Hilmor digital gauges vs. Fieldpiece SMAN4

[kbreiwick]

I have a lot of tech's that like the Fieldpiece SMAN4 gauges, but some have expressed interest in the Hilmor digital gauges. Don't see too much Hilmor in the Northwest, but wondering if anyone has used both. Looking for most reliable / accurate gauges.

[lytning]

I haven't heard anything good about the Hilmor gauges. One of the suppliers won't even sell them. Could be that they have fixed what was wrong with them by now. I like the Fieldpiece and sometimes the Man Tooth. A lot of folks on this forum love the imanifold.

[itsiceman]

The Hilmor must be obsolete now.
I have the 2015 Hilmor Catalog and the digiital gauges are not included. If there are any stil out there for sale I wouldn't consider them IMO

[TypeSRT]

I just checked there website and the digital gauges aren't listed there. Did you see them for sale somewhere?

[BALloyd]

Pretty sure someone else here mentioned the Hilmor digitals were recalled by Hilmor.

[lytning]

No digital Hilmor on Fleabay

[mrkelly]

Still don't "understand" why tech's want to drag around a 500.00 set of gauges,what 4-5 lbs, when a 100.00 set of compound (old school) ones will do just as good,last for years and can be "fixed" for a few bucks immediately when a gauge goes bad.

Ohh you youngin's and your "tech" stuff.

You can always borrow mine when your battery goes out.

[digitalinput]

Still don't "understand" why tech's want to drag around a 500.00 set of gauges,what 4-5 lbs, when a 100.00 set of compound (old school) ones will do just as good,last for years and can be "fixed" for a few bucks immediately when a gauge goes bad.

Ohh you youngin's and your "tech" stuff.

You can always borrow mine when your battery goes out.

Im repulsed by anologs

[Stucker]

I have used field piece meters since the old stick came out many years ago. I have used the SMAN3 for a couple years now and I love it.

There are a few reasons I carry the digital gauges vrs the old compound ones. (I do have two sets of old compound gauges for backup). The digital gauges are more rugged**, they are a lot easier to read, They look a lot more professional when the home owner or business owner watches you work with them, they show you real time super heat, sub cooling, when your pressure checking before pulling a vacuum it is a lot quicker to watch the digital gauges because they read to the tenth of a PSI rather than guessing if its between 55 and 56. You can tell pretty quick if you have a leak by watching the tenths of a pound. The kicker is mine have the built in micron gauge for pulling a vacuum.

So buy the time you purchase your old style compound gauges, two temperature clamps and meter to read them or two cheap thermometers, and a micron gauge you are equal or past the price I paid anyway.


** a trick I found. I went to the computer store and purchase one of those clear screen protectors for a large tablet, you can take the gauges out of the shock resistant cover and trim the screensaver to fit the glass. It keeps the screen from getting scratched up. I have had mine for 4 years now and not changed the battery yet. But I do have a spare.

[TypeSRT]

I have used field piece meters since the old stick came out many years ago. I have used the SMAN3 for a couple years now and I love it.

There are a few reasons I carry the digital gauges vrs the old compound ones. (I do have two sets of old compound gauges for backup). The digital gauges are more rugged**, they are a lot easier to read, They look a lot more professional when the home owner or business owner watches you work with them, they show you real time super heat, sub cooling, when your pressure checking before pulling a vacuum it is a lot quicker to watch the digital gauges because they read to the tenth of a PSI rather than guessing if its between 55 and 56. You can tell pretty quick if you have a leak by watching the tenths of a pound. The kicker is mine have the built in micron gauge for pulling a vacuum.

So buy the time you purchase your old style compound gauges, two temperature clamps and meter to read them or two cheap thermometers, and a micron gauge you are equal or past the price I paid anyway.


** a trick I found. I went to the computer store and purchase one of those clear screen protectors for a large tablet, you can take the gauges out of the shock resistant cover and trim the screensaver to fit the glass. It keeps the screen from getting scratched up. I have had mine for 4 years now and not changed the battery yet. But I do have a spare.

Great answer. All the reasons why I'm getting the SMAN 460 at the beginning of this AC season!

[meoberry]

Alot of the higher Seer rating stuff is charge critical. So you need the SH and SC to be on the money. The newer refrigeration stuff is going the same way. Receivers are getting smaller to reduce costs so the charges are also getting more critical. When they have receivers. The smaller reefers have gone to cap tubes. No receivers. So measuring line temps is the only way to go.

[Au-en-boy]

The analog gauges on the Hilmor's were not really gauges, they were servo driven dials based on the digitals. They also had a "problem" with durability - would just stop indicating or would start to leak badly after about a month or two. Had a distributor tech rep break a set of those out on a job spouting off how cool they were, I just kinda laughed and hooked up my SMAN4's. He had a set of SMAN's the next day.

[Kevin O'Neill]

I am using Digital Cool gauges. But I am looking at the Fieldpice gauges for a second set. I have a set of analog gauges on the truck, have not used them in years. I had Testo as my first set of digital gauges, but they fell apart. Junk.

I use digital gauges for better accuracy.

[lytning]

I also bought Testo 570's as my first digital set. BIG waste of money. Love my Sman4's and like my Man Tooth's.

I am using Digital Cool gauges. But I am looking at the Fieldpice gauges for a second set. I have a set of analog gauges on the truck, have not used them in years. I had Testo as my first set of digital gauges, but they fell apart. Junk.

I use digital gauges for better accuracy.

[deadeye52]

Hi: I got SMAN 3 last summer. I get my WB & outdoor with fieldpiece pocket psychrometer, punch in numbers to SMAN3 and bam, tells me the complete story. Only thing, the micron gauge never pulled below 1000. Had to hook my old gauge in line. Called fieldpiece & returned it across the country. I week later a brand new unit in a box arrived. Used it for new install and worked great.

[lbsalvin]

Im repulsed by anologs

Agreed. My digital is faster for sh/sc and it's also a micron gauge.
I won't mix oils in it any more. i'll use other gauges for non poe oils.

[50hdmc]

Bought my SMAN3 last summer and had a problem at then end of the summer. Sent them back to Fieldpiece 10 days ago for repair. Just received it back - a brand new set at no charge - not even shipping.

[kbreiwick]

I've seen them online / possibly AC wholesale. I really don't know anyone that has them around here. Good to know they aren't offered anymore. Must be a reason.

[TechmanTerry]

I still like my non-digital gauges, and two digital thermometers.

[iconbadgta]

I like the Testo 550's. Only downside is the wet bulb calc but if you got a good stick meter like the FP HS36 then a wet bulb thermocouple takes care of that.

Also the smaller size of the 550 is a plus, you can get them for around 250 right now or 350 with case and both temp probes. The 250 one only comes with 1 temp probe and no case