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Submitted by
gtg252b
a Racer
from Atlanta, GA
Date Reviewed: June 24, 2008 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$65.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | Quick pumping, solid feel, good connection. | | Weaknesses: | None | | Similar Products Used: | Wrenchforce, Silca Pista | | Bottom Line: | This review is for the Joe Blow Pro. MTBR should really have different sections for the different Joe Blows because they are all pretty different. In my experience the Joe Blow Pro is an amazing pump. I actually liked mine so much that after 6 months of use I bought one for my fiance so that she would stop "borrowing" mine and "forgetting" it in her car. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John
a
from Scottsdale
Date Reviewed: April 19, 2008 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$60.00 | | Strengths: | Feels sturdy, looks good. | | Weaknesses: | Poor quality of the double head (pesta and regular). It started leaking and backing up the air into the pump after approximately 50 uses. | | Bottom Line: | I would not recommend this pump. It does not appear that the problem is fixed. Therefore, buying a replacemnet head will only buy you few more months of use. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Charly Perje
a Racer
from Austria
Date Reviewed: March 25, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | Astrian Alps and dolomits | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$60.00 | | Purchased At: | Helen's Cycles, Santa Monica | | Strengths: | This pump is tough. My kids droped it a few times and it still worked like a dream | | Weaknesses: | Can't tell any. | | Similar Products Used: | Trek, Serfas | | Bike Setup: | MTB and ROAD both Presta valve | | Bottom Line: | I don't know what some of this guys do with your with a pump but my only suggestion to all of you how think this pump that this pump dosen't work on presta valves should take a lesson on how to use a pump. I pump my daughters 20" bike and my racing bikes with (I know you want believe it) the same "Blow Joe" pump. It works great and it never missed a beat.
This pump is a great product and I will buy another one, since mine was lost by a freight carrier on a transport from the US to europe.
For anyone how wants to buy a pump, go and buy a "Blow Joe" it will work for you. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Anthony
a Cross Country Rider
from San Diego, CA
Date Reviewed: March 18, 2008 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | REI | | Strengths: | This review is for the Topeak Joe Blow Sport (yellow-colored floor pump) When it worked, it worked fine. | | Weaknesses: | Qaulity -- The t-valve (presta one side, schrader other side) internals broke so whenever I pump, air comes out the side I'm not using. | | Similar Products Used: | Blackburn mountain air | | Bike Setup: | Santa Cruz Superlight | | Bottom Line: | This pump worked fine for the first six months. Then it stopped holding air. I checked the bleed valve and it was tight and I opened up the T-valve, where the air was flowing out to check for any broken pieces. Nothing. Whenever I use the presta side, air escapes (quickly) on the schrader side. I went back to REI to check out the warranty card on a new JB sport pump and it said 90 days. What a rip. A co-worker said I could make a claim after the 90 days -- she did -- and still get a replacement part for free. We'll see what happens. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
jeff dinges
a Weekend Warrior
from hoschton, ga.
Date Reviewed: February 24, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | fort yargo | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$60.00 | | Purchased At: | performance | | Strengths: | none | | Weaknesses: | inaccurate guage reading
leaks from everywhere | | Similar Products Used: | cheap ascent floor pump | | Bottom Line: | This is absolutely the worst bicycling product I have ever purchased. The first thing I noticed with the Joe Blows Pro was that the gauge is off by 10 psi either way. Yes, it gets worse. After a couple of uses the head started leaking air. After replacing the head the top part of the pump (where the gauge is located) started leaking air so bad that after attempting to pump up just ONE tire I am totally exhausted. Absolute crap. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Peter
a Weekend Warrior
from Wellington, New Zealand
Date Reviewed: February 21, 2008 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$90.00 | | Purchased At: | Lower Hutt | | Strengths: | This review is for the 'Sport' version
Appears to be solid and well constructed | | Weaknesses: | Very inaccurate pressure readings on gauge!
Difficult to pump at higher pressures (~ 100 PSI)
Instructions a bit confusing at first
A bit expensive (here in NZ) | | Similar Products Used: | Specialized Air Tool Comp | | Bike Setup: | * Avanti Illusion - hybrid; 27 speed; Deore shifters and derailleurs; Specialized Infinity 700 x 38c tires; cable disc brakes
* Giant CRX Zero - road training; 20 speed; Vittoria Zaffiro 700 x 25c tires; hydraulic disc brakes | | Bottom Line: | Purchased this pump on the understanding that, overall, it was a good pump. However, it was particularly disappointing to find that the gauge was inaccurate. Using a separate pressure gauge would help verify actual pressure. But the inconvenience of having to pump to 'estimated' pressure, remove pump, attach pressure gauge, remove pressure gauge, reattach pump (as necessary), and pump some more, is too great. This would prolong tire pressurization procedure, and make having the gauge on the pump superfluous. That, plus the other weaknesses rendered this pump as being effectively useless. Pump was returned to the LBS for a full refund.
Therefore, the 'Sport' version of Joe Blow series of pumps is not recommended. Buy and try at your risk! | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mike
a
from Brooklyn NY
Date Reviewed: January 1, 2008 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$40.00 | | Strengths: | Easy to get pump head on and off the tube valve, compared to a previous pump. Fairly easy pumping overall. | | Weaknesses: | Possible issue with product life. One of my pump's pump heads died after 7-8 months. | | Similar Products Used: | Schwinn Air Driver 1100 (avoid at all costs), Blackburn Air Tower 4 (so far, so good) | | Bike Setup: | LeMond road bike (double, aluminum, Shimano 105), Bianchi track bike. | | Bottom Line: | This is for the Topeak Joe Blow Sport. This is a good pump for the money, so I see it as a value purchase. I had two of them, for two different locations where I kept my bike. It works very well and fairly fast. However, the head on one of the pumps developed a fatal leak after only 7-8 months of use. The other pump is still going strong after about a year. I think the other pump's breakdown is probably just bad luck. I replaced the broken pump with an BlackBurn Air Tower 4, which is also good and pumps faster, though it's a tad more expensive. | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Larry
a
from Lafayette, CO, USA
Date Reviewed: August 21, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$25.00 | | Strengths: | Looks nice. Topeak customer service is good. | | Weaknesses: | Poor engineering. Poorly made. | | Similar Products Used: | Ascent floor pump (Performance brand) | | Bottom Line: | This is an update from 8/24/2006. If we still used the term "blows", meaning bad quality or bad experience, then this pump would be aptly named. An up-to-date name would be "Joe Sucks". The valve head does not seem to push a presta valve in for inflation. It seems to rely on air pressure to push in the valve. To pump up a road tire to 100psi, I need to lift my feet off the ground. I weigh around 155. The Ascent pump is effortless and it has a larger barrel. The top cap that the piston shaft passes through is not screwed on like a jar cap but snaps on like a battery cover on a remote control. It came off and one of the snap tabs is broken off. It needs duct tape. Customer service is good; they sent me a new valve head but it was no different from the original. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John Geary
a Cross Country Rider
from Canada
Date Reviewed: August 20, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$45.00 | | Purchased At: | Sport Chek | | Strengths: | Easily connects, pumps up tires quickly, hose attaches to itself when finish and just plain looks good. | | Weaknesses: | I have not ran into any problems seems pretty straght forward to me. | | Similar Products Used: | Blackburn TP-1 | | Bike Setup: | Trek 6000 Mountain hardtail | | Bottom Line: | I have a hard time believing some of the reviews here and thought that the Topeak Joe Blow is a great buy for the money. Construction of this pump is solid with a long rigid stroke for quick inflations. Great pump well worth the money I paid, would buy again. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tom Corbett
a Weekend Warrior
from Manchester, NJ
Date Reviewed: July 26, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$35.00 | | Purchased At: | Point Present Bicycle | | Strengths: | Does the fron tire very good | | Weaknesses: | Have a hard time doing the rear tire | | Similar Products Used: | None | | Bike Setup: | Raleigh SC30 | | Bottom Line: | I'm scared that I will put too much or too little in the tires. The rear tire I'm having a very hard time doing. These nornal size holds. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Gabe
a
from New London, CT USA
Date Reviewed: July 2, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$24.00 | | Purchased At: | Amazon | | Strengths: | This applies only to the JoeBlow "Max II" version of this pump. Pump looks cool (yellow/black) with fat barrel -- see comments below. Acceptable length hose. Dual head - no need to change parts between Schrader and Presta. | | Weaknesses: | Operation of pump is really poor. Takes a huge amount of effort to squeeze out 90 psi. My guess is that it's due to the larger barrel bore. The name "Max" which goes with the larger barrel is in my opinion simply a marketing gimmick. Functionally pretty crappy. | | Bottom Line: | I would not recommend this pump. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mark
a Weekend Warrior
from Newton, MA
Date Reviewed: December 26, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$35.00 | | Purchased At: | Performance | | Strengths: | Pumps up tires quickly | | Weaknesses: | Edges of metal baseplate are sharp and marred my wooden floor. | | Similar Products Used: | Topeak Sport | | Bottom Line: | The specific model was "Topeak Joe Blow Sprint Floor Pump – '04". Perhaps other versions do not have this problem (sharp edges of baseplate mar the floor.) | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Larry
a
from Lafayette, CO, USA
Date Reviewed: August 24, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | Apex Park in JeffCo | | Duration Product Used: | Tested or demo'ed only | | Price Paid: |
$25.00 | | Purchased At: | Jenson | | Strengths: | Dual head that seems simpler and you would think would work well. | | Weaknesses: | Doesn't seem to work. The gauge is too wide a range so it is hard to resolve smaller differences in pressure. | | Similar Products Used: | Sears air compressor with a brass adapter / Performance Hurricane (the kind that is like a mini floor pump) | | Bike Setup: | Presta valves | | Bottom Line: | Not impressed. I have a Mt and road bike. Each bike has a regular presta on one wheel and a long stem presta on other. The pump worked on both stems on the Mt bike but didn't pump the long presta on the road bike. It seems hit and miss. I actually have the MaxII which is a little bit different. It doesn't have a 360 degree swivel hose and it's black. Jenson charged more for it. I thought I was getting more because I was paying more. Go figga. The Performance Hurricane mini floor pump that goes in my pack impresses everyone who sees me using it on the trail. I highly recomment it. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Greg Michener
a Cross Country Rider
from Austin
Date Reviewed: June 3, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | Sweet Sixteen | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$30.00 | | Purchased At: | REI | | Strengths: | Great when it's working. | | Weaknesses: | Seal around top of pump breaks easily | | Similar Products Used: | Blackburn pumps | | Bike Setup: | Rocky Mtn Elite | | Bottom Line: | Seal around head of the pump started to leak on me after a year of use. Now it's kaputt. Again, one of these disposable products that we could all do without. Better to go with a Blackburn that has a life warranty. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jon
a
from Bozeman, MT, US
Date Reviewed: June 2, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$30.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | fills my tires, has a gauge so I know how much pressure is in there! | | Weaknesses: | Base isn't the greatest, can be a pain to get perfectly on the stem - otherwise it just backs up with pressure | | Similar Products Used: | walmart quality junk | | Bike Setup: | Big hit hardtail, Commuter hardtail, singlespeed roadie, girlfriend's bike | | Bottom Line: | This is for the Joe Blow sport pump... it has the two way head that seems to be less prone to trouble than the "smarthead" type, plus, it's cheaper. This has been a great pump for me, and very rarely given me a problem. I'd like to get a nicer floor pump one day, but not until I've squeezed every gasp of air from ol' Joe Blow. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ben
a Cross Country Rider
from Abilene, Texas, USA
Date Reviewed: May 12, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$50.00 | | Purchased At: | Nashbar? | | Strengths: | It looks pretty but that's not what counts. | | Weaknesses: | The valve head stopped working and was impossible to repair. It is very poorly constructed for a pump of this price. | | Similar Products Used: | I've had pumps from WalMart that lasted long than this POS. | | Bottom Line: | The bottom line is that this pump is crap. Don't buy it or you will be disappointed. Thanks for ripping me off Topeak! I'm not even going to bother replacing the head because I know that it will just let me down again. It's a cheesy cheap plastic piece of junk. On the value rating, I give it a 1 because it costs a lot and doesn't work. On the overall rating, I give it 1 because it costs a lot and doesn't work. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Scott
a Weekend Warrior
from Chattanooga
Date Reviewed: February 7, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Purchased At: | River City Bicycles | | Strengths: | Easy to use, valve head is a good design that has always worked well after ~2 years. | | Weaknesses: | Hose cracks formed on surface which eventually start to leak. If you clip the hose into the clips to secure it between uses, the hose is bent into a bend radius tighter than it probably should be which led to the surface cracks. If you get this pump, just leave the hose loose or only use one of the two clips so the hose is not bent excessively. Usage: 1 to 4 times per week for 2 years. | | Similar Products Used: | Silca track pump | | Bike Setup: | Two wheels, a frame etc. | | Bottom Line: | Good pump, but the hose will leak after a year or two if its bent during storage. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Steve
a Weekend Warrior
from Kingston, Pa
Date Reviewed: January 10, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$60.00 | | Purchased At: | Main Bike World | | Strengths: | I was getting by with an air compressor, but needed something the kids could use. Three attributes sold me on this pump. First, the built-in pressure gauge. Next, the massive and removable smart head, and last the pump could stand upright on its own. If your looking to begin teaching children how to be responsible and maintain proper tire pressure this pump seems to have it all....Not | | Weaknesses: | The smart head has the life span of a Utility Knife Blade. It works great at first, but at some point you have to make the decision to toss it or your gonna get hurt trying to get one more time out of it. This pump began failing at its head stem seal then soon after the lever seal. But what was most disappointing, the ergonomics of the smart head lever. It proved to be too difficult for younger children to manage. Either it was too difficult to grip to flip open, or they would pinch their fingers when closing. Eventually, the holes for the lever pivot pin, which are cast into the head body, became elongated and allowed the pivot pin walk-out.
The T-handle hold down clip is cheesy, lasted six months with kids.
| | Bottom Line: | For now it's a paper weight. I can get a replacement head and go through the same aggravation, or upgrade to the dual head and hope it performs better. Topeak's designs seem to sway more towards sleek and trendy, then ergonomic and practical.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John
a Cross Country Rider
from Bristol
Date Reviewed: December 28, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$50.00 | | Purchased At: | online | | Strengths: | Inflates bike tires. | | Weaknesses: | Smart head can be a PITA to use when it wears, or on "non-standard" valves. | | Similar Products Used: | Others. usually CO2 | | Bike Setup: | Yes | | Bottom Line: | Mine worked well for about 2 years. Then it developed a problem of not sealing when locked on my vlaves (presta). It also wouldn't inflate properly on schrader valves (DH bike tubes). So, I ended up taking the smart head apart , cleaning and putting a light coat of grease into it.
That only fixed the leaking from the lever. But I found a replacement kit for rebuilding the smarthead online at www.bikeworld.com for $5. Replaces all the guts of the smart head, and viola!! it works great again.!! Came with the smart head guts AND the O-ring for the pump piston also. Fixed two problems at once. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Rideorglide
a Weekend Warrior
from Long Island
Date Reviewed: December 26, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$55.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | Air volume, for a short while at least | | Weaknesses: | Pressure gauge | | Similar Products Used: | Various hand pumps | | Bike Setup: | Rockhopper FSR XC | | Bottom Line: | Very disappointed with durability of this item for the price: Gauge has started leaking air after 2-3 yrs.
Now I pump with one hand on handle and one on gauge glass to stem the leak. Accuracy never seemed to be it's strong point, but now even less so. Currently shopping for a replacement -- will avoid this brand in future for sure. Somewhat flimsy base/cyclinder construction. Also loses pressure when disconnecting valve. When it was working properly, gauge only gave an approximate feel of accuracy. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Aaron J Nicoli
a Weekend Warrior
from Jerrabomberra, NSW, Australia
Date Reviewed: November 16, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | Anywhere Insane | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$50.00 | | Purchased At: | Hammer 'n' Cycle | | Strengths: | Great Pump! Fairly light, Strength is incredible, good accurate strong gauge with nice big face, dual adaptor great, metal base rocks! | | Weaknesses: | Nothing! | | Similar Products Used: | Some cheapie K-mart sucker | | Bike Setup: | Getting a 2005 Norco Torrent YAY! | | Bottom Line: | Great pump well worth the money I paid, would buy again any day. Massive quantity of air, Really strong metal base and strong cylinder and fittings. As in post below have not had a problem with dual adaptor works great! that is probably a fault.
BUY THIS PUMP!
5 thumbs up.
Cheers,< |
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$ 60.00
