Under Pressure - Blue Tongue IV or ARB CKMA12

[LiveFreeAndRoam Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close LiveFreeAndRoam]

I think I am down to my final two contenders. Maybe it doesn't really matter which way I go at this point, which is why I'm having trouble deciding between them.

Some of the deciding factors:

Duty-cycle: BTIV 100%, ARB 50% (30min on/off @ 22C)
Warranty: BTIV 5yr, ARB 2yr
Price with hose: BTIV $320 (OL - Springwood), ARB $385 (ARB - GC)
Fully serviceable: BTIV Yes, ARB Yes
Reliability: BTIV Proven, ARB relatively new model, but v.highly regarded

Unknowns...

Whilst published flow-rates and maximum pressures gives ARB bragging rights, what I really want to know is:

Pressure per tyre after 1 minute each starting at 20psi (5 tyres): ??/??
Time to pump 5 tyres from 20psi - 32psi: ??/??
Suitablility as shower pump: ??/??
Noise levels: ??/??

Negative reports (nothing substantial for either):
BTIV - none found on web
ARB - very hot, caused hose splitting - select better hose

I will try to do some of my own testing with in-store equipment, and will report back. If you have anything to add I would appreciate your comments.

Cheers,
LFaR.

[Rainman Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Rainman]

The only negative so far with my Bluetongue was that the hose supplied came adrift from the pump half way through pumping up the last tyre.

Its all to do with the cheap PVC hose they supply, as soon as it gets hot it slips off even if you use Utilux clamps. Most owners eventually go to someone like Enzed and get some high quality hose that will take the heat.

Mines mounted in the engine bay so noise isnt an issue.

[LiveFreeAndRoam Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close LiveFreeAndRoam]

I just called the ARB GC, and they don't have a CKMA12 available for me to test.

However, he mentioned that it was recently reviewed, along with many other compressors, in one of the 4x4 magazines. He suspected it was Dec 2007 issue of 4x4 Australia.

If you have a copy, can you confirm that for me please? In lieu of my own testing, I'll grab the magazine.

Thanks,
LFaR.

[Grandeman Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Grandeman]

Have you considered the Bushrangers?

The Max air is hugely popular at around $390, with a 72litre/min flow rate.

Personally, my fave is the Bushranger Super Max at 85litres/min - for about a hundred bucks extra.

Are you going to mount it onboard?

[Rainman Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Rainman]

I just ran a test using my Bluetongue IV. Four tyres from 18psi to 32 psi. Exactly four minutes per tyre, for a total of 16 minutes all up.

Thats straight off the battery without the engine running. Tyre size 265/75 R16. I'm happy.

[LiveFreeAndRoam Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close LiveFreeAndRoam]

Have you considered the Bushrangers?

The Max air is hugely popular at around $390, with a 72litre/min flow rate.

Personally, my fave is the Bushranger Super Max at 85litres/min - for about a hundred bucks extra.

Are you going to mount it onboard?

Thanks for the suggestion Grandeman.

The Bushranger range are ceartainly a popular product and the reviews have been excellent, as they have been for many other brands also.

In this price range, one of my criteria has become a high duty-cycle and high flow-rate. To have one without the other just seems counter-productive.

The field narrowed quickly when both these features are sought. There are many that operate with a 30-33% duty-cycle. Many fewer that operate with 50% and greater duty-cycle. Of course, I don't want to spend an arm and a leg, so I discounted some class-leaders, like Endless (I just can't afford/justify them).

When I saw the new ARB operated with a 50% duty-cycle, it grabbed my attention. The published flow-rate is excellent, but it was not clear how this thing handles as you approach the fourth tyre. One report I read stated that by the fourth tyre it had clearly slowed, as it was approaching the end of its duty-cycle.

In the end, I had to place a stake in the ground somewhere... there are so many choices (which is a good thing). So I concetrated on only products with a 50% duty-cycle or greater. Now I want the flow-rate to be up there, and I want to pay around $350 (less is better).

I know, I want my cake and I want to eat it too.

LFaR.

[Grandeman Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Grandeman]

I know, I want my cake and I want to eat it too.

What good is it having cake at all, if you can't eat it?

[LiveFreeAndRoam Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close LiveFreeAndRoam]

I just ran a test using my Bluetongue IV. Four tyres from 18psi to 32 psi. Exactly four minutes per tyre, for a total of 16 minutes all up.

Thats straight off the battery without the engine running. Tyre size 265/75 R16. I'm happy.

Hey, that's great information Rainman!

Exactly 4 minutes per tyre also tells us that the BlueTongue IV is not slowing down with each tyre, which is just how it should operate for a 100% duty-cycle device.

Would there be anyone with an ARB CKMA12 willing to try the same experiment as Rainman?

If so, be sure to measure the exact time per tyre, as opposed taking the total time and dividing it by 4.

For the purpose of data gathering, I would encourage folks with other compressors to do the same and report their findings. It could become very useful comparative data.

LFaR.

[clifton Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close clifton]

Hi Live free and Roam,
The compressor comparison was in the December Issue (No.287) of 4X4 Australia.

The Winner is a quoted by ARB is the "ARB High Output" 0-30psi 2m10s,
15-30psi 1m4s test conducted using 265/75/R16 tyre

[LiveFreeAndRoam Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close LiveFreeAndRoam]

Hi Live free and Roam,
The compressor comparison was in the December Issue (No.287) of 4X4 Australia.

The Winner is a quoted by ARB is the "ARB High Output" 0-30psi 2m10s,
15-30psi 1m4s test conducted using 265/75/R16 tyre

Thanks clifton,

I'll nick out and buy that one.

LFaR.

[Byrnsie Member Find all posts View Profile Close Byrnsie]

I have the new ARB compressor and can't say that I am overly impressed. It can certainly pump up a tyre very quickly but this thing generates a lot of heat which causes it own set of problems.

First time (after run from Noosa to Rainbow Beach) I required it to do all tyres from 18 PSI to 35 PSI, the heat was too much for the ARB (blue) hose to handle and it split. Not happy that my brand new compressor and hose experienced a casualty on its first real use. :evil: Luckily I had some tools and hose clamps with me and after a quick repair, I was on my way again.

Second time (after getting off Fraser Island) required to do all four tyres, the hose once again split while on the third tyre. OK . . now I am cursing the ARB hose. :evil:

Third time (after the Stockton PP trip), the heat actually caused the unit to cut out when I started on the fourth tyre. :evil: I had seen the report that these things were supposed to be water proof and heat proof (???). OK, time to test the sales hype. A quick splash with some water and the unit sufficiently cooled to start again.

Next problem, with the amount of heat generated, I have resorted to putting on one of my recovery gloves before removing the hose so I don't burn myself - the coupling gets bloody hot!!! :evil:

Solution to stop the hose splitting may be to get a length of braided hose (say 30-60cm long) to use between compressor and ARB rubber hose. Not sure where I am going to get this from.

Maybe others can share their experiences. I know that Plucker has one of these units also.

Cheers - Byrnsie

[9W6VX Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close 9W6VX]

I'm using the Bushranger Max Air compressor and I'm pleased with it's performance.

Aired up front tyres from 22psi to 35psi and rear from 20psi to 29psi after off-road section. No issues with the hoses or compressor itself. Weather was hot and humid.

Cheers

[MattWhite Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close MattWhite]

Apology in advance to not really answering any questions but I am certainly curious as to the outcome. I have had a bushranger clone for about five years which actually still works fine but since fitting steel side steps I figured I might as well use the available air storage so I asked the management for an ARB compressor for christmas. I figured it's much smaller size and in-built pressure switch would be huge advantages and as much as we sometimes complain about prices I've never really heard of ARB really making anything junk.
Chippy bought a braided hose recently for his comressor from memory.I will definitely stay tuned for this one.

[LiveFreeAndRoam Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close LiveFreeAndRoam]

Hi Live free and Roam,
The compressor comparison was in the December Issue (No.287) of 4X4 Australia.

The Winner is a quoted by ARB is the "ARB High Output" 0-30psi 2m10s,
15-30psi 1m4s test conducted using 265/75/R16 tyre

Oh no! I'm so disappointed.

I just read the article by Tim Scott. Whilst it had some helpful pre-amble information, the test results are useless! He needed to inflate FOUR tyres for real-world results. Sadly, his results are based on inflating just ONE tyre. The performance of many compressors deteriorate rapidly as they approach the fourth tyre.

Man, all that work for close to naught (or worse) we possilbly have a bunch of misinformed readers racing out to buy their compressor only to find it doesn't hold up as well as Tim's results conclude.

I've sent Tim an email, to get his take on the testing. I'm guessing it has something to do with deadlines and 16 compressors x ONE tyre, vs 16 compressors x FOUR tyres. Actually, I believe he should have inflated FIVE tyres to get some upper-bounds information.

If someone can run the same test as Rainman with the ARB, I would appreciate knowing the results. I realise it's not perfect conditions for comparison testing, but it's better than what we have so far.

LFaR.

[Rainman Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Rainman]

I've got a table of results taken from a local 4wd magazine that tested a load of compressors in a recent issue.

It uses data gleaned from their article, I'm just worried it may constitute a breach of copyright somehow, although there seems to be no copyright statement in the magazine.

Anyone know how this works?