When I first received this item it didn't hold its breath. You should read the pressure by holding it against the valve. I took the shaft apart and lubricated the parts with some light non-petroleum grease and voila, it works! Now it holds air until I press the trigger. Otherwise the meter seems to be very accurate. I use this on my quad which only has 6psi tire pressure. My standard 0-60 gauges read +/- 4 psi. I really like it for low pressure tires, and the glow-in-the-dark display is a nice touch. I took off a star because they have to lubricate the parts at the factory and make sure they work properly.