The pipe is perhaps the greatest invention of mankind and creates comfortable conditions for everyday life. Due to frequent daily use metal pipes lose their original quality (rust) and therefore need to be repaired and sometimes completely replaced. This, in turn, is very difficult work that must be done competently and, of course, some costs.
To facilitate the installation of copper pipes, special crimping pliers have been developed, designed for more practical and short-term installation of piping.
In this article we will show which crimping pliers help to correctly and accurately build a copper pipe.
How to choose a PEX crimp tools
If you work as a handyman or if you want to repair and handle things yourself at home and have a talent for craftsmanship, then you need some tools that you can use for a variety of jobs. Among the things that need to be done is pressing insulated cables or copper pipes. This work should not be done with a conventional tool, but with crimping pliers for copper pipes. Otherwise, the work may not be good and accurate, as it is important for safety and good functioning.
The crimping pliers for copper pipes are also characterized by the fact that it has two ergonomic handles that can be easily squeezed to compress the cables.
How does a pex crimp tool work?
Pressing is done with a special pressing clamp, which consists of three zones. The special contour of the clamp compresses the crest of the fitting, creating a complete seal of the connection. The other two zones of division deform the press-fitting itself to connect the pipe with that of the opening, leaving characteristic recesses on copper pipe fittings.
Note: the profile may have different shapes: octagonal, hexagonal, etc., but this practically does not affect the reliability of the connection.
What is a crimping pliers for copper pipes?
To facilitate the installation of copper pipes, special crimping pliers have been developed, which are designed for more practical and short-term installation of piping. In this article, we will reveal which crimping pliers help to build a copper pipe correctly and accurately.
If you work as a handyman or if you like to fix and handle things yourself at home and have a talent for craftsmanship, then you need some tools that you can use for a variety of jobs. Among the things that need to be done is pressing insulated cables or copper pipes. This work should not be done with a conventional tool, but with crimping pliers for copper pipes. Otherwise, the work may not be good and accurate, as it is important for safety and good functioning.
The crimping pliers for copper pipes are also characterized by the fact that it has two ergonomic handles that can be easily squeezed to compress the cables.
The best choice
IWISS Pex Pipe Crimping Tool
4,9 Rating
Features:
- Dimensions: 13.58 x 7.87 x 1.77 inches.
- Item includes 1-inch Crimper, 1/2&3/8&3/4-inch Jaws, Gauge, Spanner.
- Meet ASTM F1807 Standard.
Tool is factory calibrated. Angledheads for access to tight spaces with ease.Go/NoGo Gauge and PEX PIPE CUTTER and Instruction included. Polished crimp jaw ensures no damage both on PEX Pipe and Copper Crimp Rings. Lightweight composite handles reduce fatigue Works with 1/2inch and 3/4inch PEX copper crimp rings and meets ASTM F1807 standard.
IWISS Pex Pipe Crimping Tool for 3/8″,1/2″,3/4″,1″ Copper Ring – Video
How to choose a pex crimp tool?
Buyer’s guide for the pex crimp tool
This review and guide provide information on some best pex crimp tool you can find.
There are quite a few manufacturers of a pex crimp tool on the market, and the prices vary greatly. From a pure price point of view, the type of pex crimp tool can be priced from $40 to $130.
The best pex crimp tool for the money
Related posts about hand tools and repairs:
- Best Impact Socket
- The best cordless impact wrenches kit
- Best Air Impact Wrenches
- Best fence stretcher tool: Definitive Guide
- Best Cordless Jigsaw
- Best Electric Chainsaw Sharpeners
All our reviews are based exclusively on expert judgments or practical experience with most of the pex crimp tool we have tested. We strive to make our guide as independent and as detailed as possible.
Pex pipe crimping tools in comparison
iCrimp Combo Pex Pipe Crimping Tool
- Dimensions: 13.1 x 4.7 x 1.6 inches.
- Compatible with 1/2-inch and 3/4-inch copper ring in PEX pipe connection.
4,8 Rating
The innovative new design saves deformed rings
Meet ASTM F1807 Standard, compatible with 1/2-inch and 3/4-inch copper ring in PEX pipe connection. Well-polished jaws ensure no damage to the copper rings to avoid leaking. Constructed of durable steel ensure an integrated mechanical property and calibration function supports a long service life. Lightweight and short handles improve the performance of operability in narrow space
SharkBite Copper Crimp Ring
- Size: 1/2-Inch and 3/4-Inch.
- Certified to 200 PSI and 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Weight 3.15 pounds.
4,9 Rating
Built with SharkBite’s attention to detail and quality
Use with 1/2″ and 3/4″ PEX Copper rings, PEX Tubing and PEX Barb Fittings. Connects Copper, PEX, CPVC, and PE-RT Pipe in any combination. Includes go/no-go gauge to ensure your connection is secure.
Zurn QCRTMH Steel Multi-Head Copper Crimp Tool
- Height 15 inches, Item Thickness 18.5 inches, Length 11.5 inches.
- Weight 2.60 pounds.
4,8 Rating
Five tools
One tool installs 3/8″, 1/8″, 5/8″, and 3/4″ PEX fittings. Reliable steel construction. Includes crimp ring removal tool, go/no-go gauge
Interchangeable jaws for 3/8″, 1/8″, 5/8″, and 3/4″ PEX fittings with a copper crimp rings.
Choosing a crimping tool
Nowadays, there are many different tools with many different properties. One such tool is the crimping tool. They are used to crimp and crimp stranded wires and contacts when the soldering process is not possible. It follows that the crimping tool is an electrical installation tool.
Let’s take a closer look at what it is and what types of crimping tools there are.
About Technology
But before we look at the types of tools, it is worth talking in detail about the technology itself. Different lugs are used to cut the ends of cores or wires:
- straight
- forked
- ring terminals
The process of crimping is used when working with stranded wires for screw and terminal connections, as well as for the connection of stranded and solid wires with each other and installation on the wire lug, which is designed for installation in the connector. Crimping has great advantages over soldering. Especially when it comes to open electrical circuits. Moreover, this method is more technologically advanced when compared to welding. It is only worth adding that when working with copper wires, only copper lugs and sleeves are used. If the wires are aluminum, then the lugs should be made of the same material.
If the lugs are sleeved cylindrical, they are used to prepare the stripped ends of the stranded wire for installation in the screw terminal block. It allows preventing wire breakage or its damage. These lugs are made of copper or aluminum and look like a thin-walled tube that can be color-coded. A segment-type tool is required for crimping such an element.
The loop-type ferrule is used to protect and prepare wires for installation in a screw terminal. In this case, you will need special or universal pliers. The knife-type ferrule, on the other hand, is used exclusively for the knife-type connector. Such connectors are used in automotive electrics and power electronics – more precisely wherever an inexpensive but reliable connection is required. For crimping, the same pliers are required as for working with a loop-type ferrule.
There are also special sleeves that are designed to connect wires to each other. Sleeves are in the form of tubes made of copper or aluminum with thin walls. The ends of wires are inserted into such a sleeve and crimped with a special tool – a crimper or pliers. It is worth adding that the sleeves may be insulated or non-insulated. A plastic shell is used as insulation, which has sufficient strength.
About the types of tools
Now let’s talk in more detail about what types of crimping tools there are. In total, there are these types of tools:
- press jaws
- crimps
At the same time crimps can be automatic and manual. Let’s consider each of these tools in more detail.
Press jaws
So, let’s first consider the press jaws. Their main purpose is to perform crimping of lugs and sleeves for cables. They can be of different types and have different cross-sections. There are models of crimping pliers that are additionally equipped with an amplifier. This can be a lever or a hydraulic mechanism. Due to this additional element, the degree of effort required to perform quality crimping is significantly reduced.
All the press jaws are usually equipped with quality control of the work performed, which allows to level out the divergence of the handles until the work is finished. Of course, it is very important to use a high-quality tool for crimping. Professional press jaws have a ratchet mechanism that allows you to block the return stroke until the press cycle is complete. This completely eliminates the possibility of underpressure, which can be the fault of the electrician himself.
It is worth noting that the level of pressing directly affects how strong the resulting machine will be and whether the electrical resistance of the contacts will be good.
Crimper
Now let’s understand what a crimper is. As mentioned above, they come in two types – automatic and manual. In general, a crimper is a tool that is used when performing electrical installation work. It is designed to connect wires to each other or to the connector pins during work. Using the tool completely eliminates the need to use welding or soldering.
There are times when the crimping process is quite rare. In such cases, it is wise to select a tool that will combine wire cutters and several calibrated slots. Moreover, some crimper models have special accessory parts that allow you to perform cable stripping.
If you want to buy a tool for crimping one type of wire, then in this case it is worth choosing a model that can be adjusted. The blades of such tool automatically adjust to the required diameter with the help of a screw or a cam, which is responsible for the adjustment. This makes the stripping process much easier and the user doesn’t have to worry about which groove the wire is in.
As for the differences between manual and automatic crimps, the automatic models have high performance. With their help, you can easily strip the wire, install the lug and crimp it in different modes of automatic or semi-automatic. The automatic crimper includes an electric press and a crimper applicator in its design. It is worth noting that applicators are of different types for different types of tips.
If we talk about manual crimpers, they are designed for a particular type of contact or tips. In this case, everything is very clear, because the tool is triggered by the force applied by the user. Naturally, it does not have a high level of performance.
What should I consider when buying a crimp tool?
The following criteria should be given special consideration before buying a crimping tool for copper pipes:
How much do the crimping pliers?
Of course, the price should not be neglected. Usually, it is worth spending a little more money to work more efficiently. In addition, such crimping pliers usually have a much longer service life. Good crimping pliers for copper pipes can be purchased from some online retailers for as little as about 100 dollars.
Tests and reviews
Furthermore, it makes sense to read through tests and reviews of the respective product before buying the crimping pliers. Here, especially negative experience reports are interesting to check whether you can live with the negative features of the crimping pliers.
Electronic or hydraulic?
Depending on the amount of work you need to do, you can buy a hydraulic tool with manual operation or a more efficient electric tool.
If you plan to do volumetric work, it is better to use an electric extender, and the manually operated tool will do work on less volumetric areas.
Pex crimp tools Price:
Under $50
- iCrimp Pex Pipe Crimping Tool
Under $100
- SharkBite Crimp Ring Tool
- IWISS Pex Pipe Crimping Tool
Under $200
- Zurn QCRTMH Copper Crimp Tool
Conclusions
With the pressing pliers for copper pipes that we have considered, we can summarize that the installation of the pipeline is of higher quality, easier, and saves time. If you have not used these crimping pliers before, the user will still not be difficult. Before using them, it is recommended to familiarize yourself with the operating instructions.
