I've started using my Power Tanks. I ended up getting the 10 gallon tank kit with the spare tank. The spare has come in handy several times so far. Over all my impression is very favorable. I do have one or two issues with the operation of the kit versus the stated operation in the brochures.

First, anyone not a psychics major is probably going to assume as I did that these tanks operate the same in the cold as they do in the heat. My mistake. If the temperature drops below 70 degrees performance starts degrading quickly. The more tires you need to fill the more likely it is that the assembly will "freeze up". Under normal operation the entire assembly gets COLD! VERY COLD! This is compounded by a low ambient temperature. The first time I used my Power Tank it was in 55-60 degree weather. After filling up four 35x12.5s from 13psi to 28 psi and four 33x12.5s from 12 psi to 30 psi the entire tank was frosted and the light drizzle coming down was freezing on the tank. After filling four more 36 inch TSLs from 12 psi to 26 psi the tank looked like a large ice cube.

Second, I have yet to get the suggested number of fills out of a 10 lb tank. I don't air down nor air back up to the levels in the brochures. I only air down to 12-13 and then back up to 28 so I'm not even useing the amount of CO₂ that I would be if I went to the levels used in the brochures. I haven't checked to see whether my tanks are not being filled completely so I don't know if this is "user error" or really a case of false advertising. I'll know shortly because I made sure to weigh my tanks empty and then full this time and I'm going to keep very close tabs on what gets filled and how many times.

Ok, nasty things aside, these tanks are wonderful! I'm very happy with them. Filling a 35 inch tire with a QuickAir I is beyond tedious. 8-10 minutes a tire to go from 12 to 30 psi. I can fill the same tire in about 2 minutes - a set of four in about 5-6 minutes. Less time then it takes to fill one tire with the compressor. The portability is great, too! Especially since I usually go up with several people and we share the cost of a tank fill. We can fill several vehicles tires without shuffling vehicles to reach my compressor air hose. The advertising brochures really are not lieing about being able to reseat a tire with a Power Tank, either. A week after I received mine I popped a bead while winching off the top of a four foot deep snowbank - more of an icebank, really - quite a ways from a gas station. Without even removing the valve core - I forgot - I reseated the bead on my 35x12.5 tire in less then five minutes, aired the tire back up to 8 psi and was on my way.


Power Tank - Continued ...

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