Similar to what jmytuna wrote, I pretty much use any blower like “FLEXTAILGEAR MAX Pump 2 – Portable Air Pump” ($30 on Amazon) to fill up everything from my low pressure inflatable kayaks to my old Fishcat 4 deluxe - to about 80%, and then I use my $8 Walmart, high volume (fat tube body, double action, all plastic floor pump) to finish off.
I used to have an Advanced Elements inflatable kayak also, so I’ve tried everything from $200 12v pumps to my $8 Walmart pump and honestly, the $8 Walmart pump is way better, way quicker, and way more convenient, and less expensive than pretty much everything out there and I’m spoiled with air pumps because I used to off-road with a 12v high volume pump with a pressure cutoff switch.
One thing in general that I’ve noticed is that pretty much all the 12v pumps that plug into a cigarette lighter, I’ll eventually blow a fuse and/or overheat the plug… sometimes I’ll blow the fuse multiple times in the day, so now I only buy 12v pumps that have only a battery clamp, and an inline fuse on the power cord and I keep a spare supply of fuses.
Caveat: air pumps have come a >>LONG<< way since I started my search for the perfect High Volume Low Pressure (HVLP) pump for both hiking (air mattress) and water sports (float tube, kayak high and low pressure) and a regular pump (High Pressure Low Volume)(HPLV) for high volume tires.
Part of what’s driving the better HVLP pumps appears to be the Stand Up Paddle Board (SUP) craze with their high quality dropstitch construction (and higher pressure than float tubes and less expensive inflatable kayaks)… so judging by what I see going on at popular launch beaches, the HVLP 12v or battery powered (rechargeable) SUP pumps look great for float tubes and I think the decent ones run around $80.
The handheld Flextail came with a bunch of connectors and works great, except for the stupid power button (it’s a touch sensitive switch) and once I figured out the power button, I was happy with it. I don’t have to worry about overinflation, I can just turn it on and ignore it until I hear a change in the motor and switch it to the next bladder. It also works great for sleeping mats.
For the Wallyworld pump (you can also get it for maybe $15 at Big 5), it’s the model that you stand up while using, and you use your foot to keep it steady while pumping with your arms. It usually comes with a few connectors, but YMMV. Since I had the FC Deluxe model, I had the inflatable seat cushions so I always got in the habit of carrying a short, 2” section of clear vinyl hose that I got from the water fitting, garden watering/plumbing section of the hardware store but Home Depot starting selling that hose in only pre-cut 10 foot sections so I haven’t bought hose in a long while but it might be 5/16” diameter?
The bare hose end of the Walmart pump just fits into my Fishcat with no connector.
I assume Westmarine still sells hose by the foot.
I’ve seen a pretty decent Ryobi (yes, I know – Ryobi) pump, but I think unless they’ve improved it, the low end version pumped quicker than the higher cost one, and you probably only want to go there if you’re already in the Ryobi world.
Sorry this turned out to be such a long post, but to summarize:
-12v cigarette lighter pumps suck.
-The cheap, muscle powered $8 pump works the best for me.
-Any electric (12v or rechargeable battery) HVLP pump works ok, as long as, if it’s 12v, it uses only battery clamps. For me, that bumps the cost up over $100.
Of course, if you don't make sure that it's a HVLP pump (if you can actually get the specs, I assume that means it pumps over 6 cfm) YMMV.
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