ANCEL HD3600 Review: The Scanner That INSTANTLY Saves Money

ANCEL HD3600 Review: The Heavy-Duty Equipment Scanner That INSTANTLY Saves Money…

---

But, the option of shying away from diesel engines isn’t a luxury for small shop owners, those in the construction or agricultural sectors: the heavy-duty vehicles they need to work on or use to get their work done come only in one variant from the factory…

…diesel.

Without an option (and especially with the allure of powerful, torquey engines), the die is cast, and they must deal with the soot these engines make, one way or another.

Luckily, for models made post 2007 (US) and 2009 (Europe), there’s an installed Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) that does an excellent job of soot collection and smart burning.

This process happens passively while driving. However, for large, heavy-duty tractors and construction vehicles that rarely reach the desired, sustained RPMs necessary to initiate (and maintain) the process, dealerships and independent mechanics are eager to help, with rates starting at about $500/vehicle for models such as John Deere and Komatsu.

Fortunately, the DPF reset is one service the Ancel HD3600 is capable of handling, amidst many others, such as engine, tranny and brake system scans/checks.

Before proceeding with this review, I’d like to briefly explain the concept of Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) Regeneration and, more importantly, introduce the Ancel HD3600 on the Ancel website.

Soot, Ash, Pollution, Regens, and DPFs

If you recall the last time you were behind a heavy-duty truck on the freeway, there’s a good chance you did all you could to overtake it (or wish your driver did, if you were a passenger) for a singular reason…

…the soot from the tailpipe was everywhere in the air around you!

Now, that’s a traditional diesel engine – at its worst, emissions-wise. Now, you may also have wondered why some heavy-duty diesel engines and trucks appear to run so clean that you have no challenge tailgating them.

This is a result of the presence of a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) installed in its exhaust system (thanks to Euro 5 and similar standards across the world). The DPF has one job: to trap the soot generated from the diesel combustion process and, instead of releasing it to pollute the environment and contaminate the air we all breathe, burns it down to ash at preset periods in a process called ‘regeneration’.

Now, this regeneration occurs in one of three ways: passive, active, or forced; with our interest being on the last option here, ‘forced regeneration’.

Passive DPF Regeneration

Passive regeneration occurs when a diesel engine is driven at sustained highway speeds (typically exceeding 2,000 RPM) for a prolonged period (usually between 10 and 20 minutes).

This happens passively, in the background, as you go about your business. Depending on the make and model, you may (or may not) be informed of the process while it happens.

Active DPF Regeneration

Active regeneration differs from passive regeneration, as the name suggests. Here, instead of having the vehicle do its thing in the background, it sends a warning to the instrument cluster directing the driver to perform the process instead.

For most makes and models, the process of initiating an active DPF regeneration involves raising the engine (and by extension, exhaust temperature) by sustained high RPMs and then, with the vehicle stationary, depressing a button to initiate the process.

In active regeneration mode, the vehicle emits random white tailpipe emissions and occasionally raises the idle RPM beyond the 2k mark. This process typically takes approximately 30 minutes.

Forced DPF Regeneration

Forced regeneration happens when the diesel regeneration process doesn’t happen passively, and for some reason, active regeneration also fails. In many instances, this occurs when the soot buildup in the DPF exceeds a set threshold, necessitating a forced action.

Forced regeneration happens when a technician (or yard manager or driver) hooks up a scan tool to a vehicle and gives it the command to initiate the regeneration process. This process takes roughly 50 minutes and is possible with a dedicated, professional scan tool such as the Ancel HD3600.

For a comparison of these regen types, see the article: Passive vs Active vs Forced DPF Resets Explained Simply.

Ancel HD3600 Review: First Impression & What’s in the Box

The Ancel HD3600 ships in a reasonably sized box that is well packed and presented professionally. The external pack opens up nicely and resembles a gift wrapped up and delivered to someone special.

Beyond the allure of the excellent packaging, there are three things beneath: the scan tool, an array of cables (CAT-9, DIESEL-6/9, and the standard OBD II cable), and a user manual.

The scan tool itself is light when held, which is a great thing. The hand strap behind the scan tool presents two practical options: grabbing and hanging.

The cables, however, are where the real show is. They’re very thick and look like something designed to survive a blast and ride through the rough terrains of Armageddon. The three cables don’t look like something that’d easily give way, even with rough use and consistent abuse, which is something you’d want to get from your heavy-duty accessories.

The owner’s manual, on the other hand, is written clearly and concisely, without being wordy or bogus. I got a feel of the whole scanner in the first 15 minutes of flipping through it, which is a good thing.

I was eager, at this point, to hook the unit up to a real heavy-duty port and see the stuff it was made of.

Initialization took about a minute, and the pairing with WiFi for activation (important first step) took about 30 seconds, at which point, I was in business!

Functions & Abilities

The Ancel HD3600 heavy-duty scanner is a unit with many talents and abilities. However, unlike the everyday scanner/code reader, it’s engineered to serve a niche: construction and agricultural machinery, so its genius and menus reflect that.

However, the following stands out.

1. DPF Regeneration

One of the menus on the HD3600, which stands out conspicuously, is the DPF menu, allowing everyday users to request a forced DPF regeneration (as explained above).

The process is simple and tempting to keep trying all the time:

• Activate the device by connecting to WiFi and following the online prompts.
• Navigating to the DPF menu.
• Selecting the manufacturer of your machinery.
• Confirm that you’re running the latest software.
• Choosing the type of connection/cable you’re running.
• Okaying everything and following the prompts as per your unique case.

This process is one of the complex requests I’ve performed with a scanner recently. However, it felt exactly like I was playing. It’s something that’s better felt than explained.

2. Full System Scans

Besides the DPF menu and the ability to demand forced regens from a truck (or heavy-duty machine) as a user or technician, there’s also standard full system scans that run through the engine, tranny, and every other system that powers the machine (or is equipped on the vehicle).

This opens up an important cost-saving avenue for farmers, independent mechanics or small construction companies on a tight budget. Beyond the cost-saving advantage, it also gives primary users a glimpse into potential issues before considering calling on external help.

For small shops and independent mechanics, this helps the fault diagnosis process when they’re called upon, and being inexpensive and subscription-free, helps keep overhead low and profits high. Consistently.

3. A Wide Support of Heavy-Duty Machinery

Immediately I powered the Ancel HD3600 up, I noticed something: there’s support for Caterpillar, Volvo, John Deere, Bobcat, Yanmar, and a host of other heavy-duty manufacturers, straight after activation. You don’t need to download or activate ANYTHING.

After years of needing to download specific software for different manufacturers, this was a breath of fresh air.

I hope more OBD II scanner manufacturers will begin offering support for the vehicles their scanners are designed to work with, right from the start, without the need to download software and waste precious time.

4. Traditional OBD II Code Reading

Although the Ancel HD3600 scanner is a heavy-duty professional scanner focused on agricultural and construction machinery, it was a joy to see that the scanner features a traditional OBD II cable and supports code reading for non-heavy-duty vehicles and traditional cars.

Granted, this feature offers only basic functionality, but it’s nonetheless a thing of joy to see that it’s there, at least.

When it runs, it summarizes the MIL status, DTCs in the ECU, readiness support, ignition type, and an array of random and specific data necessary to get a summary of your vehicle’s state, at a glance.

5. Free Lifetime Updates

There’s something no businessperson appreciates (if it can be avoided): recurring costs. These eat deeply into profits and overall, reduce what should go into the owner’s pocket. This is also why traditional OE-level scanners are less attractive…

…they operate on subscriptions that must be paid anually.

Not the Ancel HD3600!

Once you purchase the scanner and activate it with a Wi-Fi connection, you’re good for the rest of your time with the device.

This activation is ‘one time’ and ‘permanent’.

The best part is not that it doesn’t need an update – the updates, when they happen (and they’re frequent from the stables of Ancel), are free of cost, you only need to have an active internet connection by way of WiFi and you’re good to go.

This is perhaps the only heavy-duty scanner in the world that offers free updates – and for life, too.

Other Notable Functions & Features

Besides the major functions and abilities shared above, the Ancel HD3600 has other functions and features that, though not major, are equally important and worthy of note.

These special functions and features are:

1. Cable Array

The scanner features an array of cables, three in total, capable of linking to and providing access to the DLC of any vehicle it’s intended to access.

There’s the standard CAT-9, DIESEL-6/9 cable and the regular OBD II cable. This array of cables provides access to virtually any port you need, regardless of make or model.

During the time I’ve had the unit, I’ve been experimenting with virtually all manufacturers, and this is genuinely a good feeling. The thought that I’ll be able to tackle any heavy-duty machine that comes my way is both exciting and empowering.

2. Impressive Screenshop Feature

Sometimes, the biggest challenge with special heavy-duty scanners is the ability to keep data for future use, especially when there’s something important that needs to be shown to someone or kept for future reference.

With the prevalence of smartphones, this is usually skipped in favor of quick shots with a phone.

Sometimes, however, this is hardly practical, leaving you with photos that are less than ideal. This is where the screenshot feature comes up.

With this feature, you can easily capture anything you wish to keep for future reference, either for your own use or to show your technician when they are present.

The good part of this is that the feature works everywhere, irrespective of where you are on the scanner or which feature you’re accessing at the time. It brings the cool of a traditional smartphone to the scanner, which I find very clever.

3. Solid & Impressive Cable Lengths/Quality

I’ve already mentioned that the Ancel HD3600 sports three cables for different vehicle manufacturers. However, what I didn’t say then is that these cables aren’t just varied; they’re equally of great quality and impressive lengths, especially the general OBD II cable.

Granted, the others aren’t as long as the major OBD II cable, but given that they plug into it to form an attachment in a male-female fashion, makes the fact negligible and gives them all the general benefit of length.

Quality-wise, it’s worth noting that the cables are solidly made and are truly worthy of the name ‘heavy-duty’. Twisted, they return easily and look like they’ll last a long time without any special treatment.

4. Smart Printer Attachment

Taking photos off the screen of a scan tool is acceptable, except that in some cases, the sun glare makes this a challenge, or there’s no smartphone around (in the first place).

If you’re running a small repair shop, you’ll need a printout for your customers, unfortunately. If you’re a hand on the farm or a driver on the construction yard, you’ll also need to keep a printout for your boss, too.

This is where printing comes in – and the Ancel HD3600 has a smart printer attachment that makes everything nice, easy, and snug (with the snap-on HD-compatible printer).

Ancel HD3600 Vehicle Compatibility

The biggest challenge of buying original equipment (OE) scanners and tools is that they’re generally suited only for specific makes and models. If you have anything outside these, you’re out of luck; support is scarce and often nonexistent.

Not with the Ancel HD3600: the scanner truly cuts across makes and models in a beautiful and cost-effective way.

The unit works with Caterpillar, Volvo, John Deere, Komatsu, Bobcat, Hitachi, Yarmar (at the original equipment level), and as well as a host of other manufacturers at the support level, which is more than impressive, especially for a sub-$500 tool.

Limitations

It isn’t all rosy for the Ancel HD3600, however: as with every other tool, it has its limitations. Not deal breakers but limitations that are important that you should be aware of, before buying and using.

Here:

1. Dedicated Heavy Duty Use Only

The Ancel HD3600 is a dedicated heavy-duty scanner designed for use with agricultural, construction, and other heavy-duty machinery. This is the scanner’s strong point and forte.

If you’re looking to scan regular vehicles, it’s possible, but the HD3600 barely supports the same. You get a smart, surface scan with a basic summary, but that’s where it ends.

If you’re hoping that the scanner will serve your regular vehicles like it does your trucks, you may be disappointed. It works – but just barely.

2. No Battery

Most traditional OBD II scanners today come with batteries, standard: this supports the unit long after it has been disconnected from the vehicle. With this option, too, you can easily also check out records or anything else, even without a vehicle’s OBD port providing power.

The Ancel HD3600, however, doesn’t come with an inbuilt battery. Granted, this could be viewed as an advantage, as it contributes to the device’s light weight and potentially, is one of the reasons why the unit is so affordable in the first place.

This isn’t a deal breaker in my world (fewer parts generally mean fewer things to go wrong, as my Ancel AD410 has proved through the years). That said, it’s imperative to take note of this before making your purchase decision.

Alternatives to Consider

The Ancel HD3600 is an impressive and well-built heavy-duty scanner (and I recommend it highly). However, there are instances where another unit would serve you better.

If you’re looking for a unit with bi-directional controls (to go the extra mile when troubleshooting) or are feeling the call as a DIY mechanic, you’d be better served by the Ancel X7HD.

This scanner is capable of doing most things the HD3600 offers, and goes the extra mile by running ECU coding and performing approximately 40 resets.

If you’re responsible for a fleet or run your own shop, then it’s worth going the extra mile to get a heavy-duty tool that will support your repairs in a comprehensive manner. For this, the Ancel V6 PRO+HD is a perfect all-arounder.

The Ancel V6 Pro + HD is powered by an impressive battery that lasts more than 10 hours on a single charge, allowing you to complete all your diagnoses at your convenience. Besides that, it’s designed with bi-directional capabilities, an array of cables, support for even more makes and models, and generally, more ability. It’s the ultimate ‘bad boy’ when it comes to scanning heavy-duty equipment.

The best part? This heavy-duty scanner is at home with both heavy-duty machinery and light passenger cars, so you don’t need to buy two different scanners for diagnosis (if you own, drive, or work on regular cars).

Should You Buy the Ancel HD3600 Heavy Duty Scanner?

Yes, without a moment’s hesitation.

The alternatives are:

• Buying an old, used machine without a DPF (which isn’t ideal);
• Calling on the dealer every time you need to run a DPF reset (which is expensive at around $500 per vehicle) or
• Buying an OE-level scanner yourself and paying thousands of dollars for it outright, while still incurring hefty subscriptions, year after year.

With such ‘options’, there’s no option at all, if looked at carefully and logically. To reach this conclusion, simply take a look at the Ancel HD3600 on the Ancel website, and everything will become as clear as daylight.

Love the Above? Subscribe for More