Yep. There hasn't been a place near me with a free air hose hanging on the side of the building for quite a few years. Most of the ones around here still take quarters though. The compressor doesn't run very long for 25 cents. If you've got more than one tire to top off you better have a pocket full of change.

I hope that thing a least runs till you're done for a buck and a half.

Ruttly wrote on 01/04/17 at 06:57:09:


I went to this store as they have good deals on drinks.....I only noticed the compressor as I had to park near it.  I will obviously just drive home and use my compressor if I have that option.

I would imagine most of these machines are used when folks don't have a choice......they likely see that they are running on a tire that is nearly flat - and they have to do something in a hurry!  This happened to me a couple of months ago when we were out to dinner, and my left front tire was going flat. I had to stop 3 times on the way home to add air.....and it cost me 75 cents to add air each time.

I live in NY I have never in my entire life seen any station offer free air.

A long time ago, most gasoline stations also had garages and they were the local mechanics.  They did the vehicle maintenance, and they had lifts that were operated by air.......so they always had a larger air compressor.  One one wall of the service station, or out on a post at the corner of the lot was a red air hose hanging on a hook.  Some of the better ones had a valve/gauge combination and you could fill your tire when you pushed the button, and then read the pressure in the tire when you let go of the button.

The "free air" hoses went away when convenience stores and food markets became the place you purchased gasoline......as they don't need a compressor to operate their business.  

There are still a few convenience stores around here with free air.  The one next to work is on the side of the car wash, which, for some reason, has an air compressor inside.  It even has the fancy pressure gauge built in.

Dave wrote on 01/04/17 at 10:09:52:


Even the gas stations like the ones you describe have always charged for air by me, atleast in the past 30 years that I can remember getting air.

There is a gas station in Burlingame , CA on El Camino Real that has a car wash with a big sign that says " Best Hand Job In Town "
Always makes me laugh !