Tyre gauges

Poly air make a brilliant gauge that measures right down to a few psi - they aren't cheap but neither are tyres.

I think I paid about $40 but that was years ago.

Any number are available on EBay for under $10 including postage.

Gidday

Short of buying an expensive scientific instrument (if it exists) I don't know.

I bought what I believe to be likely to be a reliable instrument , from a reputable supplier and not bargain basement off ebay and checked it against the gauge at the local servo.

They produced close to the same reading, plus or minus a pound or two, and so has the gauge at another local servo at other times.

So I am confident that my gauge is pretty accurate and my usual practice is to check the tyres at the servo and then check again at home. If I am travelling and get air at a country servo I usually check with my own gauge.

I think it would be coincidence if several different gauges were all wrong by the same amount and seeing we are not talking about Formual One here I figure a pound or two either way is not that critical.

But I daresay they will be plenty of people to tell me I am wrong.

Cheers

There are good gauges to be had, but it is difficult to evaluate them.

Gauges come in three types, 1) Pencil gauges, 2) Digital gauges, and 3) Dial gauges.

1) Pencil gauges. These were the standard for many years, but by their very design were rarely accurate. Robust but not easy to read.

2) Digital gauges. Maybe a good idea but in my experience not as reliable as may be expected. Their accuracy can be affected by temperature changes and the battery can be flat just when you need it.

3) Dial gauges. My preference. Generally easy to read and can be reasonably accurate. Many brands and types available so difficult to choose a good one. Choice reviewed some in 2011 and gave a tick to 'Dr Air' and 'Slime' brands.
'Slime' (Yes, a dreadful name) has been around for yonks with a good reputation and is the gauge I use. It has been checked against an industrial calibration gauge and is within 1psi over the range from 20 to 60psi. This gauge retains the reading on removal from the tyre for convenient reading and has a pushbutton to release the reading. The pushbutton also acts as a deflator whilst attached to the tyre.

It does take a little trouble to manufacture a quality gauge so expect to pay at least $20.

My observation of gauges at service stations is that few are within reasonable calibration.

hi
Either go to your local hydraulic or any industrial hose shop .
Select a 2.5inch 0-15 psi low pressure use 1/2 pound increments
or larger 3-4 inch to suit your eye sight 0-75psi On road
liquid filled
t piece
tap -to release pressure
hose and clamps
tyre valve chuck, clip on style
2.5 inch version $40-50
As u would expect the larger the guage the more $

I have used a 0-15 running around 3 psi in my buggy Very Realiable/accurate

swampfox

On a related note if you're carrying a compressor, which I daresay you would be if you are playing with pressures, what's wrong with the gauge on the compressor?

Don't get over stressed with tyre gauges being inaccurate..... tyre pressure in general is not that accurate.

Most cheap tyre gauges will be up to 4-5 psi out and being 4-5 psi out on tyre pressures according to the placard is not going to cause any damage or be dangerous.

Remember tyre pressure is a more rule of thumb calculation then science.

As long as they are not too under inflated flat or too over inflated your safe, the biggest thing is the ensure the tyre pressures are the same left to right on the same axle.... unless you have tandem axles.

If one wants to get pedantic a tyre gauge to be 100% accurate has to be used in a controlled temperature...so even the best will be out for everyday use.

The accuracy of the pressure readings is also affected by the temperature of the tyre. If you set the pressures when the tyres are cold then take another reading after they've been sitting in the sun for a couple of hours the pressure readings will be different when you re-measure them. As long as you're putting in the pressures you want & they're measured under the same conditions the accuracy of the gauge to within a couple of psi is really not an issue.
Just get a gauge from a reputable dealer who will stand by the product if you have any issues & you'll be OK.

Three letters

ARB

Hey thanks guys, hear what your saying, will hunt around and see what I can find in the $30 to$ 50 range
I thought there might have been a couple of "standouts" in gauges like there is in a lot of things...thought it was worth putting it out there, but from the general consensus if one can get within a couple of psi consistently it should all be good
Thankyou all for taking the time and making the effort to assist, it is appreciated
Cheers Steve.

After awhile and usage there is no guarantee the gauge will still be accurate. In a past life our gauges were calibrated against a standard gauge every few months. The standard was calibrated against a master every 12 months.

A while go I was selling nice tyre guages on line.....I'm not at the moment and even if I was I would not say so because it is not the done thing on this forum.

How I got into it was like this.

way back in the 80s I went on a work trip away.....on the morning of the trip I pumped up my tyres to my normal highway pressures at a local service station...all good I thaught.

well I swore that the roads needed some maintenence and cursed Russ Hinze and Joh Bejelkie all the way Maryborough.

anyway next morning I fueld up and checked my tyre pressures.....they where like 15psi over what I wanted them to be...so I went into Repco....that was a serious trade supplier back then..... and baught the best tyre guage they had....it cost me about a days wages and I still have it...it was and still is a great guage....though it has always consistently read 2psi under.

ANYway..a few years back I went looking for a decent tyre guage to leave in the vehicle because the other one I wanted to keep in the workshop.

WELL....I looked in all the usual places and must have baught half a dozen guages..several of which cost enough for me to return them for refund.

There are heaps of crappy ones out there and just because you are paying good money don't guarantee a good unit.
many of the suppliers are not consistent either.

DR AIR used to have a realy nice dial tyre guage and it could be had in a number of places at a fair price......but it disapeared off the market to be replaced by another guage that looked very similar but was not of the same quality.

yes, many are as much as 3 to 5psi out..or more.
Some simply will not read consistently reading after reading varying 2 or 3 psi every time they are presented to the same tyre.

I swore off the electronic guages.....some of them are realy accurate when they are new....I mean seriloulsy accurate better than 0.5psi...but those that I had did not cope with heat, temperature and vibration..after a few weeks in the glovebox, they where just not accurate if they worked at all...and then there are the batteries.....they take small button batteries and have no isolating power switch so the batteries go flat in about a month..less if they are in the sun.

Some of the better stick guages are surprisingly accurate.....but they don't tolerate dust and sand.....AND..just try buying a good quality stick guage these days.

If you are looking for quality it either has to be a dial guage or a full sized tyre inflator like the garages use.

I know lots of us have seen service station tyre guages that are horribly inaccurate.....but what do you expect frm an instrument that is left in the weather 24/7 and dropped on the concrete 100 times a day.

I took some convincing, but the jmec/pem rolling scale tyre inflator and one or two of their coppies are prettyy danm consistent and pretty danm accurate....if they are looked after.

Now I'll give away my secret......no current commercial connection or interest.

I finally did find a guage from one of my suppliers and started selling them.

The guage I was selling comes from Auto King a automotive indusrty importer.

Its a 50mm dial guage that reads 0 to 60 psi, and is ideal for most 4wds..that is why it is sold as a 4wd tyre guage.

I have seen this same guage under a number of other brands.......DR AIR was selling this guage at one time.......not sure of current status...I saw a guage that looks very similar in tradetools...but without getting it out of the pack I cant identify it positivly.

They are a very nice guage and in my estimation good for about plus or minus 1psi.

I have tested them against other guages and against other guages the same.....they remain consistent, measurement after measurement and from guage to guage.

There are quite a number of 50mm dial guages on the market.....a lot of them are not real flash.....some of them will be this guage or a similar one from this manufacturer who I am yet to identify.

what too look for.

discount any plastic cassed guage right from the get go.

Look for a guage with a quality feel......the cheaper ones just dont feel as well finished or as firm in construction.

Look for a guage made in Tiawan.....some cheap coppies are made in china.

look for a serial number.....if the manufacturer does not care enough to give that guage an individual seriel number....be suspicious.

all the ones I have seen that I suspect comming from this manufacturer come in a plastic case with a black back part and clear front.....if the manufacturer does not supply a case they don't care....some of the poorer coppies also come in a similar case.

This particular guage is available in a 60psi and a 100psi version and they are both nice and accurate

I wanted to get one tested in a propper lab...but the cost was prohibitive.

when you get any tyre guage home...look at it carefully......then the first thing is to take several cosecutive measurements from the same tyre....be carefull not to let any air out while doing this......the guage should repeat bang on time after time...if it does not do this return it.

If a guage is not at least consistent it has no hope of being accurate.

From there, check your guage against a number of other guages of good repute in good condition.

I have seen the guage I was selling or something very very similar selling for between $25 and $60

Good guages of pretty good quality can be had and for a reasonable sum...but you realy have to look closely.....there is a lot of rubbish out there being sold well over the odds.

cheers

Go into your nearest go-kart shop. Kart tyres are very pressure sensitive, and are often adjusted up or down by 1/2 a pound to change grip & handling. The gauges used by serious karters are generally both very accurate and also easy to read. I've got one (IKD brand I think) that I've had for years and it is great. It is around 50mm, has a rubber surround on the gauge to protect it, has a 30cm or so hose with a clip-on nozzle for connecting to the valve, holds the pressure reading when disconnected, and has a button to let air out / release the pressure reading. It also comes in a plastic case. Not cheap though. Mine is almost identical to this one - Kart tyre gauge