Knockoff ARB (HF Air) air compressor

[Metcalf]

I've got an ARB dual in my flatty. It was expensive but has been great for about 9 years now.

I did a 12V Puma compressor in my #LX45 project. Tt was about half the price. It has been going strong for 3+ years now.
It isn't quite as fast as the ARB-Twin overall, but for the money it is a solid competitor.
It is definitely faster than the ARB medium compressor.

 

[PirateMcGee]

What is the Napa compressor?

300LPM AIR COMPRESSOR BK MTWM10215C | Buy Online - NAPA Auto Parts (napaonline.com)

It puts out quite a bit more CFM than the ARB but isn't 100% duty cycle.

 

[gatorgrizz27]

You need to weigh the down sides. If you generally travel with other vehicles that have compressors, air down to 25/30 psi to soften the ride, and could limp it to a gas station if your compressor fails, it might be worth trying to save a bit of $.

I have to carry my spare deflated due to fitting it under the vehicle, and go out by myself quite a bit, so I sprung for the ARB single. My general rule is if I’d be willing to pay the extra $125 on the side of the road with a dead knock off compressor, I should just do it now.

They may or may not be “the same” even if they are made in the same factory. One thing you learn from the firearms world is QC can make all the difference. ARB may spec that every part is measured and the units are bench tested before going out. The knock off ones might be ARB rejects, or built with the same exact parts and no QC, or identical in every way. Hard to know.

You see it with tools too. People talk about Ridgid and Ryobi being owned by the same company as Milwaukee, so it must be “just as good.” What? They are literally telling you “here is our cheaper option.”

 

[vintageracer]

I never priced the knock-off pump versus the ARB pump.

Given all the talk about how good and how expensive ARB air pumps were I expected a FAR GREATER price difference than $125.00 between the 2.

Given all the money most of us PISS AWAY on everything we own and do everyday that $125.00 extra ain't near enough difference to make "Me" buy the knock-off!

 

[dman93]

My ARB compressor stopped putting out much air after many years but not much usage. Couldn’t find the parts for a rebuild, and bought a Viair that I’ve had under hood for a few years now, always works. And I bought a portable Harbor Freight https://www.harborfreight.com/12v-150-psi-compact-air-compressor-63184.html to use in our van, price down to $49 now, and it’s worked well so far also.

 

[XJLI]

Finally pulled the trigger on one of these. This one to be exact. Almost $175 cheaper than the ARB single before tax+shipping, and my buddy's ARB twin took a dump a couple months ago and ARB told him to pound sand bc it was out of warranty.

Its getting mounted on a bracket coming from Australia, so it'll be a minute before I mount it but I expect it to perform just fine.

 

[dstefan]

FWIW -- Dirt Lifestyle on YouTube has a great tear down and modification/upgrade 2 part video up for the NAPA twin compressor. You can see the cheap parts that he felt will break or fail (wiring getting hot, un-fixable circuit board, compressor cylinders where one is lubed, the other isn't, etc). I am NOT trying to tear down the product, just thought it was interesting, and shows how knockoffs built in China (presumably) can come from a good design and potentially fail due to cheap minor components. The vids seem like a great guide to how to make a knockoff perform better and last a lot longer.

 

[RoyJ]

FWIW -- Dirt Lifestyle on YouTube has a great tear down and modification/upgrade 2 part video up for the NAPA twin compressor. You can see the cheap parts that he felt will break or fail (wiring getting hot, un-fixable circuit board, compressor cylinders where one is lubed, the other isn't, etc). I am NOT trying to tear down the product, just thought it was interesting, and shows how knockoffs built in China (presumably) can come from a good design and potentially fail due to cheap minor components. The vids seem like a great guide to how to make a knockoff perform better and last a lot longer.

These are popular in Australia, sold under all kinds of brands, probably from a single Chinese factory. Essentially 2 MV90/ Smitty 2781s stuck together.

My biggest issue with all those compressors, the cooling fins on the head is essentially fake:



It's just an aluminum cover screwed onto the actual compressor head beneath - very little thermal contact. You may as well run it bare and get better cooling, provided the filter can be adapted.

Look at the head of a "real" compressor like Viair / ARB, it's part of the overall cylinder. Heat from hot compressed air gets directly conducted into the aluminum.

There also doesn't appear to be a motor upgrade (size wise) compared to the MV90/2781, just driven harder to power 2 compressor heads. Longevity is highly questionable.

 

[XJLI]

I finally got around to installing this in my truck. Fills my little baby tires (255/60-19) in the same amount of time my VIAIR 300P did. It's tiny, so it fits in the tiny spot it needed to go. So far, so good.

 

[Zybane]

Isn't the ARB twin compressor made in China anyways?

 

[XJLI]

Isn't the ARB twin compressor made in China anyways?

Yes. Most of ARB’s stuff is.

 

[Ozarker]

Gotta say, HF has some good junk, as often as Harry Homeowner needs a tool, HF is good to go. I've seen pro's toolboxes with HF stuff too.

On my summer long expeditionary overlanding travels planned in my mind, how often will I really use an air pump? Not often, guessing less than 30 times in a year, at the most.

It would be stored away too, it won't be carried on my dash as a status symbol.

Then, 2 weeks a year for another 5 years, 10 more outings, may or may not need one. While it would be some work, my GF could use an old tire pump!

Then the plan would be to sell it in the classifieds here for what I paid for it, just slightly used.

Think I'll go with a high quality HF unit.

 

[RoyJ]

Isn't the ARB twin compressor made in China anyways?

Unless you spring for an Oasis, just about any compressor is made in China. Extremeaire might be Aussie made, but don't quote me.

There're many different grades of Chinese made products, ARB and Viair is at the top as far as compressors are concerned.

 

[Somecallmetimm]

Having recently shifted from a cheap Chinese compressor to a Viair, I can tell you there's a huge difference in quality.

 

[NMBruce]

I found this today from ARB website. I doesnt say where the parts are made.

Where are ARB air compressors made? ARB compressors are 100% assembled and dyno tested here in Australia.