iSecond Tracks

There are many top-rated tire inflators to keep in your vehicle in case of an emergency or if you plan on off-roading and need to air down. However, if you’re invested in a power tool battery line or are researching which one would work best for you, many tool companies have a version of a tire inflator. Typically, these inflators tend to fall within the 120-160 PSI and don’t move air fast enough to warrant a CFM rating. Nonetheless, they are incredibly convenient and much easier to work with than other tire inflators with alligator clips to hook up to power.

Advertisement

Both Ryobi and DeWalt have reliable tire inflators that go head-to-head with each other in terms of capabilities. Ryobi’s 18V ONE+ High Pressure Inflator retails at $40 for the tool-only option. It’s $90 with a 2.0 Ah battery and charger. DeWalt’s 20V MAX Electric Portable Inflator is a bit more pricy at $140 for tool-only. It jumps up to $213 for the 3.0 Ah battery and charger bundle.

Keep in mind that these prices are normal for these brands. DeWalt, along with Milwaukee and Makita, is considered a high-end brand. Ryobi, a widely beloved tool company and sister company to Milwaukee, is considered mid-range. However, with these specific tire inflators, is one truly better than the other?

Many of the specs and features on Ryobi’s and DeWalt’s inflators are similar. For example, the maximum pressure for both is 160 PSI, and they can perform inflation and deflation jobs. Additionally, they both have an auto shut-off feature that allows the user to preset the desired PSI and walk away if need be. However, some differences do stand out. The Ryobi tire inflator’s biggest positive difference is its size. When placed side by side with DeWalt’s, it is much smaller and weighs much less at only 0.7 pounds — DeWalt’s is a larger 6.39 pounds.

Advertisement

DeWalt’s inflator comes with the standard tire inflator hose as well as a wider hose for inflating and deflating mattresses and other larger items. There’s also onboard storage for the smaller accessories, such as the ball needle, so you won’t have to carry anything separately. Furthermore, it can be powered in three different ways. It can use 12V DC, 110V AC (sold separately), or a DeWalt 20V battery. However, it’s important to know that the 20V battery is actually 20V maximum and 18V nominal, so it’s no more powerful than Ryobi’s 18V batteries.

In terms of a warranty, Ryobi and DeWalt offer a three-year limited warranty. DeWalt also provides one year of free service, which goes beyond what Ryobi has. The free service includes the maintenance of the tool as well as the replacement of worn parts caused by normal use for exactly one year after purchasing the tool or the date of delivery.

Advertisement

Ryobi’s tire inflator received an average 4.8 out of five rating from over 1,400 users. Several were happy with how easy the tool was to use, especially compared to other tire inflators they’ve used in the past that require a full setup before even attaching it to the tire. One person bought it because of the price and has become an avid Ryobi user due to how well the inflator works. Another was able to successfully, and without a fuse, use theirs for a tire up to 75 PSI.

Advertisement

For speed, in a recent review, a user compared their 12V compressor to Ryobi’s. Using a 4 Ah battery to top off four tires from 40 to 45 PSI, they did one side with the compressor and the other side with Ryobi’s inflator. Ryobi’s tool has topped off the 3rd tire before the compressor was done with the fourth one. Another used a 4.0 Ah battery and was able to air up their Jeep’s 33-inch tires from 20 to 36 PSI in about five minutes each. That may seem slow compared to using top-band air compressors, but for the size, price, and convenience of the Ryobi inflator, that’s not too bad.

However, any comment about battery usage didn’t indicate exactly how long the battery lasted — though, many did state that compared to others they’ve used, it lasted impressively longer. Additionally, one person mentioned that the tool doesn’t have a battery level indicator and that the auto shut-off doesn’t work well with bicycle tires, so you’ll have to keep an eye on it.

Advertisement

DeWalt’s portable inflator received an average of 4.4 out of five stars from over 2,800 consumers. Many liked how versatile the tool with not only being able to inflate and deflate but also with how to power it. However, one person did point out that if you have to use the 12V adapter, it is very difficult to get it back in its container. To ensure that the inflator was accurate, one user filled all their tires up and then verified the pressure with a high-end gauge — all four tires were spot on with the auto shut-off preset.

Advertisement

One of the more in-depth negative reviews comes from a contractor who hauls a dump trailer with tires requiring 80 PSI. They got a flat on the road and after repairing it, placed a freshly charged 4 Ah battery in the inflator. They said it worked great until it got to 50 PSI then considerably slowed down. It got the tire up to 78 PSI in 30 minutes and then died. They add that for standard car tires, and with more than one battery on hand, it’s great, but anything more, and it’s more work and time than necessary.

We do want to point out that some of the negative reviews are because people gave a one-star due to the battery and the AC adaptor being sold separately without them realizing it. A few also had trouble getting the machine to work right out of the box — though, technology is known to have defects, and the user didn’t state whether they exchanged it for a new one.

Advertisement

Though both inflators have their perks, as well as their flaws. When accessing the differences in specs and recent reviews from honest users, there is one that seems to shine a bit more than the other. Ryobi’s tire inflator, as well as other Ryobi power tools for emergencies, is raved by many and has fewer negative reviews in terms of performance. Granted, this could be because fewer people have reviewed the tool compared to DeWalt’s. However, for some of DeWalt’s more critical reviews, a Ryobi comment counteracts it, such as one user struggling to use their DeWalt inflater past 78 PSI while a Ryobi user easily uses theirs up to 75 PSI.

Advertisement

Ryobi’s tire inflator is also much smaller, so it won’t take up much room in your car or home garage. Even better, it’s a much cheaper line of batteries and power tools to invest in. Though there are some things to consider before buying Ryobi, if you’re an average tool user or a homeowner, it’s a popular and highly rated line by others.

This isn’t to say that DeWalt’s inflator is a poor choice, though, especially when considering the one-year free service. If you already have a DeWalt battery and only plan on using it for your daily drivers and even overlanding vehicles, it’s still a great and reliable choice. Plus, many tools within the line can help with your other vehicle needs.

To determine whether Ryobi or DeWalt sold the better tire inflator, we made sure to place specs side by side and review any differences between the two. However, our largest focus was observing user reviews. Because many people do have brand loyalty when it comes to their power tools, we read through several of the negative reviews to see if there were any worrisome issues that should be brought to light. These reviews came from Home Depot, Lowe’s, and the brands’ websites. Our verdict was determined based on the least obscure negative reviews as well as consistent positive reviews and ratings across the board.

Advertisement

To explain further, we do want to point out why we chose Ryobi’s 18V ONE+ High-Pressure Inflator instead of the 18V ONE+ Dual Function Inflator/Deflator. The second option is very similar to the discussed DeWalt inflator and is the one that a few YouTube videos have done comparison videos with. However, at the time of writing this article, neither Ryobi nor Home Depot’s website was selling Ryobi’s inflator/deflator tool. Instead, we found a Ryobi inflator that closely matched the specs of DeWalt’s and focused mostly on any differences along with user reviews, as stated above.