Pumps! Aaargh!!! Does anyone make a good one?

[mrtbreeze]

Ive just had to throw away ANOTHER pump. It failed on the rubber sealing washer that the shaft slides on (no innuendo intended). I cant see ANY way of replacing this washer as it seems to be captive in the cap. The handle and plunger are also both captive, so even if it was replaceable, you cant get to it. Its a Cabrinha pump but I think they are all pretty similar.

We should be able to replace parts on pumps like anything else, especially since they fail on the same element nearly all the time. This is yet another example of inbuilt obscelescence and its really UNGREEN. Whats the point of an aluminium shaft that lasts forever and a rubber washer that lasts 2 months? Now that kites are being supplied without pumps (Slingshot and Naish at least), it would be good to know who makes a good one that can be serviced.

Any ideas?

[SupaEZ]

I kite a lot and use the same North pump that i ordered with my 4 kites (2011)
It does service easily by unscrewing the cap of pump
North supplies with pump a lubricant
Must have pumped my Rebels over 150 times with it and serviced my pump easily about 4 times
My pump still works great and i pump 90% of the time at beach
By the way i got 2 pumps originally for my kites and one is still brand new in the box untouched

Those are the North Maintenance Instructions as it appears on their pump:

Unscrew the cap and pull it out together with the piston.
Clean the inner cylinder and the piston and take care that the sealing rings are always lubricated.
For re-assembly please place the piston carefully into the cylinder.

Lube it up and have fun kiting

[ChickenTikka]

I treat them as disposable. They are like 20 bucks. Just buy a new one and throw the old one away. I was amazed at how much better a new pump works than an old one.

[Bille]

...
It does service easily by unscrewing the cap of pump
North supplies with pump a lubricant
...

If Ya don't have the North lubricant ; what else works good to keep
a pump lubed ?

[edt]

Ive just had to throw away ANOTHER pump.

There is no cure.



The airhead is the best of a sorry lot of choices. I would pay $100 if there was a decent pump, but nope.

I have a bicycle pump with a built in gauge near the foot rests, made of steel, it has functioned flawlessly for years, cost me $20, so I know it can be done.

[dyyylan]

Disposable indeed. $7 with free shipping on amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Coleman-Large-Dua ... 442&sr=8-1

I use this as my spare pump and it works great, comes with 4 diff attachments.

[edt]

Disposable indeed. $7 with free shipping on amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Coleman-Large-Dua ... 442&sr=8-1

The coleman is crappy, spend another $7 and get a $14 airhead

[alexeyga]

Although it's technically possible to design a nuke-proof pump that will outlast a few quivers of your kites i seriously doubt that anybody would agree to pay 200-300$ for one. Not to mention that given the conditions it's used in (salty water and sand which, sometimes, has the the consistency of dust) it will weight a ton. So as such, regular kites pumps a cheap and simple. With some minimal maintenance these can last ages, you just need to take the time to do it. Is it really that hard to spend 15mins every dozen sessions to disassemble your pump for cleaning and lubing?

[ChickenTikka]

not to mention, it's so much easier just to leave it on the beach and not worry about it washing away or being stolen.

I'd hate to have an expensive pump. I'd have to walk back to my car and lock it in my trunk after I pump up my kite.

[eree]

Although it's technically possible to design a nuke-proof pump that will outlast a few quivers of your kites i seriously doubt that anybody would agree to pay 200-300$ for one. Not to mention that given the conditions it's used in (salty water and sand which, sometimes, has the the consistency of dust) it will weight a ton. So as such, regular kites pumps a cheap and simple. With some minimal maintenance these can last ages, you just need to take the time to do it. Is it really that hard to spend 15mins every dozen sessions to disassemble your pump for cleaning and lubing?

certainly not for 200-300$! but i think it is enough to make the usual pumps with the possibility to detach the piston from the shaft, so you can clean or replace the shaft gasket. all the rest parts are usually accessible for cleaning and lubricating.