Dyna 12 Volt Inflator with cigarette lighter plug

For 12 volt inflators, one of the three choices we carry is the economical and compact Dyna ($19), which plugs into a cigarette lighter. If you want to run it off the battery terminals you'll need to splice in two larger alligator clamps. Please note this pump only puts out around 1/3 p.s.i. which is not enough to fully inflate anything beyond a cheap vinyl toy boat. You will still need a foot or barrel pump for topping off. We should also point out that a Dyna does not have the pressure needed to open the springs on the one-way check valves now found on most inflatables. You must leave these valves open while using many electric pumps, then quickly and manually close each valve with your index finger when you have reached the point where no more air is going in. Essentially Dyna's use tiny slot-car motors and look cheaply made, but they do hold up very well, their output is quite good, and they have a two year manufacturers' warranty which is unheard for an electric pump. They should not be run for more than 5 - 6 minutes, which is enough time to blow up one fourteen footer or at least the main tubes of a sixteen foot raft. If you send one back to the manufacturer that has been badly overheated don't expect them to cover it.

Our feeling about 12 volt pumps is that there really are no great ones, but at the price Dynas are not much of a gamble. You can spend big money on a British made LVM, and if you're a busy boater you will be lucky to get two or three seasons out of it. LVM's were designed to be used in an emergency on the dinghy of your sinking yacht. They weren't made to be used over and over again by rafters. Metro makes a fairly reliable 12 volt but it runs about $69 and puts out very little air. And there are lots of others, all with various problems and price ranges, but we feel the Dyna offers by far the best value at nineteen bucks.