Customer Reviews

Central Tools 3S401 Digital Tire Tread Depth Gage

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I ordered this tool hoping it would be a high quality, easy to use, easy to read tire gauge. So far it has met all those criteria, and I very happy with my purchase. The order arrived in great shape and on time.

The tool comes packed in a nice protective hard case with a foam lining, and with battery and instructions. The instrument itself is of hefty construction, and therefore likely high quality construction. It's not some cheap toy. I haven't owned it long enough to know whether the electronics will hold up with time.

It's easy to use, just like a manual tire gauge, except that you can set it to read out in metric or English decimal units, and additionally in 64ths of an inch, which is of the most interest for users in the United States. When you remove it from the measurement site, it retains the measurement in a precise and easy-to-read layout. No having to guess which lines it's in-between.

This is the first tread depth gauge I have had that is easy to read. I wear reading glasses but do not need them with this gauge as it has very large digits.
It is very well designed and beautifully built and I would recommend it to anyone.

I use this to measure ledging between laminate boards, proudwood or overwood in hardwood flooring and a couple of other random uses. Accurate and well built. Not a toy.

For the money, you cannot go wrong. You put it in your hand and are glad you didn't buy one of the other plastic ones. All metal construction. Easy to use. Nice case and even a spare battery. Love it.

High quality & very easy to read. Should have bought one of these sooner! Checking your tire tread depth is important enough. If you drive a FWD or 4WD vehicle, it is more critical. FWD vehicles hammer front tires. Use the gauge to spot wear trends & then rotate them front to back for max tire life. 4WD vehicles tend to wear front tires also, the difference with 4WD is you can get all sorts of weirdness from tires that are a different diameter through the center differential. Check often, rotate often.

solid construction...does the job as specified...still learning the differences in tire depth between truck/suv and performance tires...obviously the depths are vastly different and yet considered in good condition...

Although it is usually easy to spot a "bald" tire (i.e. one with virtually no tread), you cannot "eyeball" tire tread depth any more than you can "eyeball" the air pressure in your tires. Instead you need the right tool. Although this is one of the more expensive tire tread depth gages on the market, the quality of construction and ease of use justify the price, and definitely merit the five star ratings this product has received. Here is why I like it:

1. This tool has a nice heft, is made out of nicely finished metal rather than cheap plastic, and comes with a hard shell foam padded case, which can easily fit into a glove compartment (the dimensions of the closed case in inches are 6 3/8 by 2 7/8 by 1 1/4). The quality construction is evident. This is a very well made tool, and looks better in person than in the picture.

2. This is simple to use. Just loosen the lock screw, push the slide so the narrow point on the left is flush with the metal face, turn the unit on, press the zero button (or alternatively just adjust the slide until it reads zero on the digital display), choose whether you want mm, inches in decimals (tenths of an inch) or inches in fractions (64ths of an inch), put the metal face flush on the tire, push the slide from the "ruler" side until the narrow point reaches the bottom of the tread, and see the digital readout. The whole process takes just seconds.

I like that you can simultaneously see the reading mechanically on the "ruler" part of the slide, which is marked in mm and 32nds of an inch. The new tires that I buy for my cars typically start at 10/32 of an inch (though this can vary depending on the kind of tire, so you need to check what the tread starts out as on whatever tires you are using). Therefore a reading of 5/32 for me means 50% of my tread is gone, at which point I usually replace the tire.

3. Opening the battery compartment and installing the battery are simple. This product comes with the necessary battery (and in fact mine also came with a spare).

4. The digital display is easy to read, and the digital reading remains on the screen until you either turn the unit off or "zero it out" to take another reading. Although I wear glasses, I can easily see the display even without them on. The digital display eliminates any guesswork as to the reading, though as noted above, you can also simultaneously look at a mechanical reading just to confirm the digital readout.

5. I have my oil changed at a place that indicates the tread depth on each tire, but I bought this unit so that I could check myself between oil changes, and also verify the readings I am given. This tool easily and accurately lets me do that.

Bottom line: If you like using quality tools that are easy to use and work effectively, then I recommend this product for checking your tire tread depth. This tool is handy for me to periodically check the wear on my tires, and is also useful for those who like to buy used tires, or are considering buying a used car and want to check the tire tread depth.