Tyre Gauges
Submitted: Friday, Aug 04, 2006 at 23:04
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blown4by
Can anyone help in recommending a good quality stand alone (not fixed to air supply type) robust hand held tyre gauge. My most recent gauge was a Michelin (probably made under licence) digital type that came in a robust spectacle type case and despite being great while it lasted, it has decided to provide spurious readings despite replacing the 3 Ni-Cad batteries (not cheap) which I mistakenly thought was the problem. I also have a Motometer analogue dial type gauge which is about 30 years old and still accurate but if not held perfectly at right angles to the tyre valve it causes more loss of air than it measures. I have searched
places like
Ranger Camping, Auto One, K-Mart, Super Cheap, Repco, Malz, ARB and other auto accessory suppliers and to be honest the ones they sell are just all poor quality cheap Chinese or Korean junk. If anyone has come across one that is accurate, robust, simple to use and has stood the test of time I would be pleased to hear about it as meeting those criteria are more important to me than the price.
Reply By: Sand Man (SA) - Friday, Aug 04, 2006 at 23:18
Friday, Aug 04, 2006 at 23:18
Good quality???
I have owned and used several different types ranging from the pencil style to a dial gauge to the one I have at present.
This digital tyre pressure gauge serves me
well. Bought from K-Mart for not a lot of dollars.
Cannot testify to its acuracy, but that is only relevent anyway, as long as it gives consistent results. press the button and when it beeps you insert onto the tyre valve antil it beeps continuously to tell you it has had enough air thank you. The digital readout displays in .5 psi increments, or you can change it to read millibars if your
young enough to understand that lingo. Turns itself off, sometimes at the most inconvenient time. (like I'm still measuring thankyou)
The unit is compact and impact resistant. I think it operates on a button type battery but I haven't had to replace it so I can't remember precisely.
Works for me.
AnswerID:
187199
Follow Up By: Sand Man (SA) - Friday, Aug 04, 2006 at 23:23
Friday, Aug 04, 2006 at 23:23
And I don't care if it is Chinese, Malaysian, or Mayan dynasty (hang about, were pneumatic tyres invented back then?) as long as they work.
You can spend megabucks and if it doesnt lose accuracy and doesn't break, you will end up losing it or having it pinched.
I only need to go back to K-Mart.
FollowupID:
444418
Follow Up By: Slapnut - Monday, Aug 07, 2006 at 14:20
Monday, Aug 07, 2006 at 14:20
I bought my digital one from Dick Smith had it 8 years until the battery went flat and took it back to a Dick Smith store in another state with no receipt and they replaced it free of charge, can't ask for more than that (apparently written on the back of the packet was a life time warranty against battery failure... go figure?
FollowupID:
444913
Reply By: Emo - Friday, Aug 04, 2006 at 23:39
Friday, Aug 04, 2006 at 23:39
I've got an Aunger dial gauge that I got from Supercheap for about $10. It's made of metal and hasn't letme down yet.
AnswerID:
187205
Follow Up By: Member - Duncs - Saturday, Aug 05, 2006 at 17:22
Saturday, Aug 05, 2006 at 17:22
What increments does it measure.
I am looking for one to mount in line to monitor tyre pressures as I inflate.
The idea is to give me a reasonable idea how they are going before I shut down the compressor and unhook the airline to check pressures. Once I know I'm getting close I can then do my final checks with the handheld guage.
By the way I use a pencil type guage which lives in the centre console of the Patrol. I paid $9.00 for it a couple of years ago. It was made in England and after checking it against a number of other guages I am resonab;y convinced of its accuracy.
Duncs
FollowupID:
444541
Follow Up By: Member - JohnR (Vic)&Moses - Saturday, Aug 05, 2006 at 22:34
Saturday, Aug 05, 2006 at 22:34
Duncs, the problem being, measuring the line will be great but the pressure there will be much higher than in the tyre as the Schrader valve slows the air entry. The pressure in the line NEEDS to be higher to get to the tyre.
FollowupID:
444627
Reply By: Catfish - Saturday, Aug 05, 2006 at 07:11
Saturday, Aug 05, 2006 at 07:11
Mate, I have a Jamec one which I bought from trade
tools for $20.
It is an analogue type and very easy to use, also comes in a plastic carry case - not sure where its made but Jamec Pem is pretty decent gear normally.
Hope this helps
Chris.
AnswerID:
187218
Reply By: Pavo - Saturday, Aug 05, 2006 at 07:50
Saturday, Aug 05, 2006 at 07:50
I have this one:
Site Link
It is metal (if you look on their website, they also have a plastic one). It cost me about $26 a few years ago - I'm sure anyone who has some Hella stuff can order them in.
It 'looks' to be good quality, and it's made in Taiwan - and the Hella name seems to normally be associated with a quality product.
Pete
AnswerID:
187219
Reply By: Bonz (Vic) - Saturday, Aug 05, 2006 at 09:34
Saturday, Aug 05, 2006 at 09:34
I have had a cheapo K-Mart digital one for ten years, const me $14.95 and its stil fine, auto on auto off and accurate as chacked against the ARB one I also have that I got with the compressor.
AnswerID:
187231
Reply By: pt_nomad - Saturday, Aug 05, 2006 at 18:34
Saturday, Aug 05, 2006 at 18:34
Agree with other posts regarding consistancy / repeatability being important. However it is worth trying to validate the gauge in the 14-20 psi range if you are going to do any sand work. To high a pressure will have you getting stuck and to low will have you popping the bead.
If your in a club, get all to check the same low pressure tyre after airing down. Hopefully you will have at least one better quailty gauge within the group. Otherwise you could do the job at a tyre dealer and have them geive you a check pressure (not with their air line gauge).
On a club sand driving trip there was a very large variation of readings around the 18 psi mark. One on the instructors had a v. ordinary gauge and was popping the bead. The gerneral concensus was his gauges reading of 18psi was actually around the 10 psi mark.
AnswerID:
187316
Reply By: Member - Stan (VIC) - Monday, Aug 07, 2006 at 14:52
Monday, Aug 07, 2006 at 14:52
I use this one - you can get them in Rays Outdoors. Very handy specially for getting
you tyres down to certain pressure.
www.bushranger.com.au/3_in_1_tyregauge.php
AnswerID:
187630
Reply By: Robin - Monday, Aug 07, 2006 at 14:55
Monday, Aug 07, 2006 at 14:55
Hi Blown4by
I think what you need is the BushRanger guage from ARB and most 4wd suppliers.
Its an analogue guage to 60 something PSI , and has a very easy to read large dial
and goes acurrately to below 10psi.
Its fitting to the tyre is a metal screw on sleeve which is easy and positive to use.
This is a little slower at first than push on but ensures a reliable connection.
Its mechanism incorpatrates a deflator which can be set to always on or momentary with a twist.
The process of adjusting pressure this way is quite effective
You will be impressed by the general quality and functionality of the unit
They are $29 normally.
Think I saw 'em in Anaconda $24 last week.
Robin Miller
AnswerID:
187632