filing up retract tank
 

what are you guy's using to pressure up the retract air tank, I had a Ryobi Air Inflator that worked good for a total of 1/2 hr. then the Pump quit. ( Kind of typical Chinese quality). Now looking for a new 12V Inflator that will push up to 125 Pounds and not die after filling 2-3 Tanks. How about CO-2 Cartridges, will they work? Seems like the old Robart Handpump just takes for ever to fill up the tank.

Electric retracts :p

5 dollar, 12 volt air pump from Harbor Freight. I have had it for years. You do not want to use Carbon Dioxide unless it is regulated. Filling the Robart air tanks over 125 PSI is flirting with danger. The Robart pump may take awhile to fill the tank, but mine is many years old and has never missed a lick. Good Luck, Dave

#2 on the robart pump...maybe you need a new one.. mine is not that bad.. No worse than a hand fuel pump .. They make little electric compressors that plug into cig lighters for emergency tire filling that should work

Another for a harbor freight 12v air pump. Had it for years, works great.
Edwin

got a model number for that Harbor Freight thingy?

Something like this. They dont sell mine anymore but it looks a lot like this. It clamps to a battery.
http://www.harborfreight.com/12-volt...ssor-4077.html

The Jet guys use a more portable compressor, I think made by craftsman. Uses battery drill type batteries, but costs more.
Edwin

I use a Ryobi inflator to inflate my retracts to just over 100 PSI. It works ok but the battery drains in a few days just sitting around the house.
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=1915525

Olive Drab: that is the same chinese jewel that I had and bummed out after 1/2 hr runtime

Don't know what to tell you. It's been working for a couple years now. I always charge it for a few hours before taking it to the field. The inflator works well even if the battery gets really low. I actually preferred my previous inflator which was a Craftsmen. It died after years of neglect and abuse.

guess I bought a lemon

pull out the fuse when thru using the inflator, and reconnect before next use the battery stay's up then

Here's the one I've been using for 12+ years. It uses a 12v battery the same as most flight boxes use and I've only replaced the battery once. I can charge it once a month and I fly every weekend, both days, several flights. I have 2 adapters I've made for the Robart fill valves and one for the BVM valves on my jet. My Mustang has 2 large Robart tanks and fills it to 110lbs in less than a minute.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/t/1003484...465&ci_gpa=pla

Wally World (Wal-Mart) has a 12 volt pump that sells for $10. I've been using one for about 4 years with no problems.
Jim

Same here!

I use the HF pump as well. They had a silver one that cost a little more and is much more quiet. What I do with mine is run it off of a Sealed lead acid battery (12 volt) like what we used to use for electric starters. Works great. For my small Robart tanks, I still use my Robart hand pump, but I agree, the large tanks take a long time to pump by hand. I am sure you will find one of these electric pumps that will work for you. Sounds like you just got a bad one.

I found an old auto jump starter with a pump and light built in at a flea market and just opened it up and removed the pump, added a longer hose and used the robart pumps pressure gauge in the line. It just clips onto any 12 volt source and fills a tank up to 100 pounds in a big hurry. My van also has a built in pump that I have used. HF has an auto jump starter, 3 in 1 unit on sale right now for 50 bucks. Regular price is 80 bucks. I was using a jump starter for battery charging and to operate my starter and it has also came in handy for starting three of the guys trucks when they over used there batteries, these things do come in handy and when it is dead you can pull the pump.

Those foot pumps work pretty good too and you don't need a 30-50 ft cord to run it, I think Harbor Freight has them also, just adapt a 1/16" line on it and pump it up.