Cheap tire gauge test
#11
10-04-2015, 09:33 AM
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#12
10-04-2015, 09:37 AM
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#13
10-04-2015, 10:30 AM
Road Master
Many tire gauges are like eggs, you drop them and they are done accuracy wise. That is why you see some tire gauges that have the rubber covers for protection. If you have an older gauge giving you bad readings, it more than likely hit the ground once to many times. Treat them well and they will be there for you when you need them. If you want to do a good quality/test comparison, try it with new gauges. Longacre makes some awesome gauges.
#14
10-04-2015, 03:49 PM
When I was at engineering college, a long time ago, we tested a few tyre gauges and the pencil type were surprisingly accurate. I use a dial type nowadays, but to buy a calibrated one ain't cheap. Unfortunately 'calibrated' all too often simply means a gauge has graduated markings, not that it has been verified as accurate.
The dial gage uses many parts:
- a 'Bourdon' tube fixed to the dial,
- an adjustable link to set the angular deflection,
- a set of gears,
- a hairspring to compensate play between the gears,
- a needle positioned by taper fit over a polished shaft ...
Drop the dial gage once and you have many sources of error.
A quality 'Piezo' or 'Polysilicon' pressure sensor is affordable and sufficiently accurate for most calibrations. Used with a Milton® 699 air chuck, you have the best of both worlds
I have a fancy 4" Intercomp gage labeled "Made in the USA" on it's front side and "CE" (China Export) on the rear; it's off by 2psi @ 30psi compared to the Schrader® gage from the technical inspection shop. My Milton® S921 pencil gage is spot on the value given by the Schrader® while the multi-standard cheap inflater gage is off by 4-5psi.
Rubber protections around my gages don't prevent the needles from bouncing back and forth so accuracy and repeatability are only wishful thinking.
I use a 2" (4Bar) rear mount industrial gage on my inflater; my pencil gage does the rest.
#15
10-04-2015, 03:59 PM
#16
10-04-2015, 05:17 PM
Club Member
"The CE mark is required for all new products which are subject to one or more of the European product safety Directives."
#17
10-04-2015, 05:31 PM
Club Member
Several years ago I became obsessed with finding an accurate tire pressure gauge.
For my "standard", I built a mercury manometer. Because of size limitations, mine is only capable of going from 0 to 32 psi. Even at that it stands almost 7-feet tall including the valves and frame. It is calibrated at 0.5 psi increments. Note that 0.5 psi results in a vertical change in mercury level of slightly over 1/2". Therefore it is easy to estimate down to ounces of psi. The vertical scale was calculated mathematically and then engraved accurately on a milling machine.
I purchased several of the gauges you mentioned in the op plus a few others I had laying around. Most were close . . . varying within +/- 2 psi. Only one was right on from 5 to 32 psi.
I won't mention brands because the most accurate one I have might have been a fluke. I will say, however, that the most expensive one I purchased was not the most accurate. In fact, the cheapest one [a digital] was one of the most accurate.
The worst were the "pencil" type.
For my "standard", I built a mercury manometer. Because of size limitations, mine is only capable of going from 0 to 32 psi. Even at that it stands almost 7-feet tall including the valves and frame. It is calibrated at 0.5 psi increments. Note that 0.5 psi results in a vertical change in mercury level of slightly over 1/2". Therefore it is easy to estimate down to ounces of psi. The vertical scale was calculated mathematically and then engraved accurately on a milling machine.
I purchased several of the gauges you mentioned in the op plus a few others I had laying around. Most were close . . . varying within +/- 2 psi. Only one was right on from 5 to 32 psi.
I won't mention brands because the most accurate one I have might have been a fluke. I will say, however, that the most expensive one I purchased was not the most accurate. In fact, the cheapest one [a digital] was one of the most accurate.
The worst were the "pencil" type.
:icon_worthle ss:
#18
10-04-2015, 06:04 PM
I'm thinking that's going to be the logo indicating your American-made gauge meets a European standard.
Does it look like this one?
'fooz
#19
10-05-2015, 02:24 AM
That CE mark could simply be a conformity mark, for sale in Europe, nothing to do with China!
"The CE mark is required for all new products which are subject to one or more of the European product safety Directives."
"The CE mark is required for all new products which are subject to one or more of the European product safety Directives."
The EU mark is drawn from two adjacent circles, the Chinese logo uses intersecting circles. Harley parts often carry with the 'thinner' one ...
#20
10-05-2015, 03:49 AM
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AWww ! Thats not fair ! Everyone (Country) should get to use the identical symbol, regardless of the quality of what they produce. Isn't that what they're teaching kids in school these days ?