Viair 88P: Better than

Viair makes a really neat line of portable compressors as well as onboard air systems.
This is the 00088 (88P) Model, I'd say the best bang for the buck when it comes to a portable inflator.
Blows up truck tires, car tires, all dramatically faster than the cheesy little units that project farm tested. However, that comes at a price. nearly double the price.
Usually these hover around $65, I've seen them higher and lower, but thats a fair jump from the inflators that were tested.
I've used this thing a LOT this year, inflating 4 trailer tires on boat trailers one after the other, no break for the little unit, and it just keeps purring along.
If you do any overlanding, or enjoy taking the valve cores out and letting the air out of your tires to prevent theft, this might be a good investment for you.
I've went on to purchase several of these, I keep one in my work truck, Have given several away, its worth keeping in your car for sure!
Affiliate Link so you can buy one:
amzn.to/2LVgUyW

[@trythistv]

Affiliate Link so you can buy one: amzn.to/2LVgUyW

[@outdooraddicted4198]

I recently came into one and I love it! Thanks for everything!!

[@trythistv]

You'll definetly get some use out of it. I've been blowing up boat trailer tires all summer with mine and it has saved me so much time!

[@AndreS_-df2nw]

I've had mine for two years now. Well worth the investment. I was impressed enough I gave them away for Christmas to family members that year.

[@trythistv]

Mine has saved the day more times than I can remember. It really is such a handy little unit, and I've abused it badly, leaving it running for long periods inflating tractor tires and such and the thing just keeps chugging along as good as it ever did.

[@johnbarron4265]

The 88P is clearly designed by engineering experts, for users who know what solid engineering is. I used to think my Husky 12 volt inflator maybe held a candle to it because of the similar size and weight of the units, but that is simply not the case. After reviewing specs and inflation times and comparing to my own testing of the Husky, the Husky is a snail while the 88P is a cheetah. There is not an ounce of wasted material on the 88P, and its designers were quite clearly aware of the concepts of specific power output and thermal efficiency. Very impressive unit.

[@trythistv]

This thing is an absolute beast. I've been using it consistently for at least 3 years now to inflate trailer tires, in some cases from nearly off the bead, and I'm sure I exceed the duty cycle regularly when inflating 4 tires from 0-55 psi in a row, or when I inflated my backhoe tire with it. I'd recommend this little unit to anyone. built like a tank but small enough to keep in your car under the spare tire, or even under a seat.

[@axedoctor]

Finally a real review. Thanks.

[@trythistv]

This little thing is legit. Absolute must have for emergency roadside kit, offroading, or towing trailers with unknown tire quality. It hasn't died even with everything I've done with it. I've blown up 28x16.9 tractor tires, they're like 5 feet tall, I figured I'd burn it up but I've blown up several and it just keeps going.

[@phantomwalker8251]

tire was off,,,offf,,,,the car,real review is on,,onnnn the car..!!!..

[@BellahWorks]

Thank you and George!

[@trythistv]

You are very welcome! George has taken your comment as approval to take a nap after all his hard work 😄

[@125saito]

Great tip. I've been shopping for a tire inflator to carry in my saddlebag for the just in case uses. Say hello to George for me.

[@jbmorris2893]

... Wow. Guess I know what pump to get now. Yeah, I did notice that most of those pumps tested by Project Farm didn't perform that well... and I thought that I'd have to go expensive to get a good pump. I guess not? Thanks for making this video!

[@trythistv]

This thing has continued to amaze me. Any time I need to inflate a tire I tend to grab this rather than unwind an air hose, because chances are I've got a battery I can clamp onto and as long as the tire isn't off the bead it'll inflate it. No matter the size. I've inflated my backhoe and teleporter tires, and while a tire that big took some time, it did what I needed! Can't be beat for the price

[@DoctorPrepperMD]

I had that compressor and loved it but it has a design flaw. The metal tube from compressor head goes into handle and eventually the air hose. Turns out a drop on handle will snap that metal tube and there is a leak .Other than that I loved that little compressor!

[@Jimmy-rg7xo]

Viair compressors are a beast for there size rock solid and the battery clamps are a plus in my book won’t starve for power

[@trythistv]

No doubt! I've put my 88p through it's paces and then some more, just works awesome all the time. I did just order a 85p which has a cigarette lighter plug with the intention of testing and comparing, then giving the 85p to a friend who could use it, curious to see how it stacks up vs the clamps. I like the clamps better for now.

[@fortitudevalance8424]

I got one recently for my Land Rover. Good compressor but expensive to ship to the UK but worth it. No more plastic covered nonsense all metal.

[@trythistv]

It's awesome to have for emergencies, and if you ever air down for offroading, this thing airs big tires back up no problem, even the 33" tires on my work trucks are no problem for the trusty lil viair

[@harveyroad6]

Finally a review of a quality tool instead of cheap bottom of the barrel junk. Thanks. Gonna get one.

[@trythistv]

This thing is an absolute champ. I've inflated the big tires on my backhoe with it, I wouldn't necessarily recommend that, but its still working flawlessly afterward. I'm working on a video comparing the 88P to the 85P, I can tell you the 88P is twice the pump that the 85P is, but you go much bigger than the 88P and you're just spending more money to not get much more performance.

[@320dak]

Use this compressor to inflate my truck tires when off-roading and to air up my travel trailer and truck tires when towing. Just figure 8-10 mins a truck tire to inflate 20-25 psi. Tires are 33s. Takes a bit but the compressor has never failed all of my abuse the past few years. I do not follow the cool down guidelines and run it for 30-40 mins at times. Gets very hot but the damn thing won’t die. Want it to fail so I can get a more powerful one. So, it is a good compressor for smaller air-up jobs.

[@trythistv]

I just aired some big trailer tires up to 60psi from flat with it. I'm not sure how big these tires were, but they looked like the size and tread of semi tires, dwarfed my 33s on my truck, it took a while but it inflated them no problem. I also blew up a 16.9-28 tractor tire, which is the giant front tire on the telehandler I've got, again, took a while but like you said, it just won't die. Thanks for the comment!

[@lyunardo]

OK, I'm convinced. I'm buying this today. And you're right, it's apparently much better than the Harbor Freight unit from Project Farm that I bought yesterday. But still... why in the world did you hold everything in your hands for the entire time? I'm taking half my "thumbs up" icon back for that.

[@trythistv]

You know, I hadn't even realized I held everything for the entire time. Maybe I did that so nobody could claim smoke and mirrors I connected it to a smaller tire when I was rearranging the camera or something. Or maybe my brain clutch is about shot, its sure been slipping a lot more recently. You'll be very impressed with the unit though, I've used this thing a ton, its night and day compared to the harbor freight ones. Even the dual piston pittsburgh one a friend of mine has can't begin to compete in reliability or CFM.

[@lyunardo]

@@trythistv I'm at Home Depot and they're selling it about $15 cheaper than even Amazon.

[@trythistv]

Thats Awesome! I've never seen a Viair product in a retail store, of course we don't have a home depot in town. Can't beat a good deal on something incredibly handy like this unit!

[@themikelee]

Thanks! I was really confused why Project Farm didn't include an Viair pump, since they seem to be the gold standard.

[@trythistv]

Its a bit more expensive than some of the ones he reviewed, but its worth every penny, I've put this thing through everything and it still is working great. Its my number 1 item I need to have with me for a road trip.

[@billythygoat]

I need to find a quality one at 10A that can go in the cigarette outlet. Auto shutoff would be a nice feature too, but I guess that’s something else that can break. I bought an EPAuto and it works wonderful, but I want to give it to a friend as a gift because they always want to use mine. My 12V battery terminal wires are huge so I’d have to undo them to clamp anything onto the battery.

[@Ary769]

I have the Viair, you get what you pay for it's the boss.

[@trythistv]

For sure! I've really put my 88P through its paces and it just keeps working without a hitch! Well worth the few bucks extra.

[@PersonaN007Grata]

Been using one for a few years to top off the tires on my vehicles. Prior to this I had the HF version but it was much louder and quite a bit slower. I’m quite invested in Milwaukee power tools so was considering their portable pump but seems like it’s too light duty. Maybe when they come out with an 18V version. As for now, this Viair does everything I need with no fuss. Recently aired up my cargo van tires to 80psi from 50psi. Took 5 or 10 minutes each but no problem at all.

[@trythistv]

It really is incredible for the price, I just aired up 4 trailer tires from under 10psi to 50psi, took just a few minutes each!

[@xXcajunblazeXx]

My milfukee inflator gave up the ghost within 15 mins out the box. That’s why I’m here

[@trythistv]

@@xXcajunblazeXx I've inflated more than one 16-9x28 tractor tire, as well as hundreds of boat trailer tires with my 88p, and it still is working great, I'd expect more out of milwaukee, 15 mins is pretty dismal lifespan for any tool

[@RoseRose-ly3ff]

I still remember Scotty Kilmer recommend this product several years before!

[@trythistv]

They're a super popular pump, I use mine nearly every day moving boat trailers around

[@joeyf504327]

the problem is convenience. It's far easier to use a cigarette outlet than it is to open the hood. Plus, in the salt belt, hood latches get dicey and old beaters you'd rather not open the hood unless you have to

[@trythistv]

Nailed it. If the 85p had just a little more cord or hose it would be a lot more recommendable in my book, but as it stands, I can't use it on the majority of my vehicles due to the wheelbase being large enough that the hose won't reach the rear axle. The 88p has enough cord to get around that easily, but has the major drawbacks of needing battery access. I suppose an adapter could be built but the extra amp draw would pop lighter outlet fuses.

[@joedoakes8778]

A decent, realistic, demo and review. Thank you.

[@trythistv]

Glad you enjoyed it! I'm still using mine every day, I just bought another to keep in another vehicle in case of an emergency, they are really handy!

[@joedoakes8778]

@@trythistv I have an internet forum and we speak of preparedness. This is one item that has escaped me...but no longer. My wife could've used this just the other day.

[@darrenthewaren5151]

I watched a video while back that this compressor can do semi truck tires but can’t remember if it was good enough for just adding pressure or could actually fill up a whole semi truck tire if you could clarify?

[@trythistv]

I filled one of the rear tires on my backhoe with it, I don't have a semi truck to test on, but I've filled 33" tires on my 3/4 ton truck from 0-80psi without any issue. I've really abused this compressor, I can't imagine it would have any issue.

[@alopandur]

Does anyone know what is the ID size of the hose, would like to replace the chuck and need to cut the hose and add the barb, but not sure what size barb I need.... THANKS

[@trythistv]

I suspect its between 1/4" and 5/16", can't be much bigger than that

[@alopandur]

@@trythistv - Thanks. VIAIR has excellent customer service, I sent them a question via their web site and got answer within 30 minutes !!! The air hose ID is 1/4" and the OD is 3/8"

[@TheYankmchain]

I would agree re: project farm. However, one must weigh the convenience of not having to connect directly to a battery and you can't pick up a Viair at a big box store. And what if you need to inflate a trailer tire? Cord on the Viair 88 isn't long enough. You'd have to go up to the 300p at $140 which gives you 33 feet. Either one of those would very likely hold up better in the long run.

[@trythistv]

Note this was comparing to the 12V plug in style inflator video he did, the new one about the cordless inflators and released today is pretty cool, some of those seem far far better than the pitiful ones in the previous video. But your points are very valid. I primarily use this for inflating trailer tires, and with a 23ft long truck and then sometimes 15ft or more of trailer before the axle, the Viair is just not long enough between the 10ft wire and 15ft hose. I carry a spare 12v battery in the bed of the truck anyway for other purposes, so I just grab that if I need to inflate a tire. I do have a plan to resolve this issue. Keep an eye out for that video soon!

[@320dak]

You can buy air hose extensions that will reach your tt tires from the front of your truck. I have three extensions for this purpose.

[@nothingwasthesame8120]

Jumper cables 🤷🏾‍♂️

[@toddhoffmaster6057]

Your times on airing up would be much faster if you used a battery in a vehicle with the engine running. Overall, good test and great video.

[@trythistv]

Indeed! I was unaware that the instructions suggest doing that, I did try that in the follow up video I did where I compare the 88p to the 85p: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y5WWo4CKqpV0iJo

[@miagy420]

Thank you for the video, how would you rate it against the viair 90p?🤔

[@trythistv]

The 88p has a way higher duty cycle (more time filling vs cooling down) and it also has slightly higher CFM output but as a downside it does not have a cigarette lighter plug so you have to clamp it to a battery or use some kind of intermediate adapter. By far the 88p is the best bang for the buck, I've filled up tractor tires with it, I've been abusing this thing for a loooong time now and it keeps on kicking!

[@miagy420]

@@trythistv i'm ok with not having lighter adaptor, i was eyeballing the 300p and 400p also, i don't sport 33" tires, i would rather have it for a longer period of time and not breaking down... which one would you reccommend?🤔 The 88p, 90p, 300p or 400p, i'm not shooting for overkill, i'm shooting for reliability and durability...

[@trythistv]

The 400p is definitely going to inflate tires faster but if you don't have large tires you may not notice it as much, if it takes you 2 minutes to inflate a tire with the 88p vs 1:30 to inflate with the 400p is it worth the price difference? I'm more than pleased with my 88p, to the point I have bought several and given them to friends that do offroading, or that end up needing to inflate trailer tires on site like me

[@miagy420]

@@trythistv then, i'm going to give the 88p a try, thank you verry much. Is there a better version of it, or it handles things like a champ without needing anything more?

[@trythistv]

I'm fairly confident the 88p is the best value by far for a portable inflator, I've been using mine for much longer than I've had this video up, I've blown up massive tires, and little tiny trailer tires and it has run for extended periods on the larger tires and just keeps working, hasn't seemed to get slower (indicating its wearing out) even after a few years of blowing up several tires a day sometimes.

[@Botanifiles]

Thanks, where did you buy yours for the price?

[@trythistv]

Should be a link in the description, but if not: amzn.to/33BtQSf

[@ericmichel3857]

Uh, while I agree that many of those compressors Project Farm tested did perform poorly, that was kind of the point of the comparison, and some actually did very well given their size and price. For example that Pittsburgh compressor got to 35 PSI in 5:51, and your Viair looked like it hit 35 PSI at about 5 minutes. So that Viair is actually a lot bigger and not nearly as compact as the Pittsburgh, and that doesn't even include the hose and battery cables. The Pittsburgh air hose has a quick disconnect and a much more compact power cord as well, and all that fits in a tiny carry case making it very convenient to store in your car. Yes it take s a bit longer to fill and can't run for 25 minutes, but for an emergency road side compressor why does anyone need a compressor to run for 25 minutes? So I guess it depends what you are buying it for, if it is just for emergency use this Viair is complete over kill, takes up more space and is harder to use with the battery hookup compared to just plugging into a cigarette lighter. So why pay double the price for a bulkier unit, just to fill up the tire a few seconds faster? And if you are also using it for around the garage ( i have a real shop compressor for home use) there are larger and even cheaper compressors that will out perform this Viair. So it is to big, bulky, and harder to use for emergencies, and to small and weak for more common day to day use. Seems like a bad choice all around when you really think about it.

[@trythistv]

You're correct. It is all about the use case. When I need to inflate tires on the go, it tends to be 4-6 trailer tires that are completely flat, and I need that 25-30 min runtime to fill all the tires, it isn't practical to carry my 5hp 80 gallon compressor with me, and being in a service truck the viair is a fraction of the size of most tools I carry. Another big reason I'd go for the viair is durability. I've been using this thing to inflate everything from tiny jetski trailer tires all the way up to 16.9-28 tractor tires nearly every day for the past 2 years and it hasn't skipped a beat running well past the 30 minute max recommended runtime repeatedly. For occasional use in an emergency, it is massively overkill. for an offroader who wants to air down 4 big tires on his truck and then needs to reinflate all 4 tires before getting back on the highway, its a lot more practical.

[@lanedexter6303]

Interesting demo. But for me, “truck tires are no problem” means I can inflate Load Range D tires to 65 psi and Load Range E tires to 80 psi - real world scenarios for me.

[@trythistv]

If you think for a second I'm not inflating 4 trailer tires in a row to 60+, and my truck tires to 80 or more with this thing I've got news for you. I've even inflated my backhoe tires with it. It does take a while to fill a backhoe tire, but the Viair didn't miss a beat, still working great after hundreds of tires I've inflated. Its hard to include every possible use case in a video, lets face it, nobody wants to watch me wander around for an hour slashing my neighbors tires so I can prove that it will in fact not inflate a tire that has been slashed... Actually that could be quite interesting, the night vision goggles I'd need to not get caught could be a bit expensive though.

[@lanedexter6303]

@@trythistv that’s the part of many small 12v or cordless inflator tests that is rare - seeing them go to 65-80 psi without cooking themselves (I think most users are offroaders going back up from 15-20 to 35-40 when they hit the highway). If the little Viair 88P will do it, glad to hear it; that’s the primary piece of data I’ve been looking for. I can be patient, as long as it will do it. I’ve gone out and picked up a tractor on my trailer, then decided to max the pressure in the D tires on the trailer and the E tires on back of the truck for the drive home. My little Ryobi cordless was not happy about that.

[@trythistv]

The rated duty cycle is 25 minutes of runtime at 30psi, I know I've run mine longer than that and it hasn't seemed to hurt it but if you wanted to be safe, air up a couple tires and then wait 5 or 10 minutes for the compressor to cool before doing another pair. My most common use for it is inflating trailer tires on customers boat trailers. They tend to sit a lot and the tires leak down and then when we go to service their boat we hook to the trailer, pull it out of the weeds and all 4 tires are flat. I pop them up to 50-60 psi in a matter of about 10 minutes total for all 4 with this little unit and then pull the boat out for service. Don't know what we'd do without it now.

[@lanedexter6303]

@@trythistv great!👍

[@Jimmy-rg7xo]

About 5 lb off while running

[@mg8718]

So you gotta pop the hood everytime to use it. What a pain in the ass that will be.

[@trythistv]

I try to avoid letting my tires go flat frequently, but yeah it isn't as convenient as a cigarette lighter powered one or a cordless one, I'll sometimes carry a small motorcycle/atv/pwc battery with me, you can inflate a few tires with one of those no problem, no hood to pop then!

[@DeathsEye40]

before he went around an filled all the tires to rating

[@trythistv]

Lol, nah George was watching to prevent any shady stuff

[@seadsejfovic9127]

Yeah dude you know why it pumps faster... Because it draws more current... It's not limited by the cigarette lighter. It's not some magical engineering tech only viair has access to. HF has a compressor just like that which performs just like that, so does Amazon so does home Depot... I don't understand why you are so impressed by a device that simply draws more power. Doesn't at all compare to the compressors project farm tested

[@trythistv]

You're completely right. It doesn't compare at all because this thing is 4 times the compressor any of those are. It "draws more power", well of course it draws more power because it is a heavier duty motor, larger piston, etc. I've also tested a 85P which runs off the cigarette lighter (so it is limited by the same thing), and it inflates a much larger truck tire to 35psi at least a full minute faster than even the best of the best of the ones tested on project farm did on a much smaller car tire. I'm impressed because its a vastly better product for not much more money. The 88P is more than enough for any inflation needs, I've even blown up tractor tires with mine, It gets used all the time and has not given even a slight hint of slowing down or wearing out.

[@jackbloznowski5429]

I feel the issue is that there a lot of people incapable or scared to connect to their car battery. So if you want the simple plug into a cigarette lighter outlet which is limited in current, you will have a less energy to work with and will have to wait till the job is done. I hate the plug into the car cigarette lighter outlet versions as they take forever to do the job. I have the Viair 88P and feel it is an okay product. There is a weak point to the Vlair 88P, it's the air connection at the end of the handle going into the piston head. It is the weak point and could crack if you are not careful.

[@cameronsmith8986]

@@jackbloznowski5429 Good observation - that's definitely it. Regular people would be scared hooking stuff up to the battery

[@Frissdas1207]

Inflating a tire that isn't under load is not a valid comparison. ✌

[@trythistv]

It blows my mind how few people understand air pressure. It takes the exact same amount of energy/time to inflate a tire to 80psi on or off a vehicle. 80psi is 80psi. If you inflate a tire to 80psi in your garage and put it on your car it doesn't suddenly only have 60psi in it. It is the same pressure, the weight on the tire makes absolutely zero difference in the amount of time. Besides, I did inflate a tire on a car toward the end of the video to prove that exact point, evidently you didn't watch enough of the video to notice though.

[@boobtubeakatv1296]

IF you inflate a tire with NO weight on it to 35 lbs, hey guess what... It STILL has 35 lbs in it when it gets loaded with the vehicle 🤣 Gee.... Wish Common Sense was as easy to teach 😳🤔🤩 Guessing haters are gonna hate irregardless of reason 😴

[@matthewh3528]

project farm inflated all tires on the automobile. you did not. your test is not real life, no one takes tire off to inflate

[@trythistv]

Pressure is pressure. a tire with 45psi will have 45psi if its on the car or not on the car. Also, guess you didn't watch the entire video, 3:42 is inflating a very underinflated tire on a car in a matter of minutes.

[@phantomwalker8251]

YES..not real comparison. i have a $100, 300 psi, 12v comp.does a 35"from 13 psi to 38,in 5 mins..still too long.power tank the go..

[@boobtubeakatv1296]

Gee... Another one skipped that class ... Hmmmm.... 😱

[@surfingonmars8979]

Great vid. Any videos of CORDED tire compressors. My old Craftsman is dying after twenty years….

[@trythistv]

I've got videos on the monstrosity of a Kellogg american compressor I rebuilt, but past that I haven't done much with them. I would say I'm not a fan of the oilless compressors for frequent use, they are just not meant to be worked nonstop, which the viair in this video is oilless, but clearly is not intended to be used nonstop. I worked for a guy who had an oilless compressor in his shop, and just about every year it needed a new piston kit, because whatever plastic or such it was made of would wear down and it would stop making air.