As an automotive journalist for over a decade, I enjoyed some pretty great perks — like driving a new test car home every night. That also meant my car sat in the garage with my tires slowly deflating. Then I realized, instead of spending lunch breaks going to a station to put air in my tires, I could get my own tire inflator.
Well, it appears that lots of people recently had a similar light bulb go off: Over 7,000+ Amazon shoppers bought this top-rated Milwaukee M18 Tire Inflator in the past month. That's a lot of happy tires. According to reviewers, it's fast, powerful and compact enough to live in your vehicle — and it's from a trusted brand.
Amazon
The M18's auto shutoff means you won't have to babysit this inflator while it does its job.
If you're lucky, you have a "tool guy" in your life — a person you can go to for everything from a bike pedal wrench to a chain saw. My tool guy's name is Kyle, and his garage is full of tools by Milwaukee, because they work and they last. Sure, there are cheaper tire inflators, but in my experience, they're more difficult to use, skimp on features and burn out after a year or two of light use. Buy this once and you're set.
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There's never a good time for a flat tire, but they always seem to happen at the absolute worst moment. That's where the portability of this tire inflator shines. It doesn't take up much room and, once you've charged the removable battery, it's ready to go whenever you need it. The built-in nozzle and hose storage keep everything organized when it isn't in use.
The M18 is Milwaukee's fastest cordless tire inflator, so you won't be waiting around forever for your tires to be filled, whether you drive a small car or a truck with 33-inch tires. It can also pump out an impressive amount of air pressure — up to 150 PSI — and comes with valves for your bikes, an inflator nozzle for everything from pool toys to rafts, and a needle for all of the balls in your garage.
Going on a road trip and need to pack up before you leave? The M18 has an auto shutoff, allowing you to walk away while it's working without worry of overinflation. You can save up to four PSI slots as presets, so you don't have to bother changing the shutoff preset for each of your vehicles.
Slip it under your seat or pop it in your trunk, and you'll be ready for any tire emergency. (Milwaukee)
Over 3,200 reviewers have given the Milwaukee M18 a five-star rating, praising its reliability, speed and portability.
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"Finally an inflator that actually does the job," said one happy reviewer, who tried multiple cheaper inflators first. "I tried it right away on my utility trailer tires and it only took a few seconds to inflate a tire from 47 to 50 PSI."
"Saved me from having to get towed," shared a grateful traveler. "My truck tire ran over a screw that caused a tire to lose air pretty quickly. I used this to fill the tire a few times on my 15-mile trip to the mechanic. Worked perfectly."
"We recently took a trip out West, and we towed an auto behind our motor home," wrote another satisfied customer. "I needed to add small amounts of air (3 pounds) several times to get the pressures in all four tires equal. This little compressor did a great job topping the pressures off, and it is very simple to operate."
"It inflated from completely flat to full in a little over 3 minutes," said another user, who has experience with more than one brand of compressor. "I have DeWalt at work, and I like their portable compressor, but I prefer my Milwaukee tools that I use at home for everything else. So I took the plunge and I am happy."
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Some shoppers see room for an improvement or two, namely the port options and the price.
"My only gripe is that the only power source it accepts is batteries," mentioned one otherwise happy reviewer. "It seems intuitive that it should also have an option to be powered by the DC port in a vehicle. Kind of a silly oversight in my opinion."
"Great product design and quality construction," said a final customer, "but overpriced at close to $300 when you add the required, but not included, battery pack and charger."
Amazon
Stop burning through flimsy tire inflators or searching your local gas stations for an air pump that actually works — this smart buy has you covered.
The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.
If you have Amazon Prime, you'll get free shipping, of course. Not yet a member? No problem. You can sign up for your free 30-day trial here. (And by the way, those without Prime still get free shipping on orders of $35 or more.)
