Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

This unit will inflate just about anything to a maximum pressure of 160 PSI. For me, this unit is mainly for tire maintenance. I've had several cheaper inflators over the years and this is by far the best one. While the speed at which it inflates a tire is about average; it's convenience is what makes it shine. Features The inflator comes with several attachments to inflate rafts, air mattresses, basketballs, and of course car tires. The connector for tires is a lock-on/clip-on chuck, which I prefer over the screw-on chuck. There's a built-in pressure gauge that shows its measurements on the small but bright LCD display. The unit can be powered in 3 ways: 120volt wall plug; cigarette lighter plug; or by using a 20 volt lithium ion battery (sold seperately). Operation Using the inflator is not quite intuitive at first, but simple enough once you understand it. The idea is to select the power source; then activate the digital display to set your desired PSI; and then you switch the unit on and it inflates the tire to your desired settings. What I really like is that once the chuck is connected to my tires, the current PSI will be displayed. There's no need to fiddle with a seperate tire guage to check the PSI. Also, the unit will automatically stop at a slightly higher PSI than what is set - so that when you disconnect the chuck, it will have compensated for the small loss of air. Battery Operation I prefer battery operation whenever I use this unit. The main reason is the convenience - there's no troublesome power chord to deal with. Also, I don't like to use the cigarette lighter plug because devices would sometimes burn-out a fuse in my car - which is never good. The Black and Decker 20v lithium battery (LBXR20) and its associated 2 amp charger (BDCAC202B) are sold seperately - and would be a little over $30 each. I think the price is well worth it though. I can fill all my tires with about 3-5psi in about 10 minutes. What's more, the battery will have plenty of charge left over. And when the battery needs charging, it only takes about 30-45 mintues to fully charge. A few minor negative issues There are a few things about this inflator that could use improvement. First and foremost is the battery connection. When I first connected the battery to my unit, there was a click sound and it seemed that the battery was fully connected. But I was dismayed when the unit didn't turn on. At first I thought I had a defective unit. But I reconnected the battery with some firm pressure and it worked. (You'll know that the battery is connected only when there is absolutely NO SLACK or movement between the battery and the rest of the unit. And in order to do this, you really have to FIRMLY insert the battery with a bit of force.) Another issue is that the storage area for the cigarette lighter plug is too small. Since this is located underneath the unit, more often than not the chord will stick out slightly from the bottom and cause the unit to rest at an angle. I was originally interested in the Dewalt DCC020IB Inflator, which is very similar to this unit. However, I prefer the Black and Decker's clip-on/lock-on chuck vs the screw-on that the Dewalt has. In any case, this Black and Decker checks all the boxes for me - it's easy to use, can run on battery power, and well-built. The few gripes I have with it are minor at best, and I am really happy I found this at an affordable price.