Inflatable items will lose air over time. Whether it's your car tires, bicycle tires, basketball, or something else, there will come a time when you need a handy source of air. Inflatables like air mattresses and pool toys also need the occasional pump when it comes time to use them and one device that satisfies both needs is the **Black & Decker ASI500 12- Volt Cordless Air Station Inflator**, a small air compressor. **Air Compressor Commentary:**The Black & Decker ASI500 12- Volt Cordless Air Station Inflator is compact in size, with a built- in handle for carrying. This air compressor includes two hoses for all your inflating needs. One hose is used for high pressure needs (like car tires); the other, larger hose is used for high volume, low pressure needs (like air mattresses, rafts). Multiple accessories are included that can be attached to the tip of the hoses, for use in different items. A cordless design helps to make inflating more convenient and an included car cord makes it easy to inflate your tires when you're on the go and do not have an ordinary electrical supply handy. The unit is lightweight, weighing only about five pounds, and has an LED light for nighttime operation. It shows pressure in psi, bars, and kPa, and it comes with a one- year warranty. One fact I noticed immediately with the Black & Decker ASI500 12- Volt Cordless Air Station Inflator is that the manufacturer did not make it with intuition in mind. When I first received this air compressor, I took it out of the box and decided to test it on my car tires. I hooked it up and pressed the power button. To my surprise, it didn't work. I then opened up the owner's manual and learned that the unit will not work this way. The desired pressure has to be preset when using the high- pressure hose.  And to set the desired pressure, you must follow exact directions (hold two buttons at once, wait for flash, then find the pressure option you want, then press up or down arrows). It is doubtful that many people would figure this out on their own.  As for the operation, I did notice one problem with the Black & Decker ASI500 12- Volt Cordless Air Station Inflator. The problem involves achieving the proper seal. The locking arm, at the tip of the hose, has to be firmly sealed or else the unit will not function properly. I had this happen with my first few attempts to use this on my tires and I couldn't understand what was wrong. What I found out is that if the tip of the hose has not been firmly sealed, the unit will not inflate. It will respond for a few seconds, and then shut off. This would seem simple enough to correct, but if there isn't enough clearance between your car tire stems and the edge of the wheel, you may not be able to seal properly and thus you will not be able to use this air compressor. Are there any other problems with this air compressor? Only a couple, and they are minor. One is the short length of the cords. They are both very short and thus the unit has to be placed very close to the item in need of inflation. Another small criticism is the noise level. For something this small, the Black & Decker ASI500 12- Volt Cordless Air Station Inflator makes quite a bit of noise and it can get annoying very quickly from close range. On the positive side, however, it is nice that this air compressor is capable of handling high and low pressure tasks, with its two hoses. It is also nice that it has an auto shutoff feature for the high pressure side, because this protects against over- inflation. **Bottom- Line Viewpoint:**Air compressors are very handy and the Black & Decker ASI500 12- Volt Cordless Air Station Inflator is a good device for inflating tires, air mattresses, and other items. If you buy it with the primary intention of using it on your vehicles tires, be aware that unless you have enough clearance, you may not be able to achieve the proper seal and therefore will be unable to use the unit. Otherwise, the Black & Decker ASI500 12- Volt Cordless Air Station Inflator is a handy little compressor, with enough capabilities to handle most all of your inflating needs.

Bryan-Carey

Houston, TX