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20 Replies

  • I have used this one.

    PEX Crimper

    It worked very well in the tight places you will most likely have with a trailer.

    It is small and I keep it with several crimp fittings in the trailer.

    I like the looks of this one better.

    Crimper

    As it has the go/nogo gauge built in. The one I had the gauge is separate and can be misplaced or not always with the crimper.
  • Flair-it fittings, they CAN'T leak, and you don't need no crimpers ! Been dis cussed here a hundred times.

    Water heater bypass ?? Why ? And if need be, you take the valve down to the plummer and have a short pc of tube crimped on, then use Flair-it from there.
  • I have the $24 tool from HomeDepot and used it to replace a broken T-fitting under my sink. It worked perfectly and fit easily into the tight space. Make sure you have a large enough pair of vice grips in order to have the leverage to tighten the crimp.
  • Didn't look at web site but I bought the Home Depot $62 crimp tool and it works great. Buy the pex pipe cutting tool also. Make sure sure you have good quality pex stainless clamps. There are cheap clamps on the market. (Some hardware stores sell cheap clamps that are very narrow) I got my clamps at Home Depot. Use brass fittings not plastic. I re-plumbed my MH washer and also some stuff in my S&B. No leaks. Make sure clamp is back from end of tubing about 1/16". The tool comes with a go/no go gauge so the tool can be adusted properly. If it leaks you are doing something wrong, not the tool.

    Went back and checked that tool. Buy the better quality tool.
  • I wonder if this will fit.

    http://www.sharkbite.com/product/male-elbows/

    Hmmmm.
  • i used a similar tool from lowes

    and the band clamps

    prolly used over 400 so far, 0 leaks ever. i love pex

    http://www.supplyhouse.com/PEX-Clamp-Tool-Clamps-560000
  • Joe, i used pex crimp fittings a while back and couldn't get it to not leak. A plumber friend of mine loaned me his professional grade crimper and got it not leak. I was left with an uneasy feeling about pex fittings. A week or so ago i discovered pex has a new system that does not crimp, it has a plastic band that squeezes the fitting. No more crimper, the new tool opens the end of pipe by flaring and you quickly put them together before it closes. I'm sold on the new way and my plumber friend told me its all he uses now...leak free.
    I think Milwaukee makes a batt powered flare tool or the cheaper hand tool works.
  • I haven't used that particular one, but I have used the older version of theat style- they are not all that easy to use, and take a fair bit of space (not good for close quarters).
    I would try an Ace to see if they have the Oetiker style clamps and will rent the tool for them- or Lowes carries that tool for $38- much more reasonable than the $62 Home Depot wants.
  • Unfortunately I have to crimp pipe onto the water heater bypass valve - no possibility of Sharkbite fittings :(
  • Haven't used one, but, I can see where it may work better than the more expensive (and larger) tools. I have one of the larger (about the size of a bolt cutter) crimpers. There many places in an RV where it would be impossible to get that big crimper into the work area.

    With that smaller tool, you could get it into a very tight space, and squeeze it at an angle, with a channel lock plier.

    Another option, might be to use some Shark Bite fittings. No crimper required.

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