I’m a 40+ year HVAC&R tech I used one in a pinch it did work better than expected. My primary pump is a 40 year old cast iron pump that out performs most new pumps.
@@caru3257 Caveat to what I’m saying I’ve been mostly out for about 5 years. If you’re saying ultimate deep vacuum probably you are right. But speed ?? I was doing mostly refrigeration, lots of low temp, do not use a single pump down always break with a dry gas and repeat. My old pump has literally 500,000 miles riding in a service truck and I’ve wrecked several newer pumps. I will say the newer pumps don’t vaporize nearly as much oil, the old pump is usually oily and slimy.
I actually bought this pump to do vacuum bagging for fiberglass work. It works great for that in a home workshop environment. A couple of years ago the evaporator core in my car went out and I used this pull a vacuum after I replaced it. Don't know if it did everything 100% correct, but 2 years later the car is still making cold air so I count that as a win.
Ive needed a vac pump to pull my new mini split and Ive been trying to figure out if I can double it for vacuum bagging. Your the man, this is the comment I was searching for.
@@michaelsummer7082 I think the pump uses flare fittings so you need to mix and match adaptors to get to whatever tubing you're using for your vacuum bag. Good luck.
Glad to hear it seems ok. I do not work in the industry, just a regular homeowner trying to install a mini split. I got a bargain on this pump, paying just $71. A lot of the jargon used in the industry is over my head, just trying to learn and see if I can do this without paying someone thousands. PS: I already called the HVAC company who put central air in my house, and with whom I have always done business. Guess what? They refused to say they would even inject coolant into the new mini-split on the grounds that they did not install it!!! One thing that really bothers me about this entire industry (home a/c) is that it appears to be CHOCK FULL OF CROOKS! We had a 2nd home in nearby city, just to lessen the commute, and once called a busy HVAC guy to check the a/c and attend to the usual (like replacing a $9 capacitor). He charged well over $1000 for an hour's work, and insisted on immediate online payment. He admitted to "earning" $7000 for his half day's work, and stated that he was trying to hurry because he wanted to spend the rest of the day on his jet ski's. The more I learn about typical a/c problems (such as replacing inexpensive capacitors and contact switches), which I have seen commonly marked up from, say $9 to $260 each, the more I realize how homeowners are gigantically just ripped off as a matter of everyday business. I'm sure I will hear defenses from industry workers, but I don't care. Seen all this with my own eyes!
Exactly the reason I started learning all I could about ac units. Guy charged me 250 for a 12 dollar contact plus a 90 dollar service charge..almost 350 for 30 minutes of work
@@todddavis5433 I could never work in that business because I don't have it in me to be so corrupt and dishonest with people, overcharging ridiculous prices just because everyone with a broken A/C is desperate and willing to pay any price. It all sickens me. At this point in life, I am actually very wealthy but never earned a penny dishonestly or by overcharging. Even now, I still work for $75 per day when necessary to fill in. I used to live and work in NYC, but I NEVER made anywhere near the kind of money I discussed above in the A/C service business: many thousands per day. I should also mention, I hold an Ivy League masters degree and other educational credentials. Whereas all the crooks charging thousands per day to fix A/C's didn't even need a high school diploma. Now I see that one thing they should have taught back in high school was servicing A/C's, so we call all prevent being scammed.
You can always go to school for 2 or 4 years and become a technician yourself. HVAC requires thousands in tools, a reliable vehicle and the gas to drive it around. Some of the parts you may replace might not be that expensive but often time you need to diagnose the issue to figure out the problem.
I have been doing hvac for 15 years. about 8 yrs ago a neighbor gave me a Harbor Freight vacuum pump he had from his automotive work. I used it a few times around the house on small appliances first and have come realize its just as good as most commercial pumps. I still use it when I get the weekend emergency calls from from "friends and family" that suddenly remember how much they love me.
Got in a pinch today when my Robinaire pump died, Harbor Freight was the only choice I had since the supply houses around here are closed on Saturdays Just pulled a 2 ton 30 year old Carrier system down to 300 Microns in 40 minutes. This is with the king valves open, pumped indoor, lineset, and outdoor unit down. Not bad for $90 bucks
I have had this pump for 9 years or so doing 100+ automotive ac jobs a summer with it and it's never failed me. I just purchased the battery operated one with a 12Ah battery that is working just as good if not a little better
I got one and I'm just a DIY homeowner doing some routine maintenance on one of my McQuay 30 ton rtus. I ended up pulling 36.4lbs of used r22 out of it. Then this little pump managed to suck it down to 65 microns in about 2 hours 35 minutes. Then I recharged it with 38 lb of new r22. It was beer can cold after that. I'm going to change the oil In the pump then do a Freon change in the other three rtus later this week. They run so much quieter with fresh gas in them.
Thanks for your rwply I ended up ordering the OMT 3.5 cfm HVAC Vacuum Pump Kit and A/C Manifold Gauge Set for 134a 22 12 & 502 What is the advantage of a 2 stage VS the single stage? The one i have is a single stage
I bought a “kit” on line for about $150. My logic was I am a homeowner who is installing two units. If I had to call in a hvac tech (maybe twice because of timing finishing both units at the same time) it would have cost me way more. I probably will not need to use the kit again. Worked great for my needs.
I bought an Amazon version. I would trust it for my own autos and home A/C as an initial test and check. But I wouldn’t use it professionally in any situation. Thanks for the video. I used it mainly for the initial set up. The instructions mentioned an oil inlet but couldn’t find one. Very helpful.
I've done about a dozen car a/c jobs with mine, which translated to maybe 30 total vacuum drawdowns because I also do the drawdowns to diagnose leaks. When I check for leaks I draw it down for about 15 minutes, and the gauges are pegged at bottom. I then simply turn off the pump, leaving all the lines open as they were while drawing down. The pump's check valve or whatever closes when you turn it off holds perfectly. If there's a loss of vacuum at all, it is always traced to a leak in the a/c system, not the HF pump nor the HF gauges. If I wear this one out, I will try their two stage pump. They now also have a battery vacuum pump, but I have no need for that.
I have the Harbor freight 3CFM pump I've done plenty of 5 Ton Goodman units And had no problem pulling them down to a 130 microns And it didn't take too long to do it I will say I'm pretty impressed with the Harbor freight pump And for the price couldn't beat it
I've been using this pump as my primary residential pump since 2011. It's beat up and been dropped many times, but it keeps chugging along. I don't have the heart to replace it.
Surprised! I bought one years ago for a vacuum fixture for my milling machine. It worked fine for that. I have been planning a mini split install, now at least I know I don’t need a new vacuum pump! Thanks for the video.
I have this exact pump and have had it for about 7 years now. I use it for automotive A/C and have never had issue with it. I've left it on non-stop for many many hours. I also use it for bleeding brakes. Made up my own adapter set and large glass catch tank, it makes bleeding brakes alone very easy. Also works as a general purpose fluid extractor, as well. I'm sure it's bad for the internals of the pump but I'm in 7 years of hard use and abuse and it's still going. For what the thing costs? Highly recommend.
I bought the Harbor Freight 3.0 CFM 2-Stage vacuum pump years ago for automotive AC work, then I got into doing my own residential system. The pump always pulls to 25 microns and with a micron gauge attached o the 1/4" port. I used it when I installed my 3.5 ton heat pump 4 years ago and it pulled to 400 microns after about an hour. My 7 CFM bullet doesn't do much better and you have to use YJ pump oil on it or you won't get a deep vacuum. The port on top is the automotive 1/2" ACME size port and fits the one hose that came with the H.F. A/C gauge kit. I purchased a 1/2" ACME to 1/4" adapter online just in case.
The two stage pump can do less than 100 mTorr. Works great. The decay test has nothing to do with how well the pump works. That has to do with how dry the system is.
I got the two stage version and it pulled down 130 which surprised me. It is a good pump especially for car HVAC work. You can rent pretty much same pump different name at auto parts store for free, but ended up buying the 2 stage version at harbor freight and already used it on 4 cars. You do have to drain and change oil in vacuum pump every time to get it to pull super low microns/vacuum, but to be expected, as even my expensive 10 CFM pump for commercial HVAC I change oil with every use. I used the 3 CFM on cars instead of the 10 CFM as the 10 to powerful and freezes the lines.
FYI. Most auto parts stores have free tool rentals. Most have a very similar pump. Nice to have as an option if you need a pump in a pinch. Usually can keep for days for free. Sometimes you get lucky and you get a brand new pump with bottle of oil included. I think the other fitting is the ACME fitting. Easy to connect to auto 134a cans and hoses. Just need and adapter from yellow Hackett to connect. Good video 🤪
I’ve always wondered how our vacuum pumps rated. I’ve used vacuum pumps, my whole life to bleed the brakes on my vehicles and to do vacuum bagging for carbon fiber and fiberglass, etc.. but I never really understood how vacuum pumps are measured. I know vacuum is a factor, but you were talking something about microns filters. I understand the smaller than microns the harder it would be for air molecules to pass so is that how vacuum pumps are more precisely rated?
I've been using the Harbor Freight pump at our shop (Heavy Construction Company) for three years now. Has not let us down once. A/C in our trucks and heavy machines is Ice Cold.
Hey, I'm in a similar field (heavy equipment in a quarry) and I'm curious what your HVAC gauges say once you've pulled a vacuum. I had a harbor freight single stage pump and recently upgraded to the two-stage pump (because I've been using the single stage pump to pull vacuum on hydraulic tanks while I work on the system). The single stage pump used to get me between 26 and 28 inches of mercury on the gauge and now that I've upgraded to the two-stage pump, I'm only getting between 24 and 26 inches of mercury and it takes forever. I'm not sure if maybe my gauges got bumped around and it's not accurate anymore or if this pump is defective. How many inches of mercury do you usually get , and do you have a single stage or two-stage pump?
@@bradbeck2601 Hi Brad, I use the single stage pump also and like you get 26 to 28 inches. It's not a perfect 29-30 but never had an issue with our A/C units. Yesterday found someone walked off with my gauges and hoses but left me my pump. Could have been worse I guess but I think they will re-appear as fast as they disappeared.
@@fireriders8319 thanks! Yeah, I haven't had any problems yet only getting 24-26 inHg I just thought it was strange since I anticipated a deeper vac with 2 stage. Maybe there's something else I'm missing, I'll have to investigate further. By the way, your workplace sounds exactly like mine, tools go missing for days and magically show back up on my toolbox, sometimes right after buying a replacement.
I have that very one I've been attempting to build a vacuum chamber to fit inside my deep chest freezer for a freeze dryer and it imploded a 30 gal steel drum in about 40 seconds.
I purchased one just about like that from Harbor freight. It worked great twice. I moved and apparently it must’ve been damaged even though I can’t see any damage doesn’t work anymore. It sounds like it’s doing something but it won’t pull the vacuum.
It is a rebranded FJC pump. Used it the first time yesterday, pulled 200 microns no problem while testing with non-vacuum hoses. Be careful when use Fieldpiece manifold with an internal micron gauge, stupid me released vacuum by opening a valve on a different hose after shutting down the pump and it sucked some oil out of the vacuum pump into the connected hose, lol. BTW manual says this pump uses 46 viscosity oil, I plan to switch it to synthetic Supercool oil.
I don't work in the field of hvac... I work as a facilities maintenance electrician... I do have my EPA universal... Took a 10 month program... I don't intend on going into the field of hvac... I do however want to put my knowledge to use at my facility because we have air conditioning units on all our electrical panels and I would like to get them working... Would you recommend ror someone like me
2:59 - Please help me understand the reason for overfilling the vacuum pump with pump oil. Or, the difference it makes in your test (parallax error from the camera angle, perhaps?)
I bought this product because local vacuum and charge cost for 1 car was similar to the cost of this pump and I thought, owning the tool would pay for itself after a couple uses. It did well on first car. Then I stored the pump 2.5 years before needing again. The cast aluminum oil tank broke during storage and was unusable for second use. I would say the quality difference is what makes it inferior. I believe better brand pump wouldn't have broken from being hit during storage. I don't HVAC enough to warrant the purchase of a better brand so this time I'll just be paying for a vacuum and charge.
I'm thinking you should have done a breakin procedure and/or used better oil. I did that with a cheapo 1stage from Amazon and easily pulled 130 micron on a system with 30ft lines (I didn't test pump alone.) Break in: Fill with oil and let sit for 10 minutes, remove all caps and start it wide open, let it run for a minute (will be fuming, so do it outside), put cap on intake side and let it run for 20 minutes (check oil level throughout), open everything again, drain oil. You can use the crap oil it comes with for this process, then refill with some good stuff (I used TSI Supercool v32). Going forward, if possible, always start/stop the pump wide open (no vac) and obviously keep caps on when storing and keep oil in the range at all times.
I asked the people on Ali Express "Yonntech" who apparently make these sorts of cheapo pumps, what oil to use and they said 100" or 68". I got some 68 iso and then when it came, in the manual it said 32 iso >.< I wonder how much difference it makes?.. The most I can get at the moment is around 28 Hg I think. Wondering if 32 iso would allow it to go higher.
@@Lloyd.B. The oil probably shouldn't make that much of a difference in how deep the vac is. It's more about how well it lubes the seals/valves and how much abuse it can take. You probably need a real micron gauge to test it. Hook it up directly to the port (no rubber hoses) and see what it can do. Even the cheapest pumps should be able to pull
@@bnasty267 Thanks. I can't afford a micron gauge, I'm already spending too much getting the stuff to do a mini split lol. I imagine 28 inHg is probably enough. The manual says to go to 29.5. It'll do a better job than the hand brake bleeding pump I was going to use :D Should it be able to easily max out a manifold gauge?.. On this chart I found it says 500 microns = 0.5 mmHg. This makes no sense to me at all. My manifold gauges go UP to 76cm Hg = 760 mmHg - 0.5 mmHg would be virtually no vacuum at all on that gauge, so far as I can tell. The numbers are going the wrong direction I think.. No vacuum on the chart is 760 mmHg. I'm guessing they are NOT both mmHg, one is starting at perfect vacuum and one at atmospheric pressure?. On the chart it has an A after it "mmHg (A)" Is that atmospheric?..
@@mikafoxx2717 Yeah, I found this eventually: “The universally accepted unit of measurement for rough vacuum in the United States is the inch of mercury (Hg), which may be measured in a couple of different ways depending on the method. One approach is known as the “Hg gauge,” or “HgV,” and it uses a scale that ranges from 0 Hg (the pressure of the atmosphere) all the way up to 29.92″ Hg, which represents a complete vacuum. The second method is to measure in “Hg absolute,” also known as “HgA,” which is a gauge with the scale in the opposite direction. In this scenario, the scale on the gauge reads 29.92 inches of mercury at atmospheric pressure, but a reading of 0 inches of mercury would indicate a complete vacuum. “ - It was not easy to find that information. People just say Hg and never say which type they mean. And I couldn’t find even one online pressure calculator that cares about the difference. It drove me up the wall trying to figure out what on earth people were on about lol..
I’ve been wondering if this would be a good substitute to leave on a job site overnight for a contaminated system. Come back 12 hours later and see how her did.
I was hoping this pump would pass and hoping it will fail as well. In summer months when I am busy for long days or weekends it is good to know if my good vacuum pump fails and it after hours or weekends when my distributors are all closed, I can run to Harbor Freight to pick one up just to get the job done. On the other hand where there is so many consumers buying mini splits on the Internet, this can eliminate customers contacting HVAC contractors to perform this procedure.
I don’t know how bad access to this pump would be for contractors. I bet it’s pretty rare, but I admit that a few folks would go that. I will continue the testing to see how much this little joker can take.
People work on their own cars and have access to random shade tree mechanics. Still most people use certified shops and dealers. Only that odd 5% who are more interested in it will actual do it like that.
I bought a Harbor Freight Brake Bleeder Kit Pneumatic.....but it did not perform well.....so I’m considering buying one of these vacuum pumps and connecting it through a glass mason jar to create a direct vacuum at each bleeder screw....instead of their air compressor version 🤔
Vacuum bleeding tends not to work a lot of the time. You can pull air through the piston seals, introducing air into the system, the opposite of what you're trying to accomplish. More/better vacuum will make that problem worse.
These pumps will last longer than you’d think. What will happen is that one day it just won’t pump into a deep vacuum. That’s when you know it’s time for a new one. It really doesn’t matter to me that it’s 2.5 cfm. But here’s the back story… one contractor I’d worked for wanted to provide a high volume pump but want the cheapest priced ones for their techs. So what we got was a pump that weighed over 50#. All of our work was in roofs meaning all the gear had to be tag lined from the ground. It didn’t take long to decide to buy the cheapest and lightest vac pump since it would be an out of pocket expense to get a suitable tool. The pump I wound up with was one of these with another name on the side. I used it for hundreds of hours and was more than happy to have not roped the heavy POS up on every job…
Quiero comprar una máquina para doblar láminas de madera . Cuál me recomienda.. es verdad que hay una variedad pero me gustaría la opinión de la experiencia.. gracias.
Good video. Thanks for the review on the vacuum pump's ability. Harbor Freight's equipment, like this pump, is meant for the guy that's looking for a way to do a "do-it -yourself" job and that's it. I can see a place in the market for this kind of stuff, where a guy that's going to use this pump only a couple of times, at home, to do some a/c work and pay a reasonable price to accomplish the task. If your trying to make a living using this pump, you're probably going to be disappointed.
I was on my way to start a major job and realized we forgot the vacuum pump. After some brainstorming on what we could do, We decided to stop at the closest Harbor Freight and buy this Vacuum Pump. It simply got the job done and gave it to the apprentice.
Unfortunate there is only one 1/4" inlet. With core and depressor removed, you can only achieve maybe 1.5 CFM at best with 1/4" hose. Would take too long to evacuate anything other than line set and coil on new installations. Thanks for the review. I've seen them and was curious about it's performance. Now, I wonder if anyone has a video on Harbor Freight 3 CFM 2 stg pump? How well would it do on a complete system with exposed/saturated oil?
There are 1/2 acme to 3/8 sae adapters out there that consist of 1/2 acme to 1/4 sae, then 1/4 to 3/8, or just get yourself a basic 1/2 acme to 1/4 sae - those a easy to find. That way you can connect two hoses.
In the 5 years HarborFreight has upped the quality of many of their products . But don’t worry they still sell a line of cheap stuff for those who want them
I thought it did ok, but it didn’t have an evaporator coil, lineset or outdoor unit, I have used my reclaim machine as my vacuum pump, I was in the middle of nowhere and my pump took a dump 😂
can anyone give me good advice for my first vacuum pump purchase ? i have a 500$ budget and i was trying to figure out if a corded is better vs battery powered or not and which brands to get i have a four port field piece digital gauge set to go with it i got for 700$
I figured it would do half decent honestly. It would probably do better if it had some quality vacuum pump oil in it. Ive been wanting to get one of the pneumatic vacuum pumps they sell and see what it can pull for microns. It has no practical use in our trade but it would be fun to experiment with.
Cant say i trust any gauges at all anymore. At least not on this job. Tried the old sears vacuum gauge on a pump and deadhead i would see 22". Hook it on the car,i was getting 25" on the gauge set. Unsure if that was good , borrowed another pump and the sears gauge gave me 23". Hooked it on the car,id see like 27". Whatever, if that's good enough ive got time, let it run for a week i guess.
I'm an HVAC Technician.I bought this exact pump a few years ago as a backup and it surprisingly has held up pretty well. Really worth the money.
I’m a 40+ year HVAC&R tech I used one in a pinch it did work better than expected. My primary pump is a 40 year old cast iron pump that out performs most new pumps.
I tested my Fieldpiece micron gauge today with a fieldpiece vacuum pump and an old vacuum. Guess which vacuum pump worked better. Not the old one.
@@caru3257 Caveat to what I’m saying I’ve been mostly out for about 5 years. If you’re saying ultimate deep vacuum probably you are right. But speed ?? I was doing mostly refrigeration, lots of low temp, do not use a single pump down always break with a dry gas and repeat. My old pump has literally 500,000 miles riding in a service truck and I’ve wrecked several newer pumps. I will say the newer pumps don’t vaporize nearly as much oil, the old pump is usually oily and slimy.
I actually bought this pump to do vacuum bagging for fiberglass work. It works great for that in a home workshop environment. A couple of years ago the evaporator core in my car went out and I used this pull a vacuum after I replaced it. Don't know if it did everything 100% correct, but 2 years later the car is still making cold air so I count that as a win.
Ive needed a vac pump to pull my new mini split and Ive been trying to figure out if I can double it for vacuum bagging. Your the man, this is the comment I was searching for.
@@michaelsummer7082 I think the pump uses flare fittings so you need to mix and match adaptors to get to whatever tubing you're using for your vacuum bag. Good luck.
Glad to hear it seems ok. I do not work in the industry, just a regular homeowner trying to install a mini split. I got a bargain on this pump, paying just $71. A lot of the jargon used in the industry is over my head, just trying to learn and see if I can do this without paying someone thousands. PS: I already called the HVAC company who put central air in my house, and with whom I have always done business. Guess what? They refused to say they would even inject coolant into the new mini-split on the grounds that they did not install it!!! One thing that really bothers me about this entire industry (home a/c) is that it appears to be CHOCK FULL OF CROOKS! We had a 2nd home in nearby city, just to lessen the commute, and once called a busy HVAC guy to check the a/c and attend to the usual (like replacing a $9 capacitor). He charged well over $1000 for an hour's work, and insisted on immediate online payment. He admitted to "earning" $7000 for his half day's work, and stated that he was trying to hurry because he wanted to spend the rest of the day on his jet ski's. The more I learn about typical a/c problems (such as replacing inexpensive capacitors and contact switches), which I have seen commonly marked up from, say $9 to $260 each, the more I realize how homeowners are gigantically just ripped off as a matter of everyday business. I'm sure I will hear defenses from industry workers, but I don't care. Seen all this with my own eyes!
Exactly the reason I started learning all I could about ac units. Guy charged me 250 for a 12 dollar contact plus a 90 dollar service charge..almost 350 for 30 minutes of work
@@todddavis5433 I could never work in that business because I don't have it in me to be so corrupt and dishonest with people, overcharging ridiculous prices just because everyone with a broken A/C is desperate and willing to pay any price. It all sickens me. At this point in life, I am actually very wealthy but never earned a penny dishonestly or by overcharging. Even now, I still work for $75 per day when necessary to fill in. I used to live and work in NYC, but I NEVER made anywhere near the kind of money I discussed above in the A/C service business: many thousands per day. I should also mention, I hold an Ivy League masters degree and other educational credentials. Whereas all the crooks charging thousands per day to fix A/C's didn't even need a high school diploma. Now I see that one thing they should have taught back in high school was servicing A/C's, so we call all prevent being scammed.
I had one of those crooks try to tell me the main breaker on my old house (100 amp) was a $900 item just for the part.
@@EristiCat Haha. Outrageous!!! There should be a bureau to report such thieves.
You can always go to school for 2 or 4 years and become a technician yourself. HVAC requires thousands in tools, a reliable vehicle and the gas to drive it around. Some of the parts you may replace might not be that expensive but often time you need to diagnose the issue to figure out the problem.
I used a newer model of this pump rated st 3.5 CFM and 75 Microns. It easy pulled to 300 microns fairly quickly. Cost $149.95 in new inflated dollars.
I was just at HF last week and picked one up at that same price, but it was 3 CFM (two-stage) and 22.5 micron rated.
"new inflated dollars"
@the497jepthal - I chuckled, and cried. Thanks for the new term.
Do you remember how long you pulled the vacuum for
I have been doing hvac for 15 years. about 8 yrs ago a neighbor gave me a Harbor Freight vacuum pump he had from his automotive work. I used it a few times around the house on small appliances first and have come realize its just as good as most commercial pumps. I still use it when I get the weekend emergency calls from from "friends and family" that suddenly remember how much they love me.
Got in a pinch today when my Robinaire pump died, Harbor Freight was the only choice I had since the supply houses around here are closed on Saturdays Just pulled a 2 ton 30 year old Carrier system down to 300 Microns in 40 minutes. This is with the king valves open, pumped indoor, lineset, and outdoor unit down. Not bad for $90 bucks
I have had this pump for 9 years or so doing 100+ automotive ac jobs a summer with it and it's never failed me. I just purchased the battery operated one with a 12Ah battery that is working just as good if not a little better
I got one and I'm just a DIY homeowner doing some routine maintenance on one of my McQuay 30 ton rtus. I ended up pulling 36.4lbs of used r22 out of it. Then this little pump managed to suck it down to 65 microns in about 2 hours 35 minutes. Then I recharged it with 38 lb of new r22. It was beer can cold after that. I'm going to change the oil In the pump then do a Freon change in the other three rtus later this week. They run so much quieter with fresh gas in them.
Works well every time I use mine. No leaks at all. Manifold gauges work good too.
Have used this primary for a few months in light commercial until I was able to get the pump I wanted. Never had a issue.
Cool, thanks for the info. I wonder how long these would last.
What pump did you get. Im looking for a good heavy duty pump. Not sure why one to pick
@@CBRRR-eh3ky I just had the small one at the time but if the 2 stage is affordable I'd def go with that
@@HVACShopTalk I don't know whatever happened to mine but my old co worker still uses his. I'd say he uses a couple times a month.
Thanks for your rwply
I ended up ordering the
OMT 3.5 cfm HVAC Vacuum Pump Kit and A/C Manifold Gauge Set for 134a 22 12 & 502
What is the advantage of a 2 stage VS the single stage?
The one i have is a single stage
I bought a “kit” on line for about $150. My logic was I am a homeowner who is installing two units. If I had to call in a hvac tech (maybe twice because of timing finishing both units at the same time) it would have cost me way more. I probably will not need to use the kit again. Worked great for my needs.
I use the harbor freight vacuum for pulling down A/C systems in cars and it works great.
I bought an Amazon version. I would trust it for my own autos and home A/C as an initial test and check. But I wouldn’t use it professionally in any situation.
Thanks for the video. I used it mainly for the initial set up. The instructions mentioned an oil inlet but couldn’t find one. Very helpful.
I used this pump when installing a Pioneer 18KBTU mini split. It worked well and 2 years later the Pioneer is still functioning properly.
I've done about a dozen car a/c jobs with mine, which translated to maybe 30 total vacuum drawdowns because I also do the drawdowns to diagnose leaks. When I check for leaks I draw it down for about 15 minutes, and the gauges are pegged at bottom. I then simply turn off the pump, leaving all the lines open as they were while drawing down. The pump's check valve or whatever closes when you turn it off holds perfectly. If there's a loss of vacuum at all, it is always traced to a leak in the a/c system, not the HF pump nor the HF gauges. If I wear this one out, I will try their two stage pump. They now also have a battery vacuum pump, but I have no need for that.
I have the Harbor freight 3CFM pump I've done plenty of 5 Ton Goodman units And had no problem pulling them down to a 130 microns And it didn't take too long to do it I will say I'm pretty impressed with the Harbor freight pump And for the price couldn't beat it
I've been using this pump as my primary residential pump since 2011. It's beat up and been dropped many times, but it keeps chugging along. I don't have the heart to replace it.
Surprised! I bought one years ago for a vacuum fixture for my milling machine. It worked fine for that. I have been planning a mini split install, now at least I know I don’t need a new vacuum pump! Thanks for the video.
Not surprised at all I've been using
I have this exact pump and have had it for about 7 years now. I use it for automotive A/C and have never had issue with it. I've left it on non-stop for many many hours. I also use it for bleeding brakes. Made up my own adapter set and large glass catch tank, it makes bleeding brakes alone very easy. Also works as a general purpose fluid extractor, as well. I'm sure it's bad for the internals of the pump but I'm in 7 years of hard use and abuse and it's still going. For what the thing costs? Highly recommend.
I bought the Harbor Freight 3.0 CFM 2-Stage vacuum pump years ago for automotive AC work, then I got into doing my own residential system. The pump always pulls to 25 microns and with a micron gauge attached o the 1/4" port. I used it when I installed my 3.5 ton heat pump 4 years ago and it pulled to 400 microns after about an hour. My 7 CFM bullet doesn't do much better and you have to use YJ pump oil on it or you won't get a deep vacuum. The port on top is the automotive 1/2" ACME size port and fits the one hose that came with the H.F. A/C gauge kit. I purchased a 1/2" ACME to 1/4" adapter online just in case.
What's the difference between the one & 2 stage Pittsburgh pumps?
@@paulsosa1872 ones pulls to 300 microns and his post says the 2 stage pulls to 25 microns so better performance and osts $150 instead of $95
@@paulsosa18722stage is whats standard to have and want for houses
I bought this pump used at a garage sale, no instructions. What weight vacuum pump oil should be used with i?
My pump quit working supply house was close harbor freight was nearby I bought one been using it for five years still working good
On mine the second fitting was the same size but it was a blind fitting to store the dust cap while in use.
The two stage pump can do less than 100 mTorr. Works great.
The decay test has nothing to do with how well the pump works. That has to do with how dry the system is.
I got the two stage version and it pulled down 130 which surprised me. It is a good pump especially for car HVAC work. You can rent pretty much same pump different name at auto parts store for free, but ended up buying the 2 stage version at harbor freight and already used it on 4 cars. You do have to drain and change oil in vacuum pump every time to get it to pull super low microns/vacuum, but to be expected, as even my expensive 10 CFM pump for commercial HVAC I change oil with every use. I used the 3 CFM on cars instead of the 10 CFM as the 10 to powerful and freezes the lines.
My experience with "Hobo Freight" is some of the stuff you get is great and some of it is not worth the time it takes to open the package.
I might try one out for that price, I was skeptical of weather or not they would pull enough vacuum
FYI. Most auto parts stores have free tool rentals. Most have a very similar pump. Nice to have as an option if you need a pump in a pinch. Usually can keep for days for free. Sometimes you get lucky and you get a brand new pump with bottle of oil included. I think the other fitting is the ACME fitting. Easy to connect to auto 134a cans and hoses. Just need and adapter from yellow Hackett to connect. Good video 🤪
Great tip!
Reed valves do rust with humidity. Gentle steel wool works wonders sometimes.
they have two newer two stage units, one battery. HERCULES 20V Lithium-Ion Brushless Cordless 2-Stage Vacuum Pump - Tool Only
2cfm hercules+ 1 trublue hose+ valve core removers
On a 5ton lennox 45ft lineset it pulled 499 microns in 5 min
Start up
I’ve always wondered how our vacuum pumps rated. I’ve used vacuum pumps, my whole life to bleed the brakes on my vehicles and to do vacuum bagging for carbon fiber and fiberglass, etc.. but I never really understood how vacuum pumps are measured. I know vacuum is a factor, but you were talking something about microns filters. I understand the smaller than microns the harder it would be for air molecules to pass so is that how vacuum pumps are more precisely rated?
I used my 2.5 cfm vacuum pump to pull a 400 micron vacuum yesterday on a 30lb recovery bottle. It worked but it took about 15 minutes.
Can u show where the residue goes when vacumning a old contaminated system?
I've been using the Harbor Freight pump at our shop (Heavy Construction Company) for three years now. Has not let us down once. A/C in our trucks and heavy machines is Ice Cold.
Hey, I'm in a similar field (heavy equipment in a quarry) and I'm curious what your HVAC gauges say once you've pulled a vacuum. I had a harbor freight single stage pump and recently upgraded to the two-stage pump (because I've been using the single stage pump to pull vacuum on hydraulic tanks while I work on the system). The single stage pump used to get me between 26 and 28 inches of mercury on the gauge and now that I've upgraded to the two-stage pump, I'm only getting between 24 and 26 inches of mercury and it takes forever. I'm not sure if maybe my gauges got bumped around and it's not accurate anymore or if this pump is defective. How many inches of mercury do you usually get , and do you have a single stage or two-stage pump?
@@bradbeck2601 Hi Brad, I use the single stage pump also and like you get 26 to 28 inches. It's not a perfect 29-30 but never had an issue with our A/C units. Yesterday found someone walked off with my gauges and hoses but left me my pump. Could have been worse I guess but I think they will re-appear as fast as they disappeared.
@@fireriders8319 thanks! Yeah, I haven't had any problems yet only getting 24-26 inHg I just thought it was strange since I anticipated a deeper vac with 2 stage. Maybe there's something else I'm missing, I'll have to investigate further. By the way, your workplace sounds exactly like mine, tools go missing for days and magically show back up on my toolbox, sometimes right after buying a replacement.
@@bradbeck2601 I usually get them back bent , broken or even rusted solid.
have you check the one from hercules battery powerd?
Should we jimmy up a shut off valve?
I have that very one I've been attempting to build a vacuum chamber to fit inside my deep chest freezer for a freeze dryer and it imploded a 30 gal steel drum in about 40 seconds.
I purchased one just about like that from Harbor freight. It worked great twice. I moved and apparently it must’ve been damaged even though I can’t see any damage doesn’t work anymore. It sounds like it’s doing something but it won’t pull the vacuum.
Thanks man...good to know..Good Job!
Great, YT! Any suggestions on how to use A/C R134a kit to R12 Harbor Freight Manifold?
I own a harbor freight vacuum pump and as much as I use it works well. I also use there floor jacks and they have held up well
It is a rebranded FJC pump. Used it the first time yesterday, pulled 200 microns no problem while testing with non-vacuum hoses. Be careful when use Fieldpiece manifold with an internal micron gauge, stupid me released vacuum by opening a valve on a different hose after shutting down the pump and it sucked some oil out of the vacuum pump into the connected hose, lol. BTW manual says this pump uses 46 viscosity oil, I plan to switch it to synthetic Supercool oil.
The test Music had me rockin out , Great video
According to instructions, the smaller threaded Red plug is the oil fill port...Why you used the larger Black air vent port plug ?? Thx for the video.
why did why did you take out the Schrader valve
More flow without the restrictions
Pretty surprised. Would be curios how this time compares to other brands.
I agree, I need to torture test it a little.
Zack, I enjoyed watching your demo of the vacuum pump! You do good work !
Thank you.
The top port is for a R134a gauge set connection.
I don't work in the field of hvac... I work as a facilities maintenance electrician... I do have my EPA universal... Took a 10 month program... I don't intend on going into the field of hvac... I do however want to put my knowledge to use at my facility because we have air conditioning units on all our electrical panels and I would like to get them working... Would you recommend ror someone like me
If it was 40 mins on a clean shot, itll be 1hr if you leave the valve cores,and the txv in the way
I have the 2 stage 4.5 CFM of this variant. I go usually between 30-40 microns in my heatpump systems.
I was going to get the two stage to test but I was curious what the most basic model would do. That’s pretty good on the two stage.
@@HVACShopTalk It works very good in the swedish northern winter also. Just to let u all know 😊
I’m curious about the harbor freight dual stage pump
Very interesting, thank you for sharing your test.
2:59 - Please help me understand the reason for overfilling the vacuum pump with pump oil. Or, the difference it makes in your test (parallax error from the camera angle, perhaps?)
It was just slightly overfilled. I believe that it will have no effect.
I bought this product because local vacuum and charge cost for 1 car was similar to the cost of this pump and I thought, owning the tool would pay for itself after a couple uses. It did well on first car. Then I stored the pump 2.5 years before needing again. The cast aluminum oil tank broke during storage and was unusable for second use. I would say the quality difference is what makes it inferior. I believe better brand pump wouldn't have broken from being hit during storage. I don't HVAC enough to warrant the purchase of a better brand so this time I'll just be paying for a vacuum and charge.
Robert Deniro doing vacuum pumps review??
Could u review the kozyvacu 500 and the 2 stage harbor freight vacuum?
I'm thinking you should have done a breakin procedure and/or used better oil. I did that with a cheapo 1stage from Amazon and easily pulled 130 micron on a system with 30ft lines (I didn't test pump alone.) Break in: Fill with oil and let sit for 10 minutes, remove all caps and start it wide open, let it run for a minute (will be fuming, so do it outside), put cap on intake side and let it run for 20 minutes (check oil level throughout), open everything again, drain oil. You can use the crap oil it comes with for this process, then refill with some good stuff (I used TSI Supercool v32). Going forward, if possible, always start/stop the pump wide open (no vac) and obviously keep caps on when storing and keep oil in the range at all times.
I asked the people on Ali Express "Yonntech" who apparently make these sorts of cheapo pumps, what oil to use and they said 100" or 68". I got some 68 iso and then when it came, in the manual it said 32 iso >.< I wonder how much difference it makes?.. The most I can get at the moment is around 28 Hg I think. Wondering if 32 iso would allow it to go higher.
@@Lloyd.B. The oil probably shouldn't make that much of a difference in how deep the vac is. It's more about how well it lubes the seals/valves and how much abuse it can take.
You probably need a real micron gauge to test it. Hook it up directly to the port (no rubber hoses) and see what it can do. Even the cheapest pumps should be able to pull
@@bnasty267 Thanks. I can't afford a micron gauge, I'm already spending too much getting the stuff to do a mini split lol. I imagine 28 inHg is probably enough. The manual says to go to 29.5. It'll do a better job than the hand brake bleeding pump I was going to use :D
Should it be able to easily max out a manifold gauge?..
On this chart I found it says 500 microns = 0.5 mmHg.
This makes no sense to me at all.
My manifold gauges go UP to 76cm Hg = 760 mmHg - 0.5 mmHg would be virtually no vacuum at all on that gauge, so far as I can tell.
The numbers are going the wrong direction I think.. No vacuum on the chart is 760 mmHg. I'm guessing they are NOT both mmHg, one is starting at perfect vacuum and one at atmospheric pressure?. On the chart it has an A after it "mmHg (A)" Is that atmospheric?..
@@Lloyd.B.A is absolute, minus out atmospheric pressure. G is guage pressure, which varies based on elevation a little bit.
@@mikafoxx2717
Yeah, I found this eventually:
“The universally accepted unit of measurement for rough vacuum in the United States is the inch of mercury (Hg), which may be measured in a couple of different ways depending on the method.
One approach is known as the “Hg gauge,” or “HgV,” and it uses a scale that ranges from
0 Hg (the pressure of the atmosphere) all the way up to 29.92″ Hg, which represents a complete vacuum.
The second method is to measure in “Hg absolute,” also known as “HgA,” which is a gauge with the scale in the opposite direction. In this scenario, the scale on the gauge reads
29.92 inches of mercury at atmospheric pressure, but a reading of 0 inches of mercury would indicate a complete vacuum. “
- It was not easy to find that information. People just say Hg and never say which type they mean. And I couldn’t find even one online pressure calculator that cares about the difference. It drove me up the wall trying to figure out what on earth people were on about lol..
I wonder how long it will last or how many vacuums it does
I think you did a really fair test! Cheers from outback Australia...
I’ve been wondering if this would be a good substitute to leave on a job site overnight for a contaminated system. Come back 12 hours later and see how her did.
I am not an expert but wondered what the difference is between inches of Mercury and microns.
I was hoping this pump would pass and hoping it will fail as well. In summer months when I am busy for long days or weekends it is good to know if my good vacuum pump fails and it after hours or weekends when my distributors are all closed, I can run to Harbor Freight to pick one up just to get the job done. On the other hand where there is so many consumers buying mini splits on the Internet, this can eliminate customers contacting HVAC contractors to perform this procedure.
I don’t know how bad access to this pump would be for contractors. I bet it’s pretty rare, but I admit that a few folks would go that. I will continue the testing to see how much this little joker can take.
People work on their own cars and have access to random shade tree mechanics. Still most people use certified shops and dealers. Only that odd 5% who are more interested in it will actual do it like that.
I bought a Harbor Freight Brake Bleeder Kit Pneumatic.....but it did not perform well.....so I’m considering buying one of these vacuum pumps and connecting it through a glass mason jar to create a direct vacuum at each bleeder screw....instead of their air compressor version 🤔
Vacuum bleeding tends not to work a lot of the time. You can pull air through the piston seals, introducing air into the system, the opposite of what you're trying to accomplish. More/better vacuum will make that problem worse.
Can you clarify what size fittings are used for the pump. The manual says R12/22 and R134a but I don't know what fitting sizes that translates to.
R12/22 = 1/4 inch SAE and R134a = 1/2 inch ACME
Have the exact same pump doesn’t say anything on it. Been working fine for the half dozen times I had to use it
I have a question -- would this do at all well in a vacuum former, or is it too low in CFM?
so will this pump connect directly to the harbor freight automotive manifold gauge set yellow hose?
Mine fits. One port appears to be for the R12 style connectors, the other is for R134 type.
These pumps will last longer than you’d think. What will happen is that one day it just won’t pump into a deep vacuum. That’s when you know it’s time for a new one.
It really doesn’t matter to me that it’s 2.5 cfm.
But here’s the back story… one contractor I’d worked for wanted to provide a high volume pump but want the cheapest priced ones for their techs. So what we got was a pump that weighed over 50#. All of our work was in roofs meaning all the gear had to be tag lined from the ground. It didn’t take long to decide to buy the cheapest and lightest vac pump since it would be an out of pocket expense to get a suitable tool. The pump I wound up with was one of these with another name on the side. I used it for hundreds of hours and was more than happy to have not roped the heavy POS up on every job…
Quiero comprar una máquina para doblar láminas de madera . Cuál me recomienda.. es verdad que hay una variedad pero me gustaría la opinión de la experiencia.. gracias.
Is this single stage pump?
Is that the single stage or dual stage pump?
I overfilled with oil a little bit obove the line is there a problem or its okay ?
good job with the test, it help me to make decision what to do, thanks
Good video. Thanks for the review on the vacuum pump's ability. Harbor Freight's equipment, like this pump, is meant for the guy that's looking for a way to do a "do-it -yourself" job and that's it. I can see a place in the market for this kind of stuff, where a guy that's going to use this pump only a couple of times, at home, to do some a/c work and pay a reasonable price to accomplish the task. If your trying to make a living using this pump, you're probably going to be disappointed.
Bought one out of necessity, still using it.
Thank you, sir! I really appreciate the video.
I was on my way to start a major job and realized we forgot the vacuum pump. After some brainstorming on what we could do, We decided to stop at the closest Harbor Freight and buy this Vacuum Pump. It simply got the job done and gave it to the apprentice.
I think that’s a success story.
Can anyone tell me if its normal to have oil vapor just bought it last week and put it to the test today.
Geeeeze ours won’t pull a vacuum at all! Idk what the problem is. Our gage won’t budge! 😢
Unfortunate there is only one 1/4" inlet. With core and depressor removed, you can only achieve maybe 1.5 CFM at best with 1/4" hose. Would take too long to evacuate anything other than line set and coil on new installations. Thanks for the review. I've seen them and was curious about it's performance. Now, I wonder if anyone has a video on Harbor Freight 3 CFM 2 stg pump? How well would it do on a complete system with exposed/saturated oil?
I aim to get one of those pumps (2 stage) as soon as I can
There are 1/2 acme to 3/8 sae adapters out there that consist of 1/2 acme to 1/4 sae, then 1/4 to 3/8, or just get yourself a basic 1/2 acme to 1/4 sae - those a easy to find. That way you can connect two hoses.
In the 5 years HarborFreight has upped the quality of many of their products . But don’t worry they still sell a line of cheap stuff for those who want them
I would simply buy 2 and carry one as a spare. or alternate using them
I thought it did ok, but it didn’t have an evaporator coil, lineset or outdoor unit, I have used my reclaim machine as my vacuum pump, I was in the middle of nowhere and my pump took a dump 😂
Can a Pump Vac drain water out of a basement what about a Shop Vac ?
thanks for the video!
can anyone give me good advice for my first vacuum pump purchase ?
i have a 500$ budget and i was trying to figure out if a corded is better vs battery powered or not and which brands to get i have a four port field piece digital gauge set to go with it i got for 700$
I figured it would do half decent honestly. It would probably do better if it had some quality vacuum pump oil in it. Ive been wanting to get one of the pneumatic vacuum pumps they sell and see what it can pull for microns. It has no practical use in our trade but it would be fun to experiment with.
You must be like me, wanting to test every random thing to see how well each would go.
@@HVACShopTalk I want to do that with a 3d printer although I have absolutely no use for one.
Thanks for the info.
I thought 500 microns was the deep vacuum needed for HVAC. This achieved 300 not 500. What am I missing?
500 is the desired vacuum.
@@HVACShopTalk thanks! Rookie DIYer here who incorrectly thought 500 was lower than 300 🤷♂️.
@@douggeiger9873 think of it as a linear measurement
Nice im about to try it out
Mine does so far after a year and around 40 cars
I suspected it would be fine for small systems. Good for small side jobs, like you said just residential work
Seems like a good fit.
Pump cost $76 today after 20% off Labor Day coupon.
Very surprised but not buying one. Will it last?
Good question. I may do a long run test for several hours/days to see how it holds up.
Compare the accuracy of Harbor Freight AC Gauges accuracy compared to Your professional ones
there's a new hercules 20v 2 stage vaccum pump now
Really? Wow.
@HVACShopTalk yes just released this week I'm very temped to grab it but can't find any reviews on it
Cant say i trust any gauges at all anymore.
At least not on this job.
Tried the old sears vacuum gauge on a pump and deadhead i would see 22".
Hook it on the car,i was getting 25" on the gauge set.
Unsure if that was good , borrowed another pump and the sears gauge gave me 23".
Hooked it on the car,id see like 27".
Whatever, if that's good enough ive got time, let it run for a week i guess.
minisplits and appliances it would be good.
Seems like a good pairing.