Recommendations for a accurate tire gauge? (1 Viewer)

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NMuzj100

NMuzj100

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Sep 25, 2004
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I have read that the dials are better and that a having a low pressure gauge and a high pressure gauge is probably worth while. Opinions ? or should I just grab a gauge off the store rack and stop over thinking it. :)

I would like to hear recommendations.
 
I got a Snap-On (Blue Point, actually). Wasn't toooo pricey and I figure it will be accurate. I have no idea about accuracy of cheap v. good gauges but I always assume the cheap ones are less accurate. Interesting to see if anyone has ever tested them for accuracy.....
I got a dial gauge because I assume they'd be more accurate than the stick type. Digital ones may be better?
http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item...&group_ID=1666&store=snapon-store&dir=catalog
this is supposed to be accurate to within 1%.
 
Dial gauges don't like vibration, shocks or being dropped. Digital's don't like vibration, shocks, being dropped, getting wet, have batteries that need to be replaced and have pressure sensors, circuits and displays that like to die. They are good for the home/shop tool box but not the best for the trail.

A good quality pencil type is plenty accurate, cheap and very durable. Good brands are, Acme, Amflo and Milton, the "professional versions" are the best, made to take a beating. The 5-50 psi is good for most, for the way low air downs they make ATV versions in the 0-15 psi range.

PS. Blue Point is Snap-on's name for "we bought this from someone else and had them put our name on it".
 
I have the Blue Point dial guage too. It's been rattling around my glove box for 6+ years now, no trouble. It cost about $35.
 
I keep the pencil ones in my vehicles. Gotta be the most durable of all. When I buy them for $1 I take them home and check them against my expensive dial gauge. If they match then the pencil one goes in a vehicle. If it doesn't I throw it away. :D

Also, as far as the low pressure gauges go sometimes the ATV gauges are sold in the sporting goods departments for footballs/basketballs etc... Asked my wife to pick me up a tire gauge one time and that's what I got. To bad I was trying to set my street pressures!
 
I personally like the NAPA brand pencil style ones. They are cheap and plenty accurate. I have a 0-20 and 0-50 in each Cruiser. I think they are $5 each.
 
Yep, digital is the way to go. I had to buy one when pressurizing my water purification system to 5 psi, and now it's in the cruiser all the time
 
I have a dial (Walmart $10) - the needle got bent a tad from banging against the stop, but still fine to use
and a digital (Costco), goes to higher pressures
and I compared them both against another dial one on my MV50 compressor. All were within 2 psi. good enough.

never used the pencil type much, little faith in those...

I would go with a gauge on an inflating wand. Nice not to have to go back and forth when inflating / deflating...
 
got a digital one from costco 9 bucks cant complain , works great.
 
Based on the review in the links above, I stopped by radio shack and got the one reccomended. It works great and appears to be accurate. This is my first digital one. I have more faith in it than the average stick.
 
DRTDuck said:
Based on the review in the links above, I stopped by radio shack and got the one reccomended. It works great and appears to be accurate. This is my first digital one. I have more faith in it than the average stick.
Click to expand...


What do you mean by "it...appears to be accurate"?
 
This is an older thread that I wanted to rekindle...

I've had the pencil types and thought that the variances from one to the other, even with exact same style were ridiculous.

I've had the digital types and they always crap out on me - either battery during the coldest temps, or the computer, or the display, etc. Now to be totally fair, I never had a high quality digital.

I've also had two to three "accu-gage" dial gauges and while I was thinking that these things were the most accurate and the most durable, ALL of them are showing signs of innaccuracy after alotta age. All my accugages are approx 6psi too low on their readings! :eek: It's like they "settled in" to inaccuracy???

So, to revist this really good question, and also after looking around alot I'm still searching for the perfect gauge with good accuracy and good durability. I would go for the Snap-On (Blue-Point) but I'm pretty convinced that they are actually rebadged accugages. Anyways, any thoughts? Thanks. :cheers:
 
I bought one of the higher end digital ones from the article above, works great,

one gauge that seams to stay accurate for me is the gauge on my inflater, it is just a standard shop inflater with a brass scale
 
If you're looking for seriously accurate gauges go with two separate gauges. I don't think it's really necessary in our sport. If you were into carting or drag racing I would say otherwise as accuracy and small psi differences can have an adverse effect.

Purchase one decent quality gauge Snappy Mac Accu-gage etc and run with it. I keep a MAC tools gauge in the drivers door pocket and haven't had any issues with shock or otherwise. I have a few other gauges in my toolbox Snappy, Wika and Ashcroft and they are all w/in 1psi of each other. The Wika and Ashcroft gauges had been calibrated for work so they are a good baseline to compare the others. There is no need to go nuts on a pressure gauge so long as it's reasonably accurate and you use it regularly.
 
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