Milwaukee 2848-20 M18 Inflator

This product consistently ranks at the top of virtually every roundup of portable tire inflators. Having spent nearly $100 for what turned out to be a disposable plug-in unit from a chain auto parts store, I was in the market for a unit that would not rattle itself apart. This unit had gotten my attention for its universally praised quality and speed; however, its regular price is fairly expensive, and I did not want to have to make an additional investment in yet another Li-ion battery ecosystem. Before splurging on a new tire inflator, I ended up replacing an old cordless drill with a new Milwaukee tool and a pair of 3.0 Ah batteries. Now that I had the batteries on hand, a sale price on the M18 made it a compelling value for the quality. I’ve only used it once so far, but it is so much faster than the disposable corded unit. It’s somewhat noisy–as are all such devices–but interestingly the noise is a noticeably lower frequency and not as irritating. The device runs relatively smoothly, but it includes well designed padded feet to eliminate any tendency to walk away from vibration. I initially thought I would not care too much about having a cordless inflator, but it sure is a lot more convenient–and quicker–to slap a battery into this thing and not have to either rig an AC extension cord or turn the car on and plug into a 12V outlet–and then do so repeatedly when moving the machine from one side to the other. The M18 is not cheap, and it does no other tricks. It inflates tires and balls. That’s it. But it does so quickly, relatively quietly and smoothly, and with great convenience and accuracy. This is definitely a case of getting what you pay for. And on sale, it was a bargain for the quality.