I recently bought a Craftsman air compressor (see photo below).
It has a 1-hp motor & a 2-gallon tank. The CFM @ 90 psi is 2.4.
I realize this is a very basic compressor. I bought it (for $99.99) because it seemed to be well constructed & I only want it for 1 purpose -- to put air in my car tires. I have no need to run air tools.
Here is the problem...it will not put air in my tires. I do not hear any leaks in the air hose or from the air chuck. When I put the chuck on the tire it sounds/seems like it is working. However, after putting the chuck on the valve stem for up to 1 minute or more, the air pressure has only gone up 1-2 lbs. or, if it was already around 32 lbs., it has not gone up at all.
The tank has about 115 lbs. of pressure & the regulator valve is up to 115 lbs.
I checked the 40 product reviews on the Sears Website & they were mostly very positive -- a 4.3 (out of 5) overall rating. However, there was one that said the following: "For some reason it would only pump 20-25 lbs...I was unable to fill a wheel-barrow tire, which only required 35 lbs."
That sounds exactly like my problem. The guy who posted the review exchanged it for another, larger unit.
Am I doing something wrong? I have never owned an air compressor before & I may not be doing something correctly.
Would a larger air tank resolve my problem? I could purchase an auxiliary tank, which would be cheaper than buying a new compressor. If so, how large of a tank do I need.
Anything else you can think of that might be causing the problem?
Thanks for your advice.