The Q Industries MV50 SuperFlow High-Volume 12-Volt air compressor is known to outperform many more expensive models. It gives performance which is comparable to compressors running on electricity, and remains to retain a compact structure. Here we have supplied a more detailed look at what makes this option from Q Industries perfect for outdoor and off-road fans.
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At-A-Glance Specs
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Brand:
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Q Industries
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Model:
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MV50
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Category:
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Automotive
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Style:
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Portable
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Weight:
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10.25-lbs
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Tank Size:
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N\A
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Peak HP:
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0.8
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CFM@90 PSI:
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2.54
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Max Pressure:
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120 PSI
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Pump Type:
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Oil-free
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Oil Type:
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N/A
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Noise:
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79 dB
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Rating:
(1-5 stars)
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>> Check Current Price of the MV50 <<
Size
The MV-50 is compact and lightweight, weight just under 10.5 pounds. It is small enough to transport under your seat or conveniently in your boot. The coiled hose retracts into a small space for simple use and storage afterwards.
Performance
The CFM rating is fantastic on this compact compressor. Even though its use is intended for tire inflation primarily it still pushes 2.54 CFM at 90 PSI. It’s maximum capacity is 120 PSU and takes less than a minute to inflate most passenger vehicle tires. A truck tire inflates in less than three minutes, making this a good match to outdoor enthusiasts. From zero PSI to full capacity takes roughly three minutes as well.
Pump Type
The MV50 is drive by a direct drive single cylinder motor, powered at 1/3 horsepower. It uses no oil and requires no maintenance. The pump can run for four minutes, requiring a two minute cool-down period in-between use.
Noise Level
Benefitting from its sturdy construction, the unit does not vibrate excessively. As a result it makes very little noise at all, although no exact volume ratings have been measured. It operates at approximately 65dB, which is just louder than a normal conversation.
Additional Considerations
A cigarette lighter attachment is not provided due to the MV-50 pulling 30 amps of power, which would fuse most vehicles’ lighters. The 10-foot power cord should be long enough to reach most batteries.
Who It’s For
The Q Industries MV50 is designed for automotive use and is best suited to those making use of off-road vehicles. It is a portable compressor but features a hard-mounted bracket for those that wish to make it a permanent fixture on their recreational vehicle.
Pros
- Storage Bag Included
- 16-foot Coiled Hose
- 10-foot Power Cord
- Extremely Compact
Cons
- 4 Minute Duty Cycle with 2 Minute Refill Time
Final Verdict
As a portable compressor, exclusively for use on your vehicle or inflatables, this model makes an outstanding option. An attachable needle is supplied for inflating household inflatable items and sports equipment. The hose is long enough to reach around the full distance of most cars. Even large off-road vehicles are a good match to this compressor thanks to its quick inflation time. It pulls just 30 amps of power from your battery, translating to the inflation of roughly five tires before it would run your battery flat.
I’ve now owned one for 9 years. It works as expected but there are a few issues, issues present on many compressors of this type so basically I’m mentioning things that I would change if I’d designed it myself.
1) The plastic air filter cartridge sticks out and with the broad disc shape and narrow center coupling made of plastic, I worry that eventually that coupling will break from a minor impact, though it hasn’t yet. Being connected to the hot cylinder head can’t help, will probably make the plastic brittle.
2) The 10′ cord isn’t long enough. On standard height trucks/SUVs, let alone lifted ones, I can’t set it on the side of the vehicle opposite the battery. Even 2′ longer would have helped. Some also say it looses a little power due to the cord gauge so I would also decrease (lower gauge = thicker wire) that.
3) The vinyl coiled cord on mine disintegrated, literally broke into several pieces a year ago when I went to stretch it slightly. This seems to be the biggest weakness as it wasn’t exposed to rough treatment nor chemicals, probably just UV exposure made it brittle. I have since replaced that length of cord with two rubber extension hoses, $4.25 ea. part “Viair (00016)” on Amazon. It’s always out of stock so order and wait for the next batch to be available.
In other words it could have came with a straight rubber hose, and besides lifespan that wouldn’t have put strain on the tire valve stem, pulling it sideways while inflating rear vehicle tires.
4) The cylinder head coupling on mine is the older style that’s all metal, but it and I suspect the newer plastic one too, are not standard couplings. I’ve had no trouble with mine but would have rather it were standard so I could have bought a standard replacement compressor hose with a coupling already on it, instead of cutting off the yellow coiled portion and using a hose clamp to attach the rubber extensions mentioned above, also cutting off one end of one of those hoses and using a hose clamp. The hack job repair I did works great, but they could have just chosen a standard coupling instead.
5) More head, and motor too if it needs it, surface area for heatsink-cooling. A few times a year I get mine out to top off tires on all my vehicles at once and stop using it before the 4min/2min duty cycle as it gets warmer than I’d like. I impose a lower limit to help improve its lifespan, and feel a small addt’l cost could have allowed it to run near continuously. If nothing else, put a fan blade on the motor shaft that pulls air through the motor chamber and blows out across the cylinder head.
6) No maintenance my arse! Anything like this will benefit from periodic lubrication so lube ports and maintenance instructions would be an improvement. Mine still works fine, but some day it will suffer bearing demise or loss of compression due to lack of lubricant.
7) Strain relief on power cord where it enters the motor housing. Again mine still works but I think it will end up fraying there and reducing power conduction before ultimately failing. I try not to bend it too excessively there but it does it anyway to a greater extent than I’d like.
Despite these issues I would still buy it again due to lack of better alternatives near its price point, though the price has risen some since I bought it for $41 by winning an eBay auction, but it was $55 on Amazon at the time and is now $70 to $80 depending on which model name.
There are multiple names this sells under. One is QMAXX, one is Masterflow. QMAXX has a model # MF-1052, Masterflow has MF-1050 or MV50. They’re all nearly if not entirely identical.
It would be nice if you dated your reviews and provided more pictures.
Will do.
Thank you very much for the detailed information!