Buy a decent tire gauge

[DJ54]

I've got 3 of these Amazon.com: Milton S976 Dual Head Chuck Service Gauge - 10 - 160 PSI: Automotive, one at each compressor, and dual chucks too. 2 of them are over 30 years old, and the newest abut 20 y.o. Still work great. Nice for reaching in, and checking the inside duals. Like Sixdogs, got a couple pencil type for fluid filled tires, which get used a lot less.

We had the clamp on types at work(OSHA required), but needed to replace them every few years, as you had to hold them on after a while.

 

[Mace Canute]

I recently did some Internet searching for accuracy tests of various tire pressure gauges and came to the conclusion that it's kind of a crap shoot to what you get and that there was no real correlation between cost and accuracy except the really cheap ones, dial or pencil style, were the most inaccurate. One site I considered unbiased said a digital one they tested was the most accurate.

You'd think that for a tool whose function is really quite important there would be rigid standards for accuracy but apparently anything goes...it's truly "buyer beware"!

It's amazing how many people who are picky about getting the psi set to an exact number have never tested their gauge against others for even a comparison test. For all they know the thing could be off by an incredible amount.

 

[txdon]

I recently did some Internet searching for accuracy tests of various tire pressure gauges and came to the conclusion that it's kind of a crap shoot to what you get and that there was no real correlation between cost and accuracy except the really cheap ones, dial or pencil style, were the most inaccurate. One site I considered unbiased said a digital one they tested was the most accurate.

You'd think that for a tool whose function is really quite important there would be rigid standards for accuracy but apparently anything goes...it's truly "buyer beware"!

It's amazing how many people who are picky about getting the psi set to an exact number have never tested their gauge against others for even a comparison test. For all they know the thing could be off by an incredible amount.

Mace, I had the same accuracy questions also, but then air pressure in the tire is always fluctuating.

Time - lose 1psi per month
Temperature - 2% with every 10˚ temperature change
Direct Sunlight - 2-5 psi off
Driving - up 1psi each 5 minutes maxing out at 20 minutes - 4psi

Tire Tech Information - Air Pressure, Temperature Fluctuations

 

[sixdogs]

I recently did some Internet searching for accuracy tests of various tire pressure gauges and came to the conclusion that it's kind of a crap shoot to what you get and that there was no real correlation between cost and accuracy except the really cheap ones, dial or pencil style, were the most inaccurate. One site I considered unbiased said a digital one they tested was the most accurate.

You'd think that for a tool whose function is really quite important there would be rigid standards for accuracy but apparently anything goes...it's truly "buyer beware"!

It's amazing how many people who are picky about getting the psi set to an exact number have never tested their gauge against others for even a comparison test. For all they know the thing could be off by an incredible amount.

Mace..For decades I have bought and checked gauges and finally decided the best money you can spend with the greatest degree of accuracy is a gauge destined for use in a car racing application. The very first post lists the one I think is a good value and accuracy combination. It's graded in half pound increments and has worked well for me.

The only time I use a low buck tire gauge is for a fast check on a tractor tire or something like that. If I'm serious about it I use the racing gauge in the first post and that's the only gauge I use for my light truck tires. Just my two cents here.

 

[Mace Canute]

Mace, I had the same accuracy questions also, but then air pressure in the tire is always fluctuating.

Time - lose 1psi per month
Temperature - 2% with every 10˚ temperature change
Direct Sunlight - 2-5 psi off
Driving - up 1psi each 5 minutes maxing out at 20 minutes - 4psi

Tire Tech Information - Air Pressure, Temperature Fluctuations

Yep, that's why it's nice to at least be able to start off with a semi-accurate figure. If anything, I would sooner run on the high side than on the low side, tires can take an amazing amount of pressure above the ideal pressure and still perform quite well, under inflation is what can really damage them.