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Abuse in some case is using channel locks pliers on gauges or instead of adjustable wrench or wrenches. Ruining good Nuts and bolts that could be avoided. All in the name of saving a trip to the truck,is it worth it? I like to save the integrity of the bolts and nuts on the equipment.

Originally Posted by ryan1088

I stole your idea and put my own twist on it!
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Cool, let us know how it works out in the field and if you have to do any reinforcing on the thermistor pad.

I'm thinking about picking up a second set of ak900's and considering if I'll stick with the bar clamps or go another direction, love the micro clamps so far but I'm always open to improvement!

Originally Posted by mason

I've been using the micro Irwin clamps exclusively, no problems. Everything from mini splits to chillers.

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I stole your idea and put my own twist on it!
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I assumed the Digimon SE was for sale.
Your posts to this thread did not sound like you were asking for BETA testers for pre production.
Good to hear you're working on it.
How else would we know its not ready or ready if you don't respond to the comments that it is not ready.

Hello iceman,

I'm am not sure if your comment is directed towards me. If so....

Not a lot to say. Mark pretty well summed it up. We have a couple of minor issues we are diligently working on getting fixed before mass nationwide distribution.
Mark knows what he is doing and has pointed out some basic stuff we overlooked, or things that can be improved. Like temperature probe calibration for example.
The honest truth is, why would we advertise our mistakes on the www when we can fix it before distribution.. ?

This is why I am here. To learn from people like you and Mark. And to help others where I can.
Its a win win. You guys get free equipment to test. I get good feedback from the field. Where in my opinion everything should be tested anyways...

I offered one of you a free electronic leak detector to test out, but I never got a firm, yes I want it.
Not to worry. I have lots more HVAC tools to test out. You are next in line.

Regards.

Really? No comment on the Digimon SE concerns?

I hear you Redback. I have spent thousands on my own tools and I hate it when one breaks without cause. Especially when it busts my knuckles!
Even the legendary Craftsman is crap these days. In my personal opinion.

REFCO is certainly not perfect. We have our problems too.
I know you make your living with your tools, so why would you deliberately abuse them?......... I am of the same opinion.

Unfortunately, some people just don't take care of their equipment. I could send you pictures that you wouldn't believe.
Just like some installs you have been called out to.... Not everyone does it right.
I know you have seen that in the field, and sometimes the equipment like your awesome crescent wrench are just plane factory defective.
Please let me know what I can do to make it right for you and I will try to help.

You can private message me if you want.

Regards.

Fieldpiece at work

I had a set of the new Hilmor Gauges, i kinda liked them at first, and then.. they started to have problems, i couldn't recycle refrigerant from the high side to the low (really strange! if i purged with Nitro, it was clear, with refrigerant it would hang up), traded them in for the SMAN 4's and i love em'


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Doesn't United Refrigeration have refrigerant management software?.

Originally Posted by lytning

I think the easy cool software is way over priced.

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Originally Posted by Expat in CH

Hello Brent,


With regards to your comment, "Explain to me how a contractor or distributor would cause the product to fail."
Oh I dunno, how about hooking up an unregulated nitrogen bottle to a manifold set. We get return manifolds where the sight glass is blown / cracked from the inside out.
How about getting a return vacuum pump where the oil has never been changed and it is completely black and burned up where someone has dumped motor oil into it and ran it to death.
People do dumb stuff to quality products all the time. Heck, I even filled my diesel truck with gasoline one time. Do you think Nissan was to blame? BTW Did you know the USA is the only country without 1/2 ton diesel pick-ups?
Again, it is all in the interpretation. Sometimes the issue is with the manufacturer, and sometimes it is with the end user.
You just have to take it on a case by case basis.

nuff said.

Here is a photo of a refco wrench that I paid a lots of money for and has never been used at all not even once, and yet the chrome plating is simply falling off.

"people do dumb stuff to quality products"

we techs spend lots of money on our tools, thousands of $$$$ to be exact, and do not deliberately abuse them.

Originally Posted by Brent Ridley

Mark,

Got any feedback on the Refco Digimon? You should at least have some first impressions.

Working with Refco about some issues with it, production halting(I hope) sort of issues, plus I've been extremely busy the last few weeks.

I'll have more details at some point soon, but in my opinion, if Refco mass distributes the new Digimon it will be a total flop in the USA, and further damage their reputation in the DSRA market.
The physical construction is very good, the vacuum function with the remote sensor is great, the pressure transducers are accurate, and the design of the case is great.
Unfortunately the temperature measurement, and PT resolution is very bad for those of us who work in ºF, the thermocouple calibration procedure is not good for field use, and there are issues with the lack of cold junction temperature compensation, or electrical interference filtering for the thermocouples.

Once I've had more opportunity to spend some time with them, and communicate with Refco about what, if anything, is being done about some of the problems, I'll do a detailed writeup.
I've unofficially been invited to help, in some capacity, with the design of the next Digimon, so I don't want to piss them off to much, but on the other hand, I'm not going to sugar coat my evaluation of the current offering.

They also sent me their stand alone vacuum gauge, and an RL-8 vacuum pump.
I'm still waiting on some back ordered stuff from TrueTech so I can do the review and head to head comparison the way I want with the vacuum gauge, but it definitely is above average in the sub $150 micron gauge price class.
So far I give the RL-8 vacuum pump 2 thumbs up.

That sounds like a nightmare

I think the easy cool software is way over priced.

Originally Posted by redback

I believe the testo 570 easykool software can also keep track of refrigerant usage, you have the 570 but do you do you have the easykool software?i have some serious concerns about refrigerant management.


Can the 570 and easykool software do the following:


Service tech goes to wholesalers and purchases a bottle of refrigerant, enters the serial no of the bottle and initial content, purchase order number, date of purchase into the 570, I assume this info would automatically transfer to the easykool software when the 570 is connected to a PC running the easykool software.
After each job, can the service tech enter the refrigerant amount used, the refrigerant type, serial number and customer into the 570, when the 570 is connected to the PC i assume it will automatically calculate refrigerant contents left in each bottle, and display a full detailed report, with absolutely zero errors.
when the bottle is empty and returned to supplier, I assume the easykool software will create a detailed report showing where every single gram of refrigerant went to and it should also have alarms if there is refrigerant non accounted for, or customers have been overcharged by even so much as a single gram, I would also assume that the numbers can be modified, for example there is no 100% garuntee that all bottles do not have tiny leaks, or are filled correctly to the nearest single gram by the wholesaler, therfore service techs will need to be able to modify the numbers slightly in the easykool software.

Originally Posted by hvac5646

Crap. I mean you have to enter the numbers and they will print.
The only Testo that weighs refer is the 560.
It hookes up to a testo scale with data cable.

I believe the testo 570 easykool software can also keep track of refrigerant usage, you have the 570 but do you do you have the easykool software?i have some serious concerns about refrigerant management.


Can the 570 and easykool software do the following:


Service tech goes to wholesalers and purchases a bottle of refrigerant, enters the serial no of the bottle and initial content, purchase order number, date of purchase into the 570, I assume this info would automatically transfer to the easykool software when the 570 is connected to a PC running the easykool software.
After each job, can the service tech enter the refrigerant amount used, the refrigerant type, serial number and customer into the 570, when the 570 is connected to the PC i assume it will automatically calculate refrigerant contents left in each bottle, and display a full detailed report, with absolutely zero errors.
when the bottle is empty and returned to supplier, I assume the easykool software will create a detailed report showing where every single gram of refrigerant went to and it should also have alarms if there is refrigerant non accounted for, or customers have been overcharged by even so much as a single gram, I would also assume that the numbers can be modified, for example there is no 100% garuntee that all bottles do not have tiny leaks, or are filled correctly to the nearest single gram by the wholesaler, therfore service techs will need to be able to modify the numbers slightly in the easykool software.

Originally Posted by ga-hvac-tech

When you reach the age of us seasoned techs (seasoned = experienced)... <grin>... your fingers will be strong and fat... Until then... you should be able to text/type without the stylus.

I find the stylus easier to use. And then there are all the cool things one can do in the 'note' routines built into the phone. One of the things I like is: If I am on the phone with tech support (usually in another state), I can take a picture of what I am looking at, put an arrow to what I am talking about on the picture, write a note on the picture, attach the picture to a text with more notes, and send it to the guy on the tech line. He will have it in 5-10 seconds and we can look at it and figure out what to do. I have done this numerous times, it is one of the features which influenced my decision to get this phone.

Just a side note: My second choice was the iphone 5.

I have broken knuckles and arthritic finger joints. Great for bull work but I had to give up my career a a concert pianist lol.

Originally Posted by hvac5646

you got neanderthal fingers too gh? Lololol!

When you reach the age of us seasoned techs (seasoned = experienced)... <grin>... your fingers will be strong and fat... Until then... you should be able to text/type without the stylus.

I find the stylus easier to use. And then there are all the cool things one can do in the 'note' routines built into the phone. One of the things I like is: If I am on the phone with tech support (usually in another state), I can take a picture of what I am looking at, put an arrow to what I am talking about on the picture, write a note on the picture, attach the picture to a text with more notes, and send it to the guy on the tech line. He will have it in 5-10 seconds and we can look at it and figure out what to do. I have done this numerous times, it is one of the features which influenced my decision to get this phone.

Just a side note: My second choice was the iphone 5.

Originally Posted by hvac5646

say what! ?
the testo 570 can print, read
subcooling and superheat and ODT, you bet evacuation, weighin refrigerant, measure amp draw,read vacuum,perform tightness test on timer, and print all this out on one ticket size:form.

the only thing Sman4does the 570 does not is calculate target superheat.

the SMAN4 is good for what it can do, what if you want a fully functioning gage manifold, then the 570 is a better choice. I have said this several times and at the risk of sounding redundant, I will repeat: I own two AK900s, SMAN 4 and SMAN3.

I also own Testo 557 and 579 and no but keep the ladies of each they are all fine pieces of equipment. in this case it is too which is on, however to say that s m A n 4 has more capabilities then Testo 570 is just plain wrong.

I work in a commercial facility so, I'm not concerned about printing up information for customers. I am, however, interested in the Sman 4's capability to target proper superheat. But, correct me if I'm wrong, this wouldn't help much on TXV systems.

Originally Posted by CFESAmasterEGSR

What is this like, 1990? Are we using Palm Pilots?? A STYLUS??? For a state of the art TOUCHSCREEN phone?? Lol.

Sorry, that just struck me as funny.

yeah the touchscreen might seem funny, but in case you didn't know these things are mini tablets, they do as much as a computer practically. as for the stylus, I can use it quicker than I can type.

Originally Posted by ga-hvac-tech

Yeah, I thought about this before I bought it.


And if you have big fingers and thumbs like I do... it takes a lot of mistakes out of texting and writing notes to yourself.

you got neanderthal fingers too gh? Lololol!

Originally Posted by CFESAmasterEGSR

What is this like, 1990? Are we using Palm Pilots?? A STYLUS??? For a state of the art TOUCHSCREEN phone?? Lol.

Sorry, that just struck me as funny.

Yeah, I thought about this before I bought it.

Go to a phone store and play with a Samsung Note 2... WallyWorld has them if that is more convenient. Remarkable phone!

And if you have big fingers and thumbs like I do... it takes a lot of mistakes out of texting and writing notes to yourself.