Probably the same people still struggling to tell the time on an analog clock.
As you say, they're much easier to read quickly and accurately. A backlit display is also very nice to have in many situations. They are generally a lot lighter and more compact than a decent analogue gauge too.
Not needing batteries is obviously a big plus for analogue though.
This is a decent quality tool. Readings appear to be quite accurate against my other gauges and taking multiple readings in quick succession gives very repeatable results. Only downside is that I paid $29.49 for mine :<
Yes I am also really impressed with the accuracy.
I have this, according to the spec sheet it has a resolution of 5kPa with an accuracy of plus minus 1%.
Keep in mind that Tyre temperature also changes the pressure.
I use this along with a Taiwanese made $19 analog pressure gauge that you can get at your local Toyota dealer. I prefer the analog gauge it fits in the palm perfectly, there's also a pressure release button. Build quality is excellent.
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/133845095794
Keep in mind that Tyre temperature also changes the pressure.
Yeah that's why you only do pressure readings when the car and tyres are cold and haven't been driven in at least a few hours.
Pressure readings after any prolonged driving can be 4-6PSI higher than the actual cold readings, especially in warm weather.
@Miami Mall Alien: Wouldn't that mean you are going to make your tyres the right pressure only when the car is not being driven?
@bmerigan: No, tyre manufacturers account for the fact that their tyres are always going to run at a higher PSI when they're warm and being driven so they design the tyres to run optimally with an overhead of around 4-6 PSI above their recommended inflation pressure.
Pretty much all owner's manuals will state that the end-user should always be measuring tyre pressure and adjusting it accordingly on cold tyres only.
I have one of these. It's a great little device and very accurate. The only annoyance is that the auto-off feature turns it off too quickly.
just another reason to get an analogue one
Auto-off is set to 10 seconds but the gauge turns on automatically as soon as you make a measurement!
thanks. ended up getting it from SCA via eBay
Expired at Amazon in 2.5 hours, ridiculous!
(still available at SC but not at closest store, plus I wanted the free-prime-delivery, weep) Thanks OP.
Plenty of stock still at Super Cheap Auto.
I assume this wouldn't do Presta Valve (for bikes?)
It only goes up to 99 PSI. Road bikes can go up above 120. It does only Schrader valves.
You're right!
Any cheap digital torque adaptors??
Thanks OP, bought from supercheap
thanks op got from sca with $10 club credit
I got this when it first came out. An introductory offer at Autobarn for $10 and I have to say it's pretty good. I use it couple times a month and it would be about 3-4 years now and battery still holding up
Can't you check your tyre pressure for free at the petrol station and look at the tread depth indicators on your tyres for free?
Yes you can…
But with this you won't need to drive your car to the service station, in the hope that their gauge is either accurate or even working.
Also, can you actually measure the tread depth with your eyes, or are you just guesstimating?
But with this you won't need to drive your car to the service station
What about when you need petrol?
in the hope that their gauge is either accurate or even working.
How do you know the gauge in this deal is accurate?
If the petrol station one isn't working then it will be next time your visit.
What happens when this guage says your tyres need air, do those issues not exist?
Also, can you actually measure the tread depth with your eyes, or are you just guesstimating?
Of course you can measure with your eyes, do you know how to measure things? Do you know what a ruler is?
But all tyres have a depth indicator to tell you when they have reached the limit.
aside from the fact that many independent stations don't have a working pump, yes and yes.
People creaming over this deal for a $20 digital gauge that needs batteries to work and has a useless depth gauge (since tyres comes with them built in), autobarn was selling an entire compressor with built in guage for $10 and didn't get anywhere near the upvotes.
As you found out, give people a reason not to buy some doovelacki and you will get downvoted
and has a useless depth gauge (since tyres comes with them built in)
Show me a single tyre in the world that has a built in tread depth gauge?
But before you reply about the TWI (Tread Wear Indicator) blocks located in the longitudinal grooves around a tyre, think about what they do…
They don't actually tell you you have 2.8mm, or 4.5mm, etc. left. They simply highlight when your tyre is down to the legal minimum 1.6mm tread depth in that particular section.
As for a depth gauge's s actual usefulness, try asking someone in the tyre industry or motorsports. (:answer, VERY!)
And the digital pressure readout… No different to digital calipers, digital speedometer, etc. It just makes it easier and quicker to read.
@Snoop: Lol. Because you check your tyre pressures every 5 minutes, and the non-existent difference between reading a digital vs analog tyre gauge really makes a huge difference to your day? What nutter.
Note that digital calipers are slightly different, because you have to read multiple scales with an analog one, and both precision and accuracy are usually important. In the case of tyres, nobody really gives a crap whether it's 40 or 42 PSI. Near enough is absolutely good enough.
@Snoop: Could you give it a go and actually answer the question about knowing tread depth's usefulness please?
@Snoop: Could you give it a go and actually answer the question about knowing tread depth's usefulness please?
Buying/selling new tyres. Not all tyres have the same tread depth from new. 4WD, LT, and Truck are much deeper and can vary greatly from brand to brand and pattern to pattern. Not all have easily locatable specs with them.
Pass tyres are no different. Most have a standard 8mm of tread from new, some may be 8.8mm, and every now and then you come across a cheap brand that actually may have less less from new.
Estimating remaining longevity of the tread life. If you've done 20,000km and you have half the trad life left, you can estimate there's a good chance you'll get another 20,000km from them before they need replacing.
Speaking of… buying/selling used tyres. You see people all the time stating that they're half worn, but a tyre that starts with 8mm of tread is not half worn if it only has 4mm left. In fact, it only has 2.4mm of legal tread life left, so is closer to 2/3rds worn.
Checking for even wear across the tread. You can usually visibly see this with pass tyres (because it's to a point where there's already significant difference), but deeper treaded ones like truck tyres can be harder to tell how much difference there is. Also for early signs of uneven longitudinal wear (tread separation / out of round). Once again, this would probably be felt through the car, but a gauge would confirm it.
Warranty… only concerns those in retail or wholesale (measuring remaining tread for claim, etc.)
Data acquisition and analysis. Again, not for your average punter, but needed for techs… and huge in motorsport.
I could go on, but I used to get paid good money for my advice in the industry and it'd be lost on most as the majority of people don't even look at the primary part keeping their car on the road, let alone want to measure it! ;)
Show me a single tyre in the world that has a built in tread depth gauge?
Here you go
https://i.redd.it/24qie3uhbwz31.jpg
Here you go
https://i.redd.it/24qie3uhbwz31.jpg
I know there's a few tyres that have indicators of varying percentages, Nankang do some too. But tell me, how much tread does that tyre have left on the outer 1/3 when it's down to the 60% marker?
Dunno why you got downvoted dude it seems like a reasonable question. First thought I had even I saw it was “what for”
prefer the pencil type gauges which dont need batteries
Don't all tyres have TWI now? Why do you need a separate instrument to check it when you can just look at the indicators in the grooves?
Tyre pressure yes, it's a handy to have to a gauge to check it regularly. Even if your car has TPMS, still better to verify using a gauge.
Having your own gauge also allows you check pressure in the morning when tyres are cold.
TWI is only an indicator to show you if they've worn to a replaceable level. It doesn't give you a readout of how much tread you have left.
Even in the tyre industry, a person would check with a depth gauge to give an actual figure of remaining tread life.
There is no correlation between mm remaining and tread life remaining, especially as different tyres start at different depths when new.
Only a very vague "about half gone" or "nearly at the indicators", which can be achieved by eye.
I think you'll find that the majority of passenger car tyres (which most here would have), come with 8mm of tread from new.
I have found in my time that some cheaper brands have had less from new, and likewise with motorsport tyres to reduce tread block movement.
At twenty dollars I would get the Xiaomi pump for forty. Check and pump.
$40 ?? Post link
Bought one of these ages ago at Supercheap. As a dedicated dial gauge user, i was sceptical, but in over 18 months of use I can confirm it's accurate and robust. The batteries show no sign of failing yet either. The tread depth indicator is very handy. Overall, I can recommend this unit.
If you don't have SCA Club credit, and not in a rush to get it, you can get free shipping through SCA ebay store.
Showing OOS on eBay now.
in stock now but postage is $7 unless you have plus?
Does this work for bicycle tyres too?
There are generally two types of bicycle tyre valve. This gauge is Schrader valve gauge. It's also limited to 99PSI.
Older/cheaper hybrid/mtb: yes
Modern road/mtb: no
I believe a lot of modern mtb air shocks are still running on Schrader. But this has nothing to do with the pressure gauge.
a solid handy tool to keep in your glove box that may never be used
Very relatable
And the one time you want to use it the battery is flat. :D
Then you probably don't need it cause the battery last ages. The one I have is almost 3 years old now with factory installed battery.
Trying to buy this on the SCA website, price is discounted on the product page, but when in checkout the price goes back up to 29.99 and the $10 off club credit reduces it to $19.99, not $9.99? Anyone with a similar issue?
edit: just gonna go pick it up tomorrow, use the club discount in person.
Works for me at $19.99.
Yeah same issue for me, however as soon as I removed the $10 dollar off club credit, the price went back to $19.99.
It seems you can't stack the club credit discount with this deal?
Worked for me.
I find a tread depth gauge to be useful to determine the amount of wear for each corner of the car and rotate the tyres accordingly.
It is also useful to determine alignment issues early causing uneven wear across the tyre.
Can get cheap manual ones on ebay for $5
Or you could just use your eyes, fingers, a matchstick, or a zillion other things that won't cost you a cent.
What about using a ruler?
Where to start…
Probably with a tyre and ruler
@ZilogX: I thought it was very obvious when I said What about using a ruler?
ruler
[ˈruːlə]
NOUN
a straight strip or cylinder of plastic, wood, metal, or other rigid material, typically marked at regular intervals and used to draw straight lines or measure distances.
Have been using these for years and haven't had any issues. Well reviewed. A generic model that is rebranded multiple times so just find the cheapest like this one at $12.25. Prefer separate tools and this depth tool is popular at the track (again, generic, pick the cheapest).
or free at your local servo
Better delete your comment.
People hate that suggestion
https://www.ozbargain.com.au/comment/11149049/redir
how do you get $10 credit? I'm a club member but I dont see it…
Seems you need to pay 5 bucks to avail it
Please explain?
ic thanks for this
Already a member though
If you are already a member.
You might have already received another free $10 in your membership.
check your email.
Activate and spend by 17-Oct 11.59 pm
I don't have another account but was curious if i can open another and get this again lol.
Got one from Autobarn a while back, seems a decent tool and can measure tread depths too.
All road tyres have wear bars that indicate the minimum ADR depth at 1.5mm.
Try getting that onto a motorcycle tyre without squashing your hand or getting it black with the brake dust.
No thanks . right angle for me.
Jackson on 04/10/2021 - 23:18 Comment score below threshold.
