AC gauges worth buying?

[KLF]

I've always been of the opinion "let the pros with the right tools and knowledge take care of it" when I have AC problems with my vehicles. It's been about the only thing I won't work on.

But, now we have 2 cars ('16 CR-V and '12 Miata) with poorly or non-working AC, and lots more hot weather coming. I don't want to just dump more R134 in without diagnosing the real issue. Wondering if it's worth investing in a set of gauges? Seems like this might lead to more expenses for a vacuum pump, cans of stuff, etc., plus lots of YT searching.

HF has a set of Pittsburg gauges for $65, but I'm dubious.

 

[1911]

HF has a set of Pittsburg gauges for $65, but I'm dubious.

One of my sons bought that set; I helped him fill an old system with a new compressor using them and it seemed to work just fine. We rented a vacuum pump from O'Reilly.

 

[Fj80oregon]

I bought a set years ago of amazon and a pump in a kit for $150 have probably used 10 times working on my cars and friends cars. Honestly for me it’s been a great investment but you can just borrow a set from your local auto store for free any time you want.

 

[e9999]

if it is just a matter of topping up the refrigerant a bit once a year, then just a manifold / gauges / hoses set will do and it is cheap. I just did that for several years, at $10 of refrigerant a pop per every other year or 3. Was a tiny leak that I was not too confident I'd find easily. Way easier and faster than emptying it all, changing the dryer and all orings, maybe some hoses, for which you'd also need a vacuum pump and container etc. Also much cheaper than having it done professionally. So, yes, a basic gauge set seems like a good investment to me. The rest of the stuff, well, that would depend on what you need to do.

If you buy a manifold set, check that it comes with the correct car adapters, cuz those are not cheap bought separately.

 

[KLF]

Thank you!

Watching some YT vids today to see how they work. I have a decent knowledge of refrigeration systems, so maybe it is time.

 

[e9999]

today saw 2 manifold and gauges sets on Craigslist. Asked $25 for the pair, pretty inexpensive (but no car A/C adapters).

 

[zebrabeefj40]

Hi KLF,

I know a guy that has all that stuff you can borrow...

Nick

 

[KLF]

Hi KLF,

I know a guy that has all that stuff you can borrow...

Nick

Hi Nick

I appreciate that, kinda far away to go get them from you and return. But the other problem is I gotta learn how to use them, how to diagnose what's going on, etc. How hard are they to use?

 

[PIP]

I recommend buying a decent gauge set. The hoses and fittings are better in the better sets, they last longer. Also, the cheap vacuum pumps work, but the good ones pull down fast and last forever. I have a USA made JB pump that's older than me and still works great. They're $1000 new, but I see them all the time used for $100 on Marketplace.

I've done a lot of AC work with just a gauge set and vacuum pump.

 

[Rednexus]

I have the HF manifold gauges and the HF air-powered plastic vacuum pump. I've used them to evacuate, vacuum test, and refill 3 separate times. They are very handy to have and the cheap HF versions of the tools are perfectly acceptable for limited use. Auto AC is actually fairly easy to work on.