I’ve been using a Xiaomi Pro 2 e-pump as a base station pump in my campervan for the last couple of years and it has been excellent. Not something I would carry on a bike as it is basically a small brick but neat and small(ish) replacement for a track pump in the van. It has not been used excessively, mainly for top ups before rides.
Then… yesterday it decided to not inflate a tyre. Fires up, pumps like fury, but no pressure. Also, a sad little ‘pssss’ noise when you stop pumping and all the air in the tyre flows out thru the Presta valve and the side of the pump .
OK, disassembly time. Once mostly apart but still working, investigation showed it only lost pressure when the piston was in the middle third of its stroke. Further disassembly revealed that a moulding fault in the side of the piston bore jus in that region, a shallow grove along the mould line in the alloy left after machining was causing the problem and the piston seal could no longer make up the difference. So, not a seal failure as I’d hoped but a manufacturing fault.
This means a new e-pump but before I splash out, has anyone else had problems with this sort of Xiaomi pump, or any with e-pump (small or large)? Tell us your experiences, good or bad!
I have not yet used a battery powered inflator so my personal experience with these things is nil. But I keep on hearing good things about them…
I’m still a track pump sort of a guy.
I do love my current track pump. It’s a super elcheapo one from Mitre 10, but it has lasted at least 3 years, which is longer than my previous track pumps which were more “prestigious” brands.
Having said that, the Mitre 10 Track pump won’t really pump up any higher than 70 PSI. But that’s not an issue for the type riding that I do.
I did buy a battery car tyre inflator once, the type that plugs into the car cigarette lighter.
It was in the bargain bin at one of the big brand Auto stores. Cost me 20 dollars and i think it managed to pump up a few tyres before it stopped working. Lesson learnt.
I bought one of the Xiaomi ones in 2023. took it as my main pump when travelling. but like yours it’s large. i’ve since bought a mini one from aliexpress (i’ve charged it but haven’t used it in anger). i reckon i’ll take the smaller one with me with travelling. i use the large one at home to pump up the car tyres
Has done the job a few times already, but have also been caught out with a flat battery as i hadnt charged it in a while.
Mainly used for my weekend rides, so charging has become part of my pre ride routine, charge lights/pump. Garmin gets charged as i still manually upload rides (my mates still laugh at me), im a creature of habbit.
Commuter i still pack a c02, just easy for me to chuck my repair kit in the backpack.
I have an old Topeak JoeBlow thats probably 20 years old thats still going strong, have had to replace the head chuck once (a few months back actually).
I also have an old Silca pista pump that was given to me by a BNA member, has a modified head, this thing is amazing.
Im looking at those AEG/Maktia pumps, as i have both in the form of cordless equipment, so a pump kind of makes sense.
More to pump the families bikes where they’re all schrader valves.
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so my personal experience with these things is nil. But I keep on hearing good things about them…