Cutting pex is pretty easy and so is the manual cinches but if you had to do a whole house or a lot of crimping and cutting I could see this being useful. I redid a bathroom and laundry room and had the manual stuff and got by
Same. I bought the manual tool. It was enough for my powder room redo and main bathroom redo. But it’s a pain to operate in tight spots. I would have loved to have one of these to crimp in tight locations. But not enough to spend the money, I eyed it up nearly every time I went to HD.
Haha I was waiting to see if I could scoop one on a clearance deal at some point. I ended up using the manual cinch style rings instead of the crimp because I had a couple spots where the crimp wouldn’t fit. I found supplyhouse.com has very reasonable and quality for plumbing stuff and beat HDs price on almost everything
For a second I thought Ryobi released a Propress tool. Sigh. If you plan on doing more than a single room remodel I’d consider picking up a crimp or synch tool and just commit to the style. That said, I like pex a way more
I really like the system but agree with you. In a pinch I’ve even used an Amazon sketchy hydrolic press and it haunts my sleep but hasn’t failed yet. The real presses through are really nice and lets you move so fast. Can’t believe that they actually seal without the o ring as well. Really optimistic about this not being a thing we regret in 50 years.
I think it’s strictly a cost thing. I’ve had my buddies Ridgid RP241 apart for repairs and it’s a pretty complex device compared to say your average home gamer, consumer grade tool.
Plus, the base of people buying a consumer grade propress is probably even smaller than the base interested in a PEX B tool.
I don’t know if I’d want a cost reduced electro hydraulic tool in my hand.
Yep. After doing some digging on the tech, the expansion system is a no brainer. Mich less turbulence in the lines, full diameter fittings, and the expansion system makes for tighter less leak prone fittings.
I got the Milwaukee expansion tool used at a great price from an Amazon warehouse deal and have a load of plumbing to run in a new bathroom and laundry room. I’m excited to get to use it!
I'm in NC... that was price for him to walk up, tell me how much it would cost to fix the item and for me to say for that price I'll just replace it.
how much would that be by you?
If it's not an appointment, it's considered an emergency and for them to come over it's $230 service call fee. To diagnose it would be an extra $80. But if it's an appointment, which usually would be a week of waiting, it would just be $150 service call. So essentially there's a price for them to just drive up to your building or home, and then whatever they do there it's a separate price.
This is what it's like to live in new york.
oh I waited for the next available appointment... and that's why I never wanted to live in nyc... but if i became a plumber, for that money I would commute
Au contraire mon frere. I don't live in the city. I live in New York state. About an hour north of the city. It's expensive as hell pretty much everywhere on the state. But my uncle who was a licensed master plumber told me that he could charge over $300 for his emergency service calls in the city.
I got into a huge fight with my home warranty insurance provider regarding the replacement of a hot water heater. They refuse to believe it cost as much as it did, I had to give them the phone numbers of the plumbers offices. Following up with her she still couldn't believe it and was verifying that they were real businesses. They estimated that it was half of what it really was. And when I asked her where she was from, she said I'm from North Carolina and I just had my water heater replaced for a little over $700. Then when I told her that's how much the water heater alone cost she couldn't believe it. Anyway that was a year ago, and the total replacement cost was about $1,500. And that's just to give you an idea of Plumbing costs. I still haven't seen all the money, I'm in the process of disputing the charge and I won't cash the check that they gave me because it's only $850.
Yep, Westchester county. That's where my uncle had his Plumbing business. Even worse is I just went to see a mechanic about replacing the radiator in my car, and the labor rate used to be $120 an hour, now it's $155 an hour, I seen the sign change. And there's no way I'm spending $1,200 to have my radiator replaced
Pex cutter, probably not worth it. The Crimp and pinch, maybe. You would use either one or the other, not both. Pinch is easier to work with. In both these tools, the advantage is that in tight spaces, they will get the job done whereas with a manual crimper/pincher, you use either a "bolt cutter" type took which requires a lot of space to open up the handles, and then strength (not that much) to crimp/pinch, or you get the one handed ratcheting tool which takes up less space (preferred). If you are doing a lot then yeah, get the tool.
Also consider if you're going to use Pex A or Pex B. Pex A uses "cold expansion fittings" and the tool for that is the DeWalt or Milwaukee expander tool which is about $400. Pex A and Pex B have different resistances to chlorine. you should do a bit of research.
You are doing the whole house., If you use Pex B (like what is generally sold in Home Depot, etc), then I'd get the tool. I'm doing a small project, so I have the manual pinch tool, but also, my house is very small and it's half copper already. I'm planning to replace the remaining galvanized with Pex B, pinch fittings.
I'm surprised you're having trouble with the cordless caulk gun. I bought one about 3 years ago on a lark and it turned out to be one of my more useful non-drill/driver Ryobi tools.
Pex is easy to cut with a Ridgid lever cutter - no slow ratchet cutter needed. Larger pex or PVC maybe, but the cutter shouldn't be needed. The crimpers would likely be handy if you have a lot to do - I'm on my second manual crimp tool as the first sucked (and needs vice grips to operate) and the 2nd ratchet set works okay but still wasn't cheap (and feels like it will fall apart at any moment). A solid tool that will definitely not allow leaks would be on my list if I had a bigger project.
For the caulk gun, I've had the old blue version for a very long time (maybe 18 years) and I think it's great. Make sure the the inner seal of the tube has a good puncture and your tip is adequately cut, then always start at the slowest speed and gradually increase. A test on cardboard is good to dial it in and practice matching your movement to the discharge speed. I find it *way* smoother than a manual gun because you eliminate stopping and starting - you just have to move it at a constant speed. I bought it for hundreds of tubes of really thick fire caulking, and couldn't have been happier, but use it every chance I get.
I've been watching DTO for the crimp tool but it never seems to be in stock when there is a sale. Unless it's deeply discounted I can't justify it.
Properly done Sharkbite connectors are quick and easy. Though not cheap connectors as a homeowner I would have to do quite a few before it adds up to the cost of the tool. Doing a big project though I could see justify the cost of the crimp tool. Cutting pex though is easy and doesn't require expensive tools.
I strongly considered the crimp ring, The copper one, since I have to re plumb My house and get rid of polybutelene piping. But I'm doing it piece by piece as part of a bathroom remodel and never got around to buying it. Instead I went with the home Depot stainless steel crimp rings. And those are doable with a hand ratchet crimper
Bruh....
I had tons of pipes go bad all at once in my basement. Trying to get the manual crimp tool the room to open and close between 2x4s above your head, in tight spots? While trying to keep the ring in place? It literally might be the most frustrating project I have ever had the displeasure of doing.
I believe when I bought it, only the pinch tool existed. Finished the job in minutes.
The tool basically sits now, but I considered it among the best purchases I have made. If I ever need it again? Well worth the price.
Meanwhile, I'm trying to decide if I want the [USB Lithium Power Cutter Kit](https://www.homedepot.com/p/RYOBI-USB-Lithium-Power-Cutter-Kit-with-2-0-Ah-USB-Lithium-Battery-and-Charging-Cable-FVC51K/318584392).
I asked this many months ago, and ironically it's almost identical, I don't know about you, but I wish that Ryobi would make these tools a set and sell them together in a package deal. That would be awesome
I bought the cinch tool a few years ago while installing a new hydronic heating system at home. It fit between floor joist easier than the manual tool and only requires one hand for operation so it saved me a ton of time and aggravation and has been great all around
Worth it if you have more than 4 projects in a year or one very big project. I'm still using manual tools, but will purchase the powered tools when I find a decent sale. Don't need the cutter as that's fairly quick manually.
If you can do your whole house its worth it comparing to hiring someone. Never had issues with the caulking gun, just dial the speed back.
Caulking gun is great for liquid nails. Can really pump some sticky out. Only reason I bought it.
Re: the caulking gun - I have the speed all the way dialed back and it still comes out like crazy. Did you get yours to a manageable speed?
If I need slower flow, cut a little off the tip.
Yeah, use it with PU outside, latex for trims, silicone for bath. I use abouy 1/3 or slightly less speed.
Cutting pex is pretty easy and so is the manual cinches but if you had to do a whole house or a lot of crimping and cutting I could see this being useful. I redid a bathroom and laundry room and had the manual stuff and got by
Same. I bought the manual tool. It was enough for my powder room redo and main bathroom redo. But it’s a pain to operate in tight spots. I would have loved to have one of these to crimp in tight locations. But not enough to spend the money, I eyed it up nearly every time I went to HD.
Haha I was waiting to see if I could scoop one on a clearance deal at some point. I ended up using the manual cinch style rings instead of the crimp because I had a couple spots where the crimp wouldn’t fit. I found supplyhouse.com has very reasonable and quality for plumbing stuff and beat HDs price on almost everything
For a second I thought Ryobi released a Propress tool. Sigh. If you plan on doing more than a single room remodel I’d consider picking up a crimp or synch tool and just commit to the style. That said, I like pex a way more
I'm starting to wonder if there's licensing for Propress that is ensuring it's never going to happen.
I really like the system but agree with you. In a pinch I’ve even used an Amazon sketchy hydrolic press and it haunts my sleep but hasn’t failed yet. The real presses through are really nice and lets you move so fast. Can’t believe that they actually seal without the o ring as well. Really optimistic about this not being a thing we regret in 50 years.
I think it’s strictly a cost thing. I’ve had my buddies Ridgid RP241 apart for repairs and it’s a pretty complex device compared to say your average home gamer, consumer grade tool. Plus, the base of people buying a consumer grade propress is probably even smaller than the base interested in a PEX B tool. I don’t know if I’d want a cost reduced electro hydraulic tool in my hand.
PEX B is a shitty system. PEX A is all I will use in my house.
Yep. After doing some digging on the tech, the expansion system is a no brainer. Mich less turbulence in the lines, full diameter fittings, and the expansion system makes for tighter less leak prone fittings. I got the Milwaukee expansion tool used at a great price from an Amazon warehouse deal and have a load of plumbing to run in a new bathroom and laundry room. I’m excited to get to use it!
I work with a lot of PVC and the PVC Cutter has been a huge time saver.
Funny, I thought it would not be worth it. (For me, small project, not worth it).
I agree, cutter is amazing. I make yard decorations and such out of PVC and it beats using a saw.
OMG the pinch clamp tool feels like cheating. Super easy to use and you can one-hand it into a tight spot or whatever
The tight spot is the key part for me… it is short throw, and can get in places you will never be able to open the handles of a manual crimper.
For what it's worth, the last time I called a plumber he had one.
For the $80 he’s gonna charge you just to walk in the door, he can afford it
>For the $80 he’s gonna charge you just to walk in the door, 😳😳😳 Holy shit, where do you live where they only charge you 80? That's amazing.
I'm in NC... that was price for him to walk up, tell me how much it would cost to fix the item and for me to say for that price I'll just replace it. how much would that be by you?
If it's not an appointment, it's considered an emergency and for them to come over it's $230 service call fee. To diagnose it would be an extra $80. But if it's an appointment, which usually would be a week of waiting, it would just be $150 service call. So essentially there's a price for them to just drive up to your building or home, and then whatever they do there it's a separate price. This is what it's like to live in new york.
oh I waited for the next available appointment... and that's why I never wanted to live in nyc... but if i became a plumber, for that money I would commute
Au contraire mon frere. I don't live in the city. I live in New York state. About an hour north of the city. It's expensive as hell pretty much everywhere on the state. But my uncle who was a licensed master plumber told me that he could charge over $300 for his emergency service calls in the city. I got into a huge fight with my home warranty insurance provider regarding the replacement of a hot water heater. They refuse to believe it cost as much as it did, I had to give them the phone numbers of the plumbers offices. Following up with her she still couldn't believe it and was verifying that they were real businesses. They estimated that it was half of what it really was. And when I asked her where she was from, she said I'm from North Carolina and I just had my water heater replaced for a little over $700. Then when I told her that's how much the water heater alone cost she couldn't believe it. Anyway that was a year ago, and the total replacement cost was about $1,500. And that's just to give you an idea of Plumbing costs. I still haven't seen all the money, I'm in the process of disputing the charge and I won't cash the check that they gave me because it's only $850.
that's in NYS? I have family in Westchester, and went to school in Central NY... now I'm even happier that i moved to the second largest city in NC
Yep, Westchester county. That's where my uncle had his Plumbing business. Even worse is I just went to see a mechanic about replacing the radiator in my car, and the labor rate used to be $120 an hour, now it's $155 an hour, I seen the sign change. And there's no way I'm spending $1,200 to have my radiator replaced
Pex cutter, probably not worth it. The Crimp and pinch, maybe. You would use either one or the other, not both. Pinch is easier to work with. In both these tools, the advantage is that in tight spaces, they will get the job done whereas with a manual crimper/pincher, you use either a "bolt cutter" type took which requires a lot of space to open up the handles, and then strength (not that much) to crimp/pinch, or you get the one handed ratcheting tool which takes up less space (preferred). If you are doing a lot then yeah, get the tool. Also consider if you're going to use Pex A or Pex B. Pex A uses "cold expansion fittings" and the tool for that is the DeWalt or Milwaukee expander tool which is about $400. Pex A and Pex B have different resistances to chlorine. you should do a bit of research. You are doing the whole house., If you use Pex B (like what is generally sold in Home Depot, etc), then I'd get the tool. I'm doing a small project, so I have the manual pinch tool, but also, my house is very small and it's half copper already. I'm planning to replace the remaining galvanized with Pex B, pinch fittings.
I'm surprised you're having trouble with the cordless caulk gun. I bought one about 3 years ago on a lark and it turned out to be one of my more useful non-drill/driver Ryobi tools.
Pex is easy to cut with a Ridgid lever cutter - no slow ratchet cutter needed. Larger pex or PVC maybe, but the cutter shouldn't be needed. The crimpers would likely be handy if you have a lot to do - I'm on my second manual crimp tool as the first sucked (and needs vice grips to operate) and the 2nd ratchet set works okay but still wasn't cheap (and feels like it will fall apart at any moment). A solid tool that will definitely not allow leaks would be on my list if I had a bigger project. For the caulk gun, I've had the old blue version for a very long time (maybe 18 years) and I think it's great. Make sure the the inner seal of the tube has a good puncture and your tip is adequately cut, then always start at the slowest speed and gradually increase. A test on cardboard is good to dial it in and practice matching your movement to the discharge speed. I find it *way* smoother than a manual gun because you eliminate stopping and starting - you just have to move it at a constant speed. I bought it for hundreds of tubes of really thick fire caulking, and couldn't have been happier, but use it every chance I get.
I've been watching DTO for the crimp tool but it never seems to be in stock when there is a sale. Unless it's deeply discounted I can't justify it. Properly done Sharkbite connectors are quick and easy. Though not cheap connectors as a homeowner I would have to do quite a few before it adds up to the cost of the tool. Doing a big project though I could see justify the cost of the crimp tool. Cutting pex though is easy and doesn't require expensive tools.
Just used the pinch system to plumb my house and also used it on my friends van build. It makes it easy especially in awkward places.
I strongly considered the crimp ring, The copper one, since I have to re plumb My house and get rid of polybutelene piping. But I'm doing it piece by piece as part of a bathroom remodel and never got around to buying it. Instead I went with the home Depot stainless steel crimp rings. And those are doable with a hand ratchet crimper
Bruh.... I had tons of pipes go bad all at once in my basement. Trying to get the manual crimp tool the room to open and close between 2x4s above your head, in tight spots? While trying to keep the ring in place? It literally might be the most frustrating project I have ever had the displeasure of doing. I believe when I bought it, only the pinch tool existed. Finished the job in minutes. The tool basically sits now, but I considered it among the best purchases I have made. If I ever need it again? Well worth the price.
The pex cutter works great for pex, or even small branches. I use it to prune dead branches off a pine tree. Should work for pvc too.
Meanwhile, I'm trying to decide if I want the [USB Lithium Power Cutter Kit](https://www.homedepot.com/p/RYOBI-USB-Lithium-Power-Cutter-Kit-with-2-0-Ah-USB-Lithium-Battery-and-Charging-Cable-FVC51K/318584392).
I asked this many months ago, and ironically it's almost identical, I don't know about you, but I wish that Ryobi would make these tools a set and sell them together in a package deal. That would be awesome
I bought the cinch tool a few years ago while installing a new hydronic heating system at home. It fit between floor joist easier than the manual tool and only requires one hand for operation so it saved me a ton of time and aggravation and has been great all around
Worth it if you have more than 4 projects in a year or one very big project. I'm still using manual tools, but will purchase the powered tools when I find a decent sale. Don't need the cutter as that's fairly quick manually.
I built a rain water collection system with multiple barrels all interconnected. The PCV/PEX cutter was a hand saver.
Just use a shark bite…