Review: SILCA Terra Floor Pump - Update

(L-R) SILCA Pista Plus, Topeak Joe Blow, SILCA Terra

 Note: Guitar Ted purchased a SILCA Terra Floor Pump with his own money to test and review on Guitar Ted Productions. SILCA has had no prior knowledge of this review and has neither paid nor bribed Guitar Ted for these posts. 

Last Monday I introduced the SILCA Terra floor pump as my next review. Check that link for that article in case you missed it. In this post I am going to compare and contrast my experiences with the SILCA Pista Plus and Terra, (so far), and with the Topeak Joe Blow pump. 

A little background on the Pista Plus and Joe Blow now for context. The Joe Blow pump was not a considered purchase when I bought it. It was an 'emergency' purchase when I was on vacation in El Paso, Texas and realized I had forgotten my floor pump when I left Iowa. As I recall, this would have been around 2007, so I've had this pump for around seventeen years now! 

The Pista Plus I received as an item to review for "Riding Gravel.com" in 2018. I did not pay for the pump and I was allowed to keep it after the review was completed. I wrote up a long follow-up review on the Pista Plus for this site in 2022 which you can check out HERE if you like. 

Both the SILCA Pista Plus and the Topeak Joe Blow pump have been used extensively in day-to-day operations here at Guitar Ted Productions. Hardly a day goes by where I don't use one or both of those pumps. So, I have a very intimate knowledge of what they can do and what their durability is over a long time period. Of course, I just purchased the SILCA Terra floor pump, so I do not know how it will go over the long haul with that pump just yet, but judging from other SILCA products I have owned and used in the past, I am expecting a long use cycle for the Terra with little to no issues. 

So, I want to skip to some pertinent (to me) differences between these pumps and remind you that two of the three are rebuildable. I expect all three will last a long time if cared for properly. Now, I will say that I don't do anything in particular to maintain the pumps I have had with the exception of replacing worn parts when necessary and that only once so far with the Joe Blow. 

Gauges: A floor pump should have a clear, accurate gauge which is durable and reliable. I would say that out of the three here that the Joe Blow is not my favorite due to its tiny numerals and while it isn't terrible in accuracy, the SILCA pumps are better when checked against digital gauges I have. 

Now, "accuracy" in a pump gauge is relative, in my opinion. These are not scientific, high-grade instruments, so the accuracy of them is what it is. If I can get consistent results over a long period of time, then the gauge, whatever it says, is "good". The Joe Blow was, and is still, consistently "good". So is the Pista Plus. The Terra gauge should prove to be similar, but with its dedicated lower range readout, it rises above the other two in readability.

It is more about how well I can read the darn things when I am pumping up a tire in a dimly lit basement in a 100 plus year old home. I've added lights, but my environment down there is tough. So out of the three  gauges, in my estimation, the new Terra pump wins because I can actually see the thing easily. Especially in the range I typically pump tires to, which is under 40psi. 

Pump Heads: The other critical aspect which I deem as very important in a pump is the pump head. How easy is it to use? Does it work equally as well on Schrader and Presta valves? 

The Joe Blow pump has a dual-headed design. You push the head on and flip the locking lever appropriately to the position pointing away from the valve. Grey is the Schrader side, black is the Presta side. 

The Joe Blow never worked well on the Schrader side, and many pumps like this, including many so-called "Smart Head" designs, which I have used in the past, are garbage. You have to work very hard to get a positive attachment to a Schrader valve with the Joe Blow and many times I just couldn't get it to work. 

So, subsequently I end up just using this pump for Presta valves. It does those quite well, but so do a LOT of other pumps. It is always the Schrader valve that trips up many floor pumps and it can become quite a frustration. 

On the plus side, as mentioned, the Joe Blow can be rebuilt, and usually that means the pump head has replacement parts. That pump head is subjected to a lot of wear, especially with regard to the rubber inserts under the plastic caps on the head. I thought it was pretty amazing in 2019 when I was able to get parts for a pump which was over ten years old from Topeak.

The Pista Plus has what looks like, at first glance, to be a traditional track pump head for Presta only. In fact, I did not realize the Pista Plus could be used on a Schrader valve for a long time! 

But of course you can do this with the Pista Plus. It is a brilliant pump head. It unscrews where you see the knurled, larger diameter portion of the head, leaving the Schrader attachment exposed, which then screws on to your valve. 

I like that the pump head actually screws on because having to use a friction sealed head, like the Joe Blow, often pushes the valve stem back into the rim, or causes stress to the base of a Schrader valve tube where the stem meets the tube. This can cause tube failures. At the very least the valve getting pushed back into the rim well is frustrating. So, I give high marks to the Pista Plus for the Schrader valve interface. 

The Presta interface is much like any other SILCA track pump and relies on friction created by a rubber insert to stay on and seal the head to the valve. These typically wear out over a period of time. Of course, the whole pump head and pump itself is rebuildable via SILCA's admirable dedication to spare parts stock. However; I might have preferred a screw on head for Presta as well as the Schrader side which would eliminate the friction interface, which, honestly, can be a pain to push on and off on some valve stems. 

The Terra pump head is actually straight off the Tattico mini-pump SILCA designed and sells, which is an excellent mini-pump, by the way. The head slips on easily to a Presta valve and the lever locks on to the valve stem with great force. I do have somewhat of an issue with how tough the locking lever cams over, but perhaps that will relax with time and use. We will see. 

Schrader interface is also just as easy and to access the Schrader side you simply unscrew the bronze colored end and flip it 180°, screw it back in, and that's the Schrader interface which works just like the Presta side does. Each end is also marked in case you cannot tell which end is which, and this is a nice touch. 

Out of the three then the Terra is the nicest in terms of pump head and ease of use. Longevity and parts replacement isn't known at this point, so I cannot speak to that. Currently SILCA does not show parts for the Terra or Tattico pump head. That may be something SILCA provides as these pumps age, but as for now the rebuildable aspect for Terra pumps does not seem possible. That gives the Pista Plus and Joe Blow the edge there. 

Weight: I know that weight of a floor pump might not be top of mind or even a concern at all for most folks, but perhaps someone will find this interesting. The weight of the Joe Blow is 1.75kg or 3.86lbs. The Pista Plus comes in at 1.55kg or 3.42lbs. The weight of the Terra Floor Pump is 1.11kg or 2.45lbs. That may make a difference if you are flying and taking a floor pump, or you might just like the fact that the Terra is easy to grab and carry due to its weight, or lack thereof. 

I'll have a final look at the SILCA Terra Floor Pump coming soon.

Fixin' Up Ol' J.B.

My battered and well used Topeak Joe Blow floor pump.

 It was about 2007, I'd say. Most likely over Spring break when the kids were out of school. We took a family vacation to see the relatives in El Paso, Texas. That would have been back when I was in the thick of things with "Twentynine Inches", the 29"er website I wrote and reviewed product for back then. El Paso has mountains, by the way. Real mountains. So I jumped at the chance to take a couple of test sleds down to ride in Franklin Mountain State Park. I had all the requisite gear packed up for the trip, or so I thought. One crucial piece of equipment had been left behind. 

A floor pump.

So, I searched for some bike shops in the phone book, (remember those), since Amazon wasn't a thing back then. I found a recommended shop called "Crazy Cat Cyclery". I went in, and asked about getting a floor pump. All they really had were a couple of Topeak models. I ended up with a Joe Blow model. I think it was less than 30 bucks, as I recall. 'Good enough', I thought to myself, 'I'll likely never use it again once I get back home.'

Famous last words. 

Signs of years of use.

I not only used it again, but I used it again, and again, and again! It became the defacto "Guitar Ted Productions" gauge of air pressure and I used it probably six days a week on average. Sometimes multiple times per day. I used it on tubeless set ups, on my Presta valve wheels, (most of what I have), and on my utility bikes, which are mostly Schrader valved bikes. This went on and on until I reviewed a Silca floor pump in 2018 and then that pump pretty much took over the daily pumping routine. By this time, that ol' Joe Blow had some issues.

Mostly it wasn't staying on the valve after a few pumps. The rubber gasket was shot. I figured, ya know, since it was so old, and cheap, that there would be no replacement parts available. I related this feeling to a then co-worker of mine, who happened to be the buyer for that shop. He took it upon himself to check into things, and lo and behold! there were replacement parts available for that Joe Blow pump!

Old used up gasket on the left. New bits on the right.

 The order was placed, and I received the parts, but for one reason or another, I just muddled along with ol' Joe. I'd hold the pump head on by hand, and anyway- this was just a shop pump now. Relegated to the dank darkness of the G-Ted Laboratories. (Trust me, it's dark AND dank down there!) The parts went into a drawer. I didn't even bother think about any of this until late one evening recently when Mrs. Guitar Ted insisted I find my COVID vaccination card, which I had misplaced. "Let's see, is it in THIS drawer?', I thought as I systematically removed things one by one from the drawer. 

New bits installed and another decade-plus of life injected.

 And then I came across the parts!

(By the way, I did find the vaccination card as well!) So, now I have revived ol' Joe Blow- finally - and he works good as new! A little worse for wear, but it's just cosmetic stuff anyway. Character lines! Signs of a well used life. And there will be many more days and years to come with it now. 

Fixin' Up Ol' J.B.

My battered and well used Topeak Joe Blow floor pump.

 It was about 2007, I'd say. Most likely over Spring break when the kids were out of school. We took a family vacation to see the relatives in El Paso, Texas. That would have been back when I was in the thick of things with "Twentynine Inches", the 29"er website I wrote and reviewed product for back then. El Paso has mountains, by the way. Real mountains. So I jumped at the chance to take a couple of test sleds down to ride in Franklin Mountain State Park. I had all the requisite gear packed up for the trip, or so I thought. One crucial piece of equipment had been left behind. 

A floor pump.

So, I searched for some bike shops in the phone book, (remember those), since Amazon wasn't a thing back then. I found a recommended shop called "Crazy Cat Cyclery". I went in, and asked about getting a floor pump. All they really had were a couple of Topeak models. I ended up with a Joe Blow model. I think it was less than 30 bucks, as I recall. 'Good enough', I thought to myself, 'I'll likely never use it again once I get back home.'

Famous last words. 

Signs of years of use.

I not only used it again, but I used it again, and again, and again! It became the defacto "Guitar Ted Productions" gauge of air pressure and I used it probably six days a week on average. Sometimes multiple times per day. I used it on tubeless set ups, on my Presta valve wheels, (most of what I have), and on my utility bikes, which are mostly Schrader valved bikes. This went on and on until I reviewed a Silca floor pump in 2018 and then that pump pretty much took over the daily pumping routine. By this time, that ol' Joe Blow had some issues.

Mostly it wasn't staying on the valve after a few pumps. The rubber gasket was shot. I figured, ya know, since it was so old, and cheap, that there would be no replacement parts available. I related this feeling to a then co-worker of mine, who happened to be the buyer for that shop. He took it upon himself to check into things, and lo and behold! there were replacement parts available for that Joe Blow pump!

Old used up gasket on the left. New bits on the right.

 The order was placed, and I received the parts, but for one reason or another, I just muddled along with ol' Joe. I'd hold the pump head on by hand, and anyway- this was just a shop pump now. Relegated to the dank darkness of the G-Ted Laboratories. (Trust me, it's dark AND dank down there!) The parts went into a drawer. I didn't even bother think about any of this until late one evening recently when Mrs. Guitar Ted insisted I find my COVID vaccination card, which I had misplaced. "Let's see, is it in THIS drawer?', I thought as I systematically removed things one by one from the drawer. 

New bits installed and another decade-plus of life injected.

 And then I came across the parts!

(By the way, I did find the vaccination card as well!) So, now I have revived ol' Joe Blow- finally - and he works good as new! A little worse for wear, but it's just cosmetic stuff anyway. Character lines! Signs of a well used life. And there will be many more days and years to come with it now. 

WW4M: Topeak Joe Blow Sport Floor Pump

For a purchase that was meant to just "get me by" on a vacation.....

This is another "WW4M" post. That means "What Works For Me" and it may not work for you. So, take that with the following words into consideration.....

Probably about 2007, I think it was, I was on a vacation with my family to see my in-laws in El Paso Texas. That trip included my first with mountain bikes to that area. I was doing reviews for "Twenty Nine Inches", and I could ride "real" mountains down there, only 17 miles away from my relative's home. It was a perfect combination of "work and play" from my perspective.

So, besides trying to coordinate getting everyone packed up and ready for the two day drive down, I also had to get my gear together to support myself down there. I would be riding alone, so I was concerned about water, food, and even first aid should I have a mishap out there in the desert. To say I had a lot going on would be an understatement.

The trip went well, and when I had time to unpack down there, I realized I had forgotten my floor pump, an old, barely functional Blackburn one. Well, I had to have a floor pump. So, my brother in law suggested I go see Crazy cat Cyclery in El Paso. I found the shop, and told my wife I'd only be inthere a minute. I ran in, asked the clerk for a "decent floor pump", and he handed me this mustard colored Topeak job which went for about $25.00. "Perfect! I can make that work for the short time I'm here", I thought to myself. 

The rest of that trip was uneventful, I got my test riding in the mountains done, and when it came time to leave, I offered to leave the pump with my brother in law, as he was talking about maybe getting back into cycling. I thought, ya know, it was a cheap pump and I need one better than this anyway. However, my brother in law insisted I take it home, so I did.

Battered and beaten, but still pumping after all these years.

And that pump has been used, abused, and it still is kicking. I just cannot kill this thing. What is equally as amazing as this pump's long term performance is the fact that I have never had to install a single replacement part yet. No gaskets, no seals, no hoses. Nothing.

I've taken this pump on more El Paso trips, vacations, trips for races, and trips for testing gear. It's been down in the Lab pumping up tubeless tire set ups, fat bike tires, and I've used it to pump up my car and truck tires on numerous occasions.

One day I heard a weird hissing noise coming from the pump and I thought, well......this is it. This pump is finally done. However; after a short time of inspection I found the cause. A loose fitting, and once I tightened it, I was all good to go again. That's the only issue I've ever had with this pump.

Now you gotta figure that after having this pump for 13 years that the thought that this was just a purchase to get me by for a week was selling this pump short. I mean, it was 25 bucks! I've probably pumped up well over a thousand tires with this thing in that time. Maybe a couple thousand. I don't know, but I do know that for all the times I've knocked this thing around, and for a total lack of maintenance, I am pretty sure I got my money's worth. This thing has done all my tire testing work, since I use the gauge as a relative measure for my reviews, and I have done a boatload of tire reviews. So, if you ask me if this pump was worth it?.......

Yep. Pretty sure about that!

Anyway, I see no reason that this pump won't go a handful more years at the least. I do mix it up, as far as usage, with that new fangled Silca  pump I got about a year ago or so. That will help extend the life of this pump. But even so, I would expect this pump to be around a long time here. By the way, they do make replacement parts for the high wear parts on this pump, and I have the rebuild kit, because I figured I'd need it sooner or later. But that may be a long time from now!

Also a testament to the design- Topeak still makes this model floor pump. It's about $50.00 now, but ya gotta figure that if Topeak is using similar design, that $50.00 investment will last you well over ten years. That's a LOT of tire pumping. I should know.

Note: I bought the Topeak Joe Blow sport pump with my own money. I was not paid nor bribed for this review and I strive to give my honest thoughts and views throughout.

WW4M: Topeak Joe Blow Sport Floor Pump

For a purchase that was meant to just "get me by" on a vacation.....

This is another "WW4M" post. That means "What Works For Me" and it may not work for you. So, take that with the following words into consideration.....

Probably about 2007, I think it was, I was on a vacation with my family to see my in-laws in El Paso Texas. That trip included my first with mountain bikes to that area. I was doing reviews for "Twenty Nine Inches", and I could ride "real" mountains down there, only 17 miles away from my relative's home. It was a perfect combination of "work and play" from my perspective.

So, besides trying to coordinate getting everyone packed up and ready for the two day drive down, I also had to get my gear together to support myself down there. I would be riding alone, so I was concerned about water, food, and even first aid should I have a mishap out there in the desert. To say I had a lot going on would be an understatement.

The trip went well, and when I had time to unpack down there, I realized I had forgotten my floor pump, an old, barely functional Blackburn one. Well, I had to have a floor pump. So, my brother in law suggested I go see Crazy cat Cyclery in El Paso. I found the shop, and told my wife I'd only be inthere a minute. I ran in, asked the clerk for a "decent floor pump", and he handed me this mustard colored Topeak job which went for about $25.00. "Perfect! I can make that work for the short time I'm here", I thought to myself. 

The rest of that trip was uneventful, I got my test riding in the mountains done, and when it came time to leave, I offered to leave the pump with my brother in law, as he was talking about maybe getting back into cycling. I thought, ya know, it was a cheap pump and I need one better than this anyway. However, my brother in law insisted I take it home, so I did.

Battered and beaten, but still pumping after all these years.

And that pump has been used, abused, and it still is kicking. I just cannot kill this thing. What is equally as amazing as this pump's long term performance is the fact that I have never had to install a single replacement part yet. No gaskets, no seals, no hoses. Nothing.

I've taken this pump on more El Paso trips, vacations, trips for races, and trips for testing gear. It's been down in the Lab pumping up tubeless tire set ups, fat bike tires, and I've used it to pump up my car and truck tires on numerous occasions.

One day I heard a weird hissing noise coming from the pump and I thought, well......this is it. This pump is finally done. However; after a short time of inspection I found the cause. A loose fitting, and once I tightened it, I was all good to go again. That's the only issue I've ever had with this pump.

Now you gotta figure that after having this pump for 13 years that the thought that this was just a purchase to get me by for a week was selling this pump short. I mean, it was 25 bucks! I've probably pumped up well over a thousand tires with this thing in that time. Maybe a couple thousand. I don't know, but I do know that for all the times I've knocked this thing around, and for a total lack of maintenance, I am pretty sure I got my money's worth. This thing has done all my tire testing work, since I use the gauge as a relative measure for my reviews, and I have done a boatload of tire reviews. So, if you ask me if this pump was worth it?.......

Yep. Pretty sure about that!

Anyway, I see no reason that this pump won't go a handful more years at the least. I do mix it up, as far as usage, with that new fangled Silca  pump I got about a year ago or so. That will help extend the life of this pump. But even so, I would expect this pump to be around a long time here. By the way, they do make replacement parts for the high wear parts on this pump, and I have the rebuild kit, because I figured I'd need it sooner or later. But that may be a long time from now!

Also a testament to the design- Topeak still makes this model floor pump. It's about $50.00 now, but ya gotta figure that if Topeak is using similar design, that $50.00 investment will last you well over ten years. That's a LOT of tire pumping. I should know.

Note: I bought the Topeak Joe Blow sport pump with my own money. I was not paid nor bribed for this review and I strive to give my honest thoughts and views throughout.