This one looks decent, any other recommendations?

 

You get what you pay for in most cases. In this price range they aren't going to be well calibrated, or certificate calibrated. Which is generally fine. We're mostly concerned with major deviation and less so concerned about a super accurate reading as long as it's repeatedly consistent.

Just goto your local part store, Napa gave me one that still had its plastic shrink wrap on it, and use thier loaner tool program.

 

For $25, it might be worth avoiding the trip to Napa. And while you can get really lucky and borrow a shrink-wrapped gauge, the whole point of "loaner" tools is that they are loaned out to people who don't take very good care of tools. Not so bad for something like a puller, but you might not be happy trying to use a gauge (or a torque wrench, etc.) that's been dropped a few times. So, yes, while I take frequent advantage of loaner programs, I do own my own compression gauge, torque wrenches, leak down gauge, timing light, tachometer, ....

I've never heard of a certificate-calibrated compression gauge (calibrating gauges is certainly a "thing," but I don't know why any professional garage would bother).

Personally, the most important part of a compression gauge to me is the difficulty of getting the threaded attachment lined up with the spark plug hole. The advantage of one like the one Paul22RE found is the threaded part can be disconnected from the gauge, so the gauge is not flopping around as you try to screw it together.

 

Rented one from AutoZone. It was $30 to rent but I was surprised at the quality so I just didn't return it.

These things are simple. The harbor freight compression tester is trash. Similar priced one should also be trash.

 

Isn't $30 "similar" to $25? Is the one you bought from Autozone, therefore, "also trash"?

 

The harbor freight one is $30, $24 with coupon. But the quality is definitely trash and if harbor freight can't make a decent one at the price point I am suggesting that it would be hard for others.


I'm not saying the AutoZone one is made out of titanium and gold plated fittings. It was surprisingly good at the price.

 

What if I told you both of those came off the same assembly line, inspected by the same person and the only difference was start of shift versus end of shift..

Quality control is expensive..

Sometimes it's worth paying more to shop locally.

 

I thought you said the Autozone $30 compression tester was "surprisingly" good. https://www.autozone.com/test-scan-a...ter/273352_0_0

(You do understand that the "deposit" on Autozone loaner tools is the full retail price. You didn't cheat anyone by not returning the tool.)

And for what I can tell from a photograph, the Autozone (Innova) looks awfully similar to the $24.50-including-case Shankly one.

Naturally, if we can get an "I actually used this one" review, that's better than most any photo. And we know you liked the $30 Innova. Maybe we can get a comment about the Shankly from Paul22re.