Fieldpiece VP 85 Vacuum Pump

The release of the Fieldpiece VP 85 Vacuum pump made me jealous of all you field guys. I’m very familiar with the quality and craftmanship of Fieldpiece instruments and how they focus on developing their instruments for the technician.
I never thought I’d get the opportunity to use the VP 85, but I was wrong.

I often help friends with installation jobs. Recently, I was doing just that when I realized I needed to get several tools. So I chose to get the VP 85 vacuum pump from Fieldpiece.

I was shocked after unboxing the pump. It came with two filled oil bottles. Why was this shocking? The VP 85 oil can be changed as the pump is still running and the old oil gets dumped back into the oil container. They call this the Fieldpiece RunQuick Oil Change System.

If you want to minimize evacuation times, pick up the VP 85. It lets you quickly and properly perform system evacuations. It even has a large oil reservoir window providing a clear view of your pump oil. You’ll instantly know the condition of the oil and the system.

Fieldpiece equips the eight-cfm pump with ¼-in., 3/8-in., and ½-in. ports, so any size hose will work. Of course, using the largest hose will pull a vacuum much faster. Three-port and four-port gauges are acceptable along with direct evacuation using a portable micron gauge.

There are also two different settings for evacuation, flip the gas ballast on and this helps pull down to 3000 microns quicker. Switch it off and the pump will go into a deep vacuum for the final run time.

The pump has a very rugged feel to it. Durable materials and a sturdy build are a must. If anyone is in the market for a new vacuum pump, don’t hesitate, make the investment in the Fieldpiece VP 85.

For more information, visit the Fieldpiece website at ncilink.com/VP85.

— by Casey Contreras, NCI Field Coach and Instructor