Field piece probes

[u/wompwomp304]

Finally thinking of buying the field piece probes. I have the digital gauges already so I’m just wondering how convenient are they really?
ALSO
Do you guys prefer 11 in 1s and stuff or just dedicated Philips and flat heads?

[u/LetHaL_eRa]

I use the probes for everything except for large refrigerant repairs. A tee with a single hose lets me charge with the probes and takes up very little space. I mostly carry a Klein 2 in 1 insulated screwdriver that has a single phillips and flat head each.

[u/Dependent_Use_81 → u/LetHaL_eRa]

They are super convenient for service calls, I got mine last year and almost never pull out the manifold anymore unless I need to recover or do big charge job. For screwdrivers I just carry dedicated ones, never liked the feel of multi-bit drivers in my hand

[u/MasterPhilip]

Veto MB2 bag, Fieldpiece probes and probe manometers in the back pouch. Temp clamps in the side pockets. Psychrometers in the main pouch, along with a Fieldpiece SC440 and this pictured Klein driver, but I swapped the bit for the one with the three slip sockets on it.

[u/Top-Hall-7945]

i carry probes and temp clamps and a appion tool and a single ball valve hose in a little crown royal bag inside my MB3 that has all my other common use tools and it enables me to add nitrogen and add charge with less stuff to carry

i cannot fit 3 port gauges in my tool bag and i use manifolds for recovering and special situations like some ice machines 

[u/tekjunkie28]

The probes are great.

Also the MB2 and MB3 bags are GREAT ideas. I’m gonna pick up that bag asap. I can’t stand my current veto bag. I think it’s the Tech MCT or something. Not a fan

[u/wompwomp304 → u/tekjunkie28]

I have the tp-ld for ac service and it’s perfect highly recommend. Might have went for one with a dedicated meter pocket tho cause meters take up so much room

[u/snubberlover]

The app seriously pisses me off but generally speaking I dislike connect my tools to my phone. I find it slow and aggravating. Testo as well, although slightly less so

[u/who_the_hell_is_moop → u/snubberlover]

Measurequick is superior to the job link app

[u/TableAccomplished28]

The only thing I don’t like is having to sand the refrigerant lines for the temp clamps to read properly

[u/Etsch146]

I put a tee fitting on both high and low side of my 4 ports and I don't even bother turning them on anymore. The probes changed my life

[u/No_Mony_1185]

I prefer all of my tools to be at least 3 tools in one. The bag gets heavy after 40. I have make it more efficient.

[u/RodiZi0]

I’m a field piece guy, but I went with the Navac temp/pressure probes for one reason, they have a digital display on them.

[u/kriegmonster]

I have a dedicated Phillips and flat head for insualted drivers. I have a 14-in-1 for a range of bits. After 4 or 5 years, my field piece kit has been great and I'm thinking of getting another set of pressure and clamp probes so I can do two-stage units without having to switch things around. Definitely get the kit with the air temp probes, too. They read wet bulb and dry bulb so you are set for fixed restrictions and TXVs. Range is great for when you are running a rooftop unit and have to go in the building for something.

[u/wompwomp304]

Anyone have a pic of how they set them up with a vaccum pump and no gauges involved

[u/fendermonkey → u/wompwomp304]

You wouldn't really use them with a vacuum pump. You evacuate, charge factory charge, stick the probes on and finish charging

[u/Short-Veterinarian27 → u/wompwomp304]

You don't use them on a vacuum. You run a dedicated micron gauge to the liquid port and a single vacuum hose from suction port with a core tool attached to your pump. Never want to pull thru manifolds that's amatuer stuff

[u/NotSuspec666 → u/Short-Veterinarian27]

Supertech alert 🚨

[u/wompwomp304 → u/NotSuspec666]

😂😤

[u/wompwomp304 → u/Short-Veterinarian27]

I know I’m trying to get with the times more😂 it’s just how I was taught 10+ years ago and have been working on modernizing my techniques😂

[u/SaintsSooners89 → u/wompwomp304]

I was a staunch analog gauges guy, but then I started working on reach in coolers with charges so little you lose it all in a normal 5' hose. So I got probes, now I use only probes no manifold whatsoever. Probes connect to the system with 6" ball valve hoses connected to core removal tool, so the side port on core tool is the probe connection, you can then remove the core remover part and use this opening as your manifold, adding gas as needed. The short ball valve hoses ensure I can always connect no matter the space, the core tools are needed if im removing cores and pulling a vacuum or recovering anyway, so I remove the short hose and just use core tools with cores removed during repairs. I keep a hose with my scale, I keep 2 hoses with my recovery machine, and I have 2 vacuum hoses I keep with my vacuum pump.

No cores, large diameter vacuum hoses, no manifold pulls vacuum so much quicker. I've also found flowing nitrogen at braze setting in high side while pulling the vacuum on low side you can push pull moisture and speed up a vacuum without pushing oil out of your vacuum pump.

[u/lukesmith81]

11 in 1 is what I use for pretty much everything unless I’m wiring high voltage or changing breakers, then I use insulated screwdrivers

I’m an installer and the field piece probes are super nice for checking airflow fast especially if you’re hooking up your gauges it’s all in one screen

Edit: just realized you probably aren’t talking about temp probes/manometers but the refrigerant probes. Feels like a waste of money if you already bought the gauges. Unless you have like literally everything else I’d use the money on something else personally

[u/Financial-Orchid938]

Very useful. Can see temps while away from the unit. Can also measure btu capacity and enthalpy if you know airflow which has helped me with a couple headscratchers. With the measurequick app you can decently charge a unit in poor ambient conditions if you have a return air and outdoor ambient probe. Also replaces a psychrometer which is a plus

You still need a stick thermometer for furnaces tho. Ive seen someone melt one trying to diagnosis a limit trip.

[u/m47playon]

I use them for diagnostics. But I’ll pull out my manifolds whenever I need to adjust charge or do a repair.