Discontinued – Sold Out
We have now run out of the Gusto inflators, and since these were discontinued by the importer we won’t be getting more. As 120 volt plug-in pumps go, you have just a few choices for substitutes.
- NEW Bravo OV10
- Our little Bravo OV4 is a very good little inflator, and it has the same output pressure as the Gusto, but the air volume from the OV4 is much lower. The Bravo electric, which is also found here on our pump page, can inflate a couple tandem inflatable kayaks without undue overheating, or one smaller raft up to maybe twelve feet. Since it has a suggested ten minute run time, we don’t recommend trying to do larger rafts or more than two i.k’s with it at one time.
- The second option is our Big Red Mastercraft, but being U.S. made (the Gusto was Chinese) it costs far more. However, on a per-year basis, it may be one of the least expensive pumps you can buy. Our oldest Mastercraft dates to 1979 or 1980. Your third option, and about the only other one we can think of, would be to take a leaf blower – electric or gas – and try to modify the tip so that it more or less works with your boat’s valves.
- Your third option, and about the only other one we can think of, would be to take a leaf blower – electric or gas – and try to modify the tip so that it more or less works with your boat’s valves.
We’ll keep our eyes out for other options, since we pride ourselves on having a wide selection of foot, hand, 12 volt, and 120 volt pumps.
The third of our three 110 volt units is the NRS 110 Volt Electric Raft Pump (can be used on an inflatable kayak too.) Again, we know not everyone has access to an outlet or converter, but if you do this unit is the best value for private boaters who won’t be running their inflator for hours on end. It only has about 75 to 80% the cubic foot per minute output of the Big Red Mastercraft, but it has higher output pressure. The Big Red’s are generally listed as having 1.7 to 2 p.s.i., but in fact due to leakage around the halves of the casing and the handle, they rarely put out much over 1.5. The Gusto is usually shown as having about the same (1.8 p.s.i.), but they really have a bit over 2 p.s.i. – enough that you really don’t need to top off much, if any. We noticed that NRS seems to be discontinuing this pump, and we suspect that it has to do with the fact that too many of their customers were trying to use this as a commercial grade inflator for raft fleets. This is not a good plan since this pump will overheat eventually if you try to use it for more than ten to fifteen minutes – particularly on a hot day. When that happens the internal breaker will blow and it takes quite a while (up to 40 minutes) for it to reset. This product is intended for, and should only be used by, private boaters.
The NRS 110 Volt Electric Raft Pump is imported rather than U.S. made like the Big Red, which is why the price is a mere fraction of that one. Although our personal experience with many electrical items from China has not been good, the Gusto’s have been around three years now and are holding up well for private boaters. We could wish for a longer warranty, but on electric inflators one year is quite respectable. They seem to be well worth the money.
Gustos have a 25′ power cord like the Big Red, and a nice 7′ hose that is of good quality. There is an alleged multi-adaptor that works well for most valves, but not every one. It is somewhat difficult to push this adaptor into the Gusto’s hose, and it is something better done at home rather than out in the field.
Please note that wimpy “350 watt” Walmart type 12-to-110 volt converters will either blow a fuse or burn out completely if you try to power a Gusto or Mastercraft with one. You need an RV grade converter that has high amperage output. The Gusto will draw about 900 watts through a 12 volt converter system, and over 1000 watts when you first turn it on. One year warranty.