You want to waste as little time as possible on an off-road adventure. Unfortunately, if you’re going to set tires up for success against rough and loose gravel surfaces, you’ll need to use a tire deflator tool. You can end up in a sticky situation if you head out for an overlanding adventure without a tire deflating tool.
Today, we’re sharing six of the best tire-deflating tools that make it easy to air down your tires while off-roading. Let’s get started!
Why Do You Need a Tire Deflator?
If you do almost all your driving on solid road surfaces, you likely won’t need to use a tire deflator. However, a tire deflator comes in handy for those who like to take their vehicles off-roading on surfaces with loose gravel.
Airing down your tires in these situations helps to increase the surface area between the tire and the road surface. This increases traction and can help vehicles avoid getting stuck when driving on loose road surfaces.
Tire deflators help you to quickly and easily reduce tire pressure. Some versions of tire deflators will monitor the air pressure and stop letting air out once they reach a specific pressure. This can help you avoid deflating your tires too much and causing a flat tire.
How Does a Tire Deflator Tool Work?
There are a few types of tire deflators. The three types are pre-set screw-on tire deflators, e-z tire deflators, and primitive tire deflators. They do the same job, but how they do it is different.
Pre-set screw-on tire deflators screw onto the valve and put pressure onto the valve core. This releases air from the tire, pushing a spring inside the deflator. Once the air can’t overpower the spring, the tire deflator closes and stops the air from leaving the tire. These deflators can take some time as they slow down while the tire pressure lowers the tire.
E-Z tire deflators remove the valve core to allow an extremely fast flow of air from the tire. These deflators will enable you to remove 1 PSI per second. However, if you’re not careful and watching your tire pressure gauge, you’ll let too much air out of your tires. So make sure you’re paying attention when using this method.
Finally, if you don’t have one, you can use some primitive tire deflators. All you need to do is press in on the valve core with a sharp object. You can use a screwdriver or rock to press in on the core and let the air out of your tires. You’ll want to frequently check how much pressure is in the tire to avoid removing too much air. Be careful not to damage the valve stem when using this method.
Pro Tip: Learn more about the ins and outs of When, Where, and How to Air Down Your Tires.
6 Best Tire Deflator Tools You Should Invest In
It’s not a question about whether or not you should invest in a tire deflator, especially if you plan to spend much time off-roading. However, you’ll have to decide which is right for you and your particular situation. Here are six of the best ones worth investing in for off-roading.
#1 Staun Automatic Tire Deflators
About: Staun Automatic Tire Deflators were the brainchild of two Australians who were tired of deflating their tires. These are one of the most popular options in the off-roading community. It’s because they get the job done quickly and accurately every time.
They screw onto your tires and reduce the air pressure to the pre-set level between six and 30 PSI. However, they come with a premium price tag ($100) compared to other options.
- FAST: Accurately air down all four tires from street pressures to...
- AUTOMATIC: Apply one deflator onto each tire stem and Staun...
- ADJUSTABLE: Airdown from street pressures to between 6 and 30 PSI...
Features: The Staun Automatic Tire Deflator set comes in a set of four. Set it to the intended PSI (factory set is 18 PSI) and connect them to each of your tires. This allows you to attach one to each tire so the tires air down simultaneously.
![How To Set Staun Tire Deflators [Instructional Video] - How To Set Your Tyre Deflators By Staun](https://www.mortonsonthemove.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-youtube-lyte/lyteCache.php?origThumbUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2F1RPPg3nphJo%2F0.jpg)
#2 ARB E-Z Tire Deflator
About: The ARB E-Z Tire Deflator comes with everything you need to quickly and accurately deflate your tires. The various components of this tire deflating tool are comprised of brass, which means it’ll be able to withstand abuse while off-roading. Since you can remove the valve core, you can expect to release 1 PSI per second, which means less time airing down and more time adventuring. These units come with a mid-level price tag of $50, but they’re worth every penny.
- Corrosion resistant brass/stainless deflator tool
- Quality bronze bourdon tube gauge design ensures accuracy is not...
- Fully geared, solid brass precision movement
Features: The ARB E-Z makes it easy to remove and store the valve core and monitor your tire pressure. The tube gauge makes reading the tire pressure level easy and can help avoid releasing too much air. It comes with a canvas pouch to make it easy to store in your glove box or a storage compartment when not in use.
#3 Real 4×4 Tire Air Deflators
About: If you like the idea of an automatic tire deflating tool but don’t like the expensive price tag of other options, a set of Real 4×4 Tire Air Deflators might be the answer. These come in at a budget-friendly price of $35 and function very similarly to the Staun Automatic Tire Deflators we mentioned earlier.
You can deflate all four tires on your vehicle in approximately five minutes and avoid pain from kneeling for an extended time. Your knees and back will thank you!
Features: The Real 4×4 Air Deflators come in a rugged carrying case and pouch to provide optimal protection. You can set them from 6 PSI to 30 PSI. They even come with a digital tire pressure gauge to check your tire pressure before and after your adventures.
#4 VIAIR Air Down Gauge
About: VIAIR is a respected name, and their air-down gauge won’t disappoint you. Screw it onto the valve stem and lock it in place for the air to start flowing out of your tire. Keep an eye on the gauge display as you air your tires down one at a time to avoid over-deflating your tires.
This is the slowest method for deflating your tires, but it can be a great choice if you don’t regularly go off-roading. If you’re not looking to invest a heap of money, the $25 price tag on this air-down gauge is appealing.
Features: The gauge displays pressures from 0 to 60 PSI but doesn’t allow you to pre-set a shutoff point. However, the gauge display is easy to read and can help you avoid over-deflating your tires. It comes with a nylon storage pouch that will protect it while it sits in storage and during your adventures.
#5 Teraflex 4807200 Air Deflator
About: The Teraflex 4807200 is made from zinc-plated steel to make it tough and corrosion-resistant. The zinc-plated steel helps ensure that it has a long life helping you to deflate your tires. If you like to keep things simple, the Teraflex 4807200 is for you.
- Product Type :Auto Accessory
- Package Dimensions :1.27 Cm L 11.43 Cm W 11.43 Cm H
- Country Of Origin :China
Features: The Teraflex 4807200 air deflators screw together and are easy to attach to the keychain of your off-roading vehicle. This helps ensure they’re always readily available when you need to use them. They can’t be set to an exact PSI, but once you get the hang of using them, you’ll likely get into a routine and be able to avoid over-deflating your tires.
#6 Boulder Tools Tire Deflators
About: Sometimes, it pays off to have more than just a tire deflator on hand pays off. Having a handy kit like the Boulder Tools Tire Deflator helps ensure that you can quickly and easily set your tires to the proper levels. However, you don’t have to break the bank to get the job done. This Boulder Tools Tire Deflator kit costs less than $30 and gets glowing reviews from users.
- FASTEST & MOST ACCURATE WAY TO DEFLATE A TIRE - This heavy-duty...
- DURABLE & STRONG BOULDER TOOLS QUALITY: True to our reputation...
- INSTANT PSI QUICK CHECK - While airing down your tire you can...
Features: This kit from Boulder Tools contains practically everything you could need for deflating your off-roading tires. It comes with a rapid tire deflator and a carrying pouch that makes it easy to keep track of the extra valve caps, valve cores, and the valve tool. It comes with all the necessary pieces of equipment to deflate your tires.
Pro Tip: A flat tire can ruin an adventure fast! Find out What to Do to Save Your Road Trip.
Improve Your Traction With the Right Tire Deflator
If you’re planning to spend much time off-roading, you want to have the right tire deflator. This is not the area that you want to try to save a few bucks. You want a tire deflator to quickly and accurately get the job done. You don’t want to spend time sitting and waiting for your tires to deflate, which means less time to adventure. Get the right tire deflator so your vehicle can have the best traction while off-roading.
Which tire deflator is right for you? Tell us in the comments!
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