Kleinn is one of the best-known names in truck train horns. Its kits pair spun-metal trumpets with a 150 PSI compressor and a steel air tank you bolt under the truck. A battery train horn takes a different route: the trumpets, compressor and power all ride in one portable unit. Here is how the two compare on what you get, what you pay, and what the install actually takes.
What a Kleinn train horn kit includes
Kleinn sells two broad families. Universal ProBlaster kits ship with everything except custom brackets. Vehicle-specific bolt-on kits add brackets made for one truck. Three universal kits show the range of current pricing:
- HK6: $619.95 at Northridge 4x4. A chrome-plated ABS triple horn (16, 14 and 11 inch trumpets), a 150 PSI compressor, a 1.5 gallon tank, a 120/150 PSI pressure switch, a 30/40 amp relay, a 30 amp fuse, 12 feet of nylon air line, and a horn button. The listing says it may need some modification to install, and the warranty is a 1 year limited.
- HK7: $839.99 at Summit Racing. Black triple trumpets, a 150 PSI compressor described as waterproof and 100% duty, a 1.5 gallon tank, and a flat rack mount. Rated at 153 dB.
- HK8: $1,049.95 at Summit Racing. Chrome-plated spun copper trumpets (17.5, 15.5 and 11.5 inches), a 150 PSI compressor, a 3 gallon tank, a valve upgrade, and a quick-connect tire inflation kit. Rated at 157.3 dB at 150 PSI and 151.8 dB at 100 PSI.
The vehicle-specific bolt-on kits cost more. RealTruck lists a GM 1500 kit (GMTRK-1, with a 1.0 gallon tank) at $599.95. The Model 730 triple-horn kits with 3.0 gallon steel tanks run $1,299.95 for Ford (VELO-734), $1,479.95 for heavy-duty GM (GMHD-734), and $1,599.95 for Ram 2500/3500 (RAMHD-734). Kleinn says kits with a 1.5 gallon or larger tank include a tire inflator. On a truck that already needs onboard air, that is real value.
What a battery train horn includes
A battery train horn puts the compressor, valve and trumpets in one housing and runs on the cordless tool pack you already own. Take the Extreme Series Train Horn for Milwaukee® 18v Battery. It is $335 on sale (regular $430) and ships fully assembled with a wireless remote. It has four powder-coated aluminum trumpets (two 14 inch, two 12 inch), measures 14 x 6 x 12 inches, and weighs 4 pounds without the battery. It runs on any Milwaukee® M18™ battery from 2.0Ah to 12.0Ah. The headline rating is 150 dB, with three volume settings, and the stock remote reaches 160 feet. A long-range remote rated to 2,000 feet is an option.
What it does not include: a battery or charger. If you are already on the M18™ platform, you probably have both. If not, a 6Ah pack and a charger are about $30 each as add-ons on the product page. The horn carries a 1 year warranty.
Price compared side by side
| Option | Listed price | Air storage | Rated output |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kleinn HK6 universal kit | $619.95 | 1.5 gal tank | Not listed |
| Kleinn HK7 universal kit | $839.99 | 1.5 gal tank | 153 dB |
| Kleinn HK8 universal kit | $1,049.95 | 3.0 gal tank | 157.3 dB at 150 PSI |
| Kleinn RAMHD-734 bolt-on kit | $1,599.95 | 3.0 gal tank | 157.8 dB (listed) |
| Extreme Series battery horn | $335 (sale) | None; air made on demand | 150 dB |
The cheapest Kleinn kit in this list still costs nearly double the battery horn, and the bolt-on kits cost four to five times as much. Those Kleinn prices are parts only. If a shop installs the kit, labor goes on top. We break down full installed costs in how much a train horn really costs, air kit plus install vs battery horn.
On paper the Kleinn kits are louder: 157 dB against 150 dB. Keep that in perspective. Roughly 3 dB is the smallest change most people notice side by side, and it takes about 10 dB for a sound to seem twice as loud. So the gap is noticeable but not a different class of noise. All of these ratings depend on how and where the meter was placed, and the HK8 drops to 151.8 dB at 100 PSI, close to the battery horn's figure. Both are far louder than a stock car horn.
Install: bolt-on kit vs snap-on battery
"Bolt-on" is accurate, but it does not mean quick. Kleinn's vehicle-specific kits use custom brackets for the compressor, tank and trumpets, and retailers describe them as installing with no drilling, cutting or welding on most applications. The work is still real: find space under the truck (often the spare tire area), mount the tank and compressor, run air line, and wire the compressor through a relay and fuse to the truck battery. Leer, a Kleinn dealer, estimated 3 to 6 hours for the Model 730 Ford kit and 2 to 4 hours for Kleinn's universal spare-tire-location kit. A buyer review on one retailer page said it took several hours and was not as easy as advertised. The universal HK kits need you to make your own mounts.
A battery horn has no install. Slide a charged pack onto the base and press the remote. Nothing is tapped into the truck's electrical system, and the horn moves from the pickup to the boat, the UTV or the jobsite in seconds. The trade-off is that it is not permanent. You set it in the bed, strap it to a rack, or carry it, and it does not fire from the steering wheel. If you want a horn that is wired into the truck and always there, a Kleinn kit is built for that. For how the main mounted and portable approaches compare, see our train horn gun vs air tank and compressor kit breakdown.
Run time and what else the air does
A tank-based kit honks from stored air, then the compressor refills the tank. That cycle runs between the pressure switch settings, 120 PSI on and 150 PSI off on the HK6 and HK8. Bigger tanks give longer blasts. The extra advantage of a Kleinn system with a 3 gallon tank is the onboard air: Summit lists the HK8 with a quick-connect tire inflation kit, so you can air tires back up after a trail run.
A battery horn makes its air as you press the remote, so there is no tank to empty. Its limit is battery charge instead. A 6.0Ah pack is rated for 500 or more short blasts per charge, and you can swap in a fresh pack in seconds. It will not inflate a tire, though. If onboard air matters to you, that point goes to Kleinn.
If you run a different battery platform, the same four-trumpet design comes in versions for other cordless packs:
Legality: the California caveat
Neither type of horn gets a pass on public roads. Summit's HK8 listing states that some parts are not legal for use in California or in states with similar rules. California Vehicle Code section 27000 requires a working horn audible from at least 200 feet, but says no horn may emit an "unreasonably loud or harsh sound." Section 27001 limits horn use to when it is reasonably necessary for safe operation. Other states have their own rules. Whichever horn you buy, keep the stock horn working and save the train horn for private property, off-road trails, the water, events and emergencies. A portable horn helps here, because it does not have to stay on the truck.
FAQ
Is a Kleinn train horn louder than a battery train horn?
On paper, yes. Kleinn rates the HK8 at 157.3 dB at 150 PSI and the HK7 at 153 dB. The Extreme Series battery horn is rated at 150 dB. In practice, every horn here is far louder than you will need on a public street.
Do Kleinn bolt-on kits require drilling?
Retailers describe the vehicle-specific kits as bolting on with no drilling, cutting or welding on most applications. You still mount the tank and compressor, run air lines, and wire the compressor to the truck battery through a relay and fuse.
Can I use one battery horn on more than one vehicle?
Yes. A battery horn is not wired in, so it moves between the truck, boat, UTV or campsite. A Kleinn kit stays on the truck it is bolted to.
Which is better for a truck that needs onboard air?
The Kleinn kit. Its tank and compressor can also fill tires, and the larger-tank kits include an inflator. A battery horn only makes air for the horn.