tire guage: which one to use

[WhyMe]

i took an inventory of the tire gauges i have. 3 pen/ 2 dial/ 1 digital. also have a dial that is is attached to a filler.

I checked all of them on tires and they all read different. 2-5 # was the spread.

So which ones should i use. And how would i figure out which on is giving a true reading

 

[TallPaul]

How about taking the average and then mark each one for it's deviation from the average.

I use a dial gauge I bought at Montgomery Ward back in 1976. Brass case and all the good stuff the way they made things back then.

 

[SLCraig]

I like dial gauges myself.
That is what I use and keep in my glovebox.

 

[Donald]

The pen are least accurate. Digital should be most.
But not all are.

The best is a dial that just covers your range. So for a car one that is 0-50 is better than one 0-150.

What is the spread on the dial and digital?

A few places have a high tech self service air for tires machine. It can add or remove air to get the tires filled correctly. Always found that to be accurate.

 

[KitaCam]

I got the $6 brass/black S60X Accu-Gage and matched it to the Sears mechanic's gauge before I left and it matched...
How long it will remain accurate is anyone's guess...I'll check it against another gauge every so often to reconfirm...

Dropped it the other day...it no longer returns to "0" so returned it...still in the door is my $2 pen gauge...

 

[scurvy]

Whichever one is closest to you at the time. Using any remotely accurate tire gauge is better than not using one.

2 - 5 psi differential between gauges is absolutely nothing to lose any sleep over.

I use digital ones. My favorites have an LED lit tip so you can more easily see the valve in a dim garage in order to get it on straight.

 

[JHZR2]

Ive read that dial is most accurate. Ive never tested any of mine against a known quantity to verify accuracy.

But dial is bigger, so I keep a pencil type in the glovebox just in case, and then use a dial for my typical maintenance and top-ups at home.

I would assume that someone calibrates these things, but the value in doing so is questionable. So long as the reading is consistent, Im not terribly worried as I run higher pressure than stock anyway...

 

[WhyMe]

Originally Posted By: Donald
The pen are least accurate. Digital should be most.
But not all are.

The best is a dial that just covers your range. So for a car one that is 0-50 is better than one 0-150.

What is the spread on the dial and digital?

A few places have a high tech self service air for tires machine. It can add or remove air to get the tires filled correctly. Always found that to be accurate.


using the newest guage, which is a accugage as a reference, 2 pens read 3# high and one reads 5# low. the pens a truflate and milton, good stuff not Chinese made.

the other dial read 2# high agianst the accugage.

the digital reads 1.5# high.

the filler one is the closet to the accugage at .5 to 1# high

 

[suspiciousmind]

I believe the dial gauges are more repeatable, if not more accurate.

Repeatability is more important IMO....tires on both sides of the car will be the same pressure even if not exact pressure desired.

 

[rationull]

I have a dial gauge I bought ~10 years ago that I use as my "primary", and I have 2 or 3 pen-type gauges I've acquired over the years to put in our various vehicles. They all read "the same" within discernible precision (which admittedly is not very good on the pen gauges).

I bought a "Slime" dial gauge a while back that was ready 5 PSI low relative to my other gauges. Returned it and got another; same thing. Still looking for another good dial gauge because they're the easiest to read (excluding digital, because I don't need even more batteries to replace).

 

[randomhero439]

Accutire MS-4021B most accurate gauge ive ever used

 

[MinusPrevious]

Originally Posted By: randomhero439
Accutire MS-4021B most accurate gauge ive ever used


Been using the same one for over 10 years. Keeps on going

Bought a second one from Amazon as well

The reviews are good!

 

[FoxS]

I must have lucked out as I bought an el cheapie Walmart pen gauge and its stayed accurate for years now.

I think 2 psi is a big deal. My ride quality is very different on one of my vehicles with 2 psi difference to manufacturer spec.

 

[DBMaster]

That Accutire is the one I bought recently from an eBay seller. I cannot comment on accuracy, but it works. (Great comment, right?) I had an earlier model from this brand for a long time and used the heck out of it.

I did not like the Slime brand gauge. The part inside the tip that depresses the valve core was plastic and broke off within just a couple of months. The one in the Accutire gauge is brass.

 

[kkreit01]

I always use a digital gauge. It may not be 100% accurate, but at least it's easy to read, and I obtain an accurate reading each time.

 

[GC4lunch]

Originally Posted By: WhyMe
i took an inventory of the tire gauges i have. 3 pen/ 2 dial/ 1 digital. also have a dial that is is attached to a filler.
I checked all of them on tires and they all read different. 2-5 # was the spread.
So which ones should i use. And how would i figure out which on is giving a true reading

The best discussion that I encountered seven years ago when I had similar questions is the one that will be brought up by the following link:
Edmunds TownHall discussion.
The Edmunds link includes many more posts now than when I first accessed it, including some familiar BITOG names.

The tire gauge that I have found has worked the best for me over the years is this one (click link):
G. H. Meiser Accu-Gage Model H60XA
I have calibrated the G.H. Meiser against professionls' gauges several times, and it always has been spot-on.

 

[reemoe2]

I have this tire guage. However, the battery died and I can't figure out how to access the battery compartment. Could anyone please let me know? Thanks in advance!

Ryan

 

[Tdbo]

Originally Posted By: reemoe2
I have this tire guage. However, the battery died and I can't figure out how to access the battery compartment. Could anyone please let me know? Thanks in advance!

Ryan


What kind of tire gauge is it? Look for any screws in the gauge that would allow the cover to be removed or any compartments with screws. If you see nothing, It was probably designed to be non-servicable.

 

[Vikas]

It is pretty much impossible to get any consumer measurement device to agree with each other. We have two digital bathroom scales in two bathrooms. They are off by almost two pounds in reading. They can not calibrate manually.

 

[Spyderman24_7]

Digital all the way for me. Been using this model for close to 2 years now. Rugged design, programmable, decent bleeder function, 2 position head.

http://www.amazon.com/Slime-20071-Digital-Gauge-0-160/dp/B003V9Y2II


Just picked this one up from Sears a few weeks ago and like it alot so far. May not be as rugged as Slime model, but is a bit more user friendly regarding settings, valve stem seal, etc. Also has a more convenient bleed function than the Slime gauge as well as a decent LED light built-in.

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605...e=31-83065407-2

Both models are very accurate and consistent when compared to the dial type and pencil gauges I've been using for 3+ years. Both models have auto shut-off and offer easy battery replacement when needed.