Black And Decker AS1500, with its range of unique features, is a highly efficient air compressor/ inflator pump. The inflator, being light weight and cordless, makes it easy to use whether one is at home or on the road. Except the battery charger, all other accessories can be stored in the storage unit within the device.
The inflator can be used to inflate sports balls, air mattresses, bike, car and truck tires and many more inflatable items. The unit is provided with three connectors mounted on the front of the device for inflating balls and other inflatable items.
The high capacity hose pipe is equipped with a large connector and a high capacity adapter for thrusting in the ‘internal flap’ of various inflatable items. The inflator has an LED light on the front to facilitate working in dim light.
The bright digital dial makes it comfortable to read in daylight or at night. The sleep mode of the inflator helps in conserving battery life.
There are a number of compressors and high capacity inflators in the market. However, there are very few types of equipment, which are not only cordless but also, perform both the functions of a compressor and an inflator.
The Operating Instructions
The instruction manual provided along with the Black And Decker AS1500 inflator gives detailed operating instructions. To start with, one has to press a button to select the compressor function or ‘high volume’ function and then press ‘+’ or ‘-‘button until the pressure reading indicates ‘0’.
After that press ‘+’ or ‘-‘ until the meter reaches the desired pressure reading. It is somewhat a time consuming job to keep pushing the ‘+’ up and down, particularly when one has to move from ’0’ to ‘80’.
There is no other way to set the desired pressure. After the desired pressure is set, the power button needs to be pushed to start inflating the object. As soon as the required pressure is attained, the power turns off automatically.
It is not difficult to operate the AS1500 once all the steps are clearly understood. However, the inflator cannot be operated spontaneously without knowing how to run it. It is, therefore, advisable to keep the compressor/inflator and the manual at one place for easy reference of instructions, whenever required.
Battery Life and Car Adapter
Black and Deck AS 1500 is provided with a powerful 12-Volt battery, which charges fully in about five hours. With this charge, one can inflate one truck tire, four minivan tires and four children’s bike tires over a period of three days before the battery gets fully discharged.
However, it is not possible to pump all the tires in one charge, if all the tires are in fully deflated condition. The car adapter may be useful to recharge the battery using the cord that is thoughtfully wrapped to the bottom of the unit. Therefore, for charging the battery of the unit one has to be near the car.
AS1500 High Pressure
The inflator/ compressor also features a digital gauge that measures air pressure. Though the manual indicates that the compressor should not be operated for more than 10 minutes at a time and there should be a gap of 20 minutes between usages for pressures beyond 100PSI, the equipment can, at times, withstand higher pressures.
Neither the manual nor the top of the box indicates the maximum capacity. As it is sometimes difficult to disengage the nozzle from the valve, the air is likely to escape. In order to get over the problem, it is better to inflate to higher pressure than what is required, to provide for air leakages.
On the whole, Black and Decker AS 1500 12-Volt Cordless Air Station Inflator is a versatile and extremely useful equipment. If you are thinking of getting a cordless and portable air inflator, click on the button on the right to order it from Amazon.com and have it shipped to your doorstep today.