Hot take: I used to think coolant mix was just coolant mix

I was at a Haas training day in Oxnard and the instructor showed us a refractometer reading from a machine running straight water. It was 0.0, obviously. He explained how even a 2% shift from the spec can trash tool life on aluminum. I've been religious about checking concentration with my own gauge every Monday since. Anyone have a favorite brand of refractometer that holds calibration?

3 comments

3 Comments

troyknight8d ago

Save your money and just top it off with coolant.

rileyprice8d agoMost Upvoted

Saw a buddy's engine blow from that exact advice, felt maxl93's warning light thing.

maxl938d ago

Man, that's such a classic move. It feels like half the stuff we own is just held together with quick fixes and topped-off fluids. We're all just patching things up until the next warning light comes on. When did "good enough for now" become the standard for everything?