SMAN or Testo?

[hvaclover]

BTW "This Old Guy" just bought a Testo 570 and a boat load of other test instruments.

My helper/student is buying my SMAN 3 and case for $250.

TTT is the place to buy all your test gear.

Great service and fast delivery. They are even getting me a Fluke they don't carry at a good price.

Good Bless Jim and his staff.

Repay Jim's generosity he lavishes on this site in the way of instructional info by buying your stuff from him.

[jpsmith1cm]

What are you guys considering old timer? 5,10,20 years exp?

I just receive my Ak900 my first digital.
I'm exited.
I'm always learning
I guess I'm an old timer.

Well, I'm pushing 20 years of experience in the trade, but I'm a young'un compared to some.

[jpsmith1cm]

gimme a break....you younguns' ain't any busier than us older guys. And we find time for RSES and mfg training.

I may not have small kids but i do have grand kids i run to different appointments.

You don't got to seminars because you don't place it high on your priority list. I and other senior members do.

Maybe it is because I place other things higher on my priority list.

Like being the father that my father was not.

I won't rip that old wound open any farther.

[toyo066]

SMAN 3 IS BETTER HANDS DOWN. I HAVE BOTH OF THEM AND THE WAY THEY BOTH DO THE SUBCOOLING AND SUPERHEAT i HAVE TO GIVE IT TO SMAN 3. PLUS THE TEMP CLIPS ON THE SMAN3 LAST A WHOLE LOT LONGER. THEY ARE BOTH GOOD BUT SMAN HAS THEIR ACT TOGETHER

[hvaclover]

SMAN 3 IS BETTER HANDS DOWN. I HAVE BOTH OF THEM AND THE WAY THEY BOTH DO THE SUBCOOLING AND SUPERHEAT i HAVE TO GIVE IT TO SMAN 3. PLUS THE TEMP CLIPS ON THE SMAN3 LAST A WHOLE LOT LONGER. THEY ARE BOTH GOOD BUT SMAN HAS THEIR ACT TOGETHER

i got the sman 3 and testo 557.
copped a 570 today and waiting for the sman 4.

i like testo and fieldpiece cause they have great customer ser vice.

as far as digitals go...i just think thy both are great and fun to use.

now if fieldpiece would please release the sman 4, it will be the end of my insane buying spree.

[meoberry]

I bought a new sman 3 last year. Took back first one. Unit would shut off for no reason. Got second one. Had to replace both valves in manifold to stop leaking. Clamp broke for thermo. Had that replaced. Other clamp broke and warranty is out. Then hanging hook pulled out hanging over puddle of water....You guessed it. Won't even power up now. VERY! VERY!!!! disappointed in fieldpiece over this one. Told parts house what happened. They just rolled their eyes. Said there was nothing they could do. I said, There is something I can do. I will never purchase anything from you again. Been a customer for 18 years. But not anymore. Still not sure if warranty is up. Can't find receipt. Any suggestions?????

[toyo066]

i got the sman 3 and testo 557.
copped a 570 today and waiting for the sman 4.

i like testo and fieldpiece cause they have great customer ser vice.

as far as digitals go...i just think thy both are great and fun to use.

now if fieldpiece would please release the sman 4, it will be the end of my insane buying spree.

Yeah i am waiting for the 4 to come out soon but I aint jumping to buy it I will wait 6 months. Price will be high.

[toyo066]

I bought a new sman 3 last year. Took back first one. Unit would shut off for no reason. Got second one. Had to replace both valves in manifold to stop leaking. Clamp broke for thermo. Had that replaced. Other clamp broke and warranty is out. Then hanging hook pulled out hanging over puddle of water....You guessed it. Won't even power up now. VERY! VERY!!!! disappointed in fieldpiece over this one. Told parts house what happened. They just rolled their eyes. Said there was nothing they could do. I said, There is something I can do. I will never purchase anything from you again. Been a customer for 18 years. But not anymore. Still not sure if warranty is up. Can't find receipt. Any suggestions?????

Never had an issue I would write Field Piece and tell them and send the SR# they should know when you purchased it. The only issue I had with it was the hanging hook it broke but other then that I had no issues. I have heard about the screen going blank but knock on wood mine is working just fine. I purchased it becasue the price of the temp clamps on the Testo is 90.00 bucks each with tax over 100 so for 350.00 total I got the sman3 and I was very pleased with it.

[itsiceman]

I bought a new sman 3 last year. Took back first one. Unit would shut off for no reason. Got second one. Had to replace both valves in manifold to stop leaking. Clamp broke for thermo. Had that replaced. Other clamp broke and warranty is out. Then hanging hook pulled out hanging over puddle of water....You guessed it. Won't even power up now. VERY! VERY!!!! disappointed in fieldpiece over this one. Told parts house what happened. They just rolled their eyes. Said there was nothing they could do. I said, There is something I can do. I will never purchase anything from you again. Been a customer for 18 years. But not anymore. Still not sure if warranty is up. Can't find receipt. Any suggestions?????

This is where you can post the sad story and get free stuff.
http://HVAC-Talk.com/vbb/showthread....591-Fieldpiece

This is where you can commiserate with the deaded.
http://HVAC-Talk.com/vbb/showthread....at-Age-3-weeks!

[hvaclover]

I thought the 557 manual was hard to understand ....well I just read he 570 manual and it's even less comprehendable!

Good thing TTT and Testo have superior customer service.

Even the rep at Testo agrees the manual is badly written for our corner of the world.

Otherwise all I can say is F'ing WOW!

This thing does everything..third probe, amp clamp and a whole list of other stuff.

Now i can get ODA while checking SC & SH.

I am going to invest in the remote temp probes next summer. Season is almost over to buy them now.

You guys want my opinion, skip thh 550 and go directly to the 557 or 570. It's worth it.

Now that I have the 570 my helper is chomping at the bit for my SMAN 3.

Which reminds me... WHEN THE HELL IS THE SMAN 4 COMING OUT?????

[meoberry]

Well fellas. Russell with fieldpiece. Has just made my day err....Make that month. He is sending me a brand new sman3 to replace the one that I mentioned in earlier post. You guys can use whatever you want. I will never use or recomend anything other than fieldpiece. Excellent customer service. Just as good as I give my customers. Maybe even a little better.

[Joehvac25]

I haven't even met anyone with digitals so if russel wants to send me some too I will spread the word in my area lol.

[hvaclover]

Well fellas. Russell with fieldpiece. Has just made my day err....Make that month. He is sending me a brand new sman3 to replace the one that I mentioned in earlier post. You guys can use whatever you want. I will never use or recomend anything other than fieldpiece. Excellent customer service. Just as good as I give my customers. Maybe even a little better.

Fieldpiece or Testo...both are great...some guys just complain and crab about them cause they don't know all the functions and are too embarrassed to admit here

[toyo066]

Fieldpiece or Testo...both are great...some guys just complain and crab about them cause they don't know all the functions and are too embarrassed to admit here

aint that the truth.. alot of techs will say that they know how to do sub cool and superheat and come to findout that they dont.

[Keith73]

I've worked with those guys, too.

3 years ago, when I bought my 1200, one of them was my boss. I talked to him about buying it before I pulled the trigger and heard comments like "You've smart enough, you don't need those things" and "Those are for 'dumb' techs" and various other derogatory comments...

The last laugh is on him, because he now owns and uses an AK-900......

Does that mean he's a 'dumb tech'??

Just my two cents but, the "dumb" techs cant use the digitals without screwing up the charge! You still have to be able to understand the information given to you and use it correctly. More accurate means better information not more information unless they don't take superheat and subcool measurements to begin with.

[kadafi]

Two other guys at my company have Testo 550, I have just bought the 557. Very happy with it so far and in my opinion looks alot more professional compared to the toy look of the sman.

[bwd111]

I have the 550 and can get subcool and super heat just fine. Why do a lot of you here have a hard time finding subcool and super heat readings on the 550?

[bwd111]

Well have him hook me up a well. I work at a radio station building and will gladly tell others in the field how much ai love the filedpiece. Fieldpiece will still have to prove to me how the test 550 in junk and why I scouldnt use it. My testo 550 works fine.

[RussellHarju]

BWD- I wouldn't say Testo is junk nor try to prove it. And while of course I think ours is better that doesn't mean I think Testo is junk comparatively. Even if you just use either of them for just measuring pressure and that's it they both will do it more accurately than the common analog gauges seen in the field. So I'm glad this thread is Digital vs. Digital. That being said, have a look at the newest Fieldpeice, the SMAN4.

http://youtu.be/OqC1YXNqVEc

[bwd111]

Well I think I might buy this one as well. I do own fieldpiece equipment and check ebay all the time for fieldpiece products as I am also a broadcast engineer as well I have fixed several broke fieldpiece meters found on ebay. As for my testo meter I have charged lots of systems very accurately and very easily with this meter. I also know what i'm doing which might help.