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One of my joe blow mountains has packed in- I think it might well be fixable but it's pretty beaten up and I want to turn the chuck into a compressor inflator, so I'm going to replace it.
I really like the old Mountain, the gauge isn't perfect but it's done the job I want really well, it's just good at pumping basically. I don't really value the "higher quality" of say Lezyne, wood handles and suchlike, plastic is fine... And I basically like manually switched valves more than auto ones, and flippy ones more than screwy ones, they're just more dependable ime. So I think it ticks all the boxes... but is there something else?
I do have a compressor but tubeless powah is still useful, the Mountain does pretty well for this. My only real complaint is that the higher pressures seem wasted- for a mountain bike pump who needs 60psi? And getting there is pretty hard, I can't actually work the pump at max pressure because I'm too light, I push myself up instead of the pump going down! So something that took teh concept and ran with it, and had like a 30psi gauge, would be ideal... Oh and the old Mountain has a pretty wee gauge at foot height, so either a big-ass gauge or having it at the top would be nice. The X has a 3 inch gauge at mid height, the Ex has a 3.5 gauge at floor height, seems about equivalent...
I wouldn't say no to digital, but anything digi and inexpensive seems to be high pressure, the only low pressure one I can find is the lezyne hv and it's £120...
Anything else I should consider? I do like that an SKS will last the rest of my life but I'm not sure that's actually worth it, not compared to better actual pumping... Any thoughts much appreciated!
I'm currently deciding on a new floor pump given my cheap old one has virtually died. I've got a compressor but it could be useful to have a bit of tubeless assistance when away so might get something with a tank.
Oh maybe I want a Joeblow Fat? Or a Dualie? The Fat's "fatbike specific" but it seems like it ought to work well for normal mtb especially since I'm a low pressurer
I was just looking at the Dualie. That could work.
I've had the old yellow Joe Blow and I bought a replacement, and TBH, while both are/were OK, the yellow one lasted maybe 10 years and it's replacement which hasn't lasted half that "works" but you have to pump it very slowly, or it just won't for reasons I can't work out, that I'm reluctant to either recommend it, or buy a another replacement.
The fat is great. Probably what we should all be using anyway.
i bet the big one way seal at the bottom of your mountain has dried out. I took mine apart, cleaned the seal and re-greased it with some silicone grease and it’s been better than new since. Took me 20 minutes.
I have nearly worn out my original Mountain pump, top cap pops out occasionally and I haven’t been able to fix it properly.
It is a good pump for MTB use but pump head seems to have bit restrictive air flow and the gauge is off by 3-5 psi compared to my SKS digi gauge (which has been worn out too, there doesn’t see to be new gaskets available).
There doesn’t seem to be any obvious alternatives to various Topeak Mountain models, fat barrel is a excellent for seating tubeless tyres on trips. I haven’t needed any air boosters so far.
Specialized Air Tool MTB has a 0-40 PSI gauge. Gauge is at the foot and is about 3" - but is plenty clear enough for me.
I bought a Topeak Joeblow booster to replace a knackered (about 20 years old) Joe Blow and a Bontrager flashcharger tubeless pump. It is ... OK ...nowhere near as good airflow for seating tubeless tyres as the Bontrager and not quite as good as my original Joe Blow for just pumping tyres up. It does seem to be well built though.
Just wish it was a bit better for seating tyres.
Specialized Air Tool MTB
ooh, same colour as my bike...That's too matchy matchy, right?
I’ve had the old yellow Joe Blow and I bought a replacement, and TBH, while both are/were OK, the yellow one lasted maybe 10 years and it’s replacement which hasn’t lasted half that “works” but you have to pump it very slowly, or it just won’t for reasons I can’t work out, that I’m reluctant to either recommend it, or buy a another replacement.
+1
It's the non-return valve on newer models that seems like a weak link, It's behind a little cap on the barrel below the gauge (or on the back, I cant remember).
I've no idea what they're made on but they're made of cheese now. I think they have an issue with the heat (compressed air at ~150psi in the chamber is pretty hot until it expands back to 15psi in the tire).
Replacements are about £5.
We have a SKS digital floor pump in the garage for every day use. Does what its supposed to do and gauge seems accurate when checking against other gauges.
I can’t actually work the pump at max pressure because I’m too light
Humble brag much
I have a couple of these -
Its pretty basic in its functionality, but the pressure gauge is really easy to see, it seems very easy to get up to 140psi (for a tubeless tank)
No idea on your weight, but its regularly used by people who are less that 50kg (Not me!) and they have no issues at all.
Genuinely a decent bit of kit!
I’ve had the old yellow Joe Blow and I bought a replacement, and TBH, while both are/were OK, the yellow one lasted maybe 10 years
I still have mine. It must be 25 years old. I think it may have cost me around £25 at one of the early NEC Bike Shows. Replaced the seals in the head once. Cleaned and greased the ones several times in the barrel. Works well, or perhaps I am just cheap!
Decathlon do a big beefy mtb/gravel pump with a gauge the size of a bar mat and metal construction. Push on valve head. I like it.
Decathlon do a big beefy mtb/gravel pump with a gauge the size of a bar mat and metal construction. Push on valve head. I like it.
The only problem with them is that style of head can be a PITA. They automatically select presta/schrader based on back pressure when you connect it, which is perfect for topping up but always seems to get it wrong when trying to inflate from completely flat, e.g. a tubeless tire or to put some air in a tube to check for holes.
The topeak style where you push the lever left/right to select is far more reliable.
That or just get a brass silca head that costs as much as the pump!
I'm looking too, I have a decathlon thing that was great until the kids spent a day trying to inflate everything (the giggles made it worth it) and I now only use to start inflation as I have a SKS thing that's crap at starting but ok to finish.
Basically I'm using two crap pumps and want one that works.
Ok thanks folks, managed to track down a Joeblow Fat in stock and as much as anything else I'm curious how well it actually works so I've nabbed that.
Specialized Air Tool MTBhas a 0-40 PSI gauge. Gauge is at the foot and is about 3″ – but is plenty clear enough for me.
I bought this and am well impressed! It seated new tyres without any hassle! I've never had a decent track pump before.
I was bought the Comp version (0-160psi and red) of this approx. 20+ yrs ago. Its proved to be bulletproof and only needed the seal on the shaft re-greasing a year or two ago. Obviously not so easy to get an exact pressure, but how accurate are the gauges anyway, it is repeatability that I'm after.
It seats new tyres perfectly, as long as the zip ties have been removed and the tyre left for a couple of hours beforehand.
That Spec pump looks very similar to the Jet Black Biggest Fella pump I just got.
The gauge is nice. 0 30psi really big and then up to 160 psi smaller.