Tire Deflators

[flyingwil]

Ok, we all need to let some air out sooner or later. With so many products to choose from for a tire deflator and the recent article in the 4WD Toyota Owner Magazine. I thought I would start a thread to see what products we use and recomend.

Peter Parks compared 10 in the recent article.


Powertank: Monster Deflators
http://www.parksoffroad.com/miscinstalls/deflatortest/deflatorthumbs/DSCF5042.jpg
Sun Performance: Quick Air Deflators
http://www.parksoffroad.com/miscinstalls/deflatortest/deflatorthumbs/DSCF5030.jpg
Klune-V: Rapid Air Down Valve (RAD Valve)
http://www.parksoffroad.com/miscinstalls/deflatortest/deflatorthumbs/DSCF5061.jpg
Staun: Staun Deflators
http://www.parksoffroad.com/miscinstalls/deflatortest/deflatorthumbs/DSCF5128.jpg
Oyster Bay Tackle: Tire Buddy II
http://www.parksoffroad.com/miscinstalls/deflatortest/deflatorthumbs/DSCF5096.jpg
4 Crawler Off-Road: 4Air
http://www.parksoffroad.com/miscinstalls/deflatortest/4air/DSCF5705.jpg
Oasis: Trail Head Deflator
http://www.parksoffroad.com/miscinstalls/deflatortest/deflatorthumbs/DSCF5028.jpg
Teraflex: Tera Deflator
http://www.parksoffroad.com/miscinstalls/deflatortest/deflatorthumbs/DSCF5139.jpg
Currie Enterprises: EZ-Deflator
http://www.parksoffroad.com/miscinstalls/deflatortest/deflatorthumbs/DSCF5037.jpg
Equal Air US: Equal Air Deflator
http://www.parksoffroad.com/miscinstalls/deflatortest/deflatorthumbs/DSCF6052small.jpg


Peter Parks overall results after testing each of them was:
Fastest overall tire deflator: Powertank Monster Valves
Fastest installed tire deflator: Powertank Monster Valves
Fastest non-installed tire deflator: Oasis Trail Head Deflators
Fastest automatic tire deflator: Oasis Trail Head Deflators

You can read his comparison on his website here (http://www.parksoffroad.com/miscinstalls/deflatortest/deflatormain.htm).

So there it is. I thought this would make up some good discussion as we all choose things for our vehicles based upon our individual needs, and i thought it would be interesting to see what you chose as your tire deflator and why.

[offroad_nomad]

I use the Staun Deflators.

[goodtimes]

I don't know who made mine, but they are the same basic design as the Sun Performance or Teraflex shown above. The only reason I use those particular deflators is A) $12.99 and B) I didn't know the others existed when I bought them 5 or 6 years ago....and since they still work fine, I have a hard time parting with the $$$ to get a different set. I would like a set like the Staun's though.....

[Brian McVickers]

GT
Did you find a set for 12.99 or just one?
Where did you get it?

Tire deflators are definitely on my list but way at the bottom.
$60 seems like a lot for what they do, I save it by taking an extra 5 minutes to walk around with a guage and do it manually.
Funny thing is that during those 5 minutes the tire deflators sit at the top of my list!

To me is seems like the type of product tha would be better priced aroud $15-$30.

[The BN Guy]

I plan on picking up the Currie one. It removes the valve for very quick air-down and compared to some of the other ones, it's less expensive AND it doubles as a guage.

[awalter]

I have the EZ-Deflater & am happy with it. When I first started using it a few years ago, I wasn't paying attention & removed the deflater thinking the core had been inserted again. WRONG. Had fun getting the core back in before all the air was gone. I presently have one tire that the EZ-Deflater can't remove the core & must air down manually on that one. :confused:

Al

[flyingwil]

GT
Did you find a set for 12.99 or just one?
Where did you get it?

Tire deflators are definitely on my list but way at the bottom.
$60 seems like a lot for what they do, I save it by taking an extra 5 minutes to walk around with a guage and do it manually.
Funny thing is that during those 5 minutes the tire deflators sit at the top of my list!

To me is seems like the type of product tha would be better priced aroud $15-$30.


The Sun defators are still $12.99! You can pick them up through their website:
http://www.sunperformance.com/product_and_price_list.htm

[Brian McVickers]

Thanks for the link
Just reolized those are the ones that just let the air out full bore.
There is not pressure setting. Sure would hate to forget about it and go all the way down!

[flyingwil]

Thanks for the link
Just reolized those are the ones that just let the air out full bore.
There is not pressure setting. Sure would hate to forget about it and go all the way down!

Their pretty nice, I just put them on and check the pressure using my gauge (right on top of them), and remove when the pressure is right... then take them all off in the order they went and that give me a decent ball park to all be the same.

[Life_in_4Lo]

I use Stauns
I like them b/c you can forget them until they stop and will all be the same psi

The downside is fiddling with them to get the adjustment correct- but you only have to do that once.

[pangaea]

I did a bit of research into the deflators for testing and also as a future product line for my company... of the ones that I've tested, I like the Staun's the best. Good contruction, ability to dial it in to the right PSI (although as 4Lo said, it takes a few times to get it set right), and the fact that you can "force" them open when there is a small pressure differential between the pressure you're running and what you want to air down to.

The Currie deflator is really cool, but you have to be careful taking the valve stem out. You can go from 40 psi to 20 in the blink of an eye. I could see it being VERY easy to over deflate.

[Scott Brady]

I just pull the valve cores (most of the time) It takes just a few minutes for all four tires.

I do like the Staun units though, and would like to try them out at some point

[MaddBaggins]

Small screwdriver and a gauge. Done deal.

[Desertdude]

I use the Stauns - took about 3 minutes to dial them in at 15lbs using a spare tire for testing - thay are a nice no brainer way to deflate

[p1michaud]

Will,
Digging up an old thread. Did you finally decide on deflators?

I'm not sure why your link to Peter Park's review does not work, but this one does: Tire Deflator Comparison: Everything you wanted to know about airing down and more!! (http://www.parksoffroad.com/prodreview/deflatortest/deflatormain.htm)

I do like the Staunt Units. Does anyone else use these? How do you like them.

Cheers,
P

[BogusBlake]

I do like the Staunt Units. Does anyone else use these? How do you like them.


I use the Stauns. They work great. It takes alot longer than 5 minutes to air down a 37" tire from street pressure to 3psi, and if I can do 'em all at once AND use that time to get the rest of the rig ready to go, I don't get left behind.

They're not hard to set either- once you know what one is set at, just count the turns to the pressure you want (6 psi per turn) and fine tune from there.

I highly recommend them.

[crawler#976]

I just pull the valve cores (most of the time) It takes just a few minutes for all four tires.


Same here. It's very quick, and costs a whooping $1.00 for a valve core stem puller.

I keep a package of extra cores in the glove box just in case tho...

[Desertdude]

I have two sets of stauns - I like using them. It takes a bit of time to set them, and you decide to set your tire pressure to a different setting ( say if you go in deep sand and want lower pressure) they are not as useful. The other thing I have found is that over time they can loosen the lock ring and loose their setting.

[DaveInDenver]

I have the Oasis Trailhead deflators, the 5-20psi units. They were a gift, although I have grown to like them. I used to do it by hand and that worked fine, so I probably wouldn't have spent the money on them myself. But they are handy, spin them on and don't think twice. They all end up at the same pressure without fuss. Anyway, I got them when I still had 30" tires and 5-20 is too small of a range for them (I only ran around 20 psi) and the deflators are not super accurate at 20 psi (nor would they be at 5psi). With the 33" tires I usually run 15psi and they are much more precise there. The only thing I've had trouble with is cleaning and lube. You need to find a lube that dries without being tacky. I used light weight electric motor oil that worked great, but gummed up in a hurry. I now use bike chain lube and that's worked great (I use Pedro's Extra Dry, same stuff I use on my bike chain). My $0.02 is to save your money for other things, tire deflators are really a luxury item.

[kcowyo]

I have the Staun deflators.

I like the preset feature and being able to do all 4 tires at once. I invariably turn the setting ring a little when removing them from the pouch and putting them on though. These definitely take some practice to use correctly.

Even though they're designed to work with a preset PSI, I don't trust them fully and I wind up checking with my guage while deflating. I saw the Currie deflator in action when Darren brought his on our Utah trip last year. I liked the set up and being able to monitor the PSI while you deflate.

I'm not sure why the Stauns are now over $60. But they are rugged little units and for the price of one tank of gas, they are a good option that should last for some time.

*[edit/add] If I were shopping now and having seen the Stauns and Currie side by side, for less money and monitoring as you go, I'd get the Currie. However, having a couple of Stauns to lend a buddy is good trail karma.

[jim65wagon]

Stauns...I check them for accuracy once or twice a year. Then throw them in the console in their little leather pouch. They work great, no need to constantly check a guage, no lost valve cores, gain a little trail chat time. Plus your friends are happy when you loan them out because they only have two tires down with an ink pen and you're just waiting for them to finish anyway...

[MountainBiker]

I've been using the Staun Deflators for about a year. I'm happy with them for my smaller tires. I set them when I got 'em, and the pressure is still accurate (within reason). I haven't had any trouble loosening the lock ring, but I made certain that I had it tight!

I have 3 pressures I use on the Subaru:
36psi Normal road driving
26psi Normal offroad driving, relatively fast graded roads
18psi Sand

I set 2 of the Stauns at 26psi, and two at 18psi. Therefore, I lower two tires to the desired pressure, then move the deflators to the other two tires. This works well for my needs, and admittedly small tires, 215/65-16 (27").

[Brian McVickers]

Hey, I like that idea of setting 2 Stauns at one pressure and the other two at another. I just received a set of Stauns for X-Mas and I've been trying to decide what pressure to set them to.

Normally I run about 22psi for "general" offroad, but I will drop to 18psi for lots of rocks.

[datrupr]

I got a set of Stauns last summer, set them, used them once, and have since misplaced them. I think they are in one of my boxes now in storage. I set them to 20 PSI as that is what I normally run, and the one time I used them I loved them. Very cool indeed. Now, I just need to locate them again and put them in the truck where tey belong.

[sidewys xj]

I am on a budget so I went lowes and pick up 4 dran cocks for air tanks thay are brass 1/4 inch. Just drilled an taped my wheels thay work great and thay were 2.49 a pop when you open them up you can only do one at a time because thay are so quik I like them.

Luke.

[ntsqd]

I built mine from a McMaster-Carr part (http://www.mcmaster.com/) and a tire chuck. I only have the one, but it doesn't take that long to shuttle it around. The pop-off valve I used is similar to p/n 48435K72 ($6.60) but is came set at 20 psi. Real world is that it stops deflating at 19 psi.
I have found that it is slower to use it on my Detroit-driven rear tire pressure equalizer hose than it is to use it on one tire at a time.

An alternate McMaster option would be this p/n 48935K25, it is $7.70 and adjustable from 0 to 20 psi.

[Super Doody]

I use the Stauns - took about 3 minutes to dial them in at 15lbs using a spare tire for testing - thay are a nice no brainer way to deflate

Did you dial one down then match the thread length with the rest of the them?

I tried out all 4 my last night. They were plus + or - 2 psi.

[pray4surf]

I set 2 of the Stauns at 26psi, and two at 18psi. Therefore, I lower two tires to the desired pressure, then move the deflators to the other two tires. This works well for my needs, and admittedly small tires, 215/65-16 (27").

I set two of my Stauns at one setting and the other two at another.... I then took a couple small plastic 'zip' ties and 'zipped' them around two deflators set to the same setting. No more confusing which are which...

To Super Doody - Interesting approach to setting them, although it didn't take but a few minutes per deflator to set them according to the directions.

Now, I just need to get out and use them....

Rick

[slosurfer]

Right now I am doing the pull the valve core trick w/ an extra set in the glove box. I would like to get the monster valves though, mainly so I could air up faster with the co2. If not the monster valves, I wouldn't mind trying the Stauns. The kid gets cranky waiting for airing up or down, anything I can do to speed that process up is a blessing. If I am by myself, I have no problem waiting, but you know how toddlers are.:)

[ntsqd]

Seeing this thread pop up it occurred to me that since moving to Bilsteins on all 4 corners I rarely air down any more. Not needed for ride quality, & only rarely needed for traction or floatation. I run the 33-10.5's on Patch at ~25 all the time. They don't get overly hot, even in the summer desert.

[HongerVenture]

I have the "Sun Performance: Quick Air Deflators" and have been very pleased. Simple, quick, maintenance free, cheap, and stores on a keychain. I keep mine in the center console. Always wanted some Stauns, but when I had the choice I went with the Quick Airs so I could use the extra $ for some recovery gear.

Joel

[BigAl]

I've tried my buddies stauns, but his where kind of fussy and often stopped to soon. I prefer this tool, I can get within 3lbs by ear on a good day.:)
http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/OBJECTS/33300/33219.JPG

[FlyingWen]

We use Stauns (http://www.sierraexpeditions.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=170)and Love them. We just tested them for accuracy b/c we have an upcoming trip.

The Stauns are not as fast as the ARB Deflator (http://www.sierraexpeditions.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=408), but you can put them on and continue on the trail without worry. That is worth a lot more then speed IMO.

[ntsqd]

I use one of these (MMC p/n 48435K72 [20psi]):
http://www.mcmaster.com/catalog/114/gfx/large/48435kp1l.gif

attached to one of these (MMC p/n 6140A62 [1/4 NPTF]):
http://www.mcmaster.com/catalog/114/gfx/large/6140ap1l.gif

[flyingwil]

The Stauns are not as fast as the ARB Deflator (http://www.sierraexpeditions.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=408), but you can put them on and continue on the trail without worry. That is worth a lot more then speed IMO.

MMMM... please don't drive with your stauns on! They are not designed to operate while moving.

[teotwaki]

.....


Y'all will have a new avatar soon! :088: Very cool!

[MoGas]

I had a set of Stauns until I let someone use them on a run and I forgot to get them back and I can't remember who it was.

[FlyingWen]

SmittyBilt just came out with deflators that retail for around $35-$45.

We just received ours for testing and if they prove worthy, they will be adding to our site.

[nugget]

Stauns for me. Been using them for years and they have been extremely reliable and no fuss..and you are doing 4 tyres at once..good value!

[madizell]

Having used a variety of tools to deflate tires, including Stauns which I still have and still use, I still believe the fastest inexpensive way to do it is with a core tool, one tire at a time. Practice makes it easy to guess at the current pressure, a gauge confirms the current pressure without the need to reinstall the core, and if you start putting the core in a few pounds above where you want to be, you only have a little bit to adjust and you are done.

The Stauns are relatively easy to use, but don't hold constant pressure settings over time. Dust and grit interfere with the internals and will give you erroneous results, including a completely flat tire if you don't catch the problem. The Staun units need to be maintained from time to time, and kept in a clean storage place. I have used only one Staun to deflate all four tires and come out with different pressures on all four tires. So, I use them and like them because at times they are convenient, but don't really rely on them to set pressure. I use them to get a pressure one to four pounds above my target, and do the rest with a pocket tire gauge. Having used them over and over for years now, I think taking the cores out is almost as fast as using the Stauns if the amount of pressure drop is significant or if you have large tires.

I can't think of a reason why you can't drive -- on the trail -- with the Staun unit releasing pressure as long as they are clean and working well. Done it lots of times, but you have to trust the unit to work as expected, and you should stop and remove them just as soon as enough time has gone by to deflate the tires, which means I would only do this if I was in a hurry to get moving. I would not simply leave them in place during a trail ride. They can burp air and if submerged, can allow water to enter the tire. They are also on the long side and can get stripped off by trail debris. Better to be patient, deflate and set pressures, remove the units, then drive on.

[westernhunter]

My system is to cut off those clear tubes that are on fix a flat.
screw one on each tire, then check the first with a gauge on the end of the clear tube. When its at the right pressure just remove them in the same order.

[goodtimes]

I can't think of a reason why you can't drive -- on the trail -- with the Staun unit releasing pressure as long as they are clean and working well. Done it lots of times, but you have to trust the unit to work as expected, and you should stop and remove them just as soon as enough time has gone by to deflate the tires, which means I would only do this if I was in a hurry to get moving. I would not simply leave them in place during a trail ride. They can burp air and if submerged, can allow water to enter the tire. They are also on the long side and can get stripped off by trail debris. Better to be patient, deflate and set pressures, remove the units, then drive on.

I set mine up for 15 psi (my "bumpy dirt road" pressure) one afternoon. Went on a trip the next day. Screwed them onto the valve stems, walked away. Came back a bit later to find 4 flat tires.

Hell of a first impression. I won't walk away from mine....let alone drive down the road with them while deflating the tires.

[kcowyo]

.....but you have to trust the unit to work as expected...

Better to be patient, deflate and set pressures, remove the units, then drive on.

And therein lies the rub...

I've set & reset my Stauns. Checked 'em on the spare a couple of times. Whether I get fat fingered and twist the collar while screwing them on or what, I don't know, but I never get them to 17PSI on the tires. I don't trust the pre-sets at all on the Stauns.

I like the product, but I check 'em as I deflate and I use two at a time, not all four. Works out ok as I keep 2 deflators in the truck and now the other 2 in the 60.

Best way to use them is as advised above. Patiently.

[DaveInDenver]

I have the Oasis deflators and I have the same issues, sometimes they get inconsistent in their stop point. I've tried a few different oils and lubes, but it seems after a couple of times out in the dust and dirt they tend to stick and not stop at the setting. I have a very lightweight bearing oil that seems to work the best, but it's anything but a dry lube and I have to be careful about dust. I also will use Pedro's Extra Dry chain (bike) lube and that works fine dirt-wise, but I think it does not let the little ball float free enough and tends to need to start at full street pressure to stop reliably. If I start at dirt road pressure (say 20~25 psi) and try to go to rock pressure (I have them set at 18 psi), they might not fully stop.

[ntsqd]

I built mine from a McMaster-Carr part (http://www.mcmaster.com/) and a tire chuck. I only have the one, but it doesn't take that long to shuttle it around. The pop-off valve I used is similar to p/n 48435K72 ($6.60) but is came set at 20 psi. Real world is that it stops deflating at 19 psi.
I have found that it is slower to use it on my Detroit-driven rear tire pressure equalizer hose than it is to use it on one tire at a time.

An alternate McMaster option would be this p/n 48935K25, it is $7.70 and adjustable from 0 to 20 psi.

I've only checked this a couple times. It's been within 2 psi of intended pressure every time I did check it. The trick, though, is to catch them when they stop 'warbling' (or 'farting' if you listen to my friends) and start to just hiss. I very greatly suspect that the variance is due to when I stop it rather than when it stops. With adjustable unit and the clip-on chuck there would be no great possibility of accidentally adjusting it during installation or removal.