Texas-based Buc-ee’s is known for its big gas stations, large shopping isles, farm-fresh and organic foods, and clean bathrooms. Buc-ee’s stores are open all day, all week, and year-long so motorists can drive in, top up their gas, and grab something to eat on their way out. However, does Buc-ee’s have air for tires too?
Buc-ee’s has air for tires at some of its gas stations. So, if you need air for your tires, you only need to drive to the nearest Buc-ee’s location to get some. However, while it may not be completely free to pump your tires at Buc-ee’s stores, the charge isn’t much.
In the rest of this article, I will show you where to find a Buc-ee’s store to pump your tires. I will also show you where you can get free air and how to use a free air machine.
Do All Buc-ee’s Locations Have Tire Pumps?
Buc-ee’s stores offer food, everyday items, gas, and air for tires, and they are well known as the superstore of gas stations. Of the 41 Buc-ee’s stores, 35 of them are in Texas. Its 68,000 square feet (6,317 square meters) store in New Braunfels holds the record as the largest convenience store in the world.
These stores have some of the cleanest bathrooms in any travel store and amenities that blow all other gas stations out of the water.
Not all Buc-ee’s locations have tire pumps, but most do. They usually have tire pumps with computerized PSI indicators, allowing you to set the optimal PSI, start the pump, and sit back until it automatically shuts off. However, you will have to pay to use them.
Are you looking for the closest Buc-ee’s to you? See a list of all Buc-ee’s store locations here.
How To Use an Air Pump at Buc-ee’s
Underfilled tires will affect your driving, and the longer you wait without filling your tires, the higher the chances of serious issues like an accident. However, if you have never filled your tires yourself, doing it for the first time may be challenging. Not to worry, I will show you a step-by-step guide to pumping your tires.
To use an air pump at Buc-ee’s:
- Park your vehicle close to the air pump. When you park your car, ensure that you do so so that the air hose can reach all four tires.
- Check the inside of the car door for the expected tire pressure in psi. Release the metallic valve on the tire you want to fill.
- Set the optimal tire pressure on the pump. Buc-ee’s pumps are advanced, and they measure PSI while they pump. So, all you have to do is adjust the pump’s settings to match your vehicle’s optimal PSI and pump away!
- Connect the pump to each tire and wait for the pump to stop filling your tires. The pump will stop filling each tire once it hits the ideal PSI. Once it stops, move on to the next tire.
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How to Know If Your Tires Need Air Before Going to Buc-ee’s
Low-pressure tires will reduce your mileage and cause your car to burn more fuel than necessary. In turn, burning fuel will cause you to make frequent stops at the gas station, costing you money and valuable time.
However, some people also overinflate their tires, thinking they needed air when they didn’t. Overinflated tires are dangerous because they make it easy to lose control and skid off the road while driving.
Here are a few ways to know if your tires need air before going to Buc-ee’s:
- Press the tires down with your hands. If the tire feels too soft, then you need to fill it. If it feels too hard and you cannot push slightly, it is overinflated, and you need to let out some air.
- Eyeball each tire. While this isn’t an accurate way of checking for tire pressures, an experienced driver can eyeball each tire to know if it needs air. If a part of the tire bulges out, the pressure is low.
- Use a pressure gauge. Gauges provide a more accurate method of knowing if your tire is overinflated or underfilled. You can get a personal gauge or use the tire gauge at the closest Buc-ee’s store.
Conclusion
If you are going on a road trip and plan to stop at a travel store like Buc-ee’s, you can expect to find everything you need.
Buc-ee’s stores have air for tires, and they use advanced PSI pumps that do most of the work for you. So, besides having a large convenience store and several gas pumps, Buc-ee’s allows motorists to fill their tires – but for a small fee.
There are a few places where you can get air for free. To find one closest to you, visit freeairpump.com.