Air compressors known to work well on 120v bed outlet

I had a

$140 Senco PC1010 1/2- Horsepower 1-Gallon Matte Finish and Trim Portable Hot Dog Air Compressor, Gray/Red

Senco PC1010 I bought a few years ago (long before the taco). I got it just to have a light weight, carry around the house compressor. It was great for that. After I got the taco, I thought the 1/2 HP running power (373 watts) might run off the bed outlet. But the startup amps of 4.5 was too much. It wouldn't run on the bed outlet. So I just sold it on Craigslist.

I'd like to get something similar that is known to work on the bed outlet. What have you guys tried that works well?

I'm thinking either a

$158 DEWALT Air Compressor, 135-PSI Max, 1 Gallon Tank, 2.6 Amp (D55140)

Dewalt D55140, or a Porter Cable C1010, both of which draw 2.6 amps.

Has anyone used either of these on their bed outlet? How'd it work on the bed outlet? Any other good options?

I want:
- 120 volt (this isn't just for truck use)
- small enough motor to run off the bed outlet
- preferably a name brand with a solid reputation

thanks guys!

 

I don't know about compressors the can run on the outlet. Have you considered the

$150 VIAIR 300P - 30033 Tire Inflator Portable Offroad Air Compressor for Truck & SUV | 12V On/Off Road Tire Pump Air Compressor Portable Heavy Duty 150 PSI, up to 33" Tires, 2.30 CFM, Alligator Clips

VIAIR 300P or the

$77 VIAIR 88P - 00088 Tire Inflator Portable Onroad/Offroad Air Compressor for Car, Truck, SUV & RV | 12V On/Off Road Tire Pump Air Compressor Portable Heavy Duty 120 PSI, Alligator Clips, Twist Chuck

Viair 88p?

 

I'm not sure you will find a120v version that has an inrush current lower than the trucks limit.

You may be able to install a start capacitor on the motor to help lessen the draw on the truck if the ones you have tried don't already have one (they probably do)

You may have to use a different inverter to accomplish your task.

 

As above I’d go with one with direct connect to battery. I got a super flow mv50

 

I'm aware of them, but those don't work as a light weight, carry around the house, air compressor.

 

Yup, inrush current is why I started the thread. I'm hoping to find someone who has a small 120v compressor who can say one of those models worked or didn't.

 

You need to use Ohms law for this. And the starting current is likely higher than stated with an inverter. These inverters are to charge cordless batteries and Xmas leds. Get a direct connect high reliability 12v compressor like an ARB that is purpose built and it will work when you need it. No homedepot 120 v piece of crap will save you.

 

MV50s Rock. I’ve had one that’s been bouncing around the back of my jeep for a couple years and it still works flawlessly. I can inflate my 255s from 20 to 35 psi in no time.

 

I had this and it ran fine on the bed outlet-

https://www.menards.com/main/tools/...og-air-compressor/2071525/p-1444423542966.htm

It was pretty slow, so I gave it to a friend. I have been debating between trying to find a better small 120 volt compressor, or getting an onboard air set-up.

I think you're limited to a 1/3 HP motor due to the start-up draw as others have mentioned.

I'm curious what others have figured out. I thought about trying to replace the built in inverter with a higher output unit, but it would most likely be limited by the wire run from the battery. If it came down to running new wiring back to the battery, it would make more sense to just put a bigger inverter under the hood at that point.

 

I found an old thread.
The Porter Cable C1010 is reported to work by the OP.
Another poster later in the thread reported the Porter Cable works.
Another poster reported one of the two models (Porter Cable or Dewalt) works, but didn't specificy which he was talking about. Since the post was started about the PC, I assume that's what he got.

Unfortunately, the Porter Cable is no longer made. I can find refurbished ones, but they cost as much as the Dewalt new. So I was leanting towards the Dewalt, but I have not found a report of it working yet.

Still looking...

 

Thanks, yeah, I've seen that. Also Harbor Freight sells a couple models for $39 (pancake & hot dog style). Those are tempting, but I've seen a lot of those cheap ones fail. And most of the cheap ones are very loud. So I'd rather go for a well-reviewed name brand.

I've got 12v compressors in all the cars, and a big Quincy in the garage. I'm looking for one that's light weight, slow, reliable, and can run off the bed outlet. That Senco was a great "carry around" compressor until I got the taco with the bed outlet.

 

The harbor freight fortress 1 gallon compressor draws 2.8 amps. Gets really good reviews and is very quiet.

 

The problem is: the bed outlet rating is simply 400 watt. They don't offer a surge rating for it, though it almost certainly has a higher surge rating.

The compressor ratings are a bigger mess. Years ago they were publishing fake HP ratings. That was based on the power disipation of the motor with a locked roter - i.e. if you stall the motor, for that brief instant before it catches on fire, how much power was it disipating. It was a worthless rating, but it sounded good to people who don't know better.

Now the compressors all have to publish actual "running" HP. So that the steady state power disipation (typically at max or near-max pressure). That is a meaningful statistic, but the compressors rarely publish inrush current.

So the available specs only tell us: "if the compressor was already running, could the inverter keep it going"

That's why I'm asking for models that are known to work...

 

My buddy really likes this flexvolt:
DEWALT DCC2560T1 FLEXVOLT 60V MAX 2.5 Gallon Cordless Air Compressor Kit (Made In the USA)

DEWALT FLEXVOLT 60V MAX* Air Compressor Kit, Cordless, 2.5 Gallon (DCC2560T1)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0746SBGXS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_zWtzEbGHSYFWQ

 

This is one that I had been eyeing up. I'd be tempted to just pick one up and try it out. There should be a fuse on the inverter, so worst case I should just have to replace a fuse.

On the other hand, some of the onboard set-ups from Viair look pretty nice. It would be great to have a reliable inflator that wouldn't be in the way. Although, this wouldn't be a good option for the OP's needs.

 

Don’t swap the fuse to accommodate a compressor. Too many bad things could go wrong with the factory wiring. Better off installing a different inverter or getting a battery powered compressor.

I think the OPs expectations are unrealistic. Unless you go 18v battery powered, whatever you get for home use that will run on the low amp inverter won’t be much use at home. Unless your only home use is to air up tires, the compressor will be of little use around the house. My PC pancake compressor is no where near able to run off my truck inverter and it kicks on quite a bit just using it for trim.

 

I will admit that I did try my Senco, even though it exceded the rating. It would hum and not start. I did not pop any fuse though.

The Harbor Freight model is interesting. So far, I have avoided their new brands that are supposedly a top tier brands. I get some cheap tools at Harbor Freight, but when their price approaches Dewalt, Porter Cable, etc I have gone for the established brands. The nice thing about it is, they're local to me. I could probably go to the store and try it before buying...

Another option is the

$219 Makita AC001 Compact Air Compressor

Makita AC001. Its only 1/6 HP, so it would definitely run without issue. But at $180-$190, I'd rather have one of the others that puts out a little more air.

 

That's not what I meant.

I meant that I would have to REPLACE a fuse. Meaning that if the compressor overloaded the inverter and blew a fuse, I would replace the fuse and return the compressor.

I understand the dangers of overloading electrical circuits and devices.

I agree that any compressor that can run on 400 watts will be insufficient for most purposes. In the case of the little generic one I had, it wasn't even sufficient for re-inflating tires.

 

Not quite sure what your aiming to accomplish, but you may want to look into getting a portable power station, they are very common these days. You could easily run a portable air compressor with one of those units and use the truck to recharge the power station

$349 Jackery Portable Power Station Explorer 500, 518Wh Outdoor Solar Generator Mobile Lithium Battery Pack with 110V/500W AC Outlet for Home Use, Emergency Backup,Road Trip Camping (Solar Panel Optional)

https://www.amazon.com/Jackery-Port...FTQWR1WQ3Q1&psc=1&refRID=A0P577MEZFTQWR1WQ3Q1

$176 PORTER-CABLE Air Compressor, 6-Gallon, Pancake, Oil-Free (C2002)

https://www.amazon.com/PORTER-CABLE...porter+cable+compressor&qid=1583695129&sr=8-1