OK I have been looking in the archives but have not seen info on what seems to be a major item in working on AC systems - namely the need for a recovery system.

I figure to work on AC on my cars I would need;

• 609 cert
• A good set of manifold gages/hoses (would need seperate sets for R12 and R134a if I plan to work on both)
• Vacuum pump

This is where all the posts seem to stop

• Recovery system - (can one system be used for both R12 and 134a with different recovery tanks?)
• Recovery tank
• accurate scale

Everything I have read refers to the vacuum pump and gages. I did not find any info on recovery. It seems to me that if I have to bring the car somewhere to empty the system it may not be worth it to do everything else?

A check of ebay lists some recovery systems that seem to go for roughly $250-350 and a recovery tank for about $70.

So how do people work on AC without a recovery system?
Vacuum pump and gages I figure would run about $300-350 add another 100 to have a manifold/gages/hoses for both 134 and r12

The recovery system would double that investment? And can the same recovery system be used for different refrigerants? The recovery system web sites list most refrigerants.

I still may be better off considering I've been charges about $120 to run a check on the 400E the last two years (recover refrigerant, pull vacuum and put correct amount of refrig. back in). If I do all 3 cars this year I'm probably in for at least $400. If I buy all the tools and refrig, I'm in for somewhere around $1k (assuming somwhere around 350 for R12 tank) but every time I need to do something in the future its "free".

Cars I would be servicing
1984 300SD (R12 never converted that I know of)
1992 400E (R134a original but has needed topping up last two years)
1986 944T (R12 original needs to be charged)
2002 320E (needs nothing currently)

Thanks
Paul Moruzzi