Thought I'd throw this out here for opinions. Here's mine. I've tried a variety of professional-grade digital and analog tire pressure gauges and always return to my favorite Longacre analog gauge. I've found the difference to be repeatability of a reliable reading. The digitals I've tried, including the best Longacre gauge, can produce a variation of +/- 2 psi between samples seconds apart.

That might not seem like much, but in a racing environment, it can be the difference between success and failure. In a street environment, it could mean a skewed FF/RR differential leading to undesirable handling and premature tire wear.

I know the gauge in my link is spendy, but it's the last you'll ever need, requires no batteries, is visible in the dark, has a built in bleeder valve for easy adjustment, and has an easy to read full scale deflection. OTOH, I've compared it favorably to a $4.99 NAPA pencil gauge that was more repeatable than any digital I tried, although they become unreliable after a year or so. My 2¢.

 

*sees price and falls over*

 

holy monkey with bird wings, that is more than i'm worth!

 

That looks like a very nice tire guage. For now, I use a cheapo Accutire digital.

 

its only $40 .... not that big of a deal

 

I too trust my little $5 Pepboys next-to-register stand guage.

sd: $40 is a lot for something like that. Bob is a detail oriented guy, for some of us less-than-knowledgeable grunts (well, me, anyway) I think that's a bit pricey.

You do get what you pay for though. I may someday invest in one of those...

 

A basic 0-20psi gage I get at a bicycle shop. None of the others I've tried are accurate at 3-4psi wheeling pressure.

 

Heh, I have to admit that it's overkill, but I was heavily influenced by my SCCA amateur road racing friends at Portland International Raceway , my home circuit. All of the hot shoes had one. It was one of the widgets that helped gain entry into the go-fast circle of national level racers when chalk talk sessions started. Besides, it was getting embarrassing adjusting pressures with my NAPA pencil gauge between test and tune sessions.

Last year I was showing one of my students how helpful it was for frequent adjustments required between stints, so he ran out during the lunch break to buy one. He was lookin' fine with his new Longacre, trimming pressures before our next stint. Except that he spent so much time playing that it was getting late to stage, he forgot and left it outside and promptly ran over it! I felt badly for him, and he was so angry that he just left it in pieces in the paddock. I can laugh about it now...stuff happens, eh?

 

Whoa, I'm a road cyclist and run 120 psi in my 23mm wide tires. I thought the MTB riders ran around 30-40 psi, but guess not. I don't think I've seen a tire with only 3 psi. Is that a special tire with beadlocks?

 

I'm still using a Harley Davidson analog gauge from my bike. Works well.

 

I'm still using my Trusty "$4.99 NAPA pencil gauge" that I got for $1.99 way back when.

 

I curently have an analog dial cheepie, a pencil type and a cheap digital. I cross refrence them a lot and they all are within =/- 3 PSI, not bad.

When I strike it rich I will get one of those APC digital tire preassue monitering kits with the sensors that go on your wheels and the display in the cab.

Lamm

 

Too rich for my blood. I'll stick with my cheapie pencil gauge.

 

I have absolutely no idea why bicycle shops have them but it's the only place I've been able to find them.

As far as mine go, they're standard 38" bias plys on 15×10" rims, no beadlocks. Never popped a bead yet at 3psi.

 

Hmm..what is my favorite tire gauge?

One that works...all four of mine are crap!
How accurate are those digital ones...anyone?

 

I had a $10 digital that was dead on accurate with my Race guage and it was 3 years old when it was swiped at the track. errrr

I'm gonna get another digi for in the glove box but still use the race one for accuracy.

 

I have a super cheap $1.59 K-Mart "Monkey Grip" gauge. Works well, I'm not anal about tire pressure. As long as it gives me a reasonable number, I'm great.

 

In most cases consistancy is more important than accuracy (within reason of course). It usually doesn't matter if all the tires are at 33psi instead of 32, but is is quite often important that they are all at the same pressure. With locked or spooled axles it is all the more important.

 

Absolutely agree. The problem I've found is that pencil gauges become sticky with crud over time and aren't reliable, while most digitals I've tried, including Longacre's, don't give a repeatable reading. That's why I prefer a good dial indicator: Simple, reliable, repeatable, durable, user friendly with the speed bleeder and reading hold functions. They're very sturdy, unless you run over it. Kinda bulky, but aren't most good tools that feel right in your hands?

 

I like the analog dial gauges also. I have two Accu-Gage H series, one with a hose and one without. The repeatability seems to be very good and calibration is dead on. They run about $15 to $25 in the stores and $10 to $17 on the internet.

Here's a place that sells them. Not endorsing them, just so you can see them.
http://www.getagauge.com/dial.cfm