The VIAIR 300P and 450P Portable Air Compressors – Item of the Day
Every day I bring you an item on Amazon that I personally use or has been purchased by many members of the audience and I have researched enough to recommend.
Today’s TSP Amazon Item of the day is the VIAIR 300P or if you have a very large truck or RV I recommend the VIAIR 450P. These two compressors are not cheap, priced at 150 for the 300P and 280 for the 450P but they are top notch tools. I have recommended this for a long time, and now VIAIR has mad a great product even better. They have now go to upgraded hoses as standard on all compressors vs. as an upgrade. This is fantastic because the old yellow hoses were the only weak spot on this outstanding product.
And guys I have looked and looked for a decent and reliable portable compressor that could be had for under 50 bucks, there are some that are okay but I have yet to find one I would recommend though. I personally own the 400P and I am really happy with it. I went for the larger compressor because I drive a very large truck with very big tires, and I wanted something that could fill one without over heating.
The 300P should be sufficient for most vehicles though. When you get your hands on one of these you understand instantly why it is more expensive than your typical portable compressor. Because it is built like well, a true air compressor. Solid and heavy duty, proper cooling fins.
Note that it DOES NOT have a 12vdc plug rather it clips onto your battery posts. This means it can draw enough power to run a tool of this wattage. As Steven Harris would tell you, you can only pull about 120-150 watts across a cigarette lighter plug. Any more and you will pop the fuse to it. So higher power tools need to be clamped to the battery. Yes this means raising the hood but trust me for the power you get, it is worth it.
Along with your compressor you want to make sure you have some 40 amp fuses. These compressors have an inline fuse of standard Bussmann design. You will also want a tire plug kit. This is some vehicle prep that really can save your butt! We are talking making a real pain in the ass into a minor inconvenience.
So what if you just can’t afford the expense of one of the VAIR compressors or say you can for one vehicle but not two? Here is the best sub 50 dollar compressor I could find. It is the Q Industries HV35. At least it has a 10 foot cord so you can likely reach any tire on your vehicle, but you want to check for sure if you have a quad cab truck.
That is the other thing I love about the VAIR, you have long power cables but you get a really long air hose, I have filled up tires on a trailer without having to drop it with mine. But hey the HV35 will in most instances at least get you off the side of the road and to a service station, so it is better than nothing.
Still all in all, if you want something that will work and will last check out the the VIAIR 300 and 450P compressors.
Remember you can always find all of our reviews at TspAz.com
P.S. – The 300 which is plenty of power for 90% of vehicles out there is on sale right now for 129. If you have been on the fence this is great time to get one.
Jack, I’ve been interested in air compressors for a few months and am very glad you brought this item up as I’m ignorant about them.
You also introduced me to the come Along, and lots of other tools. As I was practicing with my come along I started wondering what other things you could do with it? I mean, there has just got to be a lot of things that these various tools can be used for other than one thing and I am sure I’m missing opportunities.
Could you do a show one time on various uses for tools you talk about? Air compressor can fill up tires, but what else can it do? Come along can move logs but what else can it do? Etc. etc. I think it’s be incredibly interesting to learn.
Thanks sir!
I bought the Q Industries HV50 about 5 years ago for $55. Very happy with it. Currently it is $85 on amazon though. Too much. I noticed that the MasterFlow MF-1050 looks identical though and according to comments it is the same thing and that one is going for $60. I’d go that route if the extra $26 doesn’t hurt too much. The MF-1050 clips directly onto the battery which gives it twice the amps and power than the HV35 gets when plugged in to the cigarette lighter.
My experience with the HV50 is good. I’ve dropped it several times onto concrete 2-3 feet up. The plastic piece over the wiring and power switch keeps shattering and I keep having to super glue it back together. But it always does the job I need it to do.
Unrelated “protip”: I glued a piece of fabric or gauze to the back of the plastic panel to help keep the pieces together. This also helps make it stronger.
The 450P is currently on sale through the Amazon link for $223.
The 400P-RV is on sale through Amazon for under $150.00. It’s only a 33% duty cycle, like to 300P, but has most of features of the 450P. It’s rated for 40 minutes of continuous, which is almost three times as long as the 300P, and also includes the auto-off at 150 psi like the 450P. The RV version of the kit also includes an additional length of air hose, tire inflation wand (similar to the ones found on gas station air compressor stations), and several inflation tips for other applications, such as filling balls, etc.
For a sale price of only $20 more than the standard 350P set, that’s a pretty hard deal to beat. If you’ve had your eye on one of these, but was holding off because of the price, as I was, now might be the opportune moment. I know I just placed my order.
awesome! Thanks derek
just ordered it.
friend at work had a screw in tire so he was going to take it off bring it into factory to fix it.
pulled out viair, and repair kit he was able to fix it and about 15 minutes during lunch and drive to the tire shop for a permanent fix. easily handles topping off tires on my 3/4 ton truck.