Product Description

The Accutire MS-4751WC Digital Programmable Tire Gauge with Light is a smartly designed tool that feels right in your hand. The large back-lit display is easy to read, and the rubberized grip and cast metal housing ensure many years of service. Driving with correctly inflated tires is important for safety, reduced tread wear, improved handling and ride performance and better fuel economy.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #7 in Automotive
• Brand: Accutire
• Model: MS-4751WC
• Released on: 2007-04-15
• Dimensions: 3.00" h x 1.00" w x 5.00" l, .0 pounds

Features

• White LED flashlight tip and blue backlit display
• 5-99 PSI
• Accuracy is +/- 1% + 0.1 PSI
• Easy-to-read LCD display, beep verification
• Comes with storage pouch

Accutire
Driving with correctly inflated tires is important for several reasons:

Although most drivers know this, many still do not take preventative action by regularly checking their tire pressure. According to a survey by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), 27 percent of the passenger cars and 33 percent of the light trucks (including SUVs, vans and pickups) on America's roads have at least one substantially under-inflated tire.

Under-inflation of tires increases the likelihood of many different types of crashes, including those involving: (1) skidding and/or loss of control of the vehicle; (2) hydroplaning; (3) increases in stopping distance; (4) flat tires and blow-outs, and (5) overloading of the vehicle.

For the small amount of time it takes, checking tire inflation at least once a month is one of the best investments you can make to get the maximum life out of your tires. Proper inflation can also improve gas mileage by more than 3% when maintained regularly. Keep this in mind: Under-inflated tires can lower gas mileage by 0.4 percent for every 1 PSI (pounds per square inch) drop in pressure of all four tires. You may want to check your tires more often during the winter months. Tires will lose about 1 PSI of pressure for every 10 degrees Fahrenheit of temperature drop.

Keep an accurate tire pressure gauge in your car's glove box (many gauges at "air stations" give false pressure readings) and check the tire pressure when the tires are cold. Never trust the appearance of a tire as a gauge for inflation. A tire could be 10 PSI low on pressure and not appear to be low on air. Use the recommended inflation pressure listed in your vehicle's owner's manual or on the inflation sticker found on the driver's door jamb. While you're at it, don't forget to check the spare. There's nothing more annoying than a flat spare when you have a flat tire

Tire pressure checking is an important auto safety check that everyone should do frequently. Use the Accutire MS-4751WC to get quick, accurate readings.

Customer Reviews

Well built with no problems
I assume that Amazon will directly be selling this product at some point in the future (1/2008 right now), so I wanted to take the time to review this product.

I purchased this product from Costco for Christmas (well, the wife did for me) ... price was about $15. The model number was MS-4751WC. I can't see a difference betweeen mine and the MS-4751B advertised here.

Correcting some specs that are in the description ... Range is 5-99 PSI, Accuracy is +/- 1% + 0.1 PSI. Resolution is .1 PSI. The unit uses two replaceable batteries (CR2032). The unit is extremely well built ... with a heavy solid feeling that probably comes from its 1/2 pound weight! The unit is 5-1/4" Long by 2-1/2" Wide by 1-1/4" Thick. There is a bright white LED light in the tip of the unit that works well. Strange is that neither the users guide nor the unit itself tells you the model number ... it is only on the cardboard in the blister pack. Perhaps it is under the battery compartment that is held on by a philips screw. The actual display is 1-1/2 in diameter. The unit comes with a nice zippered storage case.

The unit allows you to program in front and rear tire pressures, and then will indicate if your pressure is either high or low. It looks more like a marketing gimmick, but I did program the front tires for one car, and the rear for my other car so I don't forget the inflation pressures that I use.

The unit needs to be held onto the valve stem for 2-3 seconds before the unit beeps to tell you that the pressure is recorded. It stays on the screen for 10 seconds and displays with a nice blue LCD backlight display. Unlike other Accutire gauges, this one makes a great seal between the gauge and the valve stem with absolutely no hissing or loss of air. This was on different types of tire valve stems.

Overall I like the unit, although it's a tad on the large size. It fits my hand well and the outside has a nice rubber cushion to allow you to have a good grip. A definite 5 star rating in my book.

Poor quality control
When i opened the box and took it out, i was impressed--it's heavy and fills your hand, the display is large and clear, the controls were easy to get to. It seemed very solid and robust.

The first thing i noticed that i didn't like was a small piece of dirt or debris under the glass of the display. It wasn't a deal breaker, but it caused me to think negatively of the workmanship.

I put it inside the case that comes with it, and zipped up the case. I thought how nice that was, a well padded case to keep it in. Wanting to take another look at it, i unzipped the case and took it out and turned it on and off, and admired how nice the display was. Then, i put it back in the case and zipped it up again--but it wouldn't zip up. The zipper had broken. The case was useless.

But still, it seemed nice in the sense of being sturdy and with the nice large clear display, and also, i liked the little flash light on the tip of it, for seeing valves in the dark. This was right after work at night and i was inside the house and didn't try it out yet.

Later that night i tried it on my tires. I had a hard time getting it to fit the valve. Lots of air escaped. sometimes it fit right on and took a reading, other times, i couldn't get a good fit.

Before it had arrived, i had bought locally a different brand, Accu-gage, it's a red colored one, similar shape, but not heavy and metallic feeling, more of a plastic feel, lighter. the display is also very easy to see, in red. It is much less elaborate than the one i got from Amazon, not programmable, no flashlight, although the tip does light up in red. The thing about this red one is, it's so easy to get a good fit on the valve with one hand, it's just about impossible to leak air unless you're trying to because you want to let a little air out. I got it at Pep Boys. The model number is DT 107, about $12.

Still i wanted to like the heavy one with the big clear display and the flashlight. I was handling it, sitting in my car, when i noticed the rubber was peeling away from the silver plastic in one place on the back of the unit, on the fat end that fits in the palm of your hand. It was coming apart.

I tried using it to check the pressure in my tires one more time, before putting air in them, and couldn't get it to fit on the valve--it was one of those times when it wouldn't fit. That was it. I decided to send it back. The red one would always be my Go To gauge. I don't need another one. If it was just the broken case, the dirt under the glass, and the rubber peeling away on the back, i would still keep it, if it worked well, but the problem of the air escaping and having to struggle with it to get a reading, and letting air out of the tires when i don't want to, that was the deal breaker.

I imagine some of the units of this model are fine--this seemed like the kind of thing where i got a bad one--a piece of dirt under the glass, an unusable storage case, rubber peeling away on the back--shoddy workmanship.

But i don't know if the difficulty getting a good fit would vary from unit to unit, or if that's just in the nature of the parts used. The other brand, the red one, is perfect every time. A completely different experience. It's the way a gauge should be, no hassle, no struggle, no aggravation, just take the pressure. And also well made, nothing falling apart.

Excellent Gauge
To respond to some of the more common criticisms I see in the other reviews here, first of all, I have relatively small hands for a man, but I have had no difficulty in handling and using this air gauge. The round shape with rubberized grip, along with the weight of the unit, makes it very easy to handle and quite easy to push onto the valve stem of the tire. Once you've pushed it onto the valve stem, hold for 1 or 2 seconds and the unit will beep and give you the reading. Very simple with large, easy to read display with blue lighted background and a light button mounted like a trigger to illuminate the valve stem in dark conditions. Overall, a really rock solid product that works extremely well, easy to use, and appears to be very accurate in measurement. I can highly recommend this one.