Review on Topeak Joe Blow Sport III: Ultimate High Pressure Floor Pump for Efficient Inflation by Ralph Gerry

I've used a Nashbar Earl Gray pump for the past few years so I'll use that as a benchmark and comparison to the Joe Blow 3. Although I liked Earl Gray it's so great for general use and a Schroeder valve pump, I never really liked it for Presta valves - I always felt there was a lot of guesswork as to whether it was actually appropriate or not, and it will often leak or not seat properly, so it may take a few tries to properly attach it to the valve. That's probably why I bent a few valves, so that's the problem. The Joe Blow 3 head is SO much better in comparison, you can really feel it click into place and it makes inflating those Presta Valve tires so much easier. Gray has all plastic, with a more subtle feel. The head is Joe Blow's forte. However, the tube on the Joe Blow is a good foot shorter than on the Earl Grey, which poses a problem when the bike is on a stand where the shorter cable cannot reach. Joe Blow requires your bike to be on the ground in order to use it and I don't have a kickstand on my road bike. I also feel like Earl Gray has a slightly faster inflation rate per pump, although I can't test that, but it doesn't matter anyway. Another issue I have with Joe Blow is the large head size. It's so big it barely fits between the spokes of my 20" wheels. makes it very difficult to get the locking lever in position. Gauges are fairly easy to read on both pumps, although Joe Blow's mid-height gauge and lighter colors give it a slight edge. I have not verified the accuracy of the gauges. The base of the Joe Blow 3 is metal while the Early Gray is plastic although I've never had a problem with it in 3 years. valves and would absolutely recommend it if that is your main application. The quality of construction and materials is undoubtedly an improvement over Earl Gray (remember the JB pump was $50 and the EG pump was $30 when I got them). But I wish the JB hose was longer and if the head was less bulky I could use it on smaller bikes. Acne. Earl Gray's head is placed with less space between the spokes. My plan is to use the Joe Blow 3 on my road bike with Presta valves because it's significantly better than the EG and the EG is more of a general purpose pump for everything else. Rating: This is a 5-star pump if you: A) always inflate your tires when the bike is on the ground, and B) have large wheels with enough space between the spokes. So I entered 4.25.