A tire gauge like this:



Or one of these:



I am curious to see the answers and will explain my situation later. Also, what do you guys think about gauge accuracy?

I actually use a digital gauge. This one to be exact:



http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00005AXI4

I'd trust either of the ones you show. I find the dial type easier to read, and that's what I use.

Digitals are probably the most accurate, but I don't really see the need to read my tire pressures to the tenth, nor do I want to be surprised by a dead battery in the gauge. My $.02

We use Morosso for my drag car as well as the trucks

Bricks said:

nor do I want to be surprised by a dead battery in the gauge.

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Sheesh, that's what jumper cables are for!!

I prefer the dial too for ease of reading.

I use a dial guage. My guage is branded "Victor"

Ryan

O'Rattlecan said:

My guage is branded "Victor"

Ryan

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So your name is Ryan and your gauge says "Victor", is that one of those 5 finger discount deals?

The reason I was so "moved" to seek the opinion of my trusted brethern is that I now have in my possession 3 gauges. One Accu Gage that I procured at Sears this afternoon while having an alignment done on my wifes truck, and 2 slime stick gauges that was purchased at different times at my nearest Wally World. One of the slime gauges is 0-50 and the other 10-120. A short while after I had new tires put on truck and car I decided it was time for a new gauge as the 6 year old Bridgestone one I procured from my dad was of the heavy duty application and I suspected that it may not be within accurate spec anymore. I bought a slime stick gauge from my trusted China Mart and compared against my Bridgestone and the gauge at the tire shop. I do not remember that reading of tire shop gauge and slime one but the difference was negligible but the Bridgestone one was 5-6 PSI off so in the trash it went. A few days later I bought another slime 0-50 gauge and compared to previously bought slime gauge and the readings were a spot on. The universe moved in perfect harmony for a blissful while as I drove in confidence that my tires would not suffer a premature tread separation because the pressure is as I like it 5 PSI over manufacture spec. What threw a monkey wrench in my bliss was the day I decided to check the pressure on my spares, which incidentally, were both at the 15 PSI mark. The spare in the truck now inflated to the max. 44 PSI, time to inflate the donut that belongs in the tuna can. I inflate to the recommended 60 PSI and check and out pops the plunger of my 50 PSI slime pencil gauge. Not to worry friends, I hot foot on down to Wallys and purchase another slime gauge, this one 20-120 PSI and am satisfied as I have received 4 valve stem caps as a bonus for buying a gauge in the package instead of out of a pencil cup on the shelf. I compare this gauge to my other 0-50 slime gauge and find that this one is more difficult to read as it nows marks in 2 PSI instead of every PSI, I also find that this one reads 2 PSI lower than my 0-50 slime gauge. I inflate my Sentra tires to 36 PSI for the sake of reading the gauge. I read a thread on another forum about pressure gauges possibly not being accurate out of the box and kind of brushed it off as I know this information and besides my gauges are not that far off, at least not for my anal tendencies. IAC, I am at Sears today speaking with the tech after my alignment is done and he mentions that my tire pressure was 40 PSI but he aired them down to factory spec for me which is 35 PSI. I nearly had a coronary. Not only because I WANT my tires at 40 PSI, but the tires are HOT and he dosent know what pressure was really in there to start, and besides the nerve of him to think that I want my tires at factory spec. He is confident that he has 35 PSI in them according to HIS pencil gauge so I decide that this may not be totally bad and I am tired of pencil gauges anyhow so before I check out I grab an Accu Gage like the first one I posted. I return home and compare it to my 0-50 gauge that stays in the truck and find that 0-50 slime gauge says 40 PSI (tires are still hot) and Accu says 36 PSI. I stroll the 3 feet to my tuna can and open the truck and find my 20-120 slime gauge and compare the three on a car tire. The slime 0-50 says 37 PSI, the slime 20-120 says 36 PSI and the Accu says 34 PSI. Now that I have 3 DIFFERENT readings I convinced that the CIA is tapping my phone calls and frying my brain with microwaves sent from space. Which one should I trust? For the time being I have set all three of them in the trunk of my car and will try to test them again in the morning when truck hasnt been drivin and car hasnt set in sun all day. Sorry for the long post but it is all relevant to my sanity ATM. Thanks.

Sheesh, just do the logical thing and take an average with all three gauges! To be dead on though, you have to take at least three reading from each gauge on each tire.

I would average them and then use one consistently keeping the original average in mind...

Ryan

You have too many gauges, man - throw two of them away and you won't be so worried.

Bricks said:

You have too many gauges, man - throw two of them away and you won't be so worried.

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Tis what I am considering doing with my pencil gauges. I have also considered the prospect of buying a digital gauge but am not convinced that it will prove anything other than the fact that I will totally short circuit with four gauges and four different readings.

We had this old crappy stick gauge that was never accurate. My dad spent $50 for a good dial gauge and we havent been disappointed. Dial gauges ftw, digital ones are nice too but are more $$$...

I have a bunch of gauges. I use the dial gauges the most. I have a digital i checked the others against and the are all with in 2-3 psi of each other the ones that were off by more than that I tossed in the can.

So you all agree that the digital gauges are probably the most accurate?

The digital ones are much more accurate, the dial guages last longer than the sticks, but their accuracy depends upon the manufacturer. The stick guages are ok at first, but the springs wear out, and they fail high most generally (35 psi actual....reading 40).

I got a dial gauge that I use when Im away from home otherwise I have a gauge thats built into the tire chuck for my compressor. It has a 4 or 5 inch hose then beside that it the stick gauge and I just use that most of the time.

blacksnapon said:

the dial guages last longer than the sticks, but their accuracy depends upon the manufacturer.

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Which brands would you consider good Vince??

Bricks said:

You have too many gauges, man - throw two of them away and you won't be so worried.

Click to expand...

+1

I keep one gauge in each vehicle, and use that gauge on that vehicle.

Frankly, I don't give a hoot if it's +/- a couple PSI from accurate, so long as it's pretty precise. I guess a good pressure based on manufacturer's ratings (usually a few PSI higher), and then adjust up/down depending on how it rides/drives.

I just checked everything out with cold tires. I also just reread my post from last night, man was I short circuiting, thanks Coors Light. Based on the fact that I am sure I had 40 PSI in the tires on the truck before the alignment in which the tech let out 5 PSI and according to his gauge is supposed to now have 35 PSI in them, the Accu dial gauge says 36 PSI and the two stick gauges say 39 PSI. I adjusted the pressure in the cars tires before I left work after they had been sitting 11 hours overnight and they had 34 PSI in them, now stick gauges (same one that told me 34 PSI) now say 37 PSI and the dial gauge says 33 PSI, so I will throw the two stick gauges away and take the dial gauge for gospel until I buy a digital gauge in the next week or so.

Digital >>> Dial >>> Stick