to the clamps that connect to the battery would hardly be more than 5mm. All I was trying to say, and not necessarily in reply to you, was that I don't believe this 90A hyperbole, and that for the price the compressor is amazing.

To the OP I'd say, look for the reset button, and push it.

The 90 amps would be its maximum current draw at full pressure - up near 100 psi so you'll never see that sort of current flow pumping tyres, probably closer to 10 to 20 most of the time in the 20 to 40 psi range. Current flow changes as the mechanical load the motor is being asked to do does. All 12 volt compressors draw huge amounts of current as their load increases towards their max pressure. I wouldn't worry about that side of it - if it works for you and you're happy, doesn't matter what others go on about IMO.

I have never had to use the reset on my thumper But as Homestar said 20-40psi is the highest I would have pumped my tyres up to.

Originally Posted by Homestar

The 90 amps would be its maximum current draw at full pressure - up near 100 psi so you'll never see that sort of current flow pumping tyres, probably closer to 10 to 20 most of the time in the 20 to 40 psi range. Current flow changes as the mechanical load the motor is being asked to do does. All 12 volt compressors draw huge amounts of current as their load increases towards their max pressure. I wouldn't worry about that side of it - if it works for you and you're happy, doesn't matter what others go on about IMO.

Indeed. It was unlikely I would have used it on the truck tyres, at 110 psi. Most servo compressors struggle with that.

I got given a little air compressor for the birthday just before I got my Defender, by a good friend of mine.
I can't remember what brand it was, but I hope it was cheap, because it took forever to fill up each tyre ( 235/85R16 Goodyear MTRs ) and I gave up on it.

I got myself a birthday present the following year, and got the ARB high output portable compressor in the little grey toolbox ( there was a special on at the time and I also got the deflator, the inflator with the gauge, and an additional hose, and a bag to carry it all in ).
I love the ARB compressor, and it fills all four tyres in the time it took the little one to do one tyre!
It has made a huge difference to my 4wding, I now am less reluctant to let my tyres down all the way.

Well, I cannot find a physical reset button and I asked one of our compressor suppliers for our industrial compressors to take a look. After a few minutes he got back to me and told me that the electrical board is shot. Unfortunately, he cannot help me so he's giving it back and I'm taking it to one of my electricians to see if he can either revive the board or come up with something easier to fix locally. I will wait for the quotation and see if it's worth resurrecting this big @$$ paper weight or just gradually save up for twin unit ARB with tank. Really disappointing that it croaked a few seconds after it was first turned on. Did some digging and apparently there are quite a number of people with axes to grind with 4WD SupaCenter and their quality is apparently a crap shoot. Lucky if it works, tough on you if it doesn't. I guess I fall under the latter.