Who makes a decent calibrated tire pressure gauge?
 

The other day I was checking the tire pressure on my daughter's car. I was using a gauge I had bought at the local auto parts store at some point. Made in China unit -- I'm sure most are these days.

Anyway, something didn't seem right so I got another gauge I've had for who knows how long. Years, maybe decades. There was a 6 psi difference in the readings between the two gauges. That's a 20% difference which seems really high. I was expecting 1-2 psi difference. So now I don't know if one or both are off. Maybe one is off 6psi or one is 3psi low and the other is 3psi high.

Both were analog dial-style gauges -- not digital or the pencil kind. I don't like digital ones because do you really need something with a battery to check your tire pressure (plus they usually don't have a bleeder valve) and I don't trust the pencil style ones.

There is an ANSI spec on pressure gauge calibration -- I think up to 2% variation is acceptable. .02 * 30 psi = .6 psi variation. That seems reasonable.

The question is can anyone recommend a brand of gauge that is known to be fairly accurate? Bonus points if you've ever compared it to a master gauge or compared readings to other gauges.

I just want to own one that I'm fairly confident isn't total junk. I'm not talking about some expensive thing that has been calibrated in a lab or something. I know some of you racers must've come across this before. I looked at a few on online but I'd like to hear feedback from folks here.

When I worked selling and servicing tires years ago, our shop had a master dial type that we used to test our pencil gauges against. I don't recall the brand of that gauge. Back in those days (I left that career in the late 90s), we generally used Dill pencil gauges in the shop, which seemed pretty good out of the box.

I still use 3 Dill pencil gauges that date to that former career, which I periodically check against a digital that I only use for calibration checks. Like you, the digital seems like overkill to me for normal use.

I've always used one like this from Longacere
Porsche 911 (1974-1989) - Miscellaneous - Page 13

If you want a really first-class unit, the Moroso 89562 is hard to beat. Expensive but you'd be hard pressed to find a more accurate analogue gauge.

I guess I've just had bad luck with the pencil ones.

One time I was out of town on a business trip and my wife and daughter called. The TPMS warning light came on and they were trying to figure out how to use the compressor and couldn't find the gauge. I had taken my daughter to the TireRack Street Survival school and in the goody bag was a cheap pencil style gauge. I had told her to throw that one away. She didn't and that was the only one they could find. I explained how to turn on the compressor over the phone and they inflated the tire. I got home and checked the tire pressure. It was 50psi! Should've been 30. Sure enough 30 was what the the pencil gauge read. Obviously it was a cheap giveaway thing but I showed that to both of them and explained that was why I told them to throw it away.

I have an Intercomp similar to these, and it's worked well for 15 years... until about a year ago, the needle didn't return to zero, it returned to 8psi. So it still seems to work, I just have to add 8 to all the readings. Wasn't dropped or mishandled, and honestly I didn't notice it for a few weeks until I set the PSI on a truck with TPMS.

I would buy another Intercomp because I really like the look (glows in the dark) and feel (really easy to air down to an exact PSI), but with this needle problem means I can't recommend it even to myself.

Anybody else have the same thing happen to an otherwise perfect gauge?

Chuck.H
'89 TurboLookTarga, 424k miles

I'm with you on the cheap pencil gauges. As I recall, the only brands we would buy back in the 80s and 90s were Dill and Schrader. Period. No idea if those two brands are still ok today, or actually if they even still exist.

Arne, I have never hear of Dill. (That doesn't mean much BTW.) I'll check them out. Schrader - I'm assuming they have a connection to the valve that bears the name?

RSTarga, Longacre was definitely a brand that came up in my searches.

David, I was looking at the Moroso 89560 model which looks like 1/3 price. I wonder if there is that much difference?

Chuck, I read a couple of articles where they tested gauges. I can't find the one I was looking for now but in one they conducted 40-inch drop tests and several of the gauges failed after one good drop. Kinda surprised on one hand but then not really at the same time. Maybe the digital ones are less susceptible to drops? That might be an advantage for them.

Calibrated and not costly likely not possible. I'm going to stay away from the bourdon tube or analog gages going forward, they simply aren't robust enough for my needs. To many little gears and hands to get banged around inside, I've broken several. Currently I check them against my digital long-acre (cheapest one they make) and write the correction on the gage face. If I have 3, they all give me different readings. Unless very expensive, the gage part is likely imported. The digital units rate well from what I read.

There are tons of options in the $20 range.
That's all you need to spend for a really solid gauge.

https://www.amazon.com/TireTek-Premium-Pressure-Gauge-Integrated/dp/B00PT18QAQ/
https://www.amazon.com/Longacre-50417-0-60-Pressure-Gauge/dp/B00DL6T2YK/

I went with Longacre. I ended up with 2 one stand alone digital that goes to 100 or 150 psi and one that is part of a chuck for airing up tires that goes to 60 psi. I needed a bigger gauge for my truck tires when loaded with the camper. I like them and they are worth the money to me.

I'd like a quality gauge as well. I have several and none of them agree. A few years ago I spent $20 or $25 for a nice dial type gauge like those in the link above. Nice rubberized outer coating. I accidentally dropped it (maybe a couple of feet) and it broke.

I have had this Accu-Gage for a long time, at least 20 years. Nicely made in USA, locks onto the tire stem, bleed valve, but what I really like is you connect the air hose to the gauge. You don't have to pop the gauge on and off to add air.
https://www.amazon.com/G-H-Meiser-EZ02-EZ-Gauge/dp/B001CJHU9W/ref=sr_1_11?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1481238757&sr =1-11&keywords=accugage+tire+pressure+gauge

Mark

Kids got me a digital Longacre with 0.2 lb resolution, love it.
Summit has it for 38, Amazon 45....

Stop a Snap-on truck and buy a Blue Point inflator with built in gauge. Will handle life's hard knocks.

California Car Covers has a nice digital one with .1 PSI resolution. I got one from them years ago that had a 2" Ashcroft analog gauge, 100 PSI. Still use it at least once a week. Bob B

Digital Racing Tire Gauge - California Car Cover Company

I've found this one to be good - check their site for variations-
fwiw


https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B010A6B6KG/ref=s9_dcacsd_dcoop_bw_c_x_1_w

Hi Tim,
Steelman 97977. 0.25% accuracy. Digital, automatic temp compensation.
Call me if you are in the canton area to check it out.
Regards,
Nick

i vote for joe's racing gauge

I went back and checked mine, it is actually a MOROSO and i've had it since 1974, still works great even though the glass is cracked. 0-60PSI.