[Honda CBR 250 Rider]

SO I recently bought a Torin Black Jack portable air tank and I was doing some maintenance on my bike and I decided to use the air tank for the first time.

When I used the tank. I opened the valve so that air would go IN the tire but all it did was drain it.

I've looked up how to use these things but all that comes up is how to fill the tank and if these things are actually sold with no air to use in them, then I completely wasted $30 plus dollars on a piece of metal that doesn't do any good.

 

[jkv357]

Yup - it was empty when you got it. By connecting it to the tire you equalized the pressure between them, so now you've got less in the tire and more in the tank.

Go to a gas station that has free air for tires and fill the tank to the maximum safe psi if you can.

For you, a small compressor (for about the same price) might have been a better buy.


Jay

 

[may2nd]

i second that..a air tank with no compressed air in it is useless. you need a compresser with the good ol air tank attatched..then you are in buisness..that is a funny little learning experience tho..hehehehee

 

[spdklls]

Yeah...you just bought the tank..not any air....its the same as buying a gas can, you dont get any gas inside the can when you buy one..

a portable tank doesnt last very long either..I have a 5 gallon tank..I fill it up at work..I will use it 3 -4 times to top off the pressure in a tire..maybe blow a little air for a sec to clean something..by then its down to 25-30psi...which is basically useless that low and ready to be filled again

 

[Honda CBR 250 Rider]

THank you for the responses, guys.

I'm going to get rid of the tank. I decided to try my bicycle air pump on the tire and it filled it right up in just a couple of minutes. AWESOME and CHEAP! Should've tried that first and save me the $30 plus.

lol

 

[jkv357]

Don't get rid of it yet! The tank is handy when you have a way to fill it. You can take it to the vehicle and fill a tire if there isn't power to run a small compressor.

I have both. One note about using a small compressor to fill tires - you are building a fair amount of heat in the air as you compress it. When you fill a tire with the warm air the pressure in the tire will drop as the air cools. So you'll get your proper reading initially, but will lose some pressure as the temps equalize - not good.

That's where having the tank is nice. You pump the tank with your small compressor (give it some time to rest, they usually aren't that strong and are working pretty hard by the time you are up to 80 psi or so in the tank) before you need it and let it cool off. That way, when you fill your tire the air temp going in is the same as the air temp in the tire and there's no drop in pressure.

I've got a small 110V compressor that I use to fill my tank to about 80 psi. It's rated at 125psi I think, but 80 is sufficient to top-off most tires. The larger and lower the tire the more air you will use at a given pressure, so it would be handier to have more psi in the tank when filling a car tire that's down significantly vs a cycle tire that just needs a couple of pounds.


Jay

 

[live_to_ride]

That's annoying. Did the tank not come with a pressure guage?

 

[spdklls]

That's annoying. Did the tank not come with a pressure guage?

Great question..Can't believe I didnt think to ask that

 

[live_to_ride]

^ Once in awhile the fog lifts and I experience a bright moment