Lap pump = harbor freight tools pump

I just stumbled across a website that said you can boil acrylic tubing and it becomes valuable.

Nice info here I just went ahead and ordered the picturebrite P134 - Jim Diamond Pump w/gauge w/2 set. I paid $75.46 I would have just bought everything locally besides the cylinder but having multiple packages shipped to my apartment can be a hassle so I went with the all in one package route. I also would not have saved much due to the stupid 9% sales tax if I buy pump locally and a shipped cylinder not to mention lack of time to run around town to buy stuff. I hope the 2” cylinder fits me well I just measured and was not fully erect due to just doing PE an hour ago. I measured about 5.5 at base with a string and 5.375 mid shaft girth length is still around 6.5 BPEL.

Just bought an OEM vacuum pump from Autozone for $29.99… Bought a brass pump from Vacu-Tech for $79.99 (ouch- Harbor Freight sells the exact same one for $15.99!) a couple days ago and the pump leaks. Tried to re-vaseline the valve and still doesn’t work. I’ll have to send it back for refund/repair and hopefully this OEM pump works nicely.

Where do you get the cylendar and how do you use it?

I got my cylinder from Vacu-Tech. I opted for an elliptical cylinder rather than a standard round one. Regarding on how to use the vaccum punp, check out “Pumping 101” thread here in the Pumper’s Forum.

BTW, the OEM pump is awesome. Much better than the one I got at Vacu-Tech and MUCH cheaper. It kept the vaccum steady for the full 10 minutes. OEM must have acquired Mity Vac as the pump still has their name on it.

I wanted to point out something. But I ordered my Harbor Freight pump a couple months ago and it has been sitting in the garage (packaged). I finally to all my materials from McMaster and a cylinder and guess what! The barb fitting on the pump is too fat for the tubes ordered from McMaster.

I got the correct tubes, but I think my US General Brake Bleeder from Harbor Freight was fitted with a different male adaptor then all the others. I’m ordered from the internet so I could not check it on the shelf before I bought it. Kinda annoying because now I either have to go hunt around at an auto store for a new smaller barb adaptor or drive over to the local Harbor Freight retail store.

I spent the part of the morning re-reading the whole thread on my phone to see if anyone else might have had this problem and I guess I’m the only one that has gotten a pump with an abnormal sized barb.

Even heating the tube up in boiling water and splitting it over the barb does not help.

So, I realized that I had spare parts in the parking lot of Harbor Freight and now I feel like a moron for my post. Even though I still have a 1/4 inch barb, I’ve just used the wider short clear tube that comes with it to connect to the barb and then the smaller tube from McMaster inside that tube on the other end. If there was a Homer Simpson *Doh* moment, that was it.

Did not see this, but has anyone tried the Jim Diamond cylinders from Picture Brite and can point out any additional pieces/parts that may be needed (I.e. Does it include the female coupler)?

This is what I have so far:

Harbor Freight pump w / gauge - $25.95 + $7.99 shipping
Jim Diamond cylinder - $27.95 + $6.36 shipping

Tubing and fittings from McMaster are $21.26 + shipping. Without shipping for that, the total is around $90. That is roughly a $66 savings over LA Pump.

I have this exact setup and it works well enough. The Jim Diamond has the female coupler. The measurements seem off on it though.

Measurements seem off? Does this mean the dimensions they are being sold as do not seem right, or is it with the tubing/couplers?

I just found that their printed on ruler label is off (for length) by maybe a half inch.. I’ve seen two other comments in the Pumpers section that have noted some incorrect products received. But my width seems just about right for the size I ordered. I’m pretty happy with my Jim Diamond for my first cylinder. I’m sure there are values to having all glass or something, but for the price point, it is a good way to get started.

Two weeks ago I ordered a pump+1.75in cylinder from picturebright on eBay for 35 dollars. Last Friday the package showed up and to my surprise they sent me both a 1.75 and a 2.0 inch cylinders along with the pump. The cylinders are both Jim Diamond, and they have a decal measuring up to 9 inches, but the measurement is almost an inch off.

First I want to say that I am very happy with my purchase, it was a great deal, especially considering the extra cylinder into which I can grow. The last time I measured, I was at 5.25in girth at mid shaft and I pack the first 2.5 inches of the 1.75 inch tube.

There are a couple of problems, there is a vacuum leak in the male connector, but I will soon replace the oring and hope that will fix it. The main problem is the gauge of the pump. Out of the box, at atmospheric pressure, it read 4 inhg. I opened it up and tried to bend the internals to make it read 0, but it is very soft copper and it buckled. It kind of works now, but I am notsure of it’s accuracy. I pump up till it reads between 5 and 6 inhg and I get a pleasant expansion and so far no donuts, blisters or pain. I got very slight red dots once, but they immediately went away after a few jelqs.

Does anyone know if I can purchase a gauge alone? The pump itself works GREAT.

If anyone is interested, Harbor Freight sent me an E=mail advising that the vacuum pump is on sale this week for about $17.65. Coincidentally, there is a coupon in Auto Week to get it for about $16.95

Feb 2010:

price $19.99 + $7.99 shipping.

Ordered mine today.

I am so looking forward to throwing my my plastic toy pump in the trash !