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.