The old saying goes, “A man with one watch knows what time it is. A man with two is never sure.” I am a man of so many tire pressure gauges that I should be crying, confused in a corner. But I keep an anchor in reality by having one excellent gauge I periodically check for accuracy and use as a reference for those others in my shop. The three I use most are shown here. A short pencil gauge is easy to pack and carry, and even though it is a few pounds off in reading, having the big Motion Pro digital unit as my own personal reference standard makes me comfortable using the little cheapo gauge for on-the-road convenience. The analog dial gauge is from Blue Point. I bought it five years ago for around $45 and began using it as my go-to gauge but discovered it was not accurate. Comparing it with known good units, the Blue Point consistently read 4 pounds low, and I wrote that on the face. This encouraged me to get my personal reference standard, the Motion Pro 0–60-psi digital tire pressure gauge ($109.99, motionpro.com). I chose digital because these units are typically more accurate over a wider range of pressures, whereas a mechanical gauge tends to be most accurate in the middle of its scale; that is, a 0–60 is best at 30 psi. Zero can also be reset at the ambient pressure, which soothes the detail-oriented soul. Digital gauges are also generally more resistant to knocks and drops, but always treat any tire pressure gauge like the fine instrument that it is. Want to be really sure about your gauge? Better shops will have a certified reference gauge, or go to a local racetrack where tire support is offered, and your friendly tech should be able to test your gauge.
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really??? Who keeps an eye on your tire pressures?
