WINMAX TOOLS AUTOMOTIVE Professional A/C Air Conditioner Refrigerant Manifold Gauge Kit Set R134a/R22/R12 HVAC + KapscoMoto Keychain

Okay, this thing comes in two colors: a blue anodized-looking body and a red anodized body in a red case, which is what I got. It's the same thing, though, and I'm not bothered by the red. I just thought I'd mention it. Aside from that, this made in China gauge kit isn't bad; the body (red/blue) part with the clear view window is quite heavy; I'm not sure what type of metal it's made of, but it's tough. The gauges are probably the weak point; they appear flimsy but function, and are encased in what appears to be a thin rubber shield (the blue part that surrounds it). I believe the cables are 1/4" in diameter. Although they say 5/16, standard can valve taps will work. Because the one that came with the kit mounts on the can rather than screwing on the top, I had to get a standard tap with a screw top. However, in California, they have these new can adapters that allow the can to reseal and be reused, as opposed to the old cans that, once unhooked, release gas into the atmosphere. Anyway, in California, you'll need a small plastic adapter that screws on top of the can (interdynamics sells one for a few bucks), and then you'll need to screw on a standard r134a can tap to that. Anyway, if you're not in California, you probably won't have to worry about it, and the provided tap may still work. So, at first, I just wanted to check pressure on both the low and high sides, so I closed the two high/low gauge side valves, opened (unscrewed) the two connector side valves (which means no gas will come out), and then connected them to the high low side connectors. I started the car and gradually screwed in the two connector side valves to open the shrader valves. I got good results, but they were a little low. So, with the two connectors isolated, and the top valves still closed, I figured I could just close them and pop them off like I see on youtube videos. But I'm not sure if this is unique to this kit or if this is the case with all kits. However, the pressure on the red line is so great that the connector will not pop off. You must then lower the pressure; however, you must not simply leak it out of the yellow side, as this may accidentally introduce air, which is illegal. So, I decided to open the top red valve to let some of the pressure into the area where the glass gauge is located, and then slightly open the blue valve while it was running to reintroduce it back into the system. I've shut off the shrader high side connector valve, so no more compressed fluid is coming back through the red line; now I'm slowly bleeding the r134a that was in the red line back down into the blue side, just barely opening and closing the top gauge side blue valve; while I was doing that, I noticed that stuff was flowing over to the blue side in the small window, and the connector was starting to loosen, as if I could rotate it. After a few more minutes, I was able to lower the pressure to the point where I could pop it off. Is this something that happens frequently? Is it true that the red always goes high pressure and then you have to bleed it out? Nobody does this in any of the youtube videos I watch, so I was skeptical of the connectors in this kit at first. However, there is no difference between these connectors and those found in higher-priced kits. Anyway, as a standard ac gauge kit, I'm going to give it 4 stars for now because they work and they look better than some of the other kits that appear to be made cheaper and whose bodies aren't even a solid block of metal like these are. Most people will need (or want) to purchase a cheap brass r134 can tap (I used the Koyzvacu and it worked great), which costs around $8 here. Look for r134a can adapters from Interdynamics, which are simply a blue plastic piece that screws onto the can and should cost around $2. Anyway, if I can confirm the procedure for releasing pressure from the high side, and it's not due to this kit's fault, I'll give it a 5 star rating because it's a fairly complete kit with a solid body, similar to the more expensive kits. br>br>update: br>br>update: br>br>update: Okay, so I just tried this gauge kit on another car, and the high side red valve was stuck again with the high pressure fluid inside, so I had to close the valve at the high side connector, then slightly open the red side gauge side valve, then crack the blue side gauge valve to let the r134a back down into the blue side, and do this super slowly, because I'm sure you can damage the low pressure side by just letting high pressure in, so I trickled it in, opening and closing the blue gauge valve But what was interesting was that even with the pressure nearly zero, I couldn't disengage the high side connector. I now believe that when the red side connector valve is closed, some pressure leaks out of the shrader valve and still generates pressure in the now closed red side connector valve, which, while not high, is sufficient to keep the connector in place. So, since the yellow line was already near zero, I had to slightly tighten the red side connector valve to let some pressure out again. After that, I was able to pop it off again; after a few attempts, the procedure became easier. So, if your high-side valve becomes stuck, don't panic. Just make sure you don't let any air into your system and adjust the valves as needed. I'm just curious as to how the kits with just the quick connectors and no open close valves work for people; I mean, you can probably bleed out of the yellow slowly for those people, but it will complicate the process even more. For the time being, I'll give the kit 5 stars because the connectors do their job and keep the gas in place. I was able to get the air conditioners in both cars to work within their pressure ranges and blow cold air once more. You also get a red screwdriver-like tool for removing schrader valves if yours is leaking as a bonus.

Kynlee BIRCH

| Feb 18, 2021

The dials are bent, and the labels on the knobs are peeling away. It has yet to be put to use. It's a pity. br>br>I'd pass on this item and will send it back as soon as possible.

Maddison Rowe

| Aug 31, 2021

This is a nice setup, but the adapter to connect to a can of R-134a is missing. The new style cans are not compatible with 134. I tried using the adapter I had, but the thread size wasn't the same as the hoses that came with it. I had to improvise my own adapter by stealing fittings from an old set.

Ezra Livingston

| Apr 20, 2021

Excellent product.

Aurora Walter

| Mar 17, 2021

Good Value for Money.

Addisyn McIntosh

| Nov 04, 2021

The use of a low-pressure adapter is recommended. Disconnection in a hurry would be ineffective. The low-pressure adapter would not stay attached at all, while the high-pressure unit would snap on but not transmit pressure unless it was squeezed on harder.

Estrella Hardy

| Apr 06, 2021

It appears to be low-cost, but it functions properly, so I will keep it.

Gary Bowers

| Mar 07, 2021

My gauges read R134 but are unable to read R22. I just now had time to look at the product I received, and it is nothing like the pictures of the product.

Louisa Blair

| Jun 15, 2021