Review on High-Performance 4 Way AC Manifold Gauge Set - Perfect for HVAC Systems with 5FT Hose, 3 Acme Tank Adapters, Adjustable Couplers, and Can Tap - Ideal for R410A R134A R22 R404A Refrigerants by Marc Sortijas

My old r134a header kit was in pretty bad shape and I worked on it with a vise and screwdrivers for a while. Then I saw this set and decided to give it a try. I was pleasantly surprised when it arrived in its own plastic storage case, my sensor sets have always been wall hung in the past. When I opened the kit I was even more impressed by the quality of the different parts and the attention to detail, with even small details like valve decals being perfectly centered on each valve and not placed randomly. . The valves themselves have a nice curved edge, comfortable and easy to use. The cord set itself appears to be made of good material and is a decent length for the job. I was particularly pleased with small bonus items that I wasn't expecting in the kit such as: B. a 1 lb can adapter and Schrader valve removal tool. In addition, this set even has a vacuum suction line for service purposes. I've never had a kit with a built in vacuum suction line and am looking forward to having it built right into my gauge kit. My only second thought on the set is that the gauges are less printed compared to my previous set. It's nice that the displays are white numbers on a black background, they tend to stand out better than my previous black numbers on a white background. I hope to have a good 10 years of service with this set as I did with my previous set. Good buy for this money. And then you go and try to do something crazy like use this. That's where the heartbreak begins with this set. First, understand that once you take it out of its storage box, no regular service person will ever use it again, because I don't know anyone who breaks their distributor apart after putting it back together. You hang it on the wall or on a dresser and move on to the next task. That's the next problem with this kit: there's no place to store loose hose ends in this kit unless they're attached to a specific project you're working on. This just opens up the possibility of the dangling ends being susceptible to dirt and debris. The really big issue is the machining of the high and low pressure service fittings on the sensor set itself. I'm not sure what they are for, but they don't fit standard r134 automotive fittings, nor any modified fittings I've ever worked with. They just don't go for traditional fittings or 134a. This resulted in me having to pull out my old gauges and still work with them. Parts may be missing, but at least they connect to everything, and I know my hoses won't get dirty hanging loose without end caps. If you need this kit for a single project you might be fine, but I don't see long life for this particular product at the general store. It just doesn't have the quality with all the plastic parts. Also, I found that the hose threads were actually poorly made, making it difficult to connect the hoses to the manifold. I'm sorry I had to lower my rating on this one. I thought we had a winner.