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A cordless inflator does one job a compressor does badly: it goes to the tire instead of the tire coming to it. The good ones set a pressure, fill to it and stop. The bad ones are slow, lie about the PSI, and die in the trunk. Six that do the job, sorted by what you need them for, across Home Depot and Lowe's.
Our top picks at a glance
Three questions before you pick one
- Which battery platform do you own? Tool-only inflators cost $40 to $200; a battery and charger adds $60 to $150. Buy into the platform you already have. Ryobi, Milwaukee, DeWalt and Craftsman all make a good one.
- Car tires or truck tires? Anything here handles a 35 PSI car tire. Big truck and trailer tires from flat separate the Milwaukee M18 from the rest, and some trailer tires want more than the 120 PSI the M12 can do.
- Garage or glovebox? Dual-power units (DeWalt, Craftsman) plug into the wall and are the better garage tool. The M12 and the Craftsman mini are the ones that ride along.
Six inflators compared
| Model | Max PSI | Power | Auto-stop | Store | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee M18 Inflator (2848-20) | 150 PSI | M18 (not included) | Yes | Home Depot | ~$199 tool only |
| Ryobi ONE+ 18V High Pressure (PCL001B) | 150 PSI | Ryobi 18V (not included) | Yes | Home Depot | ~$40 tool only |
| DeWalt 20V / 12V / 120V Inflator (DCC020IB) | 160 PSI | 20V battery, 12V car plug, or 120V wall outlet | Yes | Lowe's | ~$169 tool only |
| Craftsman V20 / 120V Inflator | 160 PSI | V20 battery or 120V wall outlet | Yes | Lowe's | ~$99 |
| Milwaukee M12 Inflator (2475-20) | 120 PSI | M12 (not included) | Yes | Home Depot | ~$129 tool only |
| Craftsman 12V Cordless Mini Inflator | 100 PSI | Built-in rechargeable battery, USB charging | Yes | Lowe's | ~$30 |
What we'd buy, and why
Milwaukee M18 Inflator (2848-20)
| Max pressure | 150 PSI |
|---|---|
| Speed | Fills a 33" truck tire from 0 in about a minute |
| Battery | M18 (not included) |
| Auto-stop | Yes, set the PSI and walk away |
| Extras | TrueFill compensates for hose and chuck loss |
This is the inflator truck and fleet people buy. It is fast enough to be useful on a 35" tire, the auto-shutoff is accurate, and the hose stores in the body. If you are already on M18 batteries it is an easy yes; if you are not, the Ryobi does 80% of this for a fifth of the money.
- Fastest consumer inflator at any store
- Accurate auto-stop
- Long hose, metal chuck, stores neatly
- $199 without a battery
- Overkill if you only top off car tires
Ryobi ONE+ 18V High Pressure (PCL001B)
| Max pressure | 150 PSI |
|---|---|
| Speed | Car tire 25 to 35 PSI in about 90 seconds |
| Battery | Ryobi 18V (not included) |
| Auto-stop | Yes, digital |
| Extras | Onboard needle and nozzle storage |
for a $40 tool. It is slower than the Milwaukee and the hose is short, but it does the job every time and it comes with the battery platform most garages already own. If you have one Ryobi battery, buy this and stop reading.
- Hard to beat at $40
- Digital auto-stop
- Huge review base, consistent results
- Short hose; kneel at the tire
- Slow on truck tires from flat
DeWalt 20V / 12V / 120V Inflator (DCC020IB)
| Max pressure | 160 PSI |
|---|---|
| Power | 20V battery, 12V car plug, or 120V wall outlet |
| Modes | High-pressure, high-volume, and deflate |
| Auto-stop | Yes |
| Extras | LED light, hose and cord storage |
Three power sources is the feature. Plug it into the wall in the garage, run it off the 12V socket on the road, or drop a 20V battery in. The high-volume mode fills air mattresses and rafts, which the pure tire inflators cannot. The one to buy if you do not want to think about batteries.
- Wall, car and battery power
- High-volume mode for rafts and mattresses
- Deflate function
- Bulkier than the Ryobi or Milwaukee
- Slower than the M18 on big tires
Craftsman V20 / 120V Inflator
| Max pressure | 160 PSI |
|---|---|
| Power | V20 battery or 120V wall outlet |
| Modes | High-pressure and high-volume |
| Auto-stop | Yes |
| Extras | LED light |
The same idea as the DeWalt for $70 less: battery or wall power, high-volume mode, auto-stop. It gives up the 12V car plug and some speed. For a garage inflator that also handles pool floats, this is the value pick, especially on Craftsman batteries.
- Wall or battery power under $100
- High-volume mode
- Craftsman V20 compatible
- No 12V car plug
- Louder than the others
Milwaukee M12 Inflator (2475-20)
| Max pressure | 120 PSI |
|---|---|
| Speed | Car tire 25 to 35 PSI in about a minute |
| Battery | M12 (not included) |
| Auto-stop | Yes, TrueFill |
| Extras | Fits in a glovebox |
The M12 is the one that lives in the truck. It is small, it is quick on car and light-truck tires, and the auto-stop is as accurate as its big brother. It struggles with big tires from flat and the 120 PSI ceiling rules out some trailer tires.
- Glovebox size
- Accurate auto-stop
- Fast on car tires
- 120 PSI max
- Slow on 10-ply truck tires
Craftsman 12V Cordless Mini Inflator
| Max pressure | 100 PSI |
|---|---|
| Power | Built-in rechargeable battery, USB charging |
| Speed | Slow; a few PSI at a time |
| Auto-stop | Yes |
| Extras | Needle and nozzles included |
Thirty dollars, charges on USB, lives in the door pocket. It is for topping off a tire that is a few PSI low, bike tires and sports balls. Do not expect it to take a car tire from flat without a long wait. As a backup it earns its spot.
- $30 and self-contained
- USB charging, no tool batteries
- Good for bikes and balls
- Slow; not a flat-tire tool
- 100 PSI max
Two things the box does not say
- "Fills a tire in 60 seconds" means topping off, not from flat. From flat, double or triple whatever the box claims, and expect the small units to get hot and pause.
- The chuck is the weak point. Screw-on chucks seal better than clip-on ones and lose less air when you pull off. If the inflator you like has a flimsy chuck, a $5 brass screw-on chuck fixes it.
On Ryobi batteries, the $40 PCL001B and nothing else. On Milwaukee, the M18 if you have big tires, the M12 if you want it in the truck. No battery platform at all? The DeWalt dual-power runs off the wall and the car and does mattresses too.
Related on Industrial Supply World
- Best air compressors for a home garage, if you want the real thing
- Best air coupler and plug kits, for inflating off a compressor
- Build your own air hose
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