Accutire MS-4350B Programmable Digital Tire Gauge Reviews

• Nice Features, But Needs Homemade Rubber Gasket to Seal Properly

  
  By A33DO9WZQ8KVBJ on 2006-03-13
  The Accutire "Setpoint Tire Gauge," model MS-4350B from "MSI Sensors" (aka "MS-4350: Digital Set Point Programmable..." from "Measurement Specialties"), UPC 1550710566, has seven nice features. First, it's easy to hold. The bottom of the larger-than-usual body is rubberized, and the shape allows you to firmly press it onto a tire valve stem with a thumb. Second, there is an LED light activated by a big round button on the back. Third, the screen is backlit and the numbers are large. Fourth, there is no need to turn it on/off. Instead, you can push the nozzle onto the valve, and it displays the measurement; about 15 seconds later, it turns itself off. Fifth, it beeps when an accurate reading is taken. Sixth, the two CR2032 lithium batteries will presumably last a long time, and can be replaced if they wear out. Finally, if you keep forgetting how much air is needed, you can program separate front & rear target pressures.
  
  UNFORTUNATELY, it's hard to obtain a solid seal on valves. It's the same problem noted here and in reviews of "Accutire MS-4000B Deluxe Backlit Lithium Digital Tire Gauge" on Amazon.com. One September 24, 2004, review there by "Crazy Dude" says "because you're pressing plastic (the gauge) against metal (the tire air stem), you must hold it perfectly flush or air will escape, making a reading difficult to get."
  
  So to improve my gauge I more-or-less followed the instructions of "Crazy Dude," which were: "I used '3M Scotch linerless rubber splicing tape.' The thickness is important. I used .03 in. (.761mm). I wouldn't go any thicker. ... All you need to do is cut it to the diameter of the inside of the gauge's mouth, then cut out a small hole for the air hole."
  
  Since my home has no rubber tape, I took a wide pink rubber band (from a bunch of broccoli) about 0.75mm thick. I cut a gasket about 7.5mm diameter with a 3mm hole and glued it in place. Now it works like a charm. If you have the time to make this modification, buy it from Amazon.com!
  
  

• O-Ring

  
  By A2V6ER5NTG7H6E on 2007-10-23
  I agree with the other reviewers who said this product needs an o-ring. I found it very difficult to get it to seal on the tire valve stem, but with the o-ring it works perfectly. (Why they don't manufacture it that way I don't know). But by getting an inexpensive o-ring from Ace Hardware you have a product that is outstanding. Another reviewer said the size o-ring he bought was 1/4 x 1/8 x 1/16. However I found this size was too small and didn't fit. I had to get 5/16 x 3/16 x 1/16, and it's a perfect fit. And with tax it cost me a mere .18 cents. An easy modification well worth it.
  
  

• One of the better ones out there

  
  By A1MG56X36JEZKO on 2006-12-04
  It takes some getting used to in terms of getting the seal to sit right on top. So it isn't dummy-proof. The other reviewers are correct that they could have made the seal better. But once you get the hang of it (the right angle with your valve stem) it is fine. The earlier ones they made were pretty good too. But this is excelletn for the price. My only quibble is that it is a bit bulky. In this day and age, they could reduce the size a bit. And if you have an O-ring that fits, all the better.
  
  

• Fix the leaking problem

  
  By A3P33JTWRGT89E on 2007-05-29
  I bought an O-ring at Ace Hardware [stk no.35774B] and this ring fits perfectly into the inside of the sensor. Around the hole which makes contact with the metal tire stem. Walla ! the leak problem has stopped and one gets a very tight fit onto the stem curing the problem.
  The exact size of the this rubber O-ring 1/4 x 1/8 x 1/16. [#60 O-ring]
  at Ace Hardware. So one does not even need to cut or glue this thing to make it work. Give it a try! Cure the problem for sure. The part cost me
  .74 cents.
  
  

• not very easy to use

  
  By ADL6XSNLQCKRH on 2005-11-01
  i tried out this digital tire gauge and did like it at all. the nozzle doesnt cover the tire stem very well and as a result a lot of air leaks out while you are trying to read the tire pressure.
  
  
• They fixed the gasket issue.
  By A2UVYEI0ZZY8BS on 2007-06-18
  I recently ordered one of these but was a little concerned about some of the earlier reviews stating that you needed to add an O-ring or gasket to get the gauge to seal properly on the tire stem. The one I received has a rubber gasket and seals easily on the stem. They also took off the transparent sticker on the display that was confusing some purchaser.
  
  The unit works very nicely and is a very good value at the price.
  
  
• Do not recommend
  By A1NUCG9GIRJMOY on 2006-01-04
  the blue screen is cool, that's it the stem does not properly sit causing air to leak, I do not recommend at all.
  
  
• basically useless.very leaky, not worth it
  By ABG97AOCQ0ZSQ on 2008-02-28
  Ok, based on the reviews I did buy this and initially tried this on my honda civic brdigestone potenza tires and guess what the air leaks all the time. there are only handful of instances where in the air doesnt leak.
  
  I really do appreciate the big blue screen and beep when the measuring ais accurate and all that HOWEVER if it doesnt do it basic job without leaving lot of air from the tire all the cosmetics is useless
  
  Keep in mind though I amde 2 trips to different ace hardware stores and I got the 5/16X3/16X1/16 and also the other o-ring smaller than this and still I was not able to get the tire reading properly. The funny thing is after I glued the o-ring in to the guage, it doesnt even allow me to take the reading. Really hopeless
  
  I really recommed to shop around for a better gauge and please do not waste your time and money on this one like I did. I went to wlamrt and bought a 87 cent menchanical one and is works jsut fine...I am all digital and stuff but until I get a good one Iam sticking to this mechanical one which SERVES the purpose
  
  Ofcourse I returned it.
  
  
• I should have listened
  By A3B7M2EBDNUI47 on 2006-11-20
  The progammable features are nice, but I should have listened to the other reviews. Those folks that said this gauge doesn't make a good seal with the tire were right on the money. The first time I tried it I let at least 5-6 psi out of the tire. After playing with it for about 20min, I still could only get a good seal after letting about 2-3 seconds of air out of the tire. This thing stinks and I would not recommend it to anyone.
  
  
• NEAT GAUGE
  By AQ0Q9R8RWJTDI on 2007-06-24
  This is a neat little tire gauge that can remember the pressures for your front and rear tires. It comes in more handy in some vehicles where the pressures differ between front and rear. There is also a small LED flashlight for finding the tire valve when it's dark.
  
  
• doesn't work
  By A2S7Y1SQX6FRHZ on 2008-01-07
  gauge does not work at all. Cost and time involved to return is more than the original cost. Such is one of the shortcomings of buying online.
  
  
• Lasted about a month
  By AZB5C2V76D1XR on 2007-10-20
  Accutire MS-4350B Programmable Digital Tire Gauge
  
  Worked fine for about 4 weeks and then quit. Returned for replacement per their instructions but have recieved zero response from them. Save your money.. I won't buy anything from Accutire again.
  
  
• Excellent digital gauge
  By A2E4QB6M5FNAFO on 2008-07-13
  I read many of the reviews on Amazon before purchasing the Accutire MS-4350B. Several reviewers mentioned the difficulty getting the gauge to seal well because of the absence of a rubber o-ring (and several of those bought o-rings from a hardware store to remedy this problem). Others mentioned that Accutire has now started to make these gauges with factory-installed o-rings. I was glad to receive mine with this apparently important modification. Nevertheless, when I tried it on my first tire, I didn't get the angle right immediately, so quite a bit of air escaped. It took the simplest of adjustments to fix this problem. I USED TWO HANDS. By doing so, I could minimize wiggling to the right or left and could easily apply enough force to seal it up right away. It's not necessary to go into contortions to see the reading while applying the gauge because, within a few seconds, it beeps to let you know an accurate reading has been obtained. It continues to display the reading for about ten seconds after removing the gauge from the tire. I didn't really miss the absence of an air release valve, since I found it was easy to purposely over-inflate each tire a bit and then let the air out in 0.5 increments by just holding the gauge at a slight angle. Very precise. This gauge is the easiest to use of any I've ever had. I hope it has a long life.
  
  
• accurate gauge
  By AR1UWUA2Z91VW on 2007-07-12
  Despite others complaints I found it easy to use the unit, but since others thought that going to ACE hardware and putting an o-ring in made it easier, I tried it and it still works fine. Readings seem to be consistent.
  
  
• defective
  By A3DNKAPHL17HR3 on 2007-09-17
  I received a defective product. The LED lamp would not turn on. Thank God I bought it through Amazon.com and was able to return the product and get a refund.
  
  
• I Like It
  By A37WKOHGBHD6BM on 2008-01-07
  I got one for myself and one for my son, now I'm getting two more for my brothers-in-law. I first tried it as is, right out of the package. I also had a real problem getting it to seat correctly and give me a proper reading without losing a bunch of air. As one reviewer said, I purchased the 5/16 X 3/16 X 1/16 o-ring, had to glue it in, and then tried my tires again. What a BIG difference! It was a piece of cake. Quick, easy, and accurate readings. I really like the flashlight and the lighted dial, as my eyesight isn't very good and I'm usually taking the readings in a dingy garage.
  
  
• Accurate, affordable, and easy
  By A2JRS0MTO0LQXU on 2008-01-21
  This gauge replaced my completely inaccurate analog stick gauge. Unlike the previous reviewer, I didn't need to make a custom seal to get accurate readings easily. I simply had to learn the correct angle to push the gauge in at.
  
  
• Accutire MS-4350B Programmable Digital Tire Gauge
  By A1T5XPGYJL03TV on 2008-01-21
  This tire gauge works well. I do like that it has an led light, so you can check the tire pressure even if you are in an unlit area. The blue display is appealing and very easy to read. My only critique on this gauge is that it is not the easiest to get it seated squarely on the tire valve, so sometimes you may let more air than you'd like out of the tire while checking it. This happens with most gauges, but it really isn't that difficult to design one that doesn't, especially for a $12 gauge.
  
  
• Not well designed..
  By A35GH820BYEYJW on 2008-02-08
  I used to have a similar product that I paid about 13 bucks for at Radio shack, that product worked well and w/out any problems.. This Accutire MS-4350B product does work & has a couple of better features, but the main problem is that it takes multiple efforts to secure the mouth of the gauge around the tire nozzle, this sounds like nothing, but believe me, its tedious.. All I really wanted was to check my tire pressure easily, go to radio shack and see if u can get the one I used to have, its much better.
  
  
• What a Great Tool!
  By A2BCW9BMKSJKC8 on 2008-04-30
  I was a little nervous about purchasing this gauge because some of the reviewers complained about it being hard to get a reading. Well, I have had no trouble whatsoever using this great little tool. The worst problem I've had is that every now and then I have to redo the reading because I didn't get a complete seal the first time, but I did not lose any significant air and it was no big deal doing it a second time. I'm not good with tools at all and get really impatient fairly easily, so if I am not having problems using this gauge, it's probably because the gauge is actually that easy to use!
  
  
• Tire Pressure is My Hobby
  By ARE4RROQWPXN5 on 2008-10-16
  This is the best of the four tire gauges I own. It's the only one I've found that doesn't allow 10 psi to escape while I'm fumbling to get a good seal. I may have received one with the improved o-ring design -- I know that the rubber surrounding the hole in the middle extends much closer to the outermost edge of the gauge than all my other gauges.
  To my aging ears, the beep is barely audible!
  I never use the programmable feature, not really of any use to me since I only own one vehicle, but I still recommend this and feel it's worth the price.
  
  
• Great
  By A2OA04ZAA1PJCB on 2007-01-10
  I got tired of cheap gauges. This one does the job perfectly. No problem with the seal by the way. Liked it so much I bought 5 as gifts.
  
  
• Nice Product
  By A1IHBIR88K8KCD on 2007-07-20
  I found the tire gauge accurate and easy to use. It meaures the tire pressure to 0.5psi. I recommend this product.
  
  
• it sucks!
  By AXVNZV4TVQO7F on 2007-09-22
  first digital tire gauge. this thing is hard to use and even harder to read correctly. i will be switching back to old school tire gauge after this. what a waste of money.
  
  
• good gage
  By A25TJVKB67REGF on 2007-09-23
  seems to work good, has the o-ring that earlier reviewers wished it had. No problems yet.
  
  
• Very Useful
  By ALP23IWQI44QS on 2007-11-07
  This is a need for those who want tires durability and security on roads. This is good for vehicles .
  If you need it for motorcycles this is not the one (It`s big for it). I tryed to measure back tire and I couldn`t.
  
  
• Good Gauge
  By A22MANL4US4RMY on 2007-12-25
  You really can't go wrong with this. It is easy to use - works even in the dark with its light-up face. Good product.
  
  
• Digital Tire Gauge
  By ARKR3A8WAYS2J on 2008-01-07
  The tire gauge appears to be accurate, it's a little difficult to hold
  on the valve stim with out it leaking; needs to have a deeper receiver.
  It is easy to read the lighted numbers.
  
  
• The O-ring blows it!
  By A3EEAG299EHJ8U on 2008-04-18
  I didn't buy this item from Amazon, I bought it from my local automotive place. But just the same, as some of the others have said, the only real problem with this is the O-ring. It's kind of hard to get a good seal while using this one. It can be frustrating when you're trying to get a good seal, only to find out that when you do get a good seal, that you've lost so much air that you have to do it all over again...as I just did two days ago on both cars and my motorcycle. I finally got to the point where I was just happy to be close and call it a day. The Tirerack ([...]) has what I think might be a better one, but...well, I bought one, and can't find it...which is how I ended up with this one. Needless to say, I'm looking for the one from the Tirerack again.
  Good luck on whatever you decide, but if I were you...I might go to my local place and try out one of theirs. Provided that they'll even let you demo it.
  
  
• Good Digital Tire Gauge
  By A1B66E6NJ1CKVS on 2008-06-10
  Just bought the Accutire MS-4350B Tire Gauge, and so far it has worked great. As far as what people are saying about it not sealing properly on the valve stem, it only takes a little practice to get the right angle then it seals fine. I have had no problem getting an accurate reading and the gauge will alert you with a beep when it has gotten a reading. The ability to set your default tire pressure (front and rear) is also a nice touch.
  I also like the nice large display it is very easy to read out in the sun plus the led light to help in the dark is also a nice touch. Overall for the price this is an excellent choice.
  
  

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