Digital Manifold Gauges - Fieldpiece SMAN or Testo 5 Series

[seanhoang]

I need one of these digital gauges so I can get better at my job.

Initially I was looking at the Fieldpiece, but now I'm leaning toward the Testo because it's smaller and comes with a hard case.

What's your guys take on them? Or any other brand?

[hidalgo1301]

Digi Cool 1250. These are the best IMO. Very accurate and can take a beating. You also use your own manifold, which I also prefer. Oh, and great support.

[acsolutionsllc]

DIGICOOL 1250

[knave]

If you pull a vacuum through your gauges, forget the sman's or the testo 550

I am waiting on the AK900's!!!!!!

[Pascone10]

http://hvac-talk.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=906562

This is why I created this thread...

[chuckcrj]

My DC 1250 temp probes have been acting up so I'm back to the testo 550 until I get them fixed.

I really miss the bar graph more than I thought I would. It is very helpful.

One thing I hate about DC is they don't read out the actual temps the clamps are seeing. :gah: Why couldn't they have programmed the display differently?

Except for the bar graph the testo 550 display is worlds ahead of the DC.

[luskys a/c]

I need one of these digital gauges so I can get better at my job.

Initially I was looking at the Fieldpiece, but now I'm leaning toward the Testo because it's smaller and comes with a hard case.

What's your guys take on them? Or any other brand?

My :.02: -- I love the Testo line of test equipment and i am really happy with their products! If you are going to be working on alot of refrigeration and your in and out of freezers get the DIGI cools. If not then testo or Sman will do the trick. What ever of the three you choose you will be fine. JB and Yellow Jacket are over priced for their features.

[ChaseAir]

I've owned the testo, digocool 1600, and the sman3. The testo broke way too much. I can'tbelieve anyone has had a good experience with that piece of junk. The digicool seemed nice but the lead broke and it only read one line at a time.

The sman3 is by far the best. Watching subcool and superheat with precision is a wonderful thing.

[seanhoang]

Well, which one is easier to use? Has better features? More reliable? I kind of like the Testo because it looks smaller, fitting the hand better and it has a nice hard case. The Fieldpiece looks big. I don't want to be carrying something too big and bulky.

[ChaseAir]

Well, which one is easier to use? Has better features? More reliable? I kind of like the Testo because it looks smaller, fitting the hand better and it has a nice hard case. The Fieldpiece looks big. I don't want to be carrying something too big and bulky.

The fieldpiece has two temp probes which is important to me. I put them on once and don't have to switch back and forth. I use it for residential use so it is nice that 410a and r22 are 1 click away. The testo hook is cheap, the leads are like toothfloss, the screen cannot take a drop of water (voids the warranty), static discharge destroys the temp sensors according to the manufacturer. Look at the sman3 video...the thong is tough. The leads may eventually break but I will take them back if so.

[jpsmith1cm]

My DC 1250 temp probes have been acting up so I'm back to the testo 550 until I get them fixed.

I really miss the bar graph more than I thought I would. It is very helpful.

One thing I hate about DC is they don't read out the actual temps the clamps are seeing. :gah: Why couldn't they have programmed the display differently?

Except for the bar graph the testo 550 display is worlds ahead of the DC.

The bar graph is an awesome feature. Shows you things you would miss otherwise.

The AK-900 shows ALL information on the same screen. SH/SC, line temps, pressures and sat temps, delta T.

[chuckcrj]

The bar graph is an awesome feature. Shows you things you would miss otherwise.

The AK-900 shows ALL information on the same screen. SH/SC, line temps, pressures and sat temps, delta T.

That's a step in the right direction. I should have just stuck with the 550 until the AK came out and not spent my money on the 1250.

[jpsmith1cm]

That's a step in the right direction. I should have just stuck with the 550 until the AK came out and not spent my money on the 1250.

Guarantee you could sell that 1250 and get enough back to buy an AK and a nice dinner.

[ChaseAir]

The bar graph is an awesome feature. Shows you things you would miss otherwise.

The AK-900 shows ALL information on the same screen. SH/SC, line temps, pressures and sat temps, delta T.

What does that bar graph show you?

[fcs]

DigiCool. No matter what model beats all the rest.

[fcs]

What does that bar graph show you?

real time pressure change. Spot TXV (and other) issues that you could see. Fastest responds time out there.


see the Video on their web site
http://digi-cool.com/

[chuckcrj]

What does that bar graph show you?

JP can probably explain it better but it really does a great job of showing where the pressure is trending even before the numbers update.

Its like being able to watch a needle swing on an analog but in tenths of a psi.

Its awsome! If you get used to it you won't want to go back to anything else.

[jpsmith1cm]

What does that bar graph show you?

Bar graph illustrated.

[Son of the South]

Sman3 all the way. I had that thing out in the pouring rain yesterday and nit a bit of problem. That thing is the best thing since sliced bread, subcool, superheat, all right there all you have to do is look at it. It also has a built in vacuum guage which is cool to cross-reference your other vacuum guage with it. One of the theremocouples broke like the second day but I took it right back to Johnstone and they gave me two new ones for free, no questions asked. So other than that it has been great. I am also really rough on equipment and have already dropped it a couple of times and it rocks on. Long live the sman3