Milwaukee Air Pump Review

The Milwaukee M12 air pump Inflator was one of my favorite tool purchases that I made last year. I do not regret adding this tool to my HVAC tool list collection.

For me, the Milwaukee air pump is a must-have tool both as a professional, as a homeowner, and as an outdoor enthusiast. It is important to remember what this tool is intended uses are. The M12 inflator is an air pump, not an air compressor. If you are looking for a portable air compressor check out my post on the Milwaukee Air Compressor.

M12 Inflator Air Pump Uses

Earlier this year, I unknowingly had a nail stuck in one of my work truck tires. Once the workday was complete, I loaded up all my tools, hopped in the truck, and noticed I had a tire pressure monitoring alert. (That is always the best news at the end of a workday.) I had 10 psi in my tire, and I really did not want to have to break out the jack and swap to my spare just to make it to the tire shop down the street. Situations like these are where the Milwaukee Inflator shines. It is compact, lightweight, easy to keep in a toolbox or on a work truck. Best of all it’s a reliable work horse and gets the job done.

Back to my flat tire story, I was able to air up my tire from 10 psi to 35 psi in about a 90 seconds, take the truck to the local tire shop for a quick patch job, and back on my way home in no time. I now always toss this little air pump into the truck whenever I’m headed to the woods camping or out to the lake fishing. It is cheap insurance and can get you out of a pinch at the most inopportune times. It wouldn’t be bad to have as part of an emergency vehicle kit as well.

As a homeowner, this tool excels in its portability. Filling bike tires, footballs, basketballs, wheelbarrow wheels, you name it. The ability to have a powered air pump on demand in such a small portable package is a game-changer.

One of the coolest features that Milwaukee designed into this compact unit is the anti-vibration stand. Other inflators are plagued by vibration issues causing them to bounce all over the place. The issues are so bad you would never think of using them on a tabletop. With this design of the Milwaukee air pump, you don’t have to worry. The ability to set this unit anywhere and begin using it knowing that it will stay right where you left it helps set it apart from the competition.

Keep in mind that this is not a full-on air compressor, or designed to be a replacement to your air compressor it is an air pump. If speed is your number one priority, this tool is probably not for you. What you lack in speed, the Milwaukee air pump more than makes up for in portability and convenience. The tool comes in at only 7.5″ in height, 6.5″ in length, 6.5” width and weighs only 3.8 lbs.

Specifications of The Milwaukee 2475 Air Pump

PSI Rating of 0-120 PSI +/- 3% accuracy

0.88 CFM at 0 PSI and 0.63 CFM at 35 PSI

Large easy to read back-lit display for use in any environment

Auto shut off at the desired PSI setting

26” hose with an all brass Schrader chuck,

Weather and impact resistant featuring a reinforced cage

50% Duty Cycle

Fittings Included with the 2575

(1) Ball Inflation Needle

(1) Presta Chuck

(1) Schrader Chuck

(1) Inflator Nozzle

The owners manual (found here) specifies that the tool can be used up to a maximum of 10 minutes of continuous use, and then must be allowed to cool for 10 minutes before using again. This is one of the best duty cycles that I have found among any of the other inflators available.

The M12 inflator is protected by built-in temperature protection which may display the temp warning during extended use or restricted airflow. If the Temperature Protection Indicator comes on, allow the tool to cool at least 10 minutes before continuing. In extremely low temperatures, the Temperature Protection Indicator may come on if the battery is too cold. I have never experienced either of these scenarios, but its good to keep this in mind.

As an HVAC service technician, I don’t know why you wouldn’t want to have one of these on your truck. Gone are the days of lugging a corded pancake air compressor or nitrogen cylinders to the roof to fill expansion tanks. I realize that a small air compressor is neither overly heavy or extremely large, but in comparison to this tool, it sure feels like it. We already lug enough heavy items around, and I prefer to keep weight to a minimum when possible.

Space in my service truck is extremely valuable and limited as well, so the ability to trade an air compressor out for the M12 Inflator is well worth it. I’ve spoken with plumbers who use this tool as well for air testing short sections of plumbing before install. In a pinch, you could probably use this to fill a portable air tank like this and run some smaller air tools off of it like a brad nailer. I might have to try that now, and see how it works.

Milwaukee is not the only manufacture to come out with a portable inflator, and I know that there are quite a few of us out there who wouldn’t mind seeing them release an M18 version of the tool. It would most likely increase the cost, and size which is most likely why we only have the one version. If you are already invested in another tool manufacture battery system it may be worth checking out the offerings by Dewalt or Ryobi. I’ve never used either of those versions, but I have heard good things.

What would I change?

Overall I love this little tool, and it is a great one to own as an HVAC service technician, but if I could make two changes to the tool, I would.

The first change would be the ability to run off of their 18v batteries. This would have made the tool slightly larger, but I think that an m18 inflator would feel just a little more heavy duty.

Not only would it cut down on fill times, but the battery life would have been better. The 18v batteries have a good selection of amp hour ratings, and I think that would be a great option.

Next would be the ability to run off of an external power source. Especially since this tool is already on the 12v system, it would have been great to have the ability to plug directly into a vehicle 12v power source such as a cigarette lighter.

If this feature would have been included, it would also have been very easy to include a 110v down to 12v power source which would allow this tool to run off of any standard receptacle which would offer much more versatility.

I am assuming that these options were not made a reality due to the limited duty cycle of the tool, as well as keeping the overall cost, size, and weight down.

Even without those features, I’ll continue to use and recommend this tool to anyone working as an HVAC technician.

The Dewalt comes in a bit larger, but also has the ability to run off of 3 possible power sources 20V MAX battery, 12V DC, or 110V AC. Again, I wish that Milwaukee would have integrated the 12v dc vehicle power source into their inflator as that could prove to be an extremely valuable feature. The dewalt DCC020IB features a maximum 160 psi, but the downside is the 10 min of 20 min off duty cycle. You can find more info and current pricing here.

Ryobi also has an 18v inflator of their own and may be worth looking into if you are already invested in to that battery system. The powered air pump features the ability to inflate between 0-150 psi, but at a reduced duty cycle of 10 minutes on, 20 minutes of. This one also comes in a little cheaper than the Dewalt and Milwaukee, so if the duty cycle or battery system is not important to you, this may be one you want to look at.

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