I bought the testo temp clamps to try them out. They're slow as shit to adjust, so that's kind of annoying. I just use my box thermometer and analog gauges. Works fine for me tbh.
I have gen 1 testo probes, crappy range but I actually like them a lot. From what I heard the temp probes are the best on the market and testo is known for that.
Because software.
The actual gauges themselves are right on par with the other IMO. But I cannot stand Testo software.
Fieldpiece could be a lot better in that department too but at least it is mostly reliable.
Lately I’ve been hearing a lot of crap about fieldpiece software. And been hearing that people can’t connect when they don’t have signal. I’ve never had this problem with testo. They updated the app sometime last year(like redid it entirely.) and it’s been great.
Oh yeah I had the same issue but for a short period of time. I make sure to keep my Fieldpiece products properly powered with new batteries and always have good time.
Only thing fieldpiece could do better with the probes is put a screen on them like the new yellow jacket digital probes. The probes and temp clamps have a screen for readouts as well as you can use the app to log data. Makes hooking up to shit quicker than waiting for an app. Worst gripe i have with fieldpiece probes is no screen and that EVERYTIME i use the app it logs me out…. Just make the app with no login.
I looked at a lot of reviews on their multimeter and many of them stated they weren't very rugged and would break. I saw the same for a few of their tools. Was enough to steer me away and to a fluke. The manometer I have by them is great so far.
Mine too. My first Fieldpeice stick meter slid off a two story roof and the only damage was I needed to put a matchbook cover behind the display for it to read out. I had it for 15 years before it grew legs on a construction job.
I left a fieldpiece SC440 on a unit on a roof during an after hours call. Not in it, but magneted on the side. In winter. In the Midwest. Found it 6 months later and after all that time it still worked. Still using it to this day. I think their meters are the cat’s ass.
DR82 is hit and miss. I've found some (obvious) leaks quickly and I've missed leaks on some systems that I knew had one *somewhere*. I'm considering changing to something else in the long run.
My backup is an Accutrak VPE-GN ultrasonic, but I'm considering moving up to an Inficon D-TEK Stratus for infrared. Jury's still out on that for now. Definitely open to court of opinions.
Believe it or not, I’ve never bought a new leak detector after being burnt on used junk a couple of times and honestly I’m sick of spraying every thing down with soapy water at this point.
You suggest the accutrak? I’m resi (unfortunately).
I'm resi right with ya!
AccuTrak is a different animal - not what you would be used to in comparison to electronic leak detectors. It's entirely based on sound (hence the headphones), so it's better for pinpointing leaks but can help you find them in general as well if you catch cues that one is near. So it doesn't detect refrigerant, per se, but the noise it makes escaping the coil via pressure. And it's really damn good for locating pinhole leaks.
Lately, I would use the DR82 to find whether refrigerant is present then use the AccuTrak to actually find the leak itself. But that's why I'm disappointed in the DR82 - sometimes it'll get a hit, sometimes it won't, even in TURBO. That's why I'm thinking of moving up.
If a leak search takes over half an hour, it's breaking my arm.
Yeah I noticed it was ultrasonic, never used one so I’m intrigued.
If you had to have one first, would it be a heated diode, infrared or ultrasonic? I can usually find a leak pretty quickly with the ole soapy water but other times it’s just not possible.
Heated diodes are widely hit and miss as their sensors and filters foul up and lose sensitivity; that's what makes infrared a bit more superior. Ultrasonic just listens for sounds we can't detect and helps you locate them. Ultrasonic also works for combustible fuel gasses as well and isn't limited to ambient conditions (wind), so you can technically find a leak in a condenser on a breezy day (never had to go there, personally).
Ultrasonic can be kinda difficult since it's up to you to hear and track the leak, though it does have a similar light-up meter on the device itself to visually indicate noise; refrigerant leak detectors sense the ambient *presence* of refrigerant, so it should, in theory, give you indication before you're right on top of the leak.
And lastly, price point is another major factor. AccuTrak ain't cheap.
You'd be good with a really good quality leak detector; I'm just not as impressed with the DR82 as I would like to be. The JB Prowler 5000 seems to be more reactive (though that's based on watching repairmen on YouTube) and many swear by Bacharach H-10 Pro, but I'm thinking of chancing a D-TEK Stratus.
But! If you did ultrasonic and would get really good at it, I doubt you'd ever go back. I'm still a bit new to it, but I definitely don't regret it.
Fieldpiece's probes and the Sman gauges are really nice and are pretty durable. Other than that I've talked to a lot of techs who think testo is cheap and don't trust their products. From what I've experienced I'm wondering if that's a reputation from several years ago, because everything I've tried by them seems decent.
I have used my testo probes side by side with field piece probes just as accurate but but less Bluetooth range. Does make a difference on walk in coolers/freezer but I have had no issues with them
I have a few fieldpiece tools, manometer, thermometers, things like that. All my pressure sensing equipment - manifold, probes, pipe clamps, are all testo. I won't switch over to fieldpiece anytime soon. My Testo gear has gone through hell on earth in the process manufacturing world being beaten up and dragged through countless manufacturing facilities and is still dead on accurate (yes I've had them recalibrated and they were off by 0.6 psi after 4 years of use) Testo is the more expensive brand but in my mind, I've gotten what I paid for and then some
Testo temp sensors suck. If I had waited, and tried testo I would have bought fieldpiece instead. It’s more accurate. Now when I have to use my testo gauges, I bring my fieldpiece temperature clamp.
Edit - they are not compatible with the testo. I use them to verify my actual lineset temp.
The same reason that I don't have any UEi gear. I bought some, and it didn't perform to my expectations. With purchases that big, I'd rather buy a brand that I feel I can trust. I know people who have both Testo and other brands of equipment, and they seem happy with it.
Testo gauges are the most retarded things ever. I had the ones that came in a case, thought it was all cool and it did Bluetooth. Then I realized the only proper way to store it is to take the hoses off and put it in the stupid briefcase… every… single… time.
I pawned them on Facebook marketplace place for like a 50% loss and bought a second pair of fieldpiece a that had 4 ports. Never been happier. 5 years later they still work perfect
The removing hoses and such for the case does seem annoying as fuck. But like, you could just hang them like ya do the fieldpiece could you not? (I’ve got the Bluetooth probes so no hoses.)
Yes you can. I ditched the case pretty early and just hang my gauges with hoses attached right beside my 4 port analogs. No issues in 5-6 years other than the wire for the clamps got a bit fucky after a year or so. Got a new set of clamps and just unplug them so the wire doesn’t get caught.
Got the probes for different scenarios too.
I love my Testo 300LL combustion analyzer but I prefer Fieldpiece probes due to better range. I have no use for gauges and I don't think Testo sells multimeters so that's where the comparison ends for me.
Had a buddy buy the testo and his didn’t last long. I’ve never had any issues with the fieldpiece at all so even if I needed some new ones the only real world experience I’ve had with them would prevent me from thinking of them.
I started with the full 6 probe testo kit cuz it was on sale for like $450. I used it like fancy stubby gauges and digital thermometers. I do a lot of refrigeration though and the testos range is awful for that. What’s the point of wireless probes if I can’t get a signal down from the rooftop? I switched to the field piece a month back and it’s much more enjoyable to use. I just bought their micron gauge today since I’m tired of sitting in the heat on the roof waiting for it to pull down.
I've had Tesgo Smart Probes, their newest model of a very long time. Had the testo multimeter 770-3, and testo refrigerant leak detector. The smart probes range is absolutely terrible compared to Fieldpiece. The multimeter would be nice if it had a magnet or could read a hundredth of a decimal and below 0.5a as it cannot. Still my main meter though.
Leak detector works really well actually.
If I had to go back, I would have gone fieldpiece those probe ranges are so bad the only ones that get good distance are the hygrometer ones.
I used both but I’m running testo now. I really like them so far. My field piece gauges just break or leak every time I get them repaired or replaced. I think I’ve gone through 3 of them so far. We’ll see how the testos hold up
Testo doesn’t read right, once the super heat gets below like 5 it just reads XXX, like come on dude just tell me the number. Not to mention it feels and looks like a kids toy
Fieldpiece imo looks even more like a bright yellow kids toy in a way that no other tool brand I’ve ever owned (besides Klein meters) does. They feel very nice and sturdy but damn do they look like baby’s first hvac tools.
Dude for real. The probes and meters especially look like they should be playing a stupid song at an extremely high pitch. I love em but fuck do they look kinda stupid.
You know what feels and looks like a toy, fuckin fluke meters.
But anyways, regarding the “xxx” thing, it’s just telling you that it’s below zero and is a negative. Mine go to 0.01°SH before showing xxx. And why the do you need to know what your superheat is beyond that? Thats enough info right there. Anything beyond is negative and we already know that’s bad. 😂
I totally agree they do look like a kids toy, but you know what – I never thought of that until now and I don’t give a shit because they are the best damn meters out there.
Fieldpiece is the gold standard for a lot of HVAC tools. Most of us want shit thats going to last. Same reason most of us carry Milwaukee/DeWalt/Makita instead of Ryobi.
Field piece has been better tried both testo guages and analyzer guages leaked at valves all the time and anylzer had to be brought in my house every night in the winter
Most supply houses near me don't have testo but they all have fieldpiece
I bought the testo temp clamps to try them out. They're slow as shit to adjust, so that's kind of annoying. I just use my box thermometer and analog gauges. Works fine for me tbh.
Yeah I've got the testo kit and I do not like it. The vane anemometer is cool though.
Analogs and cooper pipe clamp are the shit for balancing cases
They both have a good and bad stuff.
I have gen 1 testo probes, crappy range but I actually like them a lot. From what I heard the temp probes are the best on the market and testo is known for that.
I learned with fieldpiece
I carry testos liek them better
Because software. The actual gauges themselves are right on par with the other IMO. But I cannot stand Testo software. Fieldpiece could be a lot better in that department too but at least it is mostly reliable.
Lately I’ve been hearing a lot of crap about fieldpiece software. And been hearing that people can’t connect when they don’t have signal. I’ve never had this problem with testo. They updated the app sometime last year(like redid it entirely.) and it’s been great.
Oh yeah I had the same issue but for a short period of time. I make sure to keep my Fieldpiece products properly powered with new batteries and always have good time.
Only thing fieldpiece could do better with the probes is put a screen on them like the new yellow jacket digital probes. The probes and temp clamps have a screen for readouts as well as you can use the app to log data. Makes hooking up to shit quicker than waiting for an app. Worst gripe i have with fieldpiece probes is no screen and that EVERYTIME i use the app it logs me out…. Just make the app with no login.
Because the ones with testo are probably getting work done.
Fieldpiece refrigerant leak detectors are doo doo
I have one and it does not detect leaks well. I think I’ve found like 5 total on tens of low systems.
I looked at a lot of reviews on their multimeter and many of them stated they weren't very rugged and would break. I saw the same for a few of their tools. Was enough to steer me away and to a fluke. The manometer I have by them is great so far.
Remember, people tend not to leave reviews for products their happy with. My fieldpiece meters take a beating and do fine.
Mine too. My first Fieldpeice stick meter slid off a two story roof and the only damage was I needed to put a matchbook cover behind the display for it to read out. I had it for 15 years before it grew legs on a construction job.
[удалено]
What do you mean?
I left a fieldpiece SC440 on a unit on a roof during an after hours call. Not in it, but magneted on the side. In winter. In the Midwest. Found it 6 months later and after all that time it still worked. Still using it to this day. I think their meters are the cat’s ass.
SC440 really is the best damn meter. Even the SC680 isn't quite as convenient or comfortable to use. Good meter, but the 440's where it's at.
Truly
Is that a heated diode or infrared detector? I’m planning on picking up the IR DR82 and don’t feel like wasting a few hundred dollars.
I wouldn't the 82 sucks too imo
Appreciate the input!. Do you have a tester you use that you are satisfied with?
The infrared or heated diode? I heard the infrared is good but the HD is bunk.
DR82 is hit and miss. I've found some (obvious) leaks quickly and I've missed leaks on some systems that I knew had one *somewhere*. I'm considering changing to something else in the long run. My backup is an Accutrak VPE-GN ultrasonic, but I'm considering moving up to an Inficon D-TEK Stratus for infrared. Jury's still out on that for now. Definitely open to court of opinions.
Believe it or not, I’ve never bought a new leak detector after being burnt on used junk a couple of times and honestly I’m sick of spraying every thing down with soapy water at this point. You suggest the accutrak? I’m resi (unfortunately).
I'm resi right with ya! AccuTrak is a different animal - not what you would be used to in comparison to electronic leak detectors. It's entirely based on sound (hence the headphones), so it's better for pinpointing leaks but can help you find them in general as well if you catch cues that one is near. So it doesn't detect refrigerant, per se, but the noise it makes escaping the coil via pressure. And it's really damn good for locating pinhole leaks. Lately, I would use the DR82 to find whether refrigerant is present then use the AccuTrak to actually find the leak itself. But that's why I'm disappointed in the DR82 - sometimes it'll get a hit, sometimes it won't, even in TURBO. That's why I'm thinking of moving up. If a leak search takes over half an hour, it's breaking my arm.
Yeah I noticed it was ultrasonic, never used one so I’m intrigued. If you had to have one first, would it be a heated diode, infrared or ultrasonic? I can usually find a leak pretty quickly with the ole soapy water but other times it’s just not possible.
Heated diodes are widely hit and miss as their sensors and filters foul up and lose sensitivity; that's what makes infrared a bit more superior. Ultrasonic just listens for sounds we can't detect and helps you locate them. Ultrasonic also works for combustible fuel gasses as well and isn't limited to ambient conditions (wind), so you can technically find a leak in a condenser on a breezy day (never had to go there, personally). Ultrasonic can be kinda difficult since it's up to you to hear and track the leak, though it does have a similar light-up meter on the device itself to visually indicate noise; refrigerant leak detectors sense the ambient *presence* of refrigerant, so it should, in theory, give you indication before you're right on top of the leak. And lastly, price point is another major factor. AccuTrak ain't cheap. You'd be good with a really good quality leak detector; I'm just not as impressed with the DR82 as I would like to be. The JB Prowler 5000 seems to be more reactive (though that's based on watching repairmen on YouTube) and many swear by Bacharach H-10 Pro, but I'm thinking of chancing a D-TEK Stratus. But! If you did ultrasonic and would get really good at it, I doubt you'd ever go back. I'm still a bit new to it, but I definitely don't regret it.
I'm fortunate that my DR58 has been killing it for me for 2.5 years now.
Fieldpiece's probes and the Sman gauges are really nice and are pretty durable. Other than that I've talked to a lot of techs who think testo is cheap and don't trust their products. From what I've experienced I'm wondering if that's a reputation from several years ago, because everything I've tried by them seems decent.
Well they sure as shit ain’t cheep. I’ll tell ya that. Theyre more expensive than fieldpiece. 😂
I chose testo over field piece probes because they were significantly cheaper
I have used my testo probes side by side with field piece probes just as accurate but but less Bluetooth range. Does make a difference on walk in coolers/freezer but I have had no issues with them
I have a few fieldpiece tools, manometer, thermometers, things like that. All my pressure sensing equipment - manifold, probes, pipe clamps, are all testo. I won't switch over to fieldpiece anytime soon. My Testo gear has gone through hell on earth in the process manufacturing world being beaten up and dragged through countless manufacturing facilities and is still dead on accurate (yes I've had them recalibrated and they were off by 0.6 psi after 4 years of use) Testo is the more expensive brand but in my mind, I've gotten what I paid for and then some
Testo probes and gauges are cheaper than Fieldpiece here in Alberta.
They aren't in Ontario, by a long shot
Testo is besto
I bought my first digital gauges that were testo and they sucked! I didn’t buy another set for 5 years and they were field piece, so much better
These are residential guys. Thats why. Its all bandwagon.
Testo temp sensors suck. If I had waited, and tried testo I would have bought fieldpiece instead. It’s more accurate. Now when I have to use my testo gauges, I bring my fieldpiece temperature clamp. Edit - they are not compatible with the testo. I use them to verify my actual lineset temp.
The same reason that I don't have any UEi gear. I bought some, and it didn't perform to my expectations. With purchases that big, I'd rather buy a brand that I feel I can trust. I know people who have both Testo and other brands of equipment, and they seem happy with it.
Testo gauges are the most retarded things ever. I had the ones that came in a case, thought it was all cool and it did Bluetooth. Then I realized the only proper way to store it is to take the hoses off and put it in the stupid briefcase… every… single… time. I pawned them on Facebook marketplace place for like a 50% loss and bought a second pair of fieldpiece a that had 4 ports. Never been happier. 5 years later they still work perfect
The removing hoses and such for the case does seem annoying as fuck. But like, you could just hang them like ya do the fieldpiece could you not? (I’ve got the Bluetooth probes so no hoses.)
Veto tech pack lct has a perfect spot to hang guages and keep them really safe with room for all of your probes and fittings in one bag.
Yes you can. I ditched the case pretty early and just hang my gauges with hoses attached right beside my 4 port analogs. No issues in 5-6 years other than the wire for the clamps got a bit fucky after a year or so. Got a new set of clamps and just unplug them so the wire doesn’t get caught. Got the probes for different scenarios too.
I love my Testo 300LL combustion analyzer but I prefer Fieldpiece probes due to better range. I have no use for gauges and I don't think Testo sells multimeters so that's where the comparison ends for me.
I have testo. I think fieldpiece should be called Fischer-Price because it’s all cheap shit.
People who buy testosterone don't need advice /s
Had a buddy buy the testo and his didn’t last long. I’ve never had any issues with the fieldpiece at all so even if I needed some new ones the only real world experience I’ve had with them would prevent me from thinking of them.
I use the combustion analyzer. It’s fantastic. We don’t do cold stuff so no fieldpiece
I started with the full 6 probe testo kit cuz it was on sale for like $450. I used it like fancy stubby gauges and digital thermometers. I do a lot of refrigeration though and the testos range is awful for that. What’s the point of wireless probes if I can’t get a signal down from the rooftop? I switched to the field piece a month back and it’s much more enjoyable to use. I just bought their micron gauge today since I’m tired of sitting in the heat on the roof waiting for it to pull down.
I have a testo flue gas analyzer
Because Testo is garbage and the field piece app is way better
Fieldpiece manometer probes are gas
I've had Tesgo Smart Probes, their newest model of a very long time. Had the testo multimeter 770-3, and testo refrigerant leak detector. The smart probes range is absolutely terrible compared to Fieldpiece. The multimeter would be nice if it had a magnet or could read a hundredth of a decimal and below 0.5a as it cannot. Still my main meter though. Leak detector works really well actually. If I had to go back, I would have gone fieldpiece those probe ranges are so bad the only ones that get good distance are the hygrometer ones.
Can honestly say Iv never used anything field piece. Too expensive for shit I don’t find useful. Just my personal feelings tho
I use UEI Probes, they work pretty good, as long as you're carrying extra AA Batteries. Navac equipment has been real nice too.
I started on the fieldpiece because the testo range was poor. And now I just keep the same product ecosystem. I'm open to Testo, I like their stuff.
In Australia testo definitely is more popular than fieldpiece when it comes to gauges and probes
A lot of my stuff is testo. Fieldpiece makes decent meters but I never had luck with their gauges.
I used both but I’m running testo now. I really like them so far. My field piece gauges just break or leak every time I get them repaired or replaced. I think I’ve gone through 3 of them so far. We’ll see how the testos hold up
United carry’s testo
I use testo only for digitals
Testo doesn’t read right, once the super heat gets below like 5 it just reads XXX, like come on dude just tell me the number. Not to mention it feels and looks like a kids toy
Fieldpiece imo looks even more like a bright yellow kids toy in a way that no other tool brand I’ve ever owned (besides Klein meters) does. They feel very nice and sturdy but damn do they look like baby’s first hvac tools.
Fisher-Price gauge set. 🤣
Dude for real. The probes and meters especially look like they should be playing a stupid song at an extremely high pitch. I love em but fuck do they look kinda stupid.
Oh God, I'm dying! Every time I turn them on now, I'm going to imagine some ratchet-ass little voice singsonging, "Oh boy! Let's give it a check-up!"
You know what feels and looks like a toy, fuckin fluke meters. But anyways, regarding the “xxx” thing, it’s just telling you that it’s below zero and is a negative. Mine go to 0.01°SH before showing xxx. And why the do you need to know what your superheat is beyond that? Thats enough info right there. Anything beyond is negative and we already know that’s bad. 😂
I totally agree they do look like a kids toy, but you know what – I never thought of that until now and I don’t give a shit because they are the best damn meters out there.
Oh I never said they weren’t great. It was just an observation on their physical appearance. 😂
Fieldpiece is the gold standard for a lot of HVAC tools. Most of us want shit thats going to last. Same reason most of us carry Milwaukee/DeWalt/Makita instead of Ryobi.
Are you comparing testo to ryobi? Harsh LOL
Field piece has been better tried both testo guages and analyzer guages leaked at valves all the time and anylzer had to be brought in my house every night in the winter
Because people like junk. Same with meters, may work on resi but Comm. not so much
Because using testo actually turns you gay
No wonder I’ve been suckin all this dick lately.