JMC Automotive Equipment lists 22 products for automotive air conditioning service: 19 recover, recycle and recharge (RRR) machines, one portable recovery set, and two leak-detection tools. The machines come from five manufacturers - Robinair, MAHLE ArcticPRO, Mastercool Arctic Commander, CPS and Ranger - and Auto Meter supplies the sixth brand with the LT-500 refrigerant leak detector. All of it is new equipment.
Three decisions narrow the list faster than any feature count: which refrigerant you service, whether you need hybrid and high-voltage capability, and how large the systems are that roll into your bays.
▸ Read the full AC Service buying guide — types, capacity, power and space, comparison table and FAQs
Step one: choose the refrigerant
R-134a machines
Eleven listings service R-134a: the Ranger AC-134A, Robinair 34288NI, 34788NI, 34788NI-H and 34888HD, MAHLE ArcticPRO ACX-2150, ACX-2180 and ACX-2180H, and Mastercool COMMANDER1100, COMMANDER2100 and COMMANDR3000. Ten of the eleven list SAE J2788, the R-134a recovery and recharge standard, as a design certification; the Robinair 34288NI does not carry a certification row and states only that it outperforms the SAE J2788 standard. MAHLE adds SAE J2099 and UL 1963 on its R-134a units; Ranger lists UL 1963 alongside J2788.
R-1234yf machines
Six listings are built for R-1234yf: the Robinair AC1234-4 and AC1234-9, MAHLE ACX-2250 and ACX-2280, Mastercool COMMANDER4100 and CPS MSX1234. Five of the six list a certification: SAE J2843 on the Robinair AC1234-4 and AC1234-9, the MAHLE ACX-2250 and ACX-2280, and the Mastercool COMMANDER4100, with SAE J2888 added on the MAHLE units and SAE J2927 - the refrigerant identifier standard - on both Robinair AC1234 machines. The CPS MSX1234 listing does not publish a certification; ask for the compliance sheet before you order if your shop needs it on file. The AC1234-4 has an integrated identifier that samples the vehicle's refrigerant before recovery starts; MAHLE instead samples through a third hose and coupler, so contaminated refrigerant never enters the machine.
Dual-refrigerant and multi-refrigerant units
The CPS MSX3030 is the one RRR machine here that converts between R-134a and R-1234yf; its feature list describes it as the "First SAE certified J3030 dual refrigerant unit brought to market", and it includes two 30 lb. tanks, upgradeable to 50 lb. The Mastercool 69372 covers both refrigerants too, but read the name: it is a Complete A/C Recovery Set - it recovers, it does not recycle or recharge. It ships with a 30 lb. DOT tank per refrigerant, each with a float switch that stops recovery at 80 percent full.
The Robinair 17800C sits in its own class, handling 15 refrigerants including R-12, R-22, R-134a, R-404A, R-407C and R-410A. Its listing is explicit that it cannot be used on Class I through III light-duty passenger vehicles: it is for mass transit, buses, refrigerated trailers and stationary systems.
Automatic, semi-automatic, and what that changes at the bay
Most machines here are fully automatic - program the service, walk away, return when it finishes. The Robinair 34788NI, 34788NI-H, 34888HD and AC1234-4 run recovery, vacuum, leak test and charge without touching panel valves, and MAHLE lists "Fully Automatic" operation on all five ArcticPRO models.
The Mastercool COMMANDER1100 is the outlier. Its spec sheet lists "Service Procedure: manual", a 3 CFM vacuum pump and automatic oil discharge, but no refrigerant database and no oil injection. The COMMANDER2100, the fully automatic R-134a model in the same Arctic Commander 2.0 family, doubles the pump to 6 CFM and adds both. That is the difference between a technician standing at the machine and one doing other work.
Oil handling separates models more than displays do. Automatic oil drain is near universal; automatic oil injection - putting lubricant back into the system - is listed on the Robinair 34788NI and 34888HD, the MAHLE ACX-2150 and ACX-2180, and the Mastercool COMMANDER2100. Among the Mastercool machines, only the COMMANDER2100 lists Auto Oil Injection; the COMMANDER1100, COMMANDR3000 and COMMANDER4100 list automatic oil discharge only. Integrated UV dye injection appears only on those two MAHLE units.
Hybrid and high-voltage compressor service
If hybrids come through your shop this is a pass-or-fail spec. The units stating hybrid or high-voltage capability are the Robinair 34788NI-H and AC1234-4, the MAHLE ACX-2180H, ACX-2250 and ACX-2280 (hybrid function certified), the Mastercool COMMANDR3000 and COMMANDER4100, and both CPS units, listed as hybrid ready. Note the reverse case: the Ranger AC-134A states it does not service electric or hybrid systems, and MAHLE marks the hybrid function "ACX2180H only" - so the ACX-2180 and ACX-2180H are not interchangeable despite nearly identical sheets.
Vacuum pump, compressor, filter and tank
Published vacuum pump ratings run from 1.5 CFM to 6 CFM. The Robinair 34288NI, 34788 series, AC1234-4 and AC1234-9 all use a 1.5 CFM pump: the 34288NI and AC1234-4 publish it as 1.5 CFM (42 L/min) at 60 Hz, while the 34788NI, 34788NI-H and AC1234-9 publish it as 1.5 CFM dual stage to 29.9 in.Hg. MAHLE uses 1.8 CFM across the ArcticPRO line; CPS lists a 2-stage 2 CFM pump. At the top sit the Mastercool COMMANDER2100, COMMANDER4100 and COMMANDR3000 at 6 CFM (142 L/min), and the heavy-duty Robinair 34888HD and 17800C at 5.0 CFM. Compressors range from 1/3 HP on the Ranger to 3/8 HP on Robinair and MAHLE - Robinair specifies its 3/8 HP unit as pressure protected, oiled and hermetically sealed, MAHLE publishes only the rating - up to the 2/3 HP twin-cylinder oilless compressor in both CPS machines. Mastercool lists a hermetically sealed 12 cc high-pressure compressor without a horsepower figure.
Filter-drier capacity predicts consumable cost: 150 lb. (68 kg) on the Robinair 34288NI and 34788 series, 200 lb. (91 kg) on the MAHLE ACX-2150, ACX-2180 and ACX-2280 but 150 lb. on the ACX-2180H and ACX-2250, so within the ArcticPRO line the filter is not a constant - the R-1234yf ACX-2280 carries a 200 lb. filter and the ACX-2250 a 150 lb. one. Then 300 lb. (136 kg) on the Robinair 34888HD and 300 lb. on the 17800C, up to 330 lb. (150 kg) on the AC1234-4 and AC1234-9. Robinair machines display remaining filter life; the 34288NI, 34788NI, 34788NI-H and 34888HD prompt when one third is left. The 34288NI, 34788NI, 34788NI-H and AC1234-4 name 34724 replacement filters and 13172 maintenance kits; the 34888HD, 17800C and AC1234-9 do not publish a filter part number, so confirm it against the model manual.
Internal cylinders are 30 lb. DOT on most units, with usable capacity stated as 22 lb. (10 kg) on the 34288NI and 34788 series and 21 lb. (9.5 kg) on the AC1234-4 and AC1234-9. The two heavy-duty machines use external tanks instead - a removable 50 lb. DOT tank with 40 lb. capacity on the 34888HD, so tanks can be swapped mid-shift, and a 50 lb. generic recovery tank on the 17800C. The 34888HD further adds a liquid pump and 18 ft. (5.5 m) hoses - a length it shares only with the 17800C - plus a nitrogen port for drying or leak-checking a system, which no other machine here lists.
Space, power and shop conditions
Every listing in this category publishes a 60 Hz supply between 110 V and 125 V, and none lists a compressed-air supply or three-phase power. None states the phase explicitly, so confirm the circuit with the model manual before installing. MAHLE is the only brand publishing a current draw - 120 VAC, 60 Hz, 12 A on all five ArcticPRO units - and the Robinair AC1234-4 is the only other listing with an electrical load figure, at 1380 VA. The rest publish voltage and frequency only. Robinair lists 125 VAC on the 34788 series, 34888HD and AC1234-9 and 115 VAC on the 34288NI, AC1234-4 and 17800C.
Footprints vary widely. The Ranger AC-134A is the narrowest at 18 in. wide, 30 in. deep and 38 in. tall; MAHLE's ArcticPRO units are all 47 in. H x 29 in. W x 29 in. D; the CPS MSX3030 is 44 in. H x 23 in. W x 28 in.; the Robinair 34788NI and 34788NI-H are 48.5 in. H x 24 in. W x 36 in. D. Mastercool publishes a dimension row without the shipping label only on the COMMANDR3000 - 38 in. long x 32 in. wide x 53 in. tall - and shipping dimensions on the COMMANDER1100, COMMANDER2100 and COMMANDER4100, so check that model sheet before planning the bay.
Ambient temperature matters in an unheated shop. Four listings are rated down to 32 F (0 C): the Robinair 34788NI, 34788NI-H, 34888HD and AC1234-9 (32 F to 120 F) and the Mastercool 69372 recovery set (32 F to 122 F). The MAHLE line, both CPS units, the four Mastercool Arctic Commander machines and the Robinair 34288NI and AC1234-4 start at 50 F, the Ranger at 41 F, and the 17800C tops out at 105 F.
Certifications listed on these products
- SAE J2788 (R-134a RRR): Ranger AC-134A, Robinair 34788NI, 34788NI-H and 34888HD, the three MAHLE ACX-21xx units, and Mastercool COMMANDR3000, COMMANDER1100 and COMMANDER2100.
- SAE J2843 (R-1234yf RRR): Robinair AC1234-4 and AC1234-9, MAHLE ACX-2250 and ACX-2280, Mastercool COMMANDER4100.
- SAE J2927 (refrigerant identification): both Robinair AC1234 machines. SAE J2888: MAHLE ACX-2250 and ACX-2280. SAE J2099: MAHLE R-134a units. SAE J3030 (dual refrigerant): CPS MSX3030.
- UL 1963: Ranger AC-134A, all five MAHLE ArcticPRO units, Robinair 17800C and AC1234-9.
- Hoses and dye: SAE J2196 hoses on the 34288NI, SAE J2886 on the AC1234-4, SAE J2297 on the Robinair 16235 UV kit. Mastercool cites ETL testing for the Arctic Commander 2.0 line, and Proposition 65 warnings appear on the LT-500, Ranger AC-134A, COMMANDER1100, COMMANDER2100, COMMANDER4100 and 69372.
- The CPS MSX1234 listing publishes no certification of any kind.
Leak detection
Two products here are diagnostic rather than service machines. The Auto Meter LT-500 uses a heated sensor for HFC refrigerants such as R-134a plus HCFC, CFC and hydrocarbon blends, and its digital leak-size indicator works independently of the audio alarm, which is what lets you pinpoint the source. The Robinair 16235 UV kit delivers a pre-measured 1/8 oz. of dye per squeeze and includes a light rated to fluoresce dye from up to 50 ft. away, plus dye, cleaner, UV glasses and a case. Several machines have vacuum leak testing built in instead.
Model comparison
| Model | Refrigerant | Operation | Vacuum pump | Filter-drier | Tank | Hoses | Listed weight |
|---|
| Ranger AC-134A | R-134a | Manual or auto | 70 L/min dual stage | 710 cc, double | 50 lb. (23 kg) | 9 ft. (2.75 m) | 221 lb. (100 kg) |
| Robinair 34288NI | R-134a | Not stated (automatic oil drain and air purge) | 1.5 CFM (42 L/min at 60 Hz) | 150 lb. (68 kg) | 30 lb. DOT (22 lb.) | 9 ft., SAE J2196 | 161 lb. (73 kg) |
| Robinair 34788NI-H | R-134a, high-voltage capable | Fully automatic | 1.5 CFM dual stage | 150 lb. spin-on | 30 lb. DOT (22 lb.) | 9 ft. (2.75 m) | 230 lb. (103 kg) |
| Robinair 34888HD | R-134a, heavy duty | Fully automatic | 5.0 CFM dual stage | 300 lb. (136 kg) | 50 lb. removable (40 lb.) | 18 ft. (5.5 m) | 295 lb. (133 kg) |
| Robinair AC1234-4 | R-1234yf | Fully automatic | 1.5 CFM (42 L/min at 60 Hz) | 330 lb. (150 kg) | 30 lb. DOT (21 lb.) | 9 ft., SAE J2886 | 176 lb. (82 kg) |
| MAHLE ArcticPRO ACX-2150 | R-134a | Fully automatic | 1.8 CFM dual stage | 200 lb. (91 kg) | 30 lb. DOT | 9 ft. (2.75 m) | 215 lb. (98 kg) |
| MAHLE ArcticPRO ACX-2280 | R-1234yf | Fully automatic | 1.8 CFM dual stage | 200 lb. (91 kg) | 30 lb. DOT | 9 ft. (2.75 m) | 215 lb. (98 kg) |
| Mastercool COMMANDER1100 | R-134a | Semi-automatic | 3 CFM (70 L/min) | 2-filter system | 30 lb. refillable | 96 in. (250 cm) | 227 lb. shipping |
| Mastercool COMMANDER4100 | R-1234yf, hybrid | Automatic or manual | 6 CFM (142 L/min) | 1-filter system | 30 lb. refillable | 96 in. (250 cm) | 233 lb. shipping |
| CPS MSX3030 | R-134a and R-1234yf | Automatic or manual | 2 CFM, 2-stage | not published | Two 30 lb., to 50 lb. | 10 ft. barrier | 233 lb. gross |
Where the published specifications disagree
- The Mastercool COMMANDR3000 spec table lists the refrigerant as "R1234a", which is not a refrigerant designation, and repeats it in the coupler row. The model name and the SAE J2788 certification - the R-134a standard - point to R-134a; confirm on the model sheet before ordering couplers.
- The CPS MSX3030 feature list says 10 in. service hoses; its own specification table says 10 ft. (3.0 m), barrier type. The table and its metric conversion agree, so 10 ft. is the figure to trust.
- Robinair's descriptions cite 98.5 percent recovery efficiency on the 34788NI, 34788NI-H, 34888HD, AC1234-4 and AC1234-9, while the spec tables on the 34788NI, 34788NI-H, 34888HD and AC1234-9 state greater than 95 percent at 70 F to 75 F in under 30 minutes. The AC1234-4 publishes only the 98.5 percent figure, with no recovery row in its table. Plan around the spec table where there is one.
Frequently asked questions
Can one machine service both R-134a and R-1234yf?
One RRR machine here does: the CPS MSX3030, which CPS lists as SAE J3030 certified for dual-refrigerant service. The Mastercool 69372 handles both as well, but it is a recovery set, not an RRR machine. Every other model is single-refrigerant, so shops servicing both typically run two machines.
How accurate is the charge, and how much refrigerant comes back?
Thirteen listings publish a charge tolerance as a specification: +/- 0.5 oz. at 70 F to 75 F (+/- 15 g at 21 C to 24 C) on the Robinair 34788NI, 34788NI-H, 34888HD and AC1234-9, all five MAHLE units and all four Mastercool Arctic Commander machines. The Ranger AC-134A, the Robinair 34288NI and the Robinair AC1234-4 state +/- 1/2 oz. without a test temperature; the two CPS units do not publish a charge tolerance. Recovery is published as a specification on ten listings: greater than 95 percent at 70 F to 75 F in under 30 minutes on the Robinair 34788NI, 34788NI-H, 34888HD and AC1234-9, and 95 percent under the same conditions on all five MAHLE units and the Mastercool COMMANDR3000. The Arctic Commander 2.0 models state 98.5 percent at 70 F to 75 F. The Ranger AC-134A and the Robinair 34288NI cite 95 percent in their descriptions without a test condition; the Robinair 17800C publishes a rate instead - 0.5 lb. per minute vapor, 1 lb. per minute liquid - and the CPS units a maximum of up to 1 lb. (0.453 kg) per minute.
What does the shop need to run one?
A 60 Hz outlet at 110 V to 125 V, floor space from 18 in. of width on the Ranger AC-134A up to 29 in. on the MAHLE ArcticPRO units - the four Mastercool machines publish 32 in. of width, though on three of them that is a shipping figure - and clearance to open the service door and route 8 ft. to 18 ft. hoses to the vehicle. Ceiling height is not published on these listings. The tallest figure given is 53 in., on the Mastercool COMMANDR3000, whose specification table lists 38 in. (l) x 32 in. (w) x 53 in. (h); the three Arctic Commander 2.0 machines publish the same 53 in. as a shipping height. The tallest Robinair cabinet is the 34888HD at 49 in.
Can I use one on a bus or a refrigerated trailer?
For R-134a systems on large vehicles the Robinair 34888HD is the machine built for it, with a liquid pump, removable 50 lb. tank, nitrogen port and 18 ft. hoses. For transit and stationary systems on other refrigerants, the 17800C covers 15 - but it cannot be used on Class I through III light-duty passenger vehicles.
What is included and what is sold separately?
Several headline features are accessories. On the Robinair 34288NI, 34788NI, 34788NI-H, 34888HD and AC1234-4 the printer is accessory 30038, not included; the 17800C lists an unnamed optional printer, and the AC1234-9 prints over Wi-Fi through Mopria Print Service instead. The Robinair refrigerant and oil capacities database is optional as well, and flushing adapters for the 34788NI-H system flush are not included either. The Mastercool COMMANDR3000 includes its thermal printer as standard equipment, while MAHLE lists its printer as optional. Also separate the kinds of flush: flushing a vehicle A/C system with liquid refrigerant (Robinair 34788NI-H and AC1234-4) is not hose flushing (Mastercool COMMANDR3000 and COMMANDER4100), and neither is the Ranger AC-134A flushing function, which its listing describes as rapid discharge of used coolant.
How does a machine this heavy get delivered?
All 19 machines and the Mastercool 69372 set are listed with free shipping; the two leak-detection items are not. Where a weight is published, the machines run from 161 lb. on the Robinair 34288NI to about 295 lb. on the 34888HD - some sheets publish a net weight, the CPS units a gross weight with packaging and Mastercool a shipping weight. The Mastercool 69372 set and the Robinair AC1234-9 do not publish one; the 69372 ships in a portable HDPE case. The Ranger AC-134A listing states that unloading at the destination is the buyer's responsibility, so confirm how each unit arrives before delivery day. For anything a spec sheet leaves blank, check the model page or contact JMC Automotive Equipment.
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