The Ryobi One+ Battery Operated Tire Inflator: A Convenient Solution for Quick Tire Inflation
When it comes to occasional tasks like inflating tires or sports equipment, traditional air compressors can be cumbersome and time-consuming. However, the compact and user-friendly Ryobi One+ Battery Operated Tire Inflator offers a practical alternative.
For those residing in regions with fluctuating temperatures, such as Minnesota, it is a common occurrence for the tire pressure sensor light to illuminate on the dashboard during this time of the year. This situation often necessitates the use of an air compressor and various fittings, or a visit to the nearby gas station for a quick tire top-off.
The Ryobi One+ Tire Inflator: A Versatile and Portable Solution
The Ryobi One+ Tire Inflator is a handheld, battery-operated device designed for convenient and efficient tire inflation. It boasts a compact and lightweight design, slightly larger than a standard handheld drill. Equipped with a 20-inch long air hose and a clear digital readout screen, it enables precise adjustment of pounds per square inch (PSI).
Its portability makes it suitable for various applications, whether it’s a road trip, mountain biking adventure, or a day by the pool requiring the inflation of various inflatable toys. The inflator includes fittings specifically designed for Presta valves on bicycle tires, a needle for athletic equipment, and a cone-shaped adapter for pool floaties and small camping sleeping pads. To ensure safety and ease of storage, the fittings conveniently snap into the handle when not in use.
Testing Procedure
Similar to the excitement of using my first store-bought slingshot as a child, I eagerly put the Ryobi tire inflator to the test in my garage. There were numerous items awaiting inflation! I commenced by inflating the tires of my snowblower, wheelbarrow, motorcycle, and our vehicles. Subsequently, I proceeded to test the inflator’s attachments, including inflating a basketball and a football, inflating Presta valve tires on two bicycles, and finally inflating a kid’s pool floatie.
Performance Evaluation
Performance Assessment
In general, the Ryobi One+ Tire Inflator delivered excellent performance for most tasks. It effortlessly inflated smaller items such as the floatie, sports balls, and the tires of the snowblower, wheelbarrow, motorcycle, and mountain bike. However, I did notice a notable drawback—its loud and bothersome noise caused by the firing internal piston. Despite this, the inflator successfully completed these tasks without any issues. Nevertheless, it encountered difficulties when inflating high-pressure road bike tires and my truck tire.
My road bike features narrow 32-mm wide tires with Presta valves that require inflation between 110 to 135 PSI. The plastic Presta valve attachment smoothly threaded onto the valve stem. However, in these high-pressure applications, maintaining a tight and airtight seal proved challenging without applying force while pressing the nozzle onto the valve stem and activating the trigger.
The issue primarily lies with the attachment rather than the inflator itself. Fortunately, purchasing an aluminum Presta valve attachment for a nominal cost of $2 from my local bike shop resolved the problem.
Inflating the automotive tire proved to be an adventure in itself. Since I had a compressor available if needed, I decided to completely deflate my knobby 31-inch midsized truck tire to test the capabilities of the Ryobi inflator. It managed to inflate the tire, but it took nearly 11 minutes, with intermittent breaks and a battery change halfway through.
I repeated the same test with my wife’s smaller Subaru tires, which yielded better results, although the inflator still seemed to struggle when inflating completely flat tires. I acknowledge that expecting the inflator to handle my truck tire was a significant challenge. Nevertheless, the primary purpose of owning an inflator is to inflate automobile tires, and this tool faced difficulties when inflating severely deflated tires.
