Viair 90 P Air Compressor
The Viair 90 P Air compressor is just one of the little brothers to the bigger 400 and 450 versions. It is small and powerful with many great features, which is something that you want in a 12 v air compressor.
The 90P is considered an ultralight compressor and at approximately 7 inches by 6 inches by 4 inches and weighing in at just under 6 pounds, it certainly fits that classification.
But just because it is smaller doesn’t mean it can’t perform well. According to Viair’s website, the 90P can fill a 31″ tire from 0-30 psi in about 4.5 minutes. To fill a tire from 15 psi up to 30 psi, the time was about 2.5 minutes. Not bad! I would say that it is comparable to your local gas station air compressor.
One of the nicer features of this air compressor is the fact that it has a snap on air chuck as opposed to a screw on type. This will help while filling your tires because you won’t lose as much air when you disconnect.
And with the built in bleeder valve attached to the air chuck, you can adjust the tire pressure to exactly what you want just by watching the attached air gauge. this makes life a lot easier when you are filling up your tires. You don’t have to disconnect just to take a pressure reading. Simply read the gauge and either add more air or push the bleeder valve and let some out. Easy as can be!
Viair 90P Portable Compressor Kit
While the Viair 90 P air compressor does come with a 12 foot electrical power cable, it has a 5 foot inflation hose. This can be a bit of an inconvenience if you are trying to fill the tires on a trailer, but reaching the rear tires on your vehicle shouldn’t be a big problem.
But on the flip side, as one reviewer noted, the shorter air hose meant the air gauge, which is mounted on top of the compressor, is close at hand for checking the pressure instead of being 10 feet away. It is a trade off having to move the pump closer to each tire versus being able to read the gauge and adjust pressure as needed. Something that may play a part in your decision making.
Speaking of power cables, the 90p uses alligator type clamps that hook directly to your battery terminals. This is because of the amperage draw that this compressor requires to run. The maximum amperage draw is about 22 amps according to the Viair website. You wouldn’t be able to get sufficient power if they used the typical power port connectors that many models use. Many typical power ports only supply 10 to 15 amps of power. That is enough to run phone chargers and the like, but not enough to run a compressor.
Being lighter duty than the 400 and 450 compressors, the Viair 90P compressor is only rated for 15% duty cycle. What this means for you is that it won’t be able to run continuously for as long as it’s bigger brothers without taking a break sooner.
Unlike other brands available this unit is relatively quiet. One reviewer felt that it was quieter than the typical air pump at his local gas station. That is nice considering how often items like air compressors turn out to be obnoxiously loud.
Some other nice features of this compressor are the carry bag, 3 piece inflator tips kit and 30 amp in line fuse. Having a carry bag to keep all the parts together is always nice, considering if you are like me, the parts tend to get lost rolling around in my vehicle. Just pack them all away and you are ready for the next time.
Just because this compressor is great at filling tires doesn’t mean it won’t work just as hard inflating other items that you have. The three inflator tips can come in handy for filling sports balls, beach inflatables and things like air mattresses for camping.
It is good to have the peace of mind that the in line fuse gives. Just knowing that it is there and standing between you and a potential shock is a good thing.
One thing that the Viair 90p has that it’s bigger brothers don’t have is rubber feet. They have sand filled antivibration trays attached to them. I would think that the rubber feet will do a good job of keeping the 90p in place since it is lighter.
The Viair 90 P air compressor does come with a limited one year warranty against manufacturer defects. This unit lists for $106.50 but sells for as low as $78.95.