Digital or Manual

[richvacr]

I have been tempted to get digital gauges - Testo's I lean towards
But I wonder how much a difference it could make
I'd say my sense of touch & hearing play a large roll (well sight to as a giving - iot helped once on a co ray vac they did not sell you the vac)
To say a percentage 50-75%
I looked at a reach in the other day prefilter plugged manager thought that was the problem
Changed it out and told him I do not think so - I with a leatherman and flashligt think it is low on refrigerant or cap tube (no problems for a year that worked there)
Was asked to check it tomorrow will see
But really what difference would digital guages make - my analogs are off all the time and things work good

I'd say for someone new to the field ban digital gauges

Now as business owner competing with others will it hurt if my customers do not see digital guages

Lastly after Cato windows 8 must be destroyed

[lzenglish]

When it comes to Temperature/Humidity Meters, YES, "Digital"! When it comes to Sevice Gages, it is over the top for me. I have never owned a set, but it seems to me, you would be tied to charged batteries, direct sun light effecting the LCD face! If you drop them, do they tend to break easier? I just do not think they are necessary for the accuracy needed to read the pressures in the systems. IMO PS: I guess they would Impress the customers, so maybe they do have their place?

Wayne

[jayguy]

LOOOOOVE my digi-cools! are they always neccessary...no. but man they are awesome! i have only replaced the battery once in about 4 years (standard 9V). they bounce around in my truck and when i pull them out, they work and they are accurate as all get out. the screen is easy to see in very bright sunlight but unfortunately, i don't have the backlit version for night time work. you just can't beat the accuracy and that you KNOW they are accurate...no questions.

in short, they are great.

[Grayline]

I'm old school straight yellow jackets all the way but when it comes to SH or SC its digitals all the way... it saves time.. and I hate adding......

[jpsmith1cm]

LOOOOOVE my digi-cools! are they always neccessary...no. but man they are awesome! i have only replaced the battery once in about 4 years (standard 9V). they bounce around in my truck and when i pull them out, they work and they are accurate as all get out. the screen is easy to see in very bright sunlight but unfortunately, i don't have the backlit version for night time work. you just can't beat the accuracy and that you KNOW they are accurate...no questions.

in short, they are great.

I'm a little rougher on batteries, though. I go through one about every 6 months. Still no big deal

[lytning]

Used my testos yesterday, it was on a reach in. I really like them. BUT the customer was impressed. That is a plus all the ay around.

When it comes to Temperature/Humidity Meters, YES, "Digital"! When it comes to Sevice Gages, it is over the top for me. I have never owned a set, but it seems to me, you would be tied to charged batteries, direct sun light effecting the LCD face! If you drop them, do they tend to break easier? I just do not think they are necessary for the accuracy needed to read the pressures in the systems. IMO PS: I guess they would Impress the customers, so maybe they do have their place?

Wayne

[mark beiser]

Between the higher inherent inaccuracy, parallax errors from viewing a needle over a gauge face through a lens, and PT chart interpolation errors, analogue gauges have no place in servicing modern high efficiency HVAC/R equipment.

Analogue gauges were only acceptable because there wasn't a viable alternative until relatively recently.
Now there is a variety of highly accurate, reasonable cost digital refrigerant gauges, all of which will stay accurate for longer, through more physical abuse, than any analogue gauge.

[mason]

Between the higher inherent inaccuracy, parallax errors from viewing a needle over a gauge face through a lens, and PT chart interpolation errors, analogue gauges have no place in servicing modern high efficiency HVAC/R equipment.

Analogue gauges were only acceptable because there wasn't a viable alternative until relatively recently.
Now there is a variety of highly accurate, reasonable cost digital refrigerant gauges, all of which will stay accurate for longer, through more physical abuse, than any analogue gauge.

Two recent experiences for me after using digitals only for two years: performing a pressure test and had my coworker check it, comes back, says it's down 3lbs, I go check and he was just holding it differently(parallax). The other was watching a co worker drag, literally, his analogs out of his truck, with no screen on suction, bend the needle back down that had hung on something and throw them on the unit, I think I probably had a grimace on my face.

Just get some digi-cools and be done with it, the pressure test is soooo much better. It feels right, I've been using some analogs with a pipe clamp the last two weeks and it just feels clumsy, inefficient, confusing and stupid, now that I know better.


All the information is right there at one time so you can "see" the whole system and how it's performing. You also get out fewer things.

[mark beiser]

I'm tempted to get a couple sets of AK900s just so I can have everything on one screen instead of having to cycle through the display.

[mason]

I'm tempted to get a couple sets of AK900s just so I can have everything on one screen instead of having to cycle through the display.

I was using the sman3 as my first set of digitals and found that to be the week point for me, I wanted to see the saturated temp and SH/SC all at the same time, plus the beeping was obnoxious. I plan on getting a second AK900 as well for multiple circuit units.

[gravity]

Digicool all the way

[mason]

Digicool all the way

Hey gravity, how do you like that JB manifold with 1/4 turn valves?