Well known for making a variety of automotive tools, the Craftsman V20 Cordless Tire Inflator can do a great job of inflating a flat tire and automatically shutting off when finished.

Conveniently, it runs on AC, battery, or the car's internal power supply and has a digital pressure gauge. Unfortunately, it's also the biggest, heaviest, and slowest portable air compressor on the market; although it has a three-year warranty, the V20 cordless tire inflator is one of the most expensive ways to inflate tires.

The price of $89 for the V20 Cordless Tire Inflator by itself may seem like an expensive category, but it is not outlandish. Until you realize that this price does not include the external battery pack.

Two power packs and a charger sell for about $120. Fortunately, there is a combo pack for $208, which is expensive but not too terrible.

The red Craftsman V20 Cordless Tire Inflator is one of the largest portable air compressors, measuring approximately 11.9 x 7.0 x 5.8 inches. This is 10 times the size of the Fantik A8 Apex pump, which may end up being the biggest thing in your trunk.

By itself, this inflator is tough to carry, as it weighs 4.9 pounds. However, when one 2 amp-hour battery pack is added, the weight comes down to 5.8 lbs.

Nevertheless, the Craftsman V20 Cordless Tire Inflator offers freedom of power choice. In addition to the expected 12-volt car accessory adapter, the inflator can be plugged into an AC outlet or use one of the V20 lithium-ion batteries.

A 1.3-inch backlit monochrome digital screen displays the current pressure, and the bottom "+" and "-" keys control an auto-shutoff circuit. There is another button to change the display units between pounds per square inch (PSI) and kilopascals (KPA). The pump is capable of up to 160 PSI.

Two switches above the screen are for selecting the power source and toggling between a low volume setting for tires and a high volume setting for inflatable toys such as air mattresses and rafts. Convenient cable wraps on both ends of the unit are thoughtful design touches that help tie the design together. On the downside, the unit lacks the comforts one would expect from a high-end tire inflator, such as a USB power outlet and an emergency light.

It may be large and heavy, but the Craftsman V20 Cordless Tire Inflator is easy to carry with its flexible pull-out handle. However, there is no case or bag for this inflator.

Three different power options allow this inflator to be used in several ways. First, this tire inflator can be used in a garage with an AC cord; Craftsman's V20 battery snaps in securely to power the device when you need to pump up tires or beach balls off the grid.

On the other hand, the device is likely to be powered by the car's 12-volt cigarette lighter outlet. The device comes with a snap-on 20-inch hose for tires, sports balls, inflatable toys, and bicycle tire valves. The pump's 12-volt cord combined with the air hose would be about 13 feet long. There is also an 18-inch wide hose for filling larger inflatable toys such as rafts.

No matter which configuration was used, the V20 cordless tire inflator started right up, moved air, and made a high-pitched noise. On battery power, it took 4 minutes and 33 seconds to get the flat tire to 30 psi, and by adjusting the keys at the bottom of the screen, it emitted a low drone while pumping.

The automatic shut-off of the inflator worked well, but the pressure indicated by the pump gauge was 2 PSI lower than the pressure indicated by my dedicated gauge. This was also a problem with the B+D inflator.

It took 16.5 seconds to inflate a soccer ball The V20 cordless tire inflator with V20 battery is a must-have for camping and amateur sports. The only caveat is that the battery charge gauge is not visible when installed.

While other manufacturers skimp on warranties, Craftsman offers a 3-year warranty on its V20 cordless tire inflator. This is good, but RoofPax is still better with a lifetime warranty. [The Craftsman V20 Cordless Tire Inflator is like a mirror image of the Black + Decker Inflator. Both run on power from a car, AC outlet, or external battery; there is no USB power port or lights.

Unfortunately, the Craftsman V20 pump is bigger, heavier, and slower, but at $182 with two batteries, it is an effective way to keep everything pumped up.