Pneumatic tire pump

[Kent F]

Has anyone used or seen one of these pneumatic tire pumps?

Kent F.

[tinnerjohn]

Kent, Although I've never used it, I have one I bought at an auction years ago. 50 years ago nearly every barn or shop had one hanging in it. I remember my Dad telling me most truckers carried one too. Diesel engines, 12 volt compressors and better tires sent them to the corner with the buggy whip, My thought is they would be slow, but easier than a bicycle type pump. John

[Urbish]

I've always wondered, wouldn't one of these fill your tires with a perfectly explosive fuel & air combination? Would the fuel eat away at your inner tube? Would the guy smoking a cigarette when he removed the valve stem get a deadly surprise?

[Kent F]

Thanks tinnerjohn! Nice piece of Cub history.

[Eugene]

My thought is they would be slow, but easier than a bicycle type pump.

Have used them. Could take an hour or so to blow up a large rear tractor tire.

Diaphragm pump. Cylinder combustion gasses do no enter the tire. Just a tiny puff of air. Would be much faster if cylinder gasses were pumped into the tire.

[John *.?-!.* cub owner]

Yup, have used them and were very slow, and worked best with engine at idle. As Eugene said, they had a diaphragm in them so air went into tire, not fuel mix. The last time I used one which was about 50 years ago and was the one that came with our 41 H and it would give a gasoline smell if you ran the engine above idle speed so I suspect the diaphragm was starting to leak. The diaphragm appeared to be the same material as a rubber inner tube only thinner, and I suspect any you find now would be pretty useless.

[Eugene]

We used the pneumatic tire pump to blow up the tire just enough to get the tractor to the shop. 50 years ago farm shops had home made air compressors, made from single cylinder gas engines or refrigeration compressors.

If the tire problem was a puncture, they didn't work. Tire leaked air faster than the pneumatic pump could work.

My grandfather had a duel action, hand operated tire pump. Would pump air on the down and up stroke. Real work out by the time you blew up a rear tire.

[Kent F]

Found one on ebay. A bit pricey for me but looks like it's in good shape.
eBay item number:131898911621

Kent F.

[seabeelt]

I use the 12 v kind from sears. Plug it into my truck and pump up the rear tire on the 53 ( it has a small leak and though the tire looks new its dry rotted) Just brought the old 30 gallon 5 hp 110 v unit up from the house to plug in at the barn. Much much faster

[staninlowerAL]

... ( it has a small leak and though the tire looks new its dry rotted)...

Not to hijack this thread but have you checked the valve stem? I've had to replace a leaking one in the past and it fixed the slow leak problem. You can probably buy the replacement part for about 10% of the cost of a replacement tube.

[Don McCombs]

You can probably buy the replacement part for about 10% of the cost of a replacement tube.

Or go to your local tire shop and get a used one from a valve they have discarded, for free.

[seabeelt]

Nope definitely the tube. Valve stem is good. I have a ne new tube just haven't wanted the fight with getting the tire off yet.