PSA: Top off your tires

[Big Dog]

My tires are supposed to be inflated to cold tire pressure of 30 psi, which I do exactly at home with my bike pump. Every single mechanic I have left my car with for maintenace tasks has filled my tires to 32 psi - I have checked afterwards. And I can tell immediately because the tires feel weird and bouncy while I am driving. I have always wondered why they do this?

Interesting, as higher psi means harder tires, stiffer ride, kinda the opposite of more bouncy (which has more to do with springs/shocks). Regardless, your mechanic might not be using the correct tire manual for your trim model and their manual might differ by 2 psi from the sticker behind your car door.

[heartwood]

I got this tire inflator, a bit cheaper, and it has been working well enough for my occasional use for the last couple of years. No battery though, you need to plug it in (and have the car's electrical turned on):

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073VB41W3/

Of course that's only me, not enough to get at overall reliability between brands. Anyway, I also have experienced gas stations with their air compressors "broken" for more than a year, it was getting tough to find one which inspired me to get my own portable.

The small, portable air tire inflators are really nice. Spouse bought one, and it's really come in handy.

I went to my gas station today to fill my gas tank. They've always had a free air station, that always worked. Today I looked over and saw a red housing box instead of the usual black coiled hose. I went over and saw "4 minutes for $2". I asked the pump jockey and he said it was free for 54 yrs! Guess I got my money's worth in the past.

I'll consider one of the portables. I'll have to go back to read the comments here. Costco's too far away for me.

[ubermax]

I've spent years going to the local gas station and using their pump - it's on a timer and so if you don't fill fast enough you have to ask them to turn the pump back on - so a couple years ago I bought a Craftsman 1.5 gallon compressor - with it I got a rubber ( not vinyl or synthetic material ) hose that stays flexible in cold New England weather along with a ball chuck - in warm weather I get my road bike tires to 120 lbs in a couple seconds using a schrader adapter on my presta valves but it takes a little longer to get the car tires to 33lbs because the connection between chuck and valve is a little more finicky .

[enad]

I purchased the Milwaukee M12 Tire Inflator which came with a battery and a charger and was reasonably priced especially if you catch it on sale, even bought several over the years for family. We generally check all the cars once a month and can easily top off 4 tires and the spare. Each car has it's own tire infaltor kit that runs off the 12V plug and has a can that can be inserted between the inflator and the tire to "fix" a flat, but the M12 is very convenient to use. Even take it on vacations. There is an M18 version in case you have a truck

[sport]

With all the cold weather around the country, another reminder is in order. I just checked my tires at Costco. The door label says 35 psi. The tires were all at 28. Surprisingly, that was not enough to activate the low pressure warning.

[flyingcows]

With all the cold weather around the country, another reminder is in order. I just checked my tires at Costco. The door label says 35 psi. The tires were all at 28. Surprisingly, that was not enough to activate the low pressure warning.

Do you have indirect TPMS? We have that on my wifes car and it's hit and miss in my experience since it needs to see a large enough difference between the tires to trigger, so if they are all equally low it may not trigger, at least that's the case with hers. My car has direct TPMS (pressure sensor in each wheel) and I can see readings of all tires in real time in the info screen, and those alerts are spot on

[sport]

Do you have indirect TPMS?

I don't know. It is a 2013 Camry.

[ZMonet]

When there is a difference between your TPMS reading and your PSI tire pressure reader, which do you go with? I had read that the TPMS is imprecise, so I've been going with the reader but would love other's thoughts. I suppose to some degree it matters who manufactured the TPMS/car and the reader.

[yankees60]

Maybe a tangent.

Do snow tires, in general, accept the same amount of air in them as regular or all-weather tires?

When I had my studded snow tires put on this past Monday I instructed them to inflate them to maximum pressure.

[lazydavid]

Do snow tires, in general, accept the same amount of air in them as regular or all-weather tires?

Yes.

When I had my studded snow tires put on this past Monday I instructed them to inflate them to maximum pressure.

Don't do that. The pressure on the sidewall is a safety rating, to avoid blowout. It has no bearing whatsoever on what the appropriate pressure is for those tires on a given car.

Tires should be inflated to the pressure indicated on the sticker located inside the driver's door opening. Increasing pressure decreases both traction and ride quality.

[yankees60]

Do snow tires, in general, accept the same amount of air in them as regular or all-weather tires?

Yes.

When I had my studded snow tires put on this past Monday I instructed them to inflate them to maximum pressure.

Don't do that. The pressure on the sidewall is a safety rating, to avoid blowout. It has no bearing whatsoever on what the appropriate pressure is for those tires on a given car.

Tires should be inflated to the pressure indicated on the sticker located inside the driver's door opening. Increasing pressure decreases both traction and ride quality.

Thanks. I will look at both and compare. But I don't know which they went by.

However, doesn't more pressure lead to better mileage? I assume that is because of less of the tire touching the road, reducing friction?

[lazydavid]

However, doesn't more pressure lead to better mileage? I assume that is because of less of the tire touching the road, reducing friction?

Marginally better. But the reason you put on winter tires in the first place is to increase traction (aka friction) on slippery surfaces. Following that up by dramatically increasing tire pressure to chase a fractional increase in mpg seems extremely counterproductive.

[MoneyIsTime]

Don't do that. The pressure on the sidewall is a safety rating, to avoid blowout. It has no bearing whatsoever on what the appropriate pressure is for those tires on a given car.

Tires should be inflated to the pressure indicated on the sticker located inside the driver's door opening. Increasing pressure decreases both traction and ride quality.

+1 on what lazydavid said.
The car's sticker value is the best and most authoritative pressure to go to.
That is, the pressure indicated on the sticker located inside the driver's door opening. Aka, open the door and look on the door jamb near the latch.
The tire sidewall value(s) are the engineered range, with the max before tire blowout. Blowout value is not something you want to get close to.

[FeralCat]

The sticker in my car gives the recommended cold tire pressure. As a reminder, when one drives to the gas station or Costco and immediately add air when your tires are warm from driving, this is not accurately inflating to the recommended cold tire pressure. This is the beauty of inflating tires at home, with a bike pump. If you check and fill your tires before driving, you are correctly getting to the recommended cold tire pressure.

[White Coat Investor]

I think a little lower pressure has better traction in snow, so I just let it go down a bit in the Winter and come up a bit in the summer when I do a lot more towing anyway. My new truck tells me every tire's pressure every time I start up and I think the variation has only been something like 53 down to 47 so far this Winter.

[kevinf]

Low pressure helps stopping distance with winter tires, tyrereviews did a test and braking got better until something like 2/3rds under recommended pressure. There were tradeoffs for very low pressure, so 5-10PSI under was the sweet spot for most metrics.

[yankees60]

However, doesn't more pressure lead to better mileage? I assume that is because of less of the tire touching the road, reducing friction?

Marginally better. But the reason you put on winter tires in the first place is to increase traction (aka friction) on slippery surfaces. Following that up by dramatically increasing tire pressure to chase a fractional increase in mpg seems extremely counterproductive.

You are correct in pointing out that my behavior is paradoxical. However, as an added traction measure I did spend the extra money to have the tires studded.

After they got put on Monday while driving around I've been slightly disappointed that they've not been able to their thing since there has been no snow to drive in. But, overall, since I have no use for snow (cost me $$$$ for snow plowing and time and anxiety when driving in it) I'll have to view those studded snow tires as insurance in case they are needed.

[tortoise84]

When there is a difference between your TPMS reading and your PSI tire pressure reader, which do you go with? I had read that the TPMS is imprecise, so I've been going with the reader but would love other's thoughts. I suppose to some degree it matters who manufactured the TPMS/car and the reader.

Either your TPMS or your gauge could be inaccurate. You won't really know unless you can calibrate them. Luckily, Project Farm on YouTube has tested a bunch of gauges: https://youtu.be/vHfv9FoPQnY?si=gZcIjeb0Jg-5CrPK&t=662

Based on his results, I bought the $10-11 Etenwolf T300 Plus digital pressure gauge. Compared to my old Campbell Hausfeld analog dial gauge that I was using for years, the Etenwolf reads 2 psi higher. This means I have been overinflating my tires by 2 psi by using the CH gauge. So I lowered the tires back down to the manufacturer recommended 36/39 psi and instantly noticed that the ride is much more comfortable.

[yankees60]

When there is a difference between your TPMS reading and your PSI tire pressure reader, which do you go with? I had read that the TPMS is imprecise, so I've been going with the reader but would love other's thoughts. I suppose to some degree it matters who manufactured the TPMS/car and the reader.

Either your TPMS or your gauge could be inaccurate. You won't really know unless you can calibrate them. Luckily, Project Farm on YouTube has tested a bunch of gauges: https://youtu.be/vHfv9FoPQnY?si=gZcIjeb0Jg-5CrPK&t=662

Based on his results, I bought the $10-11 Etenwolf T300 Plus digital pressure gauge. Compared to my old Campbell Hausfeld analog dial gauge that I was using for years, the Etenwolf reads 2 psi higher. This means I have been overinflating my tires by 2 psi by using the CH gauge. So I lowered the tires back down to the manufacturer recommended 36/39 psi and instantly noticed that the ride is much more comfortable.

Based upon your recommendation ... just bought one. Hopefully, it does not just join my collection of other tire gauges that have never been used!

[tibbitts]

In real life the vast majority of us don't check tire pressure more than a few times a year, and nobody can measure closer than within a couple of pounds accuracy. So... if you set the recommended pressure, you're going to be below the recommended pressure on one or more tires essentially all the time. And if you look at the pros and cons of being over (but within the tire rating of course) vs. under, there's no comparison. Incidentally I've never experienced wear on the center portion of my tire treads from being somewhat over on pressure.

I believe this may be less true today, but in past decades I'm pretty sure comfort was one factor in determining recommended pressures, and that's just not been a priority for me.

A few thoughts here....
- our TPMS systems clearly are within a half a pound accuracy, so our the tire gages we use
- with TPMS we check the pressure every time we drive
- not sure I care much about wear compared to performance and safety
- the tire performance of overinflated tires (wet road, braking, cornering) is degraded
- 1/2 the difference between recommeded and max pressure is arbitrary number. We have two vehicles in the garage now with the same 35psi rating. Max pressure on one set is 41 and the other is 51 - halfway between is arbitrary and not recommended.

I forgot to follow up but I did check the 3 tire gages I have - pencil, dial, and digital. They were about what I would have guessed: +/- about 3psi and no two agreed. And depending on how well the gage seals to the stem I can get +/- twice that pretty easily. Both cars have TPMS but neither displays pressures.

One car calls for 30 psi; the tires max at 41; I set that car at 35, honestly because after running the compressor for 5 minutes or so on the first tire that was the number that came up so I used that to try to get the other ones close instead of fiddling with the first tire again. The compressor seems to usually run for about 45-60 seconds per pound in the 30lb range.

The other car calls for 34psi with the tires being 41psi max and 34psi came up on the first tire so I went with that. If it had come up at say 38psi I would have gone with that but again I was too lazy to fiddle with that first tire. Realistically while the tires were "cold" they were going to get colder in the ensuing months so I'm sure those tires are low now but... it's cold so I don't want to deal with it. They're close enough.

Both cars were down about 6psi from where they are now. The donuts were down about 20psi; I set them around 60.

[TN_Boy]

Marginally better. But the reason you put on winter tires in the first place is to increase traction (aka friction) on slippery surfaces. Following that up by dramatically increasing tire pressure to chase a fractional increase in mpg seems extremely counterproductive.

You are correct in pointing out that my behavior is paradoxical. However, as an added traction measure I did spend the extra money to have the tires studded.

After they got put on Monday while driving around I've been slightly disappointed that they've not been able to their thing since there has been no snow to drive in. But, overall, since I have no use for snow (cost me $$$$ for snow plowing and time and anxiety when driving in it) I'll have to view those studded snow tires as insurance in case they are needed.

I'm probably misreading your post, but as I'm sure you know, studded snow tires should be driven very sparingly on dry roads, as in, don't do it if possible. Studs are for snow and ice.

[yankees60]

You are correct in pointing out that my behavior is paradoxical. However, as an added traction measure I did spend the extra money to have the tires studded.

After they got put on Monday while driving around I've been slightly disappointed that they've not been able to their thing since there has been no snow to drive in. But, overall, since I have no use for snow (cost me $$$$ for snow plowing and time and anxiety when driving in it) I'll have to view those studded snow tires as insurance in case they are needed.

I'm probably misreading your post, but as I'm sure you know, studded snow tires should be driven very sparingly on dry roads, as in, don't do it if possible. Studs are for snow and ice.

Generally, we put them on at a certain point of the year and then take them off some months later. We don't put them on and off, according to whether or not there is snow on the roads.

Also, there are Massachusetts laws regarding them:

"Studded snow tires are allowed in Massachusetts from Nov. 2 to April 30. The fine for violating this law is $50. Studded tires can be applied to just the rear or placed on all four tires. However, between May 1st and October 31st, studded tires are not permitted on motor vehicles in Massachusetts. All-season tires are considered multi-purpose and have different thread designs to help increase traction throughout the year."

[TN_Boy]

I'm probably misreading your post, but as I'm sure you know, studded snow tires should be driven very sparingly on dry roads, as in, don't do it if possible. Studs are for snow and ice.

Generally, we put them on at a certain point of the year and then take them off some months later. We don't put them on and off, according to whether or not there is snow on the roads.

Also, there are Massachusetts laws regarding them:

"Studded snow tires are allowed in Massachusetts from Nov. 2 to April 30. The fine for violating this law is $50. Studded tires can be applied to just the rear or placed on all four tires. However, between May 1st and October 31st, studded tires are not permitted on motor vehicles in Massachusetts. All-season tires are considered multi-purpose and have different thread designs to help increase traction throughout the year."

So about what percent of the time are you driving on snow/ice versus dry roads? Unless one lived in a rural area with lots of snow and little plowing, it seems like studs would be often be the wrong choice.

But obviously I don't know your weather and roads.

[yankees60]

Generally, we put them on at a certain point of the year and then take them off some months later. We don't put them on and off, according to whether or not there is snow on the roads.

Also, there are Massachusetts laws regarding them:

"Studded snow tires are allowed in Massachusetts from Nov. 2 to April 30. The fine for violating this law is $50. Studded tires can be applied to just the rear or placed on all four tires. However, between May 1st and October 31st, studded tires are not permitted on motor vehicles in Massachusetts. All-season tires are considered multi-purpose and have different thread designs to help increase traction throughout the year."

So about what percent of the time are you driving on snow/ice versus dry roads? Unless one lived in a rural area with lots of snow and little plowing, it seems like studs would be often be the wrong choice.

But obviously I don't know your weather and roads.

Almost none this winter so far. Little last winter.

Am in a rural area. My street is 40 mph and a main road, the first one plowed.

However, my driveway is an incline, 100 feet long.

So generally, no issues driving on roads but if I need to get into my garage and my snowplow person has not yet done by driveway then I'm not going to be able to get from the street to my garage. No place to put my car on this street.

I opted for the more expensive studded snow tires in the belief that I could afford them and they were giving me maximum safety.

[TN_Boy]

So about what percent of the time are you driving on snow/ice versus dry roads? Unless one lived in a rural area with lots of snow and little plowing, it seems like studs would be often be the wrong choice.

But obviously I don't know your weather and roads.

Almost none this winter so far. Little last winter.

Am in a rural area. My street is 40 mph and a main road, the first one plowed.

However, my driveway is an incline, 100 feet long.

So generally, no issues driving on roads but if I need to get into my garage and my snowplow person has not yet done by driveway then I'm not going to be able to get from the street to my garage. No place to put my car on this street.

I opted for the more expensive studded snow tires in the belief that I could afford them and they were giving me maximum safety.

Some may disagree, but honestly, I'd rather have winter/snow non-studded tires in your situation. In dry conditions, the studs give you less traction, and I would not be comfortable in them at higher speeds (i.e. interstates) on dry roads.

I would *think* that a good winter/snow tire would get you up your driveway unless you have a pretty impressive incline.

But people with lots more snow tire experience than I may think otherwise; I don't live up north. It's always been my belief that studded snow tires on dry roads are not a great idea.

[cubs1999]

Almost none this winter so far. Little last winter.

Am in a rural area. My street is 40 mph and a main road, the first one plowed.

However, my driveway is an incline, 100 feet long.

So generally, no issues driving on roads but if I need to get into my garage and my snowplow person has not yet done by driveway then I'm not going to be able to get from the street to my garage. No place to put my car on this street.

I opted for the more expensive studded snow tires in the belief that I could afford them and they were giving me maximum safety.

Some may disagree, but honestly, I'd rather have winter/snow non-studded tires in your situation. In dry conditions, the studs give you less traction, and I would not be comfortable in them at higher speeds (i.e. interstates) on dry roads.

I would *think* that a good winter/snow tire would get you up your driveway unless you have a pretty impressive incline.

But people with lots more snow tire experience than I may think otherwise; I don't live up north. It's always been my belief that studded snow tires on dry roads are not a great idea.

JACKFRR has posted that he used to use studded tires until he slid on dry pavement and almost got into a wreck. He then said he immediately pulled the studs out and hasn't used studded tires since.

[yankees60]

Almost none this winter so far. Little last winter.

Am in a rural area. My street is 40 mph and a main road, the first one plowed.

However, my driveway is an incline, 100 feet long.

So generally, no issues driving on roads but if I need to get into my garage and my snowplow person has not yet done by driveway then I'm not going to be able to get from the street to my garage. No place to put my car on this street.

I opted for the more expensive studded snow tires in the belief that I could afford them and they were giving me maximum safety.

Some may disagree, but honestly, I'd rather have winter/snow non-studded tires in your situation. In dry conditions, the studs give you less traction, and I would not be comfortable in them at higher speeds (i.e. interstates) on dry roads.

I would *think* that a good winter/snow tire would get you up your driveway unless you have a pretty impressive incline.

But people with lots more snow tire experience than I may think otherwise; I don't live up north. It's always been my belief that studded snow tires on dry roads are not a great idea.

I think I was always able to get up my driveway with non-studded snow tires. Problematic with regular ties.

Until now I had thought that the studded tires were superior in the snow. My prior frugality had never permitted me to buy them, though. Then decided why not go for maximum safety if I could easily afford.

[yankees60]

Some may disagree, but honestly, I'd rather have winter/snow non-studded tires in your situation. In dry conditions, the studs give you less traction, and I would not be comfortable in them at higher speeds (i.e. interstates) on dry roads.

I would *think* that a good winter/snow tire would get you up your driveway unless you have a pretty impressive incline.

But people with lots more snow tire experience than I may think otherwise; I don't live up north. It's always been my belief that studded snow tires on dry roads are not a great idea.

JACKFRR has posted that he used to use studded tires until he slid on dry pavement and almost got into a wreck. He then said he immediately pulled the studs out and hasn't used studded tires since.

Last week both the tire place and my mechanic were looking at those tires. Neither of them said anything about any kind of a risk running them on dry roads. Until moments ago I'd never received that information anywhere.

[clip651]

JACKFRR has posted that he used to use studded tires until he slid on dry pavement and almost got into a wreck. He then said he immediately pulled the studs out and hasn't used studded tires since.

Last week both the tire place and my mechanic were looking at those tires. Neither of them said anything about any kind of a risk running them on dry roads. Until moments ago I'd never received that information anywhere.

Quick search brought this up. There's lots more on the internet about this if you search something like "studded snow tires dry pavement safety".
https://www.tirebuyer.com/education/stu ... nter-tires
Excerpt:
" Are there disadvantages to studded winter tires?
Yes. Studs are really only advantageous in icy and hard-packed snow conditions. When winter roads are dry or wet, studs actually decrease traction potential. In these conditions the tire tread compound is the foundation of tire grip. To a small but noteworthy degree, studs interrupt the crucial interaction between the tire tread and the road surface, which can have a negative effect on stopping distances."

[yankees60]

Last week both the tire place and my mechanic were looking at those tires. Neither of them said anything about any kind of a risk running them on dry roads. Until moments ago I'd never received that information anywhere.

Quick search brought this up. There's lots more on the internet about this if you search something like "studded snow tires dry pavement safety".
https://www.tirebuyer.com/education/stu ... nter-tires
Excerpt:
" Are there disadvantages to studded winter tires?
Yes. Studs are really only advantageous in icy and hard-packed snow conditions. When winter roads are dry or wet, studs actually decrease traction potential. In these conditions the tire tread compound is the foundation of tire grip. To a small but noteworthy degree, studs interrupt the crucial interaction between the tire tread and the road surface, which can have a negative effect on stopping distances."

Seems fairly authoritative on the issue.

[TN_Boy]

Some may disagree, but honestly, I'd rather have winter/snow non-studded tires in your situation. In dry conditions, the studs give you less traction, and I would not be comfortable in them at higher speeds (i.e. interstates) on dry roads.

I would *think* that a good winter/snow tire would get you up your driveway unless you have a pretty impressive incline.

But people with lots more snow tire experience than I may think otherwise; I don't live up north. It's always been my belief that studded snow tires on dry roads are not a great idea.

I think I was always able to get up my driveway with non-studded snow tires. Problematic with regular ties.

Until now I had thought that the studded tires were superior in the snow. My prior frugality had never permitted me to buy them, though. Then decided why not go for maximum safety if I could easily afford.

They are "better" under certain rather extreme conditions; on ice, yes, they would be better. One factor is that you can apparently (again, I don't live in the north) get some really good winter tires nowdays. By "good" I mean very solid snow (and to a lesser degree ice) performance while maintaining reasonable wet and dry traction when the snow and ice is not there.

Hopefully more folks from the great north will weigh in .... I would not run studded snow tires on dry roads much at all, especially at anything near highway speeds, from what I know.

[Yooper]

Either your TPMS or your gauge could be inaccurate. You won't really know unless you can calibrate them. Luckily, Project Farm on YouTube has tested a bunch of gauges: https://youtu.be/vHfv9FoPQnY?si=gZcIjeb0Jg-5CrPK&t=662

Based on his results, I bought the $10-11 Etenwolf T300 Plus digital pressure gauge. Compared to my old Campbell Hausfeld analog dial gauge that I was using for years, the Etenwolf reads 2 psi higher. This means I have been overinflating my tires by 2 psi by using the CH gauge. So I lowered the tires back down to the manufacturer recommended 36/39 psi and instantly noticed that the ride is much more comfortable.

Based upon your recommendation ... just bought one. Hopefully, it does not just join my collection of other tire gauges that have never been used!

Oh it's sweet! Bought one based on Project Farm as well and I immediately thought, "Oh you beauty! Where have you been all my life?" Works like a champ and gives me a little more confidence than the cheap pencil types I have in the glove boxes of my vehicles.

[David Jay]

My home pump uses a blend of 79% nitrogen

mine too
mine even has some argon in it

Argon? Sounds dangerous. I would be careful about breathing any of that stuff.

[hudson]

Cold weather has settled into the mid-Atlantic. This is the time I normally top off my tires even if I have been doing it every month or so normally. Cold weather knocks back the pressure.

This time I checked the spare -- something I often forget. It was way down.

I have 3 vehicles with 15 total tires to look after. (Not counting 2 trailers and a mountain bike)
In late November, before the first cold spell, I checked 14 and made sure that all were at least 2 PSI over recommended. One spare was covered up by too much stuff; I'll bring it up to speed when the driver removes the stuff. I used a portable 110V air compressor with a long hose.

A few days ago, the low air light came on while I was out of town during an exceptionally cold morning. I took a quick look and all was OK. When I got back home, I pulled out the air compressor and checked all vehicle tires less the spares and brought all up to at least 2 PSI over again. I didn't find a smoking gun. I assume that the 20 degree temperatures caused the low air light to come on.

[jbmitt]

Cold weather has settled into the mid-Atlantic. This is the time I normally top off my tires even if I have been doing it every month or so normally. Cold weather knocks back the pressure.

This time I checked the spare -- something I often forget. It was way down.

I have 3 vehicles with 15 total tires to look after. (Not counting 2 trailers and a mountain bike)
In late November, before the first cold spell, I checked 14 and made sure that all were at least 2 PSI over recommended. One spare was covered up by too much stuff; I'll bring it up to speed when the driver removes the stuff. I used a portable 110V air compressor with a long hose.

A few days ago, the low air light came on while I was out of town during an exceptionally cold morning. I took a quick look and all was OK. When I got back home, I pulled out the air compressor and checked all vehicle tires less the spares and brought all up to at least 2 PSI over again. I didn't find a smoking gun. I assume that the 20 degree temperatures caused the low air light to come on.

Two dualies and a trike?

I’ve become a fan of Michelin tires. We’re finally at a point where we can afford quality products at a fair price. My first manager would be proud. Some of his guidance was to “don’t cut corners on shoes, tires, or mattresses”.

[hudson]

Two dualies and a trike?

I’ve become a fan of Michelin tires.

2 regular 2 wheel cargo trailers...both ancient.
One 2 wheel 26" mountain bike

Michelins? Yes on all vehicles that I own.

[PA_Boglehead]

Just this past weekend I bought a Noco Air10 12v air compressor for <$120 from Amazon. Awesome piece of kit to keep in my wife's trunk. It only pulls 10 amps out of a 12v socket, and has a built in LED flashlight. You plug it in, set the pressure, screw in the air nozzle, hit the button and let it due it's thing. I was able to top off each tire in about 30 seconds without the hassle of manually measuring air pressure and trying to dial in each tire manually. I do wish the 12v cord was longer than 10 feet but I should be able to address that with an extension cable from Noco.

I'm tempted to get a second Air10 unit to keep in my car and also get a couple of their lithium battery back starters to keep in the emergency trunk kit.

[lazydavid]

We’re finally at a point where we can afford quality products at a fair price. My first manager would be proud. Some of his guidance was to “don’t cut corners on shoes, tires, or mattresses”.

I generalize this to "don't cut corners on anything that goes between you and the ground."