The "new" freon is R410A. It does run at higher pressures, but it can be weighed in just like R22. The difference is that he would have to sweat in a second service valve which isn't that big a deal and because it's a blended refrigerant, it has to be charged as a liquid on the high side and he probably doesn't have a clue how to do that. It still hasn't been determined if it is actually low on refrigerant, but at this point, you are probably better off to simply replace the unit and move on.