Ridgid 18V Digital Inflator R87044

Ridgid Digital Inflator Provides a Helpful Solution

The Ridgid 18V Digital Inflator (R87044) has all the features you need for a cordless inflation tool. It features an easy-to-read, easy-to-set digital pressure gauge, on-board, easy-to-use accessories, and a motor that Ridgid claims provides the fastest truck tire filling ever. It costs about $69, which is also very reasonable.

Easy Mode Tire Inflation

Ridgid designed the 18V Digital Inflator to take all the hassle and guesswork out of inflating your tires. Everything about the R87044 is amazingly 'easy to use', from the clearly visible digital readout and setting dial to the quick connect chuck.

Hybrid

As far as power is concerned, you have two options – battery and 12V. They all make the operation of this tool very convenient.

Since the Ridgid Digital Inflator is designed for cordless convenience on the brand's 18V battery platform, that's likely the direction you'll take most of the time. This is especially true if you already use Ridgid tools and batteries. The battery also provides a sturdy base for the inflator, allowing you to stand it upright.

However, Ridgid also includes a 12V power cord that plugs into your cigarette lighter. This opens up the R87044 for those not committed to the Ridgid battery platform, or for those who are just looking for an inflator to keep in the trunk for a rainy day. The 12V cable is long enough to give you easy access to all tire inflation distances.

Ridgid R87044 Settings

Once you've settled on a power source, the Ridgid 18V Digital Inflator is very simple to connect to your inflatable objects. It features quick-connect collets, eliminating the need for time-wasting threading. The only concern is that the plastic parts will wear down over time. We've grown very accustomed to using threaded nozzles on our Ryobi dual function inflators.

Basically, whether you're connecting directly to the stem or to one of the adapters, you press the coupler firmly onto the threads and slide the sleeve forward to lock the connection.

While the quick-connect chuck makes inflation very simple, for accurate readings you need to make sure the connection is secure. In our early experience with the R87044, we found ourselves frustrated by inconsistencies in pressure readings and auto inflation. It turns out that this problem is fixed if you hold the coupler firmly when locking it into place.

The Ridgid 18V Digital Inflator features a ball inflation needle, brass French chuck and inflation nozzle. All of this conveniently stores on the tool along with the 20" hose.

start a business

Once securely connected to the valve stem, you can press the trigger to turn on the Ridgid Digital Inflator. You'll see the current pressure pop up on the 2" digital LCD display. The display is inverted so the numbers can be read even in direct sunlight.

We checked the readings for accuracy against our tried and true old tire pressure gauge. We've found that the pressure readings between the tire gauge and the inflator remain very consistent, usually within a PSI or two.

At this point, you have two options. You can manually inflate to the desired PSI level by holding down the trigger. Alternatively, you can use the "set it and forget it" approach.

By rotating the dial to the right around the digital display, you can select the auto-fill mode and desired pressure level. Squeeze the trigger to start the automatic filling process. You will notice an increase in pressure on the digital readout. As the pressure level gets closer to your setting, you will hear the motor slow down. When your pressure setting is reached, an auto-shutoff feature stops the motor from overfilling.

wrestling with automatic settings

The automatic settings are very accurate. However, if you're a perfectionist, you might want to switch to manual mode and give it a few more seconds to fill.

Here's why: The pressure reading on the gauge while inflating is a measure of the fluctuating pressure between what's being inflated and the hose…that is, it's not terribly accurate while inflating. The measured value is a little higher than the actual value.

Therefore, the Ridgid Digital Inflator will shut off before the threshold you set. This is the nature of the beast, not an engineering flaw.

To hit a target on the nose, switch to manual mode and hold the trigger for the remainder of the stroke. You'll get an accurate reading when you release the trigger and wait a second for the pressure to stop fluctuating.

The Ridgid 18V Digital Inflator fills up to 150 PSI. Ridgid claims it "provides the fastest filling of truck tires". We couldn't verify that particular claim, but we think it worked pretty quickly. We inflated the tire from 20 psi to 35 psi in about a minute and a half.

You can choose the Ridgid R87044 18V Digital Inflator as a bare unit or with a 2.0Ah battery and charger. As a bare-bones unit, it should cost $69, and the kit only adds another $30 for a total of $99.

No matter which option you choose (the kit is cheap), the inflator comes with a 12V car power cable, quick-connect chuck, ball inflation needle, brass Presta chuck, and inflator nozzle.

recommend

The Ridgid 18V Digital Inflator impresses with its large, clear display and automatic fill settings. We especially like the hybrid option. Getting the pressure exactly right took some repetition, but it wasn't enough to stop us from recommending this quick, easy-to-use inflator.

Ridgid 18V Digital Inflator Specifications

• Model: Rich R87044
• Dimensions (L x H x W): 8.3 x 10.6 x 3.8 inches
• Hose Length: 20 inches
• Maximum pressure: 150 psi
• Weight: 1.35 lbs.
• Warranty: Lifetime Service Agreement
• Price: $69