Well looks like i am going form sman3 to testo550

[allenb2626]

Nothing against fieldpiece but i am having more problems and the place where i got my sman3 are going to trade them out for the testo550.I'll have my testo's wensday. But to travis and russ you guys have been great and thanks for all the help..

[eddiegoodfellar]

I bought some 550s last week and really like them. They seem very well built and feel solid. The hook does seem like it could be a weak point...

[itsiceman]

What's the over under on how long before he gets a Digi-Cool ;)

[itsiceman]

I bought some 550s last week and really like them. They seem very well built and feel solid. The hook does seem like it could be a weak point...

I dug out myDigi-Cool 1250 from under the pile in the back of my truck and found the hook bent over at 90 degs.
I think my big two wheeler must have dropped on it.
I had a chuckle then bent the hook back straight with a pair of channel locks and went back to work :whistle:

[Pascone10]

Nothing against fieldpiece but i am having more problems and the place where i got my sman3 are going to trade them out for the testo550.I'll have my testo's wensday. But to travis and russ you guys have been great and thanks for all the help..

Whats so wrong with it that you're getting a 550?

[Pascone10]

I dug out myDigi-Cool 1250 from under the pile in the back of my truck and found the hook bent over at 90 degs.
I think my big two wheeler must have dropped on it.
I had a chuckle then bent the hook back straight with a pair of channel locks and went back to work :whistle:

Ive only bought one digital manifold and I wont have to buy another. I got the 1250's as well. I use them on what ever manifold I want. Hell I even change them every now and again. No BS there. Never had a problem. Best part is its ALL field repairable.

When will people stop buying tools based solely on upfront cost?:gah:

BTW OP good luck with the Testo's. My buddy has them and he bought a pair of 1250's and took the 550's of the truck LMAO:whistle:

[allenb2626]

i would love to have some digi cools but the cost isnt cheap lol..i love how u can change things out they are really nice..whats wrong well just seems my high side valve likes to stick and not work i tryed different hose's u name it took the other hose's use them on my YJ's they work great i took my low loss fitting off tryed a valve fitting some problem. say i have a over charged system i want to let some out tru the high side nothing i have to take the sman3's off and use my yj's...

[RussellHarju]

i would love to have some digi cools but the cost isnt cheap lol..i love how u can change things out they are really nice..whats wrong well just seems my high side valve likes to stick and not work i tryed different hose's u name it took the other hose's use them on my YJ's they work great i took my low loss fitting off tryed a valve fitting some problem. say i have a over charged system i want to let some out tru the high side nothing i have to take the sman3's off and use my yj's...

Allen,

Is this your first one? Or have you had the same problem with two different units?

[allenb2626]

same problem with all of them..this one doesn't seem to do it all the time. i have tryed everything i can think of changing hoses u name it. Also this one here the temps on the clamps i have done the ice water and i have also tryed to set them with using the temp my amp probe said and dialing them into that same temp seems they dont want to stay set...

[RussellHarju]

same problem with all of them..this one doesn't seem to do it all the time. i have tryed everything i can think of changing hoses u name it. Also this one here the temps on the clamps i have done the ice water and i have also tryed to set them with using the temp my amp probe said and dialing them into that same temp seems they dont want to stay set...

Have you tried not using hoses at all and just using brace fittings to block the valve. The only reason I ask is we've had a lot calls that with a similar problem that had to do with the improper set up. In any case i am just trying to help and if you want to give us another shot i'll test the exact one before i send to replace the one you have. Give me a call at 714 634 1844. -Russ

[papa_jo]

allenb... I have had my testos' since we had a on line buy here on the website--bout a year and a half now-- I have had no problems with mine and they r used daily

[Hunter844]

I had a high side problem yesterday. It wouldn't register at all. I thought it might be the valve so i got the analogs out and the high side came right up. Tried the SMANS today on a different system and the high side came up normal. Makes me think it's wonky.

[itsiceman]

Have you tried not using hoses at all and just using brace fittings to block the valve. The only reason I ask is we've had a lot calls that with a similar problem that had to do with the improper set up. What are brace fittings to block the valve?
I've never heard of improperly setting up hoses to a service manifold but I guess it's possible.

[eddiegoodfellar]

I dug out myDigi-Cool 1250 from under the pile in the back of my truck and found the hook bent over at 90 degs.
I think my big two wheeler must have dropped on it.
I had a chuckle then bent the hook back straight with a pair of channel locks and went back to work :whistle:

Guess you didnt pull them out from those flimsy temp probe wires :whistle:

[itsiceman]

I know what your saying :gah:

Not that it matters but I made my own with thick wiring and picked up my gauge by the sensors today without blinking.

FWIW the new clamps from Digi-Cool have a thick wiring.
Its like one side of a lamp cord now and longer than most that are being made these days if that matters in your line of work.
Some of these other sensors are barely as long as a regular set of hoses.

[eddiegoodfellar]

I know what your saying :gah:

Not that it matters but I made my own with thick wiring and picked up my gauge by the sensors today without blinking.

FWIW the new clamps from Digi-Cool have a thick wiring.
Its like one side of a lamp cord now and longer than most that are being made these days if that matters in your line of work.
Some of these other sensors are barely as long as a regular set of hoses.

Thats nice to hear that the wire gauge issues have been addressed.

I am also going to pick up the ak900 if it ever comes out. I used one at RSL about a month ago for a couple minutes and really liked it.

[allenb2626]

I dont see how i could have a wrong set up with hose's all Yj hose even the fittings i have two full sets. my problem really is at times say i have unit thats over charged so i want to let some out using my high side it will open and let some out then just stop right in the middle nothing is coming out to me if ur at 400ps and the valve is open something should want to come out...but then at times it may work fine dont get it..thats the problem i have had with the other 2..

[Vettgetsmwet04]

What is happening is the teflon plug that seals the valve when u close it is coming out of the valve, and blocking the high side, to the middle hose.

Take the valve out, and you'll see how easy that plug pulls out, when utighten the valve real tight, that plug gets loose, then when u have high pressure comibg threw that direction, it plus the passage up.

I've worked on mine and haven't had that problem for the last month, I'm still trying to figure out how to make that plug stay in real tight, but I've found that if u don't over tighten the valve, the plug will stay, I wish there was some thibg that could make brass and teflon stick to each other, it would eliminate this issue.

[allenb2626]

i know but why should we keep on having to do this my Yj's work great had them for a year seen other guys have no problems like this with other manifolds

[Vettgetsmwet04]

i agree, once work slows down i will take mine apart and make a permanent fix.
thats the only issue ive had with mine, everything else about them is great.

i also have the testo 550, i like them as well, the manifold is better, and the hose connectors move so its easy to reconnect your hoses. the problem with them is the temp clamps have a very thin wire, it will wear out at the plug, youll have to wiggle it around for it to work, if they make a better clamp id buy it. didnt get 2 months out of them both. the gauge set still works great, i just use my own temp sensers when i use that set.

[allenb2626]

I don't think there is a real fix I have 4 new valves for the sman3 but I really think this is one thing we shouldn't have to do on something that's a month old.

[Keith73]

Nothing against fieldpiece but i am having more problems and the place where i got my sman3 are going to trade them out for the testo550.I'll have my testo's wensday. But to travis and russ you guys have been great and thanks for all the help..

Why not go back to analog and save some money and headaches?

I just bought digital. I'm not selling the "old faithfulls".:grin2:

[allenb2626]

true u cant go wrong with them but i spent the money they are just going to trade with me

[RussellHarju]

i agree, once work slows down i will take mine apart and make a permanent fix.
thats the only issue ive had with mine, everything else about them is great.

i also have the testo 550, i like them as well, the manifold is better, and the hose connectors move so its easy to reconnect your hoses. the problem with them is the temp clamps have a very thin wire, it will wear out at the plug, youll have to wiggle it around for it to work, if they make a better clamp id buy it. didnt get 2 months out of them both. the gauge set still works great, i just use my own temp sensers when i use that set.

We've only received a few back with the teflon coming out. So at this point it's not a big problem. If this does happen we have repair kits we will send out at no charge and are currently working on a redesign of the valves. I will keep you all posted.

[allenb2626]

Glad to hear that rus

[AtticAce]

I bought a Testo 550 last summer, it was junk the manifold spent more time being fixed then used. Johnstone Supply concurred and gave me a full credit. I bought a Sman3 last week I will see if this one is any better. The Testo thermocouple connections are in a dumb location, and have to be removed to transport. The screen would get kind of funky looking when in a very hot truck like most of the summer.

[coolman2007]

I've had my SMAN3 for almost 3 months and have had the same issue with the High Side valve twice. After bleeding the pressure out of the hose(into the low side) it corrected itself. My big issue is with the Temp readings, they sometime are all over the place and don't settle out. If I connect the clamps to my Fieldpiece Dual Temp Thermometer, they are steady. this has caused me to over charge two heat pumps. I bought the digitals to be more accurate, but I am having a hard time trusting them!

I hope the Digi Cool AK900 is out soon, I don't want to go back to analog.

[allenb2626]

coolman i came close but i got my amp probe out and used it to check temps..

[itsiceman]

My big issue is with the Temp readings, they sometime are all over the place and don't settle out. If I connect the clamps to my Fieldpiece Dual Temp Thermometer, they are steady. this has caused me to over charge two heat pumps. I bought the digitals to be more accurate, but I am having a hard time trusting them!
You need to keep the SMAN away from EMF like motors and florescent lights, wireless phones, microwave ovens etc. also if you are charging you are probably picking up voltage from a static build up and discharge.
Just something to be aware of and the way it is built.
One thing you can do to see it for yourself is if you still have yours get it all set up for temps the way you like with your temp probes in a ice bath and walk around looking for EMF.
Not sure if a ground strap like the one testo had would help mask the charging scenario and other problems you might get with a static charge.
Also another problem that adds to all of this as a few other guys have noticed the clamps are very slow to react to temperature change and are affected by ambient temp. I'm sure 10 more guys will post after me and say they have had no problems with them so take my opinions for what its worth. The SMAN is entry level at best with consequences.

[allenb2626]

i still have mine i the testo hasnt came in.. My clamps can be on at times and not on the other time.But if your saying emf then why dont a meter when you use it not mess up because of emf..

[mgenius33]

i still have mine i the testo hasnt came in.. My clamps can be on at times and not on the other time.But if your saying emf then why dont a meter when you use it not mess up because of emf..

If you have a Fluke meter with "LoZ" function, you will see the ghost voltage on some units. I get LoZ voltage reading, when testing Ω from high voltage contactor terminals to copper tubing (the disconnect is pulled out/off). If I disconnect low voltage wires, it usually goes away. This is not to mention the remote chance of a static charge from the moving refer through the tubing, but I don't think that is the issue. Discharging the liquid out of your hose will definitely cause a high static discharge. I always turn of my gauges before discharging hoses.

For what it's worth, I've had my SMAN's for just under a month, and have been pretty satified. The temp clamps have been adjusted with the ice water bath and they have been fairly consistent, with exception of the slowwwwww reaction time.

[itsiceman]

i still have mine i the testo hasnt came in.. My clamps can be on at times and not on the other time.But if your saying emf then why dont a meter when you use it not mess up because of emf..

The way coolman described it sounded more like a static electricity problem while charging or slow reaction time.
I know what your saying about some higher quality meters and sensors not being as effected by EMF as others.

[allenb2626]

my main problem is tho i have had now 3 sman3's and i am having high side valve problems

[NY2GA01]

http://i1040.photobucket.com/albums/b402/bciroad/testo003.jpg

http://i1040.photobucket.com/albums/b402/bciroad/testo001.jpg

[allenb2626]

now those are really nice..

[Texas-Tech]

I've had my 550s for a year, had a display issue for which I sent them in for service. They were returned inside of 8 days. Mine stay in the case unless their being used and for me work great. I don' t use them every day, only on refrigeration or special equipment.

[Pascone10]

I've had my 550s for a year, had a display issue for which I sent them in for service. They were returned inside of 8 days. Mine stay in the case unless their being used and for me work great. I don' t use them every day, only on refrigeration or special equipment.

See I don't understand why you would spend that much money and not use it on every call. I buy tools to make it easier for me. So they better be built to last because I'm using them.

[allenb2626]

i agree if i am buying it.. its not going to set in the van to look nice its going to be used

[Vettgetsmwet04]

how long r u talking about the snesers taking to get to temp.

for me its never more than 20-30 seconds, they seem to be very accurate, always 32* ice a ice bath once a week.

another easy way to make sure your temp sensers are reading correctly is to hook everything up with the unit equalized. your temps and saturations should be within one degree of each other. this is something that can be done on every system u work on, easy way to check on a busy day.

[Texas-Tech]

See I don't understand why you would spend that much money and not use it on every call. I buy tools to make it easier for me. So they better be built to last because I'm using them.

I usually work on either Lemmox or Tramp package units from 3 to 25 tons and for those I use my analog gauges. No big deal and since everything is on the roof I can sling um around my neck and go.

When I work on splits or freezers or coolers then I only use the Testo. As far as I'm concerned we've been doing everything analog for 50 years, don't tell me you can't still use um. I spent the money on them cuz they were in my comfort zone. I almost went with the digicools but I'm really a cheap bast@@d.:cheers:

[kipedwards]

http://i1040.photobucket.com/albums/b402/bciroad/testo003.jpg

http://i1040.photobucket.com/albums/b402/bciroad/testo001.jpg

I am thinking about buying a set of these I recently got my arse kicked by an old dinosaur walk in cooler. I could have saved a lot of time if I had the data log function available. Keep me posted how these work out. I think its the 570 model with the data log right?:patriot: