tanaka quick release presta pump head reliability?

[sowestport]

Looking to purchase one of these, but not sure if it's cheaply made. Please comment if you've used one of these for a while.

[Ken Robb]

Looking to purchase one of these, but not sure if it's cheaply made. Please comment if you've used one of these for a while.

Check the archive for pump head info.

[sowestport]

Check the archive for pump head info.

I have found some posts (e.g., silca with tanaka), but the person seems to indicate it was just setup. I posted a reply asking how it was working out, but I didn't get a response. It's been a few days now. So here I am.

[11.4]

We use all of these pump heads -- KCNC, Tanaka, Hirame, etc. -- a lot for discs at the track. For the Hirame you need a source for the replacement o-rings -- not often and if you treat your own pump head carefully you'll never need one, but the first guy you loan the pump to who doesn't know how to use it correctly will tear the ring and then you are in a pickle. The Hirame is still the best around. The Tanaka was a copycat design and especially when the Hirame's were in short supply, it gained a bit of market share. However, the Tanaka doesn't hold quite as well, the lever action doesn't let you slip it into a disc as easily, and the edges aren't as well finished. I had one that worked fine and one that tended to unscrew, which was a big pain. The KCNC is anodized in pretty colors but it also has a lever action that doesn't fit inside a disc opening as well. It's a bit lightweight as well, and of three we had, one died in a car trunk and one feels a bit sloppy. I wish the new team at Silca would come out with one of these. They're all a lot better than a traditional Silca hash pipe -- you had to be born with three arms to use a hash pipe and get up to 160 psi.

[sowestport]

We use all of these pump heads -- KCNC, Tanaka, Hirame, etc. -- a lot for discs at the track. For the Hirame you need a source for the replacement o-rings -- not often and if you treat your own pump head carefully you'll never need one, but the first guy you loan the pump to who doesn't know how to use it correctly will tear the ring and then you are in a pickle. The Hirame is still the best around. The Tanaka was a copycat design and especially when the Hirame's were in short supply, it gained a bit of market share. However, the Tanaka doesn't hold quite as well, the lever action doesn't let you slip it into a disc as easily, and the edges aren't as well finished. I had one that worked fine and one that tended to unscrew, which was a big pain. The KCNC is anodized in pretty colors but it also has a lever action that doesn't fit inside a disc opening as well. It's a bit lightweight as well, and of three we had, one died in a car trunk and one feels a bit sloppy. I wish the new team at Silca would come out with one of these. They're all a lot better than a traditional Silca hash pipe -- you had to be born with three arms to use a hash pipe and get up to 160 psi.

Thank you for the review. This is the first review of the Tanaka. I've been looking all over the web. Most folks write that they just got one and looks good.

BTW, from your comments, you may not be aware of the Silca Hiro. So here's a link. It's expensive.

http://www.excelsports.com/main.asp?page=8&description=Side+Lever+Locking+Presta+Chuck&vendorCode=SILCA&major=12&minor=4

[wasfast]

The lower cost disc adapter from Silca is a fine value if you don't want to spend the coin for the locking styles:

http://www.excelsports.com/main.asp?page=8&description=Disc+Wheel+Adapter&vendorCode=SILCA&major=12&minor=4

When I first got this, it didn't seem to work any better than anyone elses crack pipe. You just have to push it on completely (see the video on their site). Works amazing and has a far more durable seal the normal rubber versions.

[sowestport]

The lower cost disc adapter from Silca is a fine value if you don't want to spend the coin for the locking styles:

http://www.excelsports.com/main.asp?page=8&description=Disc+Wheel+Adapter&vendorCode=SILCA&major=12&minor=4

When I first got this, it didn't seem to work any better than anyone elses crack pipe. You just have to push it on completely (see the video on their site). Works amazing and has a far more durable seal the normal rubber versions.

Interesting. Does it attach to the presta valve as the Silca, 17-4 pump head?

[FastforaSlowGuy]

Not trying to induce thread drift, but a couple of related questions:

1. Any sure-fire ways of diagnosing a failed pump head (as opposed to a failure somewhere else in the pump)? I've got a Serfas pump that will inflate tires, but hisses like mad and shows zero pressure on the gauge. I've also got a Lezyne that, after a long cold night in the car, won't put any pressure into a tire.

2. Are pump heads like the Tanaka and others generally able to be installed on any pump hose? The hoses on various brands all sort of look the same, but without cutting them open and measuring the ID, I can't be sure.

3. Between the Tanaka, the Silca Hiro and the Hirame, is any of these more "user friendly" than the other? My wife uses my pump as well, and I'm 100% certain she won't be interested in an instructional session in how to use my super-special-pump-that-costs-too-dang-much.

[11.4]

Not trying to induce thread drift, but a couple of related questions:

1. Any sure-fire ways of diagnosing a failed pump head (as opposed to a failure somewhere else in the pump)? I've got a Serfas pump that will inflate tires, but hisses like mad and shows zero pressure on the gauge. I've also got a Lezyne that, after a long cold night in the car, won't put any pressure into a tire.

2. Are pump heads like the Tanaka and others generally able to be installed on any pump hose? The hoses on various brands all sort of look the same, but without cutting them open and measuring the ID, I can't be sure.

3. Between the Tanaka, the Silca Hiro and the Hirame, is any of these more "user friendly" than the other? My wife uses my pump as well, and I'm 100% certain she won't be interested in an instructional session in how to use my super-special-pump-that-costs-too-dang-much.

1. Just fix the pump. The Lezyne sounds like a deteriorated washer on the plunger -- it may heal with a little lubrication. As for the Serfas, if it pumps tires, the head is good. Sounds like the gauge is bad, or the plumbing going to it.

2. Hoses vary in inside diameter, and the barb on pump heads also vary. I've never been unable to make one fit -- it's either very tight and needs to have the hose soaked in hot water and mounted with a little soap on the bar, or the thing really needs the hose clamp afterwards.

3. The Hirame is slightly finicky -- as long as she doesn't push it on or pull it off without loosening the lever, she'll be fine. Don't treat it like an old Silca push-on/push-off head. Otherwise it's reliable and you probably should be more concerned about ones that get in trouble.

On the Hiro, that's one of the miscellaneous category that I didn't go into detail on. The design has been around for a while. It works ok, but I find the mechanism of the Hirame is much nicer.

On hashpipes, they all tend to deflate the tire before you get them on all the way. If that's how you want to pump fine. Hard pushing also strains the base of the valve stem, since you're pushing down on the base while you're pushing the hash pipe onto the valve stem. This isn't a big problem with heavy road tires, but if you're using lightweight tires and especially track tires, this is something to avoid.

[thwart]

For the Hirame you need a source for the replacement o-rings -- not often and if you treat your own pump head carefully you'll never need one.

Inquiring minds would like to know which source you've used.

Always good to have a spare around... Murphy's law applies to pumps…

Did a bit of research myself… this looks like a good choice: http://www.jitensha.com/eng/tires.html

[sowestport]

Not trying to induce thread drift, but a couple of related questions:

1. Any sure-fire ways of diagnosing a failed pump head (as opposed to a failure somewhere else in the pump)? I've got a Serfas pump that will inflate tires, but hisses like mad and shows zero pressure on the gauge. I've also got a Lezyne that, after a long cold night in the car, won't put any pressure into a tire.

2. Are pump heads like the Tanaka and others generally able to be installed on any pump hose? The hoses on various brands all sort of look the same, but without cutting them open and measuring the ID, I can't be sure.

3. Between the Tanaka, the Silca Hiro and the Hirame, is any of these more "user friendly" than the other? My wife uses my pump as well, and I'm 100% certain she won't be interested in an instructional session in how to use my super-special-pump-that-costs-too-dang-much.

I believe my thread has been hijacked.

[11.4]

Inquiring minds would like to know which source you've used.

Always good to have a spare around... Murphy's law applies to pumps…

Did a bit of research myself… this looks like a good choice: http://www.jitensha.com/eng/tires.html

Only place I've ever found.

It's not a standard industrial sized o-ring and if I tried to use a standard o-ring, it just pops out and shreds immediately.