So, you have decided to buy the best compression tester for the money. There is no need to spend more money if you are getting the best quality compression tester at a cheap price. That’s why we are here to give you the proper guideline for choosing your compression tester kit. We are the experienced one here and spend almost 32 hours of research and considered 14 best models. 
There are so many brands and models of compression tester available in the market. Among them choosing the best one is a difficult job but don’t worry. Our research team makes a difficult job easy for you. In this article, we’re reviewing a range of the best compression tester out there.
There are different compression tester types and numerous key factors that helped aid our compilation. The gauge, carrying case, adapters, hose quality, ease of use, durability, performance, price, and warranty are other important features that you need to consider before buying. If you are in a hurry, just go through the comparison table and make the buying decision quickly.
Top 5 Best Compression Tester Review 2023
Research-wise, we have done everything necessary to ensure that this article provides all the key elements you need to know before buying the best compression tester for the money.
Therefore, we are pretty confident that with the help of our comparison table, detailed reviews of the best products, complete buying guide, and FAQ section, you will be able to choose the top genuine product according to your need as long as you adhere to the tips provided here.
| Name and Features | Image | Rating | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. INNOVA 3612 Large, easy-to-read 2-½” dial face with 4 piece kit | |
Best Pick Under $40  |
|
| 2. OTC 5605 Deluxe Deluxe Compression Tester Kit for Gasoline Engines |  |
Best Diesel Compression Tester Pick |
|
| 3. OTC 5606 Battery and Fuel Cell Powered Framing Nail Gun |  |
Best Compression Tester Kit
 |
|
| 4. Mityvac MV5532 Round Head With Positive Placement Tip and Magnesium Housing |  |
Best Luxury Pick  |
|
| 5. 8MILELAKE FBA_SZ Professional Petrol Gas Engine Cylinder Compression Tester Gauge Kit |  |
Best Compression Tester For Small Engines
 |
1. INNOVA 3612 – Best Compression Tester
- Brand: Innova
- Part Number: 3612
- Number of Kits: 4 piece
- Pressure: Up to 300 PSI
- Dimensions: 12 x 15 x 5 inches
- Weight: 8 ounces
- Warranty: 1-year
- Price: $$
OVERALL RATING: 9.9 out of 10
Innova is one of the popular brands and provides quality products like electric tester, mechanical tester, and many more. It has versatile features with powerful construction. This awesome tool is great to identify damaged pistons, worn rings, burnt valves, and blown head gaskets for the modern car.
What We Like:
- 1-year warranty
- Cheap price
- Solid construction
- Lightweight design
- Easy to read dial
- Quick connect
What We Don't Like:
- The hose may get stuck
- No storage case
First of all, Innova provides a 2-1/2-inch dial face with tube meter. It also has dual-calibrated scales which has provides pressure up to 300 PSI and 2100 kPa. You will get some accessories with this tool to help you test the compression. It includes a 15-inch rubber hose and side release valve.
It also provides three adapters with the size of 12mm, 14mm, and 18mm. Innova test compression mainly used for the car. But, you can also use them for motorcycle, ATV, snowmobile, and marine applications as well. This tool is very easy to install because of the quick disconnect fitting. This awesome tool can be used on anything that takes a spark plug. It is backed by a 1-year limited warranty at a very decent price.
Finally, Innova 3612 is one of the best compression testers in the market right now and our best pick as well. The only downside is not having any storage case. As it does not have a storage case, it can get damaged rattling in the toolbox.
Overall, this is without any doubt our Editor’s Choice and the best compression tester on this list.
FAQ About INNOVA 3612 Compression Tester - 4 Piece Kit
2. OTC 5605 Deluxe – Best Compression Tester For The Money
- Brand: OTC
- Part Number: 5605
- Number of Kits: Lot of pieces
- Pressure: Up to 300 PSI
- Dimensions: 14.8 x 9.5 x 3.5 inches
- Weight: 4.6 pounds
- Warranty: 90-days
- Price: $$$
OVERALL RATING: 9.7 out of 10
OTC is a company that has produced a countless amount of quality products over the years. OTC 5605 Deluxe is a compression tester kit that is great for gasoline engines. It provides a unique standard design with a quality adapter. The adapter is compatible with both flat and tapered seat plugs. It has a corrosion-resistant nickel-plated finish which makes it more durable.
What We Like:
- 90-days warranty
- Decent price
- Carrying case
- Lightweight design
- Quick couple
- Various fitting sizes
What We Don't Like:
- Difficult to thread the fitting
- Gauge quality can be better
OTC 5605 provides a lot of kit with this compression tester. It has a 25-inch flex hose gauge which is extra long. This awesome tool provides pressure up to 300 PSI and 2100 kPa. The size of the quick connector is 1/4 inch. You should always check the spark plug size before buying.
It's better to have car-sized spark plugs. So, it works great for both motorcycles and larger engines as well. OTC 5605 is a very professional tool with a lot of cool accessories. You can use this tool to detect bad valves in your vehicle. This tool can be very helpful to pinpoint the problem quickly and accurately.
It includes almost everything you need to test the cylinder compression. It also provides a quality carrying case for better movement and storage of the tools safely.
Finally, the OTC compression tester is one of the best brands for compression tester in the market right now. There are some downsides to the products. When the hose attached in tight spaces, it is difficult to thread the fitting.
The quality of the gauge is not the best and can be better. Overall, this is without any doubt our best value pick and the best compression tester for diesel on this list.
FAQ about OTC 5605 Deluxe Compression Tester Kit with Carrying Case
3. OTC 5606 – Best Compression Tester Kit
- Brand: OTC
- Part Number: 5606
- Number of Kits: Lot of pieces
- Pressure: Up to 300 PSI
- Dimensions: 14.5 x 9.5 x 3.5 inches
- Weight: 3.8 pounds
- Warranty: 90-days
- Price: $$$$
OVERALL RATING: 9.6 out of 10
This is another great product of the OTC brand. OTC 5606 is a great model for compression testing for gasoline engines especially. But you can use it for almost all engines including domestic, import, motorcycle, marine, and small engines. It provides two flex with both 14-inch standard and long reach.
What We Like:
- 90 day limited warranty
- Complete kit
- Versatile application
- Easy to control
- Lightweight and durable
- Multiple hoses
What We Don't Like:
- Bit expensive
- Gauge is not digital
- Guage quality can be better
With this awesome compression tester, there are lots of pieces available. You will get three adapters with the size of 10mm, 12mm, and 14mm. The adapters work on both flat and tapered seat plugs. It provides a professional quality diameter gauge with a dual scale of 2-1/2 inches. The diameter can read up to 300 PSI and 2100 kPa.
In the diameter gauge, there is also chrome bezel, rugged protective outer boot, and zero adjust feature. Like all other compression testers, it has an extra-long flex hose which is 25 inches long. It has a heavy-duty corrosion-resistant nickel-plated finish which has made it more durable. This tool also gives a blow-molded hard case for easy carrying and storage as well.
It has a smooth exterior design. Finally, OTC 5606 is one of the best compression tester kit. There are some downsides to the products. The price of the product is higher than the average. The gauge quality is not so great and the gauge is not digital as well.
Overall, this is without any doubt our best value pick and the best compression tester kit on this list.
FAQ about OTC 5606 Compression Tester Kit for Gasoline Engines
4. Mityvac MV5532 – Best Digital Compression Tester Kit
- Brand: Mityvac
- Part Number: MV5532
- Number of Kits: 11 piece
- Pressure: Up to 300 PSI
- Dimensions: 15.8 x 11.8 x 3.4 inches
- Weight: 4.65 pounds
- Warranty: 1-year
- Price: $$$$$
OVERALL RATING: 9.4 out of 10
Mityvac MV5532 is a digital compression tester kit with a very high price. Don't get confused by the price. The price is high because of the complete kit and lots of accessories. The total number of kits with this tool is 11 pieces.
It is not only designed to test but also to record the maximum cylinder compression for any kind of gasoline engines. It is very durable because of the heavy-duty construction and easy to use as well.
What We Like:
- 1-years limited warranty
- Digital gauge
- Complete kit
- Easy to control
- Carrying case
- Dump valve
What We Don't Like:
- Very expensive
- Not great for 2-stroke engines
- Needs calibrating
Mityvac provides a quality diameter gauge which is digital. The digital screen can give you good compression reading and then do the diagnoses correctly. When you turn on the gauge, it appears to zero itself every time. This tool provides a lot of adapters that are necessary or you ever need.
If you know how to use this tool properly, it will show you the right direction every time. Finally, Mityvac is one of the best compression test kits and our best luxury pick. There are some downsides to the products. The price of the product is very high than any average kit.
It is not great for 2-stroke engines and needs calibrating sometimes. Overall, this is without any doubt our best compression tester with a high value and you should definitely give this awesome tool a try.
FAQ about Mityvac MV5532 Digital Compression Test Kit
5. 8MILELAKE FBA_SZ – Best Compression Tester For Small Engines
- Brand: 8MILELAKE
- Part Number: FBA_SZ
- Number of Kits: 8 piece
- Pressure: Up to 300 PSI
- Dimensions: 12.2 x 2.4 x 8.3 inches
- Weight: 2.4 pounds
- Warranty: N/A
- Price: $
OVERALL RATING: 9.3 out of 10
8MILELAKE is another great brand for the best compression tester and our last pick. This compression tester kit can be a great choice for the professional. It is great for patrol and gas engine cylinder compression tester. Though it does not provide any kind of warranty, still it can be a great choice because of the very cheap price.
What We Like:
- Very cheap price
- 4 fittings
- Lightweight and durable
- Carrying case
- Smooth finishing
What We Don't Like:
- No warranty
- Made in China
- Poor gauge quality
8MILELAke FBA_SZ provides a 3-inch diameter gauge with a pressure of up to 300 PSI and 20 kPa. The gauge has a protective rubber cover with an authentic copper valve. It provides 4 fittings that cover almost all vehicles in the market right now.
The fittings are M10, M12, M14, M18 with a size of 1mm,1.25mm, and 1.50mm. It provides a nice blow mold case for easy carrying and storage. There are two spark plug adapters available with this tool. The size of the adapters is 14mm and 18mm.
There are two rubber cones for a quick check. So, you don't need to thread into the head which is great. You will also get a long extension hose with this compression tester. The hose has a diameter of 1/2 inch and 14 inches long.
Finally, 8MILELAKE is one of the best compression testers if you're using the petrol engine, gas engine, or small engine. There are some downsides to the products.
The quality of the gauge is not that great and there is no warranty as well. The product is made in China. Overall, this is without any doubt our best budget pick and the best compression tester on this list.
FAQ about 8MILELAKE Professional Petrol Gas Engine Cylinder Compression Tester
Buying Guide
Choosing the best compression tester for a car is one of the hard decisions you need to make if you have no experience in the compression tester. It can take a lot of time to get the experience and then find out the best compression tester kit. We are the experienced one here and do the work for you. We have reviewed almost every brand of compression tester and find out the best one. So, let's dive in...
What is a compression test
According to Wikipedia, A compression test is a process of finding out the condition of your car engine valves, piston, and many more other parts condition. The compression tester saves time and the cost of testing is a great way.
In general, if the engine has a PSI over 100, then the engine is in good health. It is a great tool if you don't have any kind of technical knowledge about car engines. It works nicely with both gasoline and diesel engine.
Features to consider before buying a compression tester
Do you know the specific features you need with your compression tester? Normally, the quality of the gauge and the versatile kit that works best for gasoline and diesel is the first thing you need to consider. There are some other characteristics that are also need to consider to find out the best compression tester for cars and other vehicles.
Gauge
The gauge is the most important part of any compression tester. It is a tool that shows the pressure in PSI to identify either your car engine or engine valve is ok or not. It will be better if your diameter gauge has a digital screen.
If you have a good quality gauge, it appears to zero itself every time. It is a nice feature to have in your gauge diameter. In our list, most of the compression tester has a better quality gauge with a limitation of up to 300 PSI.
Case
One of the important things you need to look for is the carrying case. It is important because of a few reasons. First of all, a carrying case can be helpful to carry it easily anywhere you want. A carrying case can also be used as a storage as well. If you don't store your compression tester properly, it may get damaged.
So, for better safety, you should use a carrying or storage case, or use your tool kit box. In our list, our top pick, Innova 3612 does not provide any carrying case which is a drawback of this awesome product. So, the price is lower than any average compression tester on the market right now.
But, other products on our list provide a quality carrying case which is great. Only the 8MILELAKE brand provides a quality carrying case at a cheap price.
Performance And Reviews
Another vital consideration you need to make is if the compression tester has better performance or not. The performance depends on the features available in your kits such as features like gauge, adapter, hose, and many more. To get better performance, you should also read the instruction manual properly or watch some video, or see our FAQ section.
You should also look for the reviews of the product if possible. The reviews given by the customers are the gemstone while buying your best products. We have done the review job for you and made the best product list. Just choose the best one according to your needs.
Durability
Apart from performance, you should also check the durability of the product. Most of the quality compression tester is built with heavy-duty construction material. The diameter gauge is good quality for most of the compression tester in our list.
You should always check the quality of the hose. The hose may get damaged if it is not good quality material. Otherwise, it will be long-lasting. You should choose the products that properly follow strict quality control guidelines.
Ease of use
One of the cool things about the compression tester is the ease of use. You don't need to be a mechanic or have any kind of technical knowledge to test your engine.
Most of the compression tester is very user-friendly. Before using the kit, you need to read the instruction manual provided by the manufacturer to know the proper way of using the tool.
Weight
Weight is another important feature while choosing your compression tester. Most of the popular compression tester selected by us are very lightweight. You should choose a compression tester that is light in weight and durable as well. As every tester kit provides a carrying case, it is very easy to carry and store as well.
Price
Price is the first thing to consider while choosing your best compression tester. We have chosen the Innova brand not only for the quality construction or durability but also for the cheap price. If you have a low budget, you should definitely stick between the Innova or 8MILELAKE.
Always remember, the price of a good quality product may be higher than average. But if you have a high budget, you can definitely choose between OTC or Mityvac. They come with the complete kit with versatile use.
Warranty
Though we are talking about the warranty of the products at the last of our buying guide section, it is another feature you need to consider wisely. Most of the popular brands provide a decent amount of warranty. Any product backed by a warranty can give you mental satisfaction and can save you a lot of money.
You should also consider how good or bad their customer care services are. All of the compression testers, Innova 3612 provides a 1-year warranty which is really great. A 1-year warranty is pretty enough if you are using your compression tester for gasoline or diesel car engine.
In our list, the OTC brand provides only a 90-days warranty. Mityvac MV5532 also provides a 1-year limited warranty. 8MILELAKE brands don't provide any kind of warranty at all. If you love warranty, you should stick between Innova, OTC, or Mityvac.
Extra features
Fundamentally, before investing or buying a product, you have to consider the full specification and extra features given by the brands. Most of the popular brands in our list provide the following features...
- Diameter Gauge
- Quality fittings
- Spark Plug Adapters
- Long Extension Hose
- Carrying case
- Valve and rings
You should always check the features in your compression tester before buying. Make a checklist of the features you need and then find out the best product that fulfills your demand.
FAQ
Final Verdict
Despite being the cheapest compression tester, Innova 3612 is the heavy-duty compression tester with a year warranty. It has a lightweight design with a powerful construction. Though it does not provide a carrying case, it is great for a gasoline engine, diesel engine, and any other vehicle.
If you have a low budget but want the best selling product, you should definitely add this compression tester to your arsenal. The second and third place in our list is the OTC brand which is a complete kit. It provides a quality carrying case with lots of cool features. Both of the product is very lightweight and provides a 90-day warranty.
The diameter gauge pressure for both of the kits is up to 300 PSI which is enough for almost any vehicle. The Mityvac MV5532 is the luxury pick in our list with the complete kit with a 1-year warranty. If you have a high budget, you should buy this tool for better performance. Finally, 8MILELAKE is our budget pick but doesn't provide any kind of warranty. This is the cheapest compression tester in the market.
If you are still confused just go through the comparison table again and choose the best product according to your needs. Shoot us a comment below about any questions or opinions you have. Please let us know which compression tester is best according to you.