Let's keep this short and to the point.
Pros:
- High air volume - inflated a 4 person (104", 3 air chambers) towable in about 5 minutes, with about 90 seconds of that attributed to moving from one air chamber to the next.
- Long cord - reached from the battery compartment over the back seat to the swim platform without an issue
Cons:
- A bit noisy - comparable to an electric drill (110 VAC plug-in style). Since the pump was not on for long, I didn't think it warranted subtracting a star.
- Gets warm fairly quickly - Again, not an issue since the pump does its job in a hurry. Kwik Tek Airhead High Pressure Air Pump (12-Volt)
Of all of the pumps out there, this is probably the best 12-volt of them all. I have two inflatable kayaks, one in California & one in Maui. I have one of these pumps in both locations. The other 12-volt pumps that are out there, plug into a cigarette lighter outlet and use a thin wire to conect the 12-volt power to the pump. That makes for insufficient voltage to completely inflate the kayak. As a result, you end up having to also have a hand-pump to top off the inflation. This pump connects directly to your 12-volt battery. As a result, it has the necessary voltage to completely inflate the boat, without the need for another hand-pump to top off the process.
This pump is strong enough to quickly blow up large towable toys. The only downside is that you have to connect this unit directly to the battery terminals rather than connecting it to a 12 volt outlet. Of course this is by specific design and allows for a higher volume of air.
The unit is loud, but because it is fast it won't be on long. If you have a large inflatible towable then this unit is for you otherwise you may want a quieter, slower 12v cigarette outlet model.
2010 UPDATE: We've had this Kwik Tek unit for two boating seasons now and it has proved quite durable. We blow up a large three man towable and the huge MantaRay with Wings towable (no longer on the market). The Kwik Tek is both fast and durable.
Like us, you should be prepared to loan out your Kwik Tek high pressure pump to other boaters while you're on the water.
I purchased this pump for inflating my kayaks (that needed 2 psi of pressure).
The pump is well-built and looks sturdy. It makes a lot of noise when in use, and it also gets hot quite fast (I am really curious if it will prove to be reliable).
I measured the pressure built up by the pump with a precision manometer: with car engine off it makes around 1.8psi, with car engine on (higher voltage), it is about 2.0psi. Anyway, this is not the claimed 2.5psi.
But in the end I can achieve the pressure I need for inflating my kayaks in a short time with it so I am overall happy.
I've tried many types of air pumps and nothing comes close to this one, it inflates my 4 person raft in under 2 minutes. It's great because it hooks up to the trolling motor's battery for inflation and then it can be stored on the raft taking up little room. I highly recommend this product.
This is a follow up after about one full season of moderate use. Two weeks ago the pump started giving off a rattling noise and the performance visibly reduced. The initial thought was that one of the bearings needed lubrication but the problem turned out to be more serious. The gear assembly is made out of plastic and over time tension on the belt allowed some slippage which caused friction and melted all the teeth completely off. The pump is now useless unless I can find replacement gears (for the record the pump was never on for more than 4 - 5 min. at a time).
For the price I paid it is not a major loss, but my initial expectation was at least 2 - 3 seasons of work. If I don't find another manufacturer with better quality product I will probably reorder the same unit since I have gotten used to the speed and pressure this pump delivers.
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Original review:
The pump is litte yet powerful. Inflates devices without need to manually top off. Small size is a plus in terms of portability. Inflation rate and pressure both worked to my satisfaction. Cables are long enough and reach the car battery with plenty of slack. Inflation hose seems sturdy enough.
The only negative things found were the pupm tipping over from its stand while in process and the pvc clamp handle covers sliding off a little.
In short great and affordable little pump. Recommend.
I really like this pump. It's powerfull and comes with many fittings conveniently tied to the end of the hose for quick use. It made quick work of our big floaties with large air ports and blew them up nice and firm. Also did a good job of pulling air back out of them for storage. My only complaint is that it is quite loud. Also, I wouldn't try to do a large floatie that's only got a port for the needle fitting (see photo). It'll do it, but it will take quite a while. Best to do those by mouth. This is a real quality pump for better quality floaties with high-volume ports. Worth the extra $10-$15 over the cheaper pumps.
The kwik tek airhead pump works great has a few assorted inflation adapters to work with low pressure high volume inflatable water toys and has an adapter that keeps you from overfilling the chambers. Unit is really quick and powerful the components such as battery clips look like they will last a couple of seasons with no problem, it will not work with cigarette lighter adapter due to its amperage draw and must be connected directly to the battery I knew this going in so not a concern rather its a good indication of its potential power . The size is roughly 8x8x8 inches so small enough to keep tucked away in the boat without much problem. - Airhead - Electric Air Pump - Air Mattress Pump'
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