# Does anyone make a pump that DOESN'T SUCK!



## Rasterman (Jan 23, 2008)

So my old floor pump crapped out, got a joe blow for Christmas, the gauge is practically worthless, you can't tell which mark corresponds to 20 or 40psi, and even if you could the change of the needle from 28 to 32 PSI is unreadable. I don't want a pump that goes up to 6000psi and has a gauge that has 50 psi increments, what I want is a MOUNTAIN BIKING pump that has a gauge that goes from 0-40 PSI and shows 1 psi increments. Does such a thing exist?


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## crux (Jan 10, 2004)

Rasterman said:


> So my old floor pump crapped out, got a joe blow for Christmas, the gauge is practically worthless, you can't tell which mark corresponds to 20 or 40psi, and even if you could the change of the needle from 28 to 32 PSI is unreadable. I don't want a pump that goes up to 6000psi and has a gauge that has 50 psi increments, what I want is a MOUNTAIN BIKING pump that has a gauge that goes from 0-40 PSI and shows 1 psi increments. Does such a thing exist?


I have an OLD Silica Super Pista Pump that has worked well over the past 20+ years of hard use and don't really need to consider a new floor pump any time in the near future. Was in the LBS last week and they happened to have some of the Lezyne pumps on the floor. If I had to buy a new pump today I would most likely buy one of the Lezyne pumps as I'd rather buy quality once having it last for years over needing new every few years.

As far as a gauge going from 0-40 PSI your SOL. Sorry I've looked. You can buy air gauges and try to retrofit a pump but 9 times out of 10 it is more of a PITA than it is worth.


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## customfab (Jun 8, 2008)

Leyzene dirt drive with a SKS pump head.


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## Mtn-Rider (May 21, 2010)

I've seen some pumps with digital pressure gauges that would give 1psi increments, but doubt they're decently calibrated. I should add the build quality of such pumps I saw was on the scary side.


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## wallstreet (Jul 27, 2012)

Or Joe Blow

- quick to setup
- quick to pump
- dual valve ability

I had a Michelin and it sucked, even broke the wooden handle.

(Yellow coloured bought in the UK)

Top reviews:-

http://m.bikeradar.com/gear/category/tools/cycling-tools/floor-track-pump/product/review-topeak-joe-blow-sport-12-10749


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## the-one1 (Aug 2, 2008)

wallstreet said:


> Or Joe Blow
> 
> - quick to setup
> - quick to pump
> ...


Re-read the Op's 10th and 11 word


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## Mr.Magura (Aug 11, 2010)

Build one of industrial components. 
A 40mm pneumatic cylinder, a glycerine filled 65mm manometer 0-50 PSI, and a SKS head.
Add a foot and a handle, and presto! you got a real nice pump.

It will cost you like 170$, which is not much more than a Leyzene and a SKS head.
The good news is that such will last longer than you.

My pump crapped out last month, so this little project is right on top of the list.


Magura


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## ALBM (Jan 16, 2012)

If you don't mind investing in your tools you can always upgrade the gauge itself to whatever pump you have. Try something like this:

http://www.mcmaster.com/#atmospheric-pressure-gauges/=krksgl

If that doesn't work for you I'm sure McMaster-Carr has something you can use.


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## customfab (Jun 8, 2008)

Mr.Magura said:


> Build one of industrial components.
> A 40mm pneumatic cylinder, a glycerine filled 65mm manometer 0-50 PSI, and a SKS head.
> Add a foot and a handle, and presto! you got a real nice pump.
> 
> ...


The Classic dirt drive has an MSRP of $75 in the states. Sounds like you Euros are getting shafted. The fancy CNC version is only $110. I've found these pumps to be very reliable. Mine lives in the back of my truck. It gets beet up enough that it's got some dents and is missing some paint. It's pumped a few thousand tires at this point. Sometimes as many as 40 in a sitting. The pump is still bomber though.

Only downside to the Leyzene pumps is the head. Which is just god awful. I really would love to talk to these guys and see what they were thinking. They must love it though as they've been using it for some time. I do wish the gauge went to 120 as well. Then it would do great as a road and mountain pump. It does take some effort to get road pressures with a dirt drive but it's completely possible by a grown male

I'd like to add a floor pump to the tool line at some point but it's a ways off.


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## acer66 (Oct 13, 2010)

I have a SKS floorpump I bought in the mid 90's and it is still going strong, I use it for bicycles and motorcycles, never had a single problem.

But I think the gauge would not be to your liking, not sure how the new ones are set up.


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## wallstreet (Jul 27, 2012)

the-one1 said:


> Re-read the Op's 10th and 11 word


Lol where r my glasses - age getting to me hahaa lol

Good topic though magura has an interesting notion


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## wallstreet (Jul 27, 2012)

I bought a digital pump for the precision - drawback is I need an electrical source (car or home)


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## Rasterman (Jan 23, 2008)

customfab said:


> Leyzene dirt drive with a SKS pump head.


Awesome, now this I can work with. Found a review showing the gauge, it only goes to 70psi so the numbers are actually readable, beautiful looking too

Review: Lezyne Alloy Dirt Floor Drive pump - Bike Rumor

And look at the review:

_*"With the large barrel entirely unsuited to road bike use, the gauge only goes up to 70psi, making small pressure differences easy to read."*_

The head does not sound ideal though.


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## Rasterman (Jan 23, 2008)

ALBM said:


> If you don't mind investing in your tools you can always upgrade the gauge itself to whatever pump you have. Try something like this:
> 
> McMaster-Carr
> 
> If that doesn't work for you I'm sure McMaster-Carr has something you can use.


This might be the way to go, cheaper than a Leyzene, can use the excellent head of the joe blow, and will be more accurate. They list a 3.5" 0-60psi gauge with numbers every 5 psi, markings every 1 psi with an accuracy of 0.6psi for only $15, now that is kick ass.


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## customfab (Jun 8, 2008)

Rasterman said:


> Awesome, now this I can work with. Found a review showing the gauge, it only goes to 70psi so the numbers are actually readable, beautiful looking too
> 
> Review: Lezyne Alloy Dirt Floor Drive pump - Bike Rumor
> 
> ...


This is what I put on mine. SKS. I did have to safety wire it on though. The hose barb was a little small. But the orange trim piece covers it all up. I've been using it this way for almost a year without issue. I also routinely use it to pump up road tires to ~100psi.


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## tiSS'er (Jan 6, 2004)

I recently picked up the Specialized MTB pump. It is fantastic. The gauge goes to 70PSI, and it is 3" in diameter. The pump moves a ton of air, and although I have a compressor, I can easily seat tires tubeless with this pump.

Specialized Bicycle Components


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## nbwallace (Oct 8, 2007)

*I thought I had it licked with Joe Blow Pro*

But the gauge reads 10 PSI low at MTB pressures. My high end Blackburn blew a seal. I need to send it back as it has a lifetime warrantee. I also have a performance hurricane but the head is leaking now.

Pretty much any pump I buy gets a topeak smart head. I am intrigued by the lezyne pumps. Perhaps I can find a decent price on one.


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## Glynis27 (Sep 28, 2007)

The gauge on the JoeBlow Mountain only goes up to 75psi. Might be worth a look.


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## samdemo (Oct 25, 2005)

another vote for the Lezyne. I have the Joe Blow Ace and the Lezyne kicks it's ass. Having said that, the wife won the Lezyne at a race so the cost was not an issue. Paid $35 for the Ace as it was a demo unit.


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## Naturally Aspirated (Aug 17, 2011)

My Bontrager floor pump has served me well, but if I had to buy again I would most likely get this Lezyne... Lezyne CNC Dirt Drive Floor Pump - Competitive Cyclist a little pricey, but I've heard nothing but good things.


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## authalic (Apr 8, 2005)

I have had an SKS Airbase for more than 10 years. It's still working. I don't believe that the gauge was calibrated properly, but after checking with an external gauge, I know where the needle needs to be. A few years ago, the rubber washers inside the head dried out and crumbled. I wrote to SKS to see if I could get new washers. They sent me an entirely new head plus extra washers for free. Can't complain about that kind of service.


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## big_papa_nuts (Mar 29, 2010)

Keep the Joe Blow and just get an SKS Air Checker.


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## Glenrexellyn (Dec 30, 2010)

I bought a Nashbar L'orange pump a few years ago on sale and I love it. I must say I am not a big Nashbar fan but this pump is quality. Large volume, good pump head, gauge is large, easy to read and mounted at the top of the barrel. I have seen this same pump sold in different colors and different brand names for up to $100. It is a bargain and the color is great!


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## Rasterman (Jan 23, 2008)

So I think the 2 best options are to get the Lezyne Alloy Dirt Floor and replace the head. Or buy a normal pump with a good head and replace the gauge with a $15 McMaster one. Since spending $85 on the Lezyne and knowing you're going to have to mod it seems ridiculous to me, I would rather buy a normal pump with a gauge that is easy to replace, does anyone know if the sette or park pumps have easy to replace gauges?


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## pwu_1 (Nov 19, 2007)

I have a performance bike Spin Doctor Team HP floor pump that I picked up when it was on sale for like 20 or 30 bucks I think. It has a universal head that suppossedly adjusts for both Presta and Schrader valves but I rarely use it for Schrader valve.
A while back the needle on the gauge fell off while the pump was knocking around in my car. I disassembled the gauge and put the needle back put the gauge never read right after I did that. It was somewhat annoying but the gauge wasn't that useful anyway even when it did work since it reads up to 260 psi but I never pump my MTB tires past 30 psi unless I'm trying to seat a tubeless tire.

Anyway, after reading this thread, I had the idea that I should change the gauge to something that has a lower range and is more accurate so this is what I did today:


















I bought a Reed AHNC 0-100 psi gauge from amazon for 20 bucks. The original plan was to just swap out the broken gauge with this new one but the original gauge had a 1/8 connection while the new gauge is 1/4(and I couldn't find anything online that had a 2-1/2 inch gauge with 1/8 connection). 
After I saw the new gauge I started thinking maybe I should have gotten the 0-60 psi gauge instead but the problem is I have an occasional need to pump tires up to 70-80 psi and with the 0-60 psi gauge I wouldn't be able to do that. So then I thought what if I just put a quick connect on there and that way I can swap out the gauges quickly if I need to. So, the above was the result. 
So far I only have the 0-100 psi gauge, the 0-60 is on order but I checked the gauge against my schwalbe digital gauge and for psi over 30 its like less than 1psi difference while under 30 psi I get maybe 1-2 psi difference. I'm hoping the 0-60 gauge will be more accurate under 30 psi.

Replacing the gauge was pretty easy, just un-do 3 bolts on the bottom of the pump and then unscrew the air hose and remove gauge with wrench and install adapters and quick connect and done.
It doesn't look pretty but I figure with the quick connect when I put my pump in the car I can remove the gauge and put it some where safer.


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## esilvassy (Jul 25, 2006)

another vote for the Lezyne Dirt drive pump.
I did get a slip chuck for it as the thread on one is a pain.
Accessories

Nice setup now, just press the chuck on and go. I have to replace my first o-ring after ~9 months of use, so that is not too bad for life on that. Will be measuring up the o-rings and getting my own replacements for when the included supply runs out.

I did not have the newer ABS style chuck so i was having issues with removable core valve stems once in a while.


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## goodmojo (Sep 12, 2011)

nbwallace said:


> But the gauge reads 10 PSI low at MTB pressures. My high end Blackburn blew a seal. I need to send it back as it has a lifetime warrantee. I also have a performance hurricane but the head is leaking now.
> 
> Pretty much any pump I buy gets a topeak smart head. I am intrigued by the lezyne pumps. Perhaps I can find a decent price on one.


FYI i had a broken blackburn, I called in to send it back for warantty repair they said dont bother, we will just send you a new one. That is service!


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## nbwallace (Oct 8, 2007)

*The Lezyne is a bike wagon pretty cheap*

I found this while searching ebay. I went to the bikewagon site and had a couple places match it to get lower shipping:

Lezyne Classic Dirt Floor Drive Pump Metallic Black with Wood Handle | eBay

Now I'll have three working floor pumps and the blackburn. How did you contact them about the pump.


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## DennisF (Nov 4, 2011)

I love my Lezyne CNC dirt drive. It is a joy to use, and is very well constructed -- the rod is about 3/4" dia. It seats tubeless tires easily, and is great for keeping the car tires inflated. I don't use the service station air pumps anymore.

The gauge broke soon after I got it, but a call to Lezyne and I received another in the mail, and has been working flawlessly ever since (about a year). BTW the gauge is large, easy to read, and accurate based on comparison to my tire gauge.

I got it for about $80 from an independent Amazon seller.


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## AlienRFX (Sep 27, 2006)

I really like my Blackburn Airtower 4, it replaced my track pump pro when I wanted some new grommets for the head, blackburn didn't have any so they just sent me the airtower, lifetime warranty and all that jazz.

AIR TOWER 4 - Pumps


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## rjkowski (Oct 14, 2009)

I am a bit of a pump snob and recently picked up a Lezyne pump. I love their screw-on chuck, and the pump I picked up will go to almost 200 psi. The only downer is that it doesn't put out a lot of volume, so it takes just a little bit longer to fill up a mountain bike tire. 

but if you are like me and have all sorts of bikes and need the ability to go to higher pressures, I highly recommend the Lezyne.


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## DennisF (Nov 4, 2011)

Lezyne has two families of pumps -- "HP" and "HV" (high pressure and high volume).

The HV series is designed for mountain bikes. Also great for your car. The gauge goes up to 70 PSI. It would take forever to top off your car tire with a road bike pump, and I doubt that you could seat a tubeles tire with one.

When I started shopping for a good pump I thought I wanted something with a small cylinder to make it easier to pump. My old pump, a cheap one I got years ago at an auto parts place, is a lot of work to use. But the Lezyne is easy. The cylinder is about the same diameter. Quality parts and good engineering make a difference.


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## NYrr496 (Sep 10, 2008)

I have a Joe Blow Mountain and like it very much. Not only do I use it on my bikes, I used it on one of my Suburban's tires in the middle of nowhere on a road trip once.


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## neex (Mar 30, 2005)

nbwallace said:


> But the gauge reads 10 PSI low at MTB pressures. My high end Blackburn blew a seal. I need to send it back as it has a lifetime warrantee. I also have a performance hurricane but the head is leaking now.
> 
> Pretty much any pump I buy gets a topeak smart head. I am intrigued by the lezyne pumps. Perhaps I can find a decent price on one.


I agree with swapping the head to the Topeak smart head. Is that the double sided one or the single sided that adjusts? I prefer the double. I put it on an old aluminum Wrench Force floor pump and it is fantastic.

To the OP... why not use an inline gauge if it's that important to you? I would bet that a decent shop/auto inline gauge would work well. If you really want to get exactly what you're looking for try here:

many many gauges that would work...

A.


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## briscoelab (Oct 27, 2006)

I love the Specialized (non HP) floor pumps. They have great heads and the gauge is large/easy to read.


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## nbwallace (Oct 8, 2007)

*I think the Specialized pump might be great.*



briscoelab said:


> I love the Specialized (non HP) floor pumps. They have great heads and the gauge is large/easy to read.


I saw one of these at the LBS, the gauge is huge and really readable. I didn't check out the chuck. I haven't ever used one though. My Lezyne should be here soon I'll let you know how it works.


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## ttusomeone (Jan 23, 2012)

I got the Specialized MTB floor pump for Christmas and am very happy with it. The gauge is easy to read and you can adjust in 1 psi increments. Also, it has a button on the handle to release air, which makes it easy to get the exact amount you want in the tire. Just put a little more in than what you want and then you can hit the button and let a little out until you get the pressure you want. I would definitely recommend it, although it's the only MTB specific pump I've used.


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## nbwallace (Oct 8, 2007)

*My dirt drive arrived and it's nice*

The Lezyne is very nice. The gauge is large and readable, not as big as the specialized. However, the press-on chuck doesn't work very well. I'm going to try to put an SKS chuck on there. Hopefully non destructively.


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## Rasterman (Jan 23, 2008)

neex said:


> To the OP... why not use an inline gauge if it's that important to you? I would bet that a decent shop/auto inline gauge would work well. If you really want to get exactly what you're looking for try here:
> 
> many many gauges that would work...
> 
> A.


Yeah I know, the reason I didn't want to use a gauge is my wife bought me an $80 pump and using a gauge after spending that much on a pump seems ridiculous to me, it should come with a good gauge and it doesn't, its a piece of crap. It simply blows my mind no one makes a pump with a good *MTB* gauge, you figure with all of the people running tubeless it would be demanded. And the gauge should be near the valve as you are going to lose PSI in the hose.


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## Yogii (Jun 5, 2008)

Your pump is great, your pressure gauge sucks. Well they all pretty much suck, if your are serious get a digital gauge. Otherwise deal with it!


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## rogerfromco (Jun 22, 2007)

nbwallace said:


> I found this while searching ebay. I went to the bikewagon site and had a couple places match it to get lower shipping:
> 
> Lezyne Classic Dirt Floor Drive Pump Metallic Black with Wood Handle | eBay
> 
> Now I'll have three working floor pumps and the blackburn. How did you contact them about the pump.


I saw the same Fleabay ad and when to the bikewagon.com site and got it shipped for $5, which brought the total cost down to $44.93! :thumbsup:


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## tooclosetosee (Aug 2, 2011)

I use the JoeBlow and Topeak digital air checker. They work really well together. When I air up my road tires I don't care about accuracy. Somewhere in between 100 and 110 PSI is good enough for me. For MTB, I just air them to 30 and then use the air checker and bleed em down to what I ride.

It isn't the calibration in the equipment, but the consistency. 25 could actually be 30, but if you like the way it rides at whatever pressure it says it is then you can get consistent air pressures. Basing the topeak digital checker from nothing super calibrated it seems like it is calibrated correctly as well or at least close enough.


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