Spadge Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 Hi folks, Aldi have on offer a 12v Jump Start / compressor @ £50.00. Anyone out there have any idea if that is good value, or indeed any good ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hallii Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 I have no idea, but I can tell you that when I needed a compressor I tried out 3 and none would pump to anywhere near what they claimed. I then tried a Ring 630 for £25 and it actually pumped my tyres up to 80 psi. It is slowish but then it is only for occasional use for me. As regards the small battery that whaps a charge into your flat battery, they work as a one off charge, if the engine doesn't start first time that's it. I suggest a set off jump leads is better use of the space and weight. Just my humble opinions. H Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spadge Posted February 8, 2014 Author Share Posted February 8, 2014 Humble opinions are always appreciated Hallii, thanks for the info I was more interested in the compresser as I have jump leads. I shall search a bit more many thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rubberrat Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 Not comparing like with like, but if your primary use is a high output compressor for motorhome tyres - and air suspension in my case I use one of these T Max 12v compressors. Easily takes my tyres to 55psi and air suspension to 90 psi. fairly small and light even though it has a metal casing. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/T-MAX-HEAVY-DUTY-12VOLT-AIR-COMPRESSOR-/231069563478?pt=UK_Recovery_Tools&hash=item35ccd1ba56 It is such a high output that it uses battery clamps rather than the feeble cigar lighter outlet and need the engine running! Can be hard wired and permanently fitted too. Watch pricing from ebay sellers though, they vary wildly. Robust bit of kit and reliable. If you want a jump start tyre compressor and are looking at Aldis offering, in my experience of Aldi / Lidl tools you get a quite a bit more quality than you pay for (a rare thing these days), but there are of course better items out there at higher prices. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caddies104 Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 Have been looking for an Air Compressor, and as well as the T Max above, the Ring RAC900 looks very good.. See thread in Hints & Tips, Air Compressor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 have tried many over the years and the basic ring by far the best, and has lasted far longer then the other expensive ones Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest peter Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 Get one from a van breakers. At least you'll know it will get to the required pressure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leake Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 We have a Halfords compressor with its own self contained battery. Works very well even at the high pressures required by Motorhome tyres. Only down side is that you need to remember to charge the battery from time to time even if you don't use it. Normally I only use it for topping up the tyre pressures and charge it before and after using so no problem but I can't help thinking I'm going to get caught out by this some time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 Have a "google" search for 12V compressors under the names Vertex, Volcano, Heyner, and Alca. There is a Vertex is twin cylinder that claims higher higher volume (85 l/min) and pressure (150psi) than the Volcano, but is 30A. Via Amazon @ £50. Also single cylinder version available, but not via Amazon - see Vertex Tools UK, claims UK made. Lichfield, Staffs, address. The Volcano is, so far as I can see, a Ring 900 (the Ring 900 carries the Volcano label), available via Sumex, through Amazon @ £50. The Heyner is German made, similar, though slightly lower, volume - also £50. The Alca, also German, is twin cylinder and higher output, higher pressure and is a bout £65. The latter can be obtained from Amazon via Alca-Heyner shop, or on Fleabay from Heyner-Alca shop. There's original! :-) Seller is based in Ardingly, East Sussex. Not a retail premises, though: private house. Has been on Fleabay since 2002. Excellent satisfaction scores, ditto on Amazon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spadge Posted February 8, 2014 Author Share Posted February 8, 2014 Thank you Brian, that's a large amount of interesting information. I shall be delving into it as soon as I possibly can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 I've resurrected this to update. I went to Ardingly this afternoon to see these compressors at the Alka-Heyner shop warehouse (in which he has a lot of stock!), and was impressed. The twin cylinder Heyner badged model at £50 is probably a bit light for motorhome tyre inflation, and has only a 12V cigarette lighter plug. The twin cylinder Alka badged model (the manufacturer of all is Alka Mobil of Germany) however, at £65, is both larger and heavier, and comes equipped with crocodile clips for direct battery attachment. Max current 30A at 12V, 50l per minute output, from memory 150psi max pressure. This looks and feels well up to the job. While contemplating these I was shown a 230V single cylinder Heyner badged model with the same output and max pressure (Heyner Maxxair Pro). This was heavier and sturdier again. There are now nine of these left in stock, as the result of a delivery error by the manufacturer! The only downside is that they have made-on continental two pin plugs - which was an upside for me, as my van has corresponding German sockets throughout! So, I bought one (at a good price: no commission to Fleabay or Amazon, and no packaging/delivery costs) and scuttled home with it. Plugged into the van it worked a treat, and put several psi into a tyre on the van in a matter of a couple of minutes. The motor is rated 500W, and the thing ran without any noticeable reduction in speed to 5 bar. My reaction is that the Alka 12V machine at £65 would be the one to go for for those who are usually off-grid but (albeit at somewhere around £80), for anyone wanting to check tyre pressures while away who would be likely to use an EHU from time to time, that 230V model is the one to go for. It is a really industrial machine, just motor, switch, fuse, and single cylinder pump, with no external casing. Possibly a bit heavy if payloads are critical (6kg), but fast and powerful. All come with 2 year warranty, carrying case, approx 4M power lead, 1M airline, with pressure gauge and snap on connector. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Newell Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 Yes I have one of the Aldi power pack with compressor units and in general it is very good. I confess I haven't tried to inflate a big motorhome tyre from flat with it but I have used it to adjust tyre pressures on my race car and it hs managed that well. Jump start works well, been used for that on several occasions. The trick is if your vehicle battery is not totally flat but turns the motor overr too slowly to start get the jump packon it straight away. If you wait till the battery is completely flattened no jump start pack is likely to get it going. Major advantage with Aldi electrical equipment is it comes with a real 3 year guarantee. D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
w1ntersun Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 Try this one. I have got one and it does what it says. http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/swac10-typhoon-12v-300psi-hi-speed-mini-air-co Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartO Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 I was in Aldi yesterday and looked at the Jump Start/Compressor - lots of features and it might indeed do some of the advertised tricks. I have a similar device and it manages the tyre inflation role well enough. However for jump starting I suspect you have to go for a large capacity device such as one of the more expensive ones in the Machine Mart range - and even then it might well fail to start a motorhome diesel engine. We had a starter battery failure in France last year and even the breakdown lorry's professional-looking jump start pack wouldn't touch the job. I suppose it might not have been charged up but he had two of them and neirther would turn over our engine. The mechanic ended up using jump leads off the truck's big batteries to get our engine going. To start a cold diesel engine the starter motor takes 500 plus cold cranking amps,which is a huge and perhaps impossible draw on a tiny little UPS battery, which is what most of these jump start packs contain. They are smaller than a motorcycle battery and might just turn over a car engine. I carry a small 12v compressor which works off a cigar lighter - and I've never yet used, so it might be useless. But for motorhome engine starting in emergency I carry heavy duty jump leads. Not used those either yet, thanks to breakdown cover, which was quick and effective. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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