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Tire Gauge
bullshot
Member Posts: 14,346 ✭✭✭✭
Where in the heck can I find a quality, accurate NON CHINESE tire gauge? All the auto places I have looked for a good tire gauge only have Chi made crap, I have a pile of those cheap, plastic housed gauges and no two read the same and the package they come in weighs more than the gauge. I know that professional mechanics don't use that cheap junk (I don't think). I expect to pay for quality but I just can't seem to find quality anywhere.
"Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you"
Comments
Just Off the top of my head check out performance shops like jeggs or summit I know their is more such places
Go on line and do a search on which ones are rated best even Amazon should have better ones
Race cars need precise measurements like tire pressure. Why I suggest a speed shop type dealer
Milton use to ? May still do Make better airline fitings and pressure gauges, not crazy priced
It won't be cheap for a good or top end one , but at least accurate
IIRC Milton Industries makes a lot of their products here in the U.S.
Accu-Gage. Still made in USA.
Milton® Accu-Gage® Dial Tire Pressure Gauge w/ Straight Air Chuck, ANSI Certified
This is a good quality rotary gauge that is much more accurate than the pencil type.
Find a NAPA parts dealer .
I've been using this one at the link below for about a year. Accurate and reliable.
The box it came in has big letters LIFETIME WARRANTY.
It's user friendly and both the gauge and valve rotate so as it can be seen from any angle.
I felt your pain. I fix my own flats and slow tire leaks. Had a pile of unreliable gauges that would just be in the ball park for pressure. Tried digital gauges and they would just die even after batteries was replaced.
Cold weather would kill the digitals.
I have not found any accurate reliable low pressures gauges for ATV tires in the 2-5 psi range YET.
Amazon.com: JACO ElitePro Tire Pressure Gauge - 100 PSI : Automotive
I found a good one at a hardware store. Ace I think. I needed it for my boiler. That's where I keep it. It wasn't cheap.
Sorry…got nothing for you. Purchased half a dozen “better” grade and none of them seem reliable, consistent, or well made. On board diagnostics are my new go to.
YouTube has accuracy tests.
I can't say for sure but speaking about youtube a great fellow has a channel called project farm
He does countless real world no bias test on a wide Range of items he has a lot of followers and positive comments on his efforts no favoritism just real world testing
He may have one on pressure gauges ?
"On board diagnostics are my new go to."
And you actually believe those are accurate?
I must own at least a dozen tire gauges. I recently had to buy another due to the tires on my golf cart only are supposed to hold 5 pounds. None of mine would read that low.
Among the group there are a couple of digital ones that I recently discovered quit working. Bad batteries and no way to replace them. Built ins that are meant to be thrown away and buy anew!!
I bought made in USA Milton stuff a few years ago.
Got an air chick with the tire gauge built in and use it most of the time.
I've took some of the digital ones apart and replaced the hearing aid battery inside.
They were no good dead so no loss if you fail.
I have problems with the digital ones usually getting clogged or failing at the input port.
They also do not like sniffing fix a flat juices.
As was noted, Napa. Milton is probably the only one you'll find, assuming they are still made in the USA. I have a Milton I've had for 30+ years, still works perfectly.
Merc
Bending down and getting back up are a challenge for me these days. My local Discount Tire place does air checks for free - they even have a separate drive-in lane just for that. My new car also has tire pressure readouts right on the dash. The issue is that if I tell the tire guy to make them 36 all around, and I later check the dash, they'll all show something as much as five pounds different. Always low.
I just may have to endure the effort and check them all myself. I'll use a digital and a brass pen type just to see what's better.
SNAP ON..............lol
I was gifted one of the fancy electronic gauge inflator chuck thingies. Tested against a known to be correct mechanical Milton.
The electronic widget was off by15 PSI low. Good thing I checked or a serious over-inflation would had occurred. Running 44 psi max tires @59psi would not be satisfactory. The other electronic gauges didn't last long here. Too much temp variation and/or dirt (plus other contamination).
sadly "chinesium " products and even replacement parts fail right out of the box there so cheap made.
so you could get a bad one or part and never realize it
if you check the auctions you will see USA made even older USA made items . bring more on the secondary market
you "get what you pay for" is not even true any more just because it cost more does not make it better sad just a fact of consumer products now
I watch youtube more than I should but better than regular TV
so many garage repair shops and you tubers doing repairs or rebuilds post on bad parts or wrong parts in the boxes
one channel "south main auto "the fellow runs mom pop garage in upper NY
JMHO he sure has a good head on his shoulders he said him and many more shops refuse to use any thing but OEM parts due to so many bad parts and thats not a sure thing any more but better odds of getting a good part ,
I get Zero for saying this but if you like that sort of programs check him out
I would buy from Aircraft Spruce. Oh, wait! I did, and it works great and biggly too.😉
Aircraft Spruce and Specialty sells Milton brand.
Thank everyone for the input, looks like Milton is the most accurate and reliable gauge.