Tool Review: Mastercool Arctic Commander line of RRR machines

Mastercool's Arctic Commander line of RRR machines feature an 8” color, touchscreen command center, with a graphic user interface (GUI) that will enable navigation through all functions and features with ease. There is no longer a need to read any external instructions or paper manuals. Users simply sit back, watch and learn how to use the machines. All machines are also equipped with Wi-Fi capabilities; allowing for real-time, interactive communication and troubleshooting.

The review

“We needed (an RRR machine) that was fast and we could count on to be reliable,” says Patrick Davis, lead technician at Smyrna Auto Air. “We’re using them every day. And when you need one, you need it to work.”

Davis says he and his fellow technicians at the New Smyrna Beach, Fla.-based shop found exactly what they were looking for in a Mastercool Arctic Commander RRR machine.

“We’ve used it quite a bit and everything works great,” he adds.

Smyrna Auto Air conducts quite a bit of automotive air and radiator work, and Davis says he and his technicians often have four RRR machines running simultaneously on a busy summer day. He describes the Mastercool offering as a “level above” its counterparts in the shop, and testing it out left him impressed by both the functionality and ease of use of the machine’s graphic user interface. He notes that the screen and the interface offer more features than the other RRR machines the shop uses, but both navigation and the ability to input data are not adversely affected.

“The first thing I really noticed and liked was that it has a built-in database of how much Freon goes in every vehicle,” Davis explains. “So instead of having to go over to my computer and type in a whole bunch of stuff and re-input everything, I can do it directly right on the machine. Once (the RRR machine) looks it up, it uses that number. I don’t have to punch it in or remember anything.”

Another feature Davis appreciates is the speed of the machine’s high-efficiency recovery feature, which he notes is three or four times faster than those of the other RRR machines at Smyrna Auto Air. In addition, he states the oil injection feature is simple and easy to use.

“It lets you know how much you are putting in without having to hold a button, leaning over and looking at the bottle, or doing it manually,” Davis says.

Being able to employ the Mastercool RRR machine in automatic mode is also advantageous for Davis and his fellow technicians at Smyrna Auto Air.

“I just turn it on, set how much oil I want to put in and how much Freon I want to put in,” he explains. “It recovers what was in there, vacuums it, injects the oil and then fills the system.”

Like Davis, Marco Espaillat, shop owner at Master Service Auto Repair in West Palm Beach, Fla. also appreciates being able to use the Mastercool RRR machine in automatic mode.

“You just turn the machine on, it gives you the menu option -- automatic or manual -- you plug in the car information, you hit ‘enter’ and basically wait for the machine to do the entire cycle,” he says.

Having used a previous Mastercool offering in the past, Espaillat was left impressed by several features of the latest iteration, including its graphic user interface, its multi-language menu and the speed with which it allows him and other technicians diagnose and address A/C issues.

“It’s very complete,” he says. “I don’t know what else (Mastercool) could add to it. I’m very satisfied with this machine.”