Accurate tire pressure gauge?

[SmithSwede]

My little battery powered gauge bit the dust, and I think the readings were getting inaccurate.   My three other gauges disagree with each other by 8 pounds. 

So . . . What do you guys recommend for an accurate, and durable, air pressure gauge?  I don’t want to spend $100 for some fancy Motion Pro gizmo.  But don’t want made in China junk either.

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

Accu-Gage H60XA (5-60 PSI) Swivel Angle Chuck Dial Tire Pressure Gauge https://www.ebay.com/itm/255271715080

[Gliderjohn]

Agree with the Accu-Guage.
GliderJohn

[Demar]

Yep..... I also use Accu-Gage.

[audiowize]

If ergonomics permit, I like the Milton gauges because they take up nearly no room at all and fit well into a typical tool roll.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/351667171874?epid=1255139686&hash=item51e0ff3222:g:iusAAOSwgLlaX0zz

Definitely do not buy the other ones that look the same at your autoparts stores.  The Chinese copies are crap.

[Brand X]

I've  had good luck with Capri tools out of Taiwan Ordered this the other day, and tired of the battery setups..


https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B083JNPLM8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[yogidozer]

This one has a 90 degree head. Helps when rotors are big and have spoked wheels, like an EV etc.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/175027010561?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D1110006%26algo%3DHOMESPLICE.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20200818143230%26meid%3Dcdf8d60191e845b389f1be68201085bb%26pid%3D101224%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D5%26sd%3D255271715080%26itm%3D175027010561%26pmt%3D1%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2047675%26algv%3DDefaultOrganicWeb&_trksid=p2047675.c101224.m-1

[chuck peterson]

Good luck! I’ve quit talking tire pressure’s after seeing this..

[bikeridertim]

I use a JACO ElitePro™ Tire Pressure Gauge - 100 PSI
Like it, reads the same as my TPMS. It is kind of big though

[Murray]

The metal pencil type gauges are normally fairly reliable within 1 psi and will hold their cal through thick and thin, something about bugger all moving parts = less to go wrong.

[Wayne Orwig]

Many years ago I got a digital gauge and the readings were garbage, inconsistant and random. I ended up with two AccuGages in my garage. They agreed with each other. Recently, the one accugage was giving inconsistent readings, and the two gauges never matched. I also installed a tire pressure monitor setup to my RV tires. The stick gauge in my RV, and the TPMS, and a digital gauge built into a compressor, all matched. But my Accugages gave random readings. For grins I ordered a box of 4 cheap digital gauges made out of Chinesium. Those four cheap gauges, the stick gauge, the 6 TPMSs on the RV, the 2 TPMSs I installed on my V85, and the digital gauge on a tire inflater all match. My failing Accugages got trashed.

Don't trust any single gauge.

[steven c]

 Years ago Motorcycle Consumer News did a review go pressure gages and the one surprise was the pencil gage sold at NAPA. I bought one a couple of years ago and it matches two of my other gages.

[kballowe]

I have half a dozen of those stick gauges.  They all seem to agree with each other.  One of them is more than 20 years old.  They all say "NAPA" on them.
My youngest son has the expensive gauges, and I'll periodically check them against each other.  So far, so good. 
Stay away from the el cheapo WalMart stick gauges.  My experience with those is not good.

[Ncdan]

I’ve had this one for many years. This type can be easily taken apart and recalibrated.

[guzziart]

FWIW, my 50+yo Dunlop pencil gauge agrees with my 13 yo Crapsman digital...those are what I use.

[Murray]

I’ve had this one for many years. This type can be easily taken apart and recalibrated.

But have you ever had it calibrated? I've come across plenty of people that purchase gauges that can be calibrated as a trained aircraft instrument type I understand the logic,
I have never come across anyone who went the extra step to get it calibrated or re calibrated.

[LowRyter]

I carry a mini pencil gauge that I keep in my jacket.  The ones they give away free for advertisements.  It's small enough to snake between the brakes and spokes.  it's accurate enough for riding and within a couple of pounds of any of my other gauges.

[LongRanger]

I have a Longacre inflator with gauge on my compressor. It wasn’t inexpensive but it’s easy to use, allows quick inflation and deflation, rated highly, and has a swiveling chuck that reaches the valve stems on all of my bikes without issue. Can’t believe I waited so long to buy it.

[ken farr]

I have had Accu-gauge for years.  I liked the made in America, and they would repair their product

Anyway, I noticed that they no longer agreed with each other, by a significant amount.
I contacted Accugauge, and they said that during the pandemic, they were out of service, but once everything opened up
they would be able to service the products.
I contacted a while back, they no longer service or repair the products.

I picked up a couple of units from HFT, they agree with each other at various pressures, so that's where I am.

kjf

[Ncdan]

But have you ever had it calibrated? I've come across plenty of people that purchase gauges that can be calibrated as a trained aircraft instrument type I understand the logic,
I have never come across anyone who went the extra step to get it calibrated or re calibrated.

Yes Sir, I had to once over the years, as it got off 3psi.
It was fairly simple and easy to get into.

[chuck peterson]

Yes Sir, I had to once over the years, as it got off 3psi.
It was fairly simple and easy to get into.

What/how did you calibrate it? What do you use as an accurate psi?

[Ncdan]

What/how did you calibrate it? What do you use as an accurate psi?

The only way I know to calibrate it by matching to other gauges.
I have a couple good quality stick gauges as well as a couple Digital ones.
I keep a tire gauge in every vehicle I own.
It’s been a few years since I preformed the adjustment but there was an adjustment screw which added or reduced tension on a spring.
I just tinkered with the adjustment until I got it to agree with an average of the others.
I’m comfortable with getting it plus or minus a couple pounds, I don’t think it would be detrimental to safety or Preformance within those guidelines.

[Kiwi_Roy]

What/how did you calibrate it? What do you use as an accurate psi?

Use a test gauge of a similar range or even better a Dead Weight Tester
Zero, span then linearity at 50% scale, then you adjust linearity it to make the error 5 x as much
Zero and span again and you will find linearity is very close.
https://us.flukecal.com/products/pressure-calibration/deadweight-testers  Theres a good video on here.
Typical Bourdon tube pressure gauges are quite fragile, don't subject it to mechanical shock.
Often gauges are filled with Glycerine or Silicone oil to make them more robust.

[John Croucher]

Build your own.  4 inch certified gage.

McMaster Carr has all the parts. 

[Testarossa]

If you want accuracy, you need three gauges that agree, and readjust or dispose of the one that dissents. Airliners have three computers and if one doesn't agree with the other two it goes off-line.

I have two Accu-gauges and a good pencil type and test them in spring and fall on a truck tire. For the past four years these three gauges have been consistently accurate against each other. I keep an Accu-gauge in the van, the other on the workbench and the pencil gauge in my tank bag.

[fotoguzzi]

This one has a 90 degree head. Helps when rotors are big and have spoked wheels, like an EV etc.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/175027010561?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D1110006%26algo%3DHOMESPLICE.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20200818143230%26meid%3Dcdf8d60191e845b389f1be68201085bb%26pid%3D101224%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D5%26sd%3D255271715080%26itm%3D175027010561%26pmt%3D1%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2047675%26algv%3DDefaultOrganicWeb&_trksid=p2047675.c101224.m-1

shoulda used https://tinyurl.com/app

[chuck peterson]

Picked up the $8.99 pencil gauge at NAPA…first thing I noticed…the pencil gauge you can read in smaller increments

We’ve found the (out)liar!

[yogidozer]

shoulda used https://tinyurl.com/app

That link is for what?

[SmithSwede]

Thanks everyone.  I got a made-in-USA Milton pencil gauge, model s-921, 0-50 psi.  Heavy, all brass, very smooth operation.   Seems vastly better than the chrome colored plastic stuff I see everywhere.  I’ve now read a lot about this, and it seems to me a well made pencil type gauge may be the best way to go if you want decent accuracy and durability.  It may be a pound or two high or low.  But it won’t be a ridiculous amount wrong like a (damaged) Bourdon type gauge, or a flaky battery powered unit. 

[Ncdan]

Thanks everyone.  I got a made-in-USA Milton pencil gauge, model s-921, 0-50 psi.  Heavy, all brass, very smooth operation.   Seems vastly better than the chrome colored plastic stuff I see everywhere.  I’ve now read a lot about this, and it seems to me a well made pencil type gauge may be the best way to go if you want decent accuracy and durability.  It may be a pound or two high or low.  But it won’t be a ridiculous amount wrong like a (damaged) Bourdon type gauge, or a flaky battery powered unit.

Good deal Mr Smith.
It’s still probably a good idea to check it with other gauges now and then because even the best one can get off.👍