Thor’s Lighting Bolt Portable Compressor

[GP NOIR]

Thor’s Lightning Bolt Compressor



We picked up a Thor’s Lightning Bolt Compressor at the SLC Off-road Expo for a special show price of $220 out the door. It’s portable and comes with a carry bag and an air hose for airing up tires. The air hose is fitted with an air gauge. The compressor has a one year warranty.

PRO-
-It’s fast. I didn’t time it airing up a set of 35s from 12 psi to 37 psi, but it was faster than my ARB Dual Compressor. Fast enough that if you don’t keep an eye on it, the tires will soon be overinflated.
-Price. Retail is $239.99. Roughly half the cost of an ARB Twin Compressor by itself. The ARB portable compressor kit (which includes a couple more items such as a 2 gallon air tank) is close to $1,000.
-It’s easy to set up and use. Connect the air hose, connect the alligator clips to the battery and turn it on.
-It feels solid and looks well made.

CON-
-It’s bigger than the ARB
-It runs hot. To be fair, ALL compressors get hot. I noticed it particularly with the Thor’s because it was hot when I had to stuff it back in the bag.
-It seems to not have a pressure switch. The ARB shuts off when the system reaches about 145/150 psi. The Thor’s compressor didn’t shut off when it reached full pressure. Maybe I didn’t let it run long enough, but I didn’t want to risk blowing it up.
-The carry bag is flimsy. When I picked it up by the handles, the bag ripped. The zipper broke after being used a couple of times.
-Hose connectors are of an uncommon type. They don’t fit the more commonly used industrial, automotive or universal fittings. If you plan to only use Thor’s inflation hoses, this isn’t an issue.

FINAL THOUGHTS
For someone wanting an economical air compressor with impressive air flow, the Thor’s Lightning Bolt Compressor is worth considering. It fills tires faster than the ARB Twin, an amazing feat at its price point. Run cycle is, I believe, a half hour.

I have no affiliation with Thor’s other than speaking to them at the Expo long enough to be talked into buying a portable compressor for my wife’s Grand Cherokee

 

[Seahawkfan]

Thor’s Lightning Bolt Compressor

View attachment 385888

We picked up a Thor’s Lightning Bolt Compressor at the SLC Off-road Expo for a special show price of $220 out the door. It’s portable and comes with a carry bag and an air hose for airing up tires. The air hose is fitted with an air gauge. The compressor has a one year warranty.

PRO-
-It’s fast. I didn’t time it airing up a set of 35s from 12 psi to 37 psi, but it was faster than my ARB Dual Compressor. Fast enough that if you don’t keep an eye on it, the tires will soon be overinflated.
-Price. Retail is $239.99. Roughly half the cost of an ARB Twin Compressor by itself. The ARB portable compressor kit (which includes a couple more items such as a 2 gallon air tank) is close to $1,000.
-It’s east to set up and use. Connect the air hose, connect the alligator clips to the battery and turn it on.
-It feels solid and looks well

CON-
-It’s bigger than the ARB
-It runs hot. To be fair, ALL compressors get hot. I noticed it particularly with the Thor’s because it was hot when I had to stuff it back in the bag.
-It seems to not have a pressure switch. The ARB shuts off when the system reaches about 145/150 psi. The Thor’s compressor didn’t shut off when it reached full pressure. Maybe I didn’t let it run long enough, but I didn’t want to risk blowing it up.
-The carry bag is flimsy. It you’re when I picked it up by the handles and the zipper broke after just a little use.
-Hose connectors are of an uncommon type. They don’t fit the more commonly used industrial, automotive or universal fittings. If you plan to only use Thor’s inflation hoses, this isn’t an issue.

FINAL THOUGHTS
For someone wanting an economical air compressor with impressive air flow, the Thor’s Lightning Bolt Compressor is worth considering. It fills tires faster than the ARB Twin, an amazing feat at its price point. Run cycle is, I believe, a half hour.

I have no affiliation with Thor’s other than speaking to them at the Expo long enough to be talked into buying a portable compressor for my wife’s Grand Cherokee

Hope things work out for you, but will they be around in 5,10, or 40 years? Time how long it takes you to do all 4 and let me know. I'll race you!

 

[CalSgt]

I'll race you!

I want in...

 

[GP NOIR]

Hope things work out for you, but will they be around in 5,10, or 40 years?

That is a good question and one I don’t have an answer to.

Another important question I cannot answer is, how durable is the Thor’s Lightning Bolt compressor? I don’t know. We haven’t had this one for very long. It has a one year warranty. If we have to use that warranty, I’ll be disappointed. If it lasts five years, we’ll have gotten our money’s worth.

I don’t know how long the ARB Twin will last. I’ve had one mounted under the hood for a few months and it gets used for airing up tires a lot- all four 35 inch tires at the same time. I’ve heard stories about ARB compressors failing. One guy claims he replaced his ARB two or three times before he chucked it and got a CO2 tank. But that hasn’t been MY experience with the ARB compressor. I like mine. A lot.

Time how long it takes you to do all 4 and let me know. I'll race you!

When inflating all four tires at once, the Thor’s compressor is quicker than the ARB. As I said before, I didn’t put it on a timer but I have aired up my tires many times using the ARB. The ARB airs up the tires at a slower, more relaxed pace.

I know, without empirical data, it’s strictly anecdotal. But after airing up a lot of tires, you develop a good feel for it. Same goes for airing up the 30 inch tires on the wife’s Grand Cherokee. They air up quicker than 35s. Take it for what it’s worth.

I don’t think the Thor’s compressor is THE answer to anyone’s needs. But I do think it’s worth considering if an economical compressor is needed or wanted.

It’s too large to mount under the hood of my JK. I believe there’s an option to mount the compressor under one of the seats, but I don’t want a compressor mounted inside my Jeep. Personally, I don’t think the Thor’s is a good option for my JK and I will by sticking to my ARB. But it is a good option for the wife’s GC.

I don’t have enough experience with the Thor’s compressor to give it my recommendation. But I do think it’s an option worth considering.

 

[GP NOIR]

I want in...

View attachment 385891

I’m not saying the Power Tank isn’t a good system. It just isn’t for me. Tire inflation is important enough that I don’t want to risk running out of air on the trail. I don’t have the wherewithal to top off the CO2 tanks before every trip to ensure I always have air.

It’s like fuel. The one rule I don’t violate is to top off my tank at the last gas station before leaving the pavement, even if it means I can only squeeze in a gallon or two.

 

[Mike Pierson]

These are a Chinese brand that is sold by morrflate, NAPA and a host of others. Theres plenty of tutorials on the net on hownto add pressure cutoffs, new hoses, etc.

 

[CalSgt]

I’m not saying the Power Tank isn’t a good system. It just isn’t for me. Tire inflation is important enough that I don’t want to risk running out of air on the trail. I don’t have the wherewithal to top off the CO2 tanks before every trip to ensure I always have air.

It’s like fuel. The one rule I don’t violate is to top off my tank at the last gas station before leaving the pavement, even if it means I can only squeeze in a gallon or two.

I agree, I have it because it was given to me & only cost a little to get it working I wouldn't recommend a tank over a compressor.

Only reason it came up was dude was challenging and wanting a race, tanks are expensive and run out but they're fast as a MF

 

[Spazbyt]

How the hell can it not have a pressure switch?

 

[onlyone]

How the hell can it not have a pressure switch?

The plant in china ran out. All the 5 year olds were sick that week.

 

[wayoflife]

Thanks for the thorough review on the Thors compressor. I really appreciate the pros and cons that you listed.

 

[Colorado4x4]

The plant in china ran out. All the 5 year olds were sick that week.

That made me laugh out loud

 

[GP NOIR]

UPDATE: Always check your gear before leaving on a trip.

Although I have an onboard ARB compressor, I took the Thor’s with me to Hungry Valley this past weekend. Neither of my buddies had onboard air. I figured by bringing the Thor’s portable compressor and the air hose that came with it, we could air up two rigs at the same time.

When we used the Thor’s compressor before, we always used a four way air hose to air up all four tires at once. I hadn’t given the hose that came with the portable compressor anything more than a cursory glance. This weekend was the first time I tried using the air hose and discovered- surprise surprise- it’s cheap. You have to screw the air chuck onto the valve stem and the needle of the supplied tire gage is jammed by the thin piece of paper that’s supposed to be the dial face. I don’t think the hose is worth fixing. I’m going to assemble another four way hose to keep with the compressor.

The compressor itself worked fine quickly airing up three sets of tires.

 

[bobfriesenhahn]

UPDATE: Always check your gear before leaving on a trip.

Although I have an onboard ARB compressor, I took the Thor’s with me to Hungry Valley this past weekend. Neither of my buddies had onboard air. I figured by bringing the Thor’s portable compressor and the air hose that came with it, we could air up two rigs at the same time.

When we used the Thor’s compressor before, we always used a four way air hose to air up all four tires at once. I hadn’t given the hose that came with the portable compressor anything more than a cursory glance. This weekend was the first time I tried using the air hose and discovered- surprise surprise- it’s cheap. You have to screw the air chuck onto the valve stem and the needle of the supplied tire gage is jammed by the thin piece of paper that’s supposed to be the dial face. I don’t think the hose is worth fixing. I’m going to assemble another four way hose to keep with the compressor.

The compressor itself worked fine quickly airing up three sets of tires.

It is good you did not air up and leave your unprepared buddies to starve in Hungry Valley!

 

[Mike Pierson]

UPDATE: Always check your gear before leaving on a trip.

Although I have an onboard ARB compressor, I took the Thor’s with me to Hungry Valley this past weekend. Neither of my buddies had onboard air. I figured by bringing the Thor’s portable compressor and the air hose that came with it, we could air up two rigs at the same time.

When we used the Thor’s compressor before, we always used a four way air hose to air up all four tires at once. I hadn’t given the hose that came with the portable compressor anything more than a cursory glance. This weekend was the first time I tried using the air hose and discovered- surprise surprise- it’s cheap. You have to screw the air chuck onto the valve stem and the needle of the supplied tire gage is jammed by the thin piece of paper that’s supposed to be the dial face. I don’t think the hose is worth fixing. I’m going to assemble another four way hose to keep with the compressor.

The compressor itself worked fine quickly airing up three sets of tires.

Yep, the hose and such are cheap Chinese trash. As I mentioned above, there are many videos on the web on how to replace the hose, add pressure cutoff, and one that I know of that rebuilt one to run cooler.