Ex-Cell EX5 12-Volt/120-Volt Rechargeable Inflator

This product is well designed, but in my opinion it is overdesigned. First, I have no clue what item in this world needs 300 psi. My air tools I have only need 100 psi, bicycles around 40 psi, and even my air shocks on my vehicle need a maximum of 150 psi. My guess is that the manufacturer is trying to make a statement that the motor will not burn up when you perform normal inflation pressures (unlike my ex-$20 "tin-monkey" air compressor).

Secondly, there is absolutely no reason why the manufacturer needed to install shock vibration feet on this unit (see "blue feet" in the picture). There is very little vibration to this unit, much lower than my ex-20 dollar tin monkey.

Finally, the 12 volt receptacle. It's a gimmick because the reason why anyone buys this unit is to inflate tires, not to power your tv, vacuum or cell phone. I just wanted a unit that can inflate my tires and nothing else. I'm not too fond of the worklight, but I bet you a beer that the worklight will come in handy on that dark stormy night.

I looked everywhere to find what size battery is in the unit. Apparently, the manufacturer has knowledgeable engineers that know battery technology, because amp-hours vary with the type of load. In their manual, they state that you can charge a 7 watt cell phone for 10 hours or you can run a 100 watt vacuum for 22 minutes. If you do the math, the battery is somewhere around 3 amp-hours for the vacuum and 6 amp-hours for the cell phone. The manufacturer did state that the compressor could run continuously for 40 minutes, which I believe is a better data point than the cell phone and the vacuum. I tend to believe the 40-minute statement, because of their level of detail they have in their manual.

Bottom line: You get what you pay for. You can buy a $20 tin monkey and get less than half of the life of this unit or you can pay more and get a good quality product. My thought: I should have never bought the tin monkey.

I ordered this to replace an old inflator that we'd had for years. I was interested in the rechargeable aspect, and having to hook a unit into a cigarette lighter slot was a pain in the neck. After reading the reviews on this, I got it, and tried it yesterday. It blew up the tires in my garden cart in less than one minute! And quiet, too! This is a great machine - everything about it is top notch. Do yourself a favor and get one!!!!!

This is an excellent compressor, well worth the money. It works great,
it's powerful, and each charge lasts a really long time. Five stars defintely!

Performed just as expected and wanted. Doesn't fill tires nearly as fast as the gas station, but if you count the trip time probably about the same overall elapsed time to fill four tires (assuming they weren't too low to begin with). Gauge might read slightly high - just use a separate gauge.

It was a little larger and heavier than I had expected but this paid off in its tremendous performance. I use it to keep car tires filled and I enjoy how quickly you can add a few pounds to a tire. My old inflator ran for minutes and would often run out of charge before I finished four tires. I'm not sure I'd carry this on a trip, though, because of its size and weight. The gauge just gives a rough idea of pressure and then you should fine check it with an accurate tire gauge.