Etenwolf Vortex S6 Cordless Air Compressor

The Etenwolf Vortex S6 portable cordless air compressor  https://amzn.to/3wgR4iC is the affordable and compact solution for pressurizing water rockets that we have been seeking for years. There is a plethora of cordless tire inflators on the market from most of the power tool manufacturers; however, they all require a cool down period after each use that would not perform well while repeatedly pressurizing water rockets. The Etenwolf Vortex S6 does not suffer from this limitation. We pressurized a 2L bottle 30 times in a row to 80 PSI with no time breaks between other than releasing the air via the safety relief valve to see how long the battery would last. The unit became a bit hot in a few places, but never overheated and kept working. It was down to the last bar when we pressurized to 120 PSI on the 31st inflation and there was still plenty of juice left. Once it rests, it cools down quickly. Outdoor temperature was 68 degrees, which is cool. Not sure how well it will handle 80 – 100 degrees, but we think it will do fine, especially in the real world of not inflating as quickly between launches since rocket retrieval will take some time before the next pressurization.

The Etenwolf will pump up a 2L bottle to 80 PSI in 49 – 54 seconds. It takes at least 45 seconds and about 45 strokes to pressurize with a bike pump, so fairly fast and a lot less work. Pressurizing to 120 PSI with the Etenwolf takes 1:36 minutes, which is pretty quick. A pancake compressor is definitely faster since it is filling from a pressurized tank, but this requires an expensive portable power station to operate. The Etenwolf makes some noise, but it is surprisingly quiet compared to a pancake compressor when running. The noise is not unpleasant even being right next to it unlike the pancake unit. Furthermore, the Etenwolf can pressurize up to 160 PSI, which is more than is needed for most water rocketry.

A 2-gal. tank sprayer yields about 30 launches if using 200ml for each launch; therefore, if one can obtain 30+ launches from the Etenwolf that is plenty. It went to 1 bar on the battery power meter after 25 pressurizations at 80 PSI and we estimate it can probably yield at least 35 – 36 inflations at that level before running out of juice. This unit is less expensive than cordless power tool tire inflators, since their removable batteries are an additional cost. Also, the Etenwolf has a much larger capacity 19200mAh built-in lithium battery. It recharges fully in less than 2 hours. There are additional features not related to water rocketry such as acting as a power station with USB-A and C outlets, an emergency built-in 1000 lumens LED light, and a hose for inflating and deflating an air mattress.

It is important to keep the Etenwolf dry when launching with one of 3 options:
1.  Employ our 10 ft. air hose extension kit, which keeps it out of the splash zone.

2.  Cover it with a plastic bag when launching. Remove bag when pressurizing.

3.  Place the Etenwolf under a table, which keeps it out of the splash zone.

The best Etenwolf feature is that one can preset the PSI level in advance with the dial; push start and it will auto stop at that preselected PSI. As soon as the unit stops compressing one can squeeze the launcher release lever yielding consistent PSI level launches. The unit is small and lightweight and beats lugging around a pancake compressor and a very heavy portable power station. Finally, we have a suitable air compressor we can recommend if someone wants to avoid the work of a bike pump and it won’t break the bank. On Amazon the Etenwolf runs between $150 - $180, but they usually offer a $25 - $50 coupon you can click. It is easy to buy one for less than $130. Please use our affiliate link when purchasing the Etenwolf Vortex S6 Portable Air Compressor - https://amzn.to/3wgR4iC