# Those residential service plumbing tools you couldn't live without?



## Alppit

Hey Guys,

I just wanted to see your take on what tools you have in your arsenals that you couldn't live without for residential service work (wether it be a homemade, specialty or a regular tool). I'm always reaching for my baby channnies and 6" adjustable. My Ona Moen cartridge body puller just saved my ass again yesterday when the regular Moen puller ripped the stem clean out of a seized up older brass 1225 cartridge.


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## Unclog1776

A Jetter lol.


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## Gargalaxy

Unclog1776 said:


> A Jetter lol.


After a rough day you just made me laugh....:thumbup:


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## Unclog1776

Gargalaxy said:


> After a rough day you just made me laugh....:thumbup:


I wrote that while riding shotgun between jetting jobs


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## SchmitzPlumbing

the full lineup of knipex pliers and the led maglight


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## plumbdrum

Fail stickers


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## GREENPLUM

My new ridgid stuff!


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## KoleckeINC

I keep a folding ruler for guys just like this one. 
Just kidding. Really you want a list of all the snazzy hand tools? If you haven't tried one, I reccomend the pasco dual quick tite angle stop wrench, Stanley keyhole saw that uses recip blades, superior basket installation wrenches for both strainer and locknut, 180* Superior mechanical tubing bender. We don't do Cpvc pex 
Press or shark bite. 18" Neiko one hand pipe wrenches are my favorite for water/gas. Good in a tight spot and you don't have to stop/readjust ever. O ring picks are super handy for aerators and stuff. And a Swiss army just because it was lonely in my camping gear.


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## wookie

Lenser led headlight.

RT-100 electric soldering tongs.

full size channel lock pliers with handle shortened.

Lennox plumbers bread.

M- 12 tools copper cutter, and hackzall.


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## Shoot'N'Plumber

Folding ruler!


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## Redwood

6 in 1 screwdriver in my pocket....


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## theplumbinator

My invoice book! Writing the bill is my favorite part of every job!


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## Alppit

Sweet, thanks for sharing fellas!


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## paultheplumber1

My m12 hackzall has been a big asset during this recent deep freeze in new England area. Frozen pipes for days


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## Archie

Leatherman Charge and a mini mag lite. Forgetting either one at home ruins my day.


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## theplumbinator

paultheplumber1 said:


> My m12 hackzall has been a big asset during this recent deep freeze in new England area. Frozen pipes for days


So you Coahaughs are thawing pipes too. Spent a few years in your state in college. The winter of 96 was brutal on Naragansat Bay.

My hot shot has been getting a work out this week as well. -16° in Jersey yesterday morning. Along with my M18 pro press putting baseboard back together.


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## TomSV650

Alppit said:


> Hey Guys,
> 
> I just wanted to see your take on what tools you have in your arsenals that you couldn't live without for residential service work (wether it be a homemade, specialty or a regular tool). I'm always reaching for my baby channnies and 6" adjustable. My Ona Moen cartridge body puller just saved my ass again yesterday when the regular Moen puller ripped the stem clean out of a seized up older brass 1225 cartridge.


 I agree about the Ona! Well thought out tool.:thumbsup:


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## plbgbiz

MizBiz.


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## AWWGH

Simpson Ohm Meter, mini LED light, amp/volt meter, torpedo level, fat max tape measure, CELL PHONE


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## rjbphd

Folding ruler and lighted hat


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## gear junkie

My camera system and locator


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## Plumbtastic1

Google and YouTube and my trusty how to book so I can figure out how real plumbers do it. (Couldn't belief non of the other smart azzholes here beat me to this)

from the long lost app


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## skoronesa

gear junkie said:


> My camera system and locator


I'd go nuts without my camera/pipefinder.

Sometimes I will pull out tons of roots, show it to the customer, and they'll be like how bad do you think it is, and I'll say "Well given the worms in there too you have quite a bad break, smells like it's that tree over there.", sometimes they smirk at the tiny guys like I am crazy. After that anything I say they react like I don't know what I am talking about but they usually agree to have me comeback and camera. 

So when it's a pretentious b-hole who thinks they are smart because they googled how a waste line should be run after I left last time and they choose to recite it word for word when talking to me as if they have known their whole life and they don't want to take my suggested course of action because I am the crazy worm guy who said the roots smelled of the cedar tree outside the window...... I love watching the look on their face when they see a 4"x4" piece of pipe that is missing and worms crawling in.

I have a dark side...


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## thumper

Archie said:


> Leatherman Charge and a mini mag lite. Forgetting either one at home ruins my day.


I just hate when my helpers are using their phone as a flashlight, no wonder they didn't see "it" .


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## Plumbus

When all else fails.... tech support.


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## sparky

My pencil,if I forget or loose my pencil I call it quits for the day,oh and my pencil has to have a clip on it,a pencil with a clip on it is de finely one of the finer things in life!!:laughing::laughing::laughing:


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## ShtRnsdownhill

You always have to have one of these ice cold in a cooler for end of the day..


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## KoleckeINC

I got so excited to see RJPHD back and then I saw its from 2015. : (


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## A Good Plumber

KoleckeINC said:


> I got so excited to see RJPHD back and then I saw its from 2015. : (


I did the same.


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## Snowyman800

All this crap I wear on my belt and in my pockets everyday. For a guy who's pretty small, you'd think I could cut back a bit. But I need it all!!! Whatever I can't wear, it's in my bag that's more than half my weight. True story.


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## moonapprentice

Same knife and tape as you snowy. Those are my EDC


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## ShtRnsdownhill

honestly, the best tool if you would call it...A 5 gallon spackle bucket...carries tools, collects water from cut pipes or bleeding out heating systems, good for digging holes and getting rid of sand and broken concrete..endless uses...and best of all..its free from any new house or building job..


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## skoronesa

Swiss army knife, even if only for the tweezers for pulling splinters, brass curls.


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## Snowyman800

moonapprentice said:


> Same knife and tape as you snowy. Those are my EDC


Do you have one of the knives they had when the first came out? Those ones are the best. The new ones, they have a plastic feel to them even though they're supposed to be metal. I guess. They just feel cheap.


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## moonapprentice

The red utility knife?


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## Snowyman800

ShtRnsdownhill said:


> honestly, the best tool if you would call it...A 5 gallon spackle bucket...carries tools, collects water from cut pipes or bleeding out heating systems, good for digging holes and getting rid of sand and broken concrete..endless uses...and best of all..its free from any new house or building job..


Folgers cup!! This is our go to bucket for little stuff. Cutting stub outs, removing p-traps, changing R/O filters, stuff like that. It's small enough to fit about anywhere and can squish a little if you need to.


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## Snowyman800

moonapprentice said:


> The red utility knife?


Yea. Milwaukee Fastback. The new ones actually say Fastback I or II on them. The older ones like mine, just have the Milwaukee logo on them.


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## moonapprentice

I never thought of them being or felt plastic. The paint is rubbing off on mine exposing metal like yours too. I've has it about 2 years and the screws that hold it together are coming loose and lost. I'm going to get another one soon. Won't buy anything else. The one handed flip open is the best.....they are coming out with a III as well, to hold more blades in the housing, but I think the slimness isn't there tho


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## KoleckeINC

Rubbermaid with a strap. Very handy. My favorite tool besides the laser right now.


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## Snowyman800

moonapprentice said:


> I never thought of them being or felt plastic. The paint is rubbing off on mine exposing metal like yours too. I've has it about 2 years and the screws that hold it together are coming loose and lost. I'm going to get another one soon. Won't buy anything else. The one handed flip open is the best.....they are coming out with a III as well, to hold more blades in the housing, but I think the slimness isn't there tho


I like the exposed metal. It's custom faded now and twice as expensive!! The four little screws that hold the blade, I always used the blade itself to tighten them up. Same thing with the set screws that hold the body together on the back side. I broke the clip on this one a long time ago and bought the new Fastback II. Didn't like it, felt too wide and didn't seem to open as smooth. Took the clip and put it on my old one. Did the same thing again with the Fastback I after I broke it again. I put a small groove in the set screw that holds the clip in so I can take it out with a flathead. Every now and then I'll bend it back in shape to make it sit tight. I can't imagine having another utility knife, though. I always tell people to buy them.


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## rwh

I carry this Gerber folding utility knife everywhere. Very thin, costs about $12. My favorite pocket Stanley knife


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## Snowyman800

KoleckeINC said:


> Rubbermaid with a strap. Very handy. My favorite tool besides the laser right now.


What do you use it for? Kinda reminds of this thing I saw another guy did, but it was for crawl spaces. He used one of those cheap plastic sleds. Toss your tools in it and drag it around. Low enough it doesn't get caught on anything. If it's wet or muddy, just hop in it and pull yourself around.


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## KoleckeINC

I was in a crawlspace the other day dragging stuff around in it. 
It's my go to-battery saw, pvc, wrenches-parts. Strap is nice too.


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## Snowyman800

KoleckeINC said:


> I was in a crawlspace the other day dragging stuff around in it.
> It's my go to-battery saw, pvc, wrenches-parts. Strap is nice too.


Sounds like an awfully generously sized crawlspace.  I use a little square bucket, I have no idea where it came from. It's just always been there since I started. We carry and keep our glue and primer cans inside it while working in houses. It's not very tall but I think sometimes even it's too tall for fitting under joists when I'm crawling under houses. It'll carry the necessary tools plus the glue. I just chuck my PVC fittings under the house and crawl after them.


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## Snowyman800

You know what's the worst crawlspaces, the ones where you feel like you should be able to crawl on your hands and knees but you can't because it's a few inches too short and you'll get caught on all the joists, plus whatever is strapped to them, so you have to actually crawl around. But I FEEL like I should be able to get around on my hands and knees. They're the worst. A true story.


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## KoleckeINC

If you have a ladder with a paint pail it sits up nice and holds everything


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## Snowyman800

KoleckeINC said:


> If you have a ladder with a paint pail it sits up nice and holds everything


If you mean the bucket I have, it's not one of those buckets. I know which ones you mean, though. Ours kinda looks like this one. Except considerably dirtier. And doesn't have a handle anymore. Or lid. And has a hole in the upper side from a torch...but I don't know anything about how that happened.


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## plumberkc

KoleckeINC said:


> Rubbermaid with a strap. Very handy. My favorite tool besides the laser right now.



I always keep 5 or 6 of those and use them daily. Did you make the strap yourself? HomeDepot?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## KoleckeINC

Strap came from an old CLC toolbag. It's a short Rubbermaid. Yes from home cheepo


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## Snowyman800

plumbdrum said:


> Fail stickers


I just read about a new trick you can do. An inspector in some far away place would ask for the license of the plumber when he came to do his inspection. He would drop their license on the floor by a toilet and push it with his boot towards the toilet. If it slid under, as in "a not caulked toilet", he would tell them to get it out and call for a reinspection. Sounds like your style.  I would become an inspector just for that. But maybe it's not your style. Either way, I find it pretty funny.


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## plbgbiz

Snowyman800 said:


> ...He would drop their license on the floor by a toilet and push it with his boot towards the toilet. If it slid under, as in "a not caulked toilet", he would tell them to get it out and call for a reinspection....


Not cool at all. That would result in a very difficult conversation with his superior, the mayor, and possibly his next of kin.


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## Snowyman800

plbgbiz said:


> Not cool at all. That would result in a very difficult conversation with his superior, the mayor, and possibly his next of kin.


Well then. There goes my idea of being an inspector. I'll stick with being a plumber and caulking my toilets down. Speaking of which, do you guys ALWAYS caulk your toilets down on wood floors?


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## plumbdrum

Snowyman800 said:


> I just read about a new trick you can do. An inspector in some far away place would ask for the license of the plumber when he came to do his inspection. He would drop their license on the floor by a toilet and push it with his boot towards the toilet. If it slid under, as in "a not caulked toilet", he would tell them to get it out and call for a reinspection. Sounds like your style.  I would become an inspector just for that. But maybe it's not your style. Either way, I find it pretty funny.


 I don't need a license to tell if it was caulked. My eyesight is still pretty good.


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## ShtRnsdownhill

Snowyman800 said:


> You know what's the worst crawlspaces, the ones where you feel like you should be able to crawl on your hands and knees but you can't because it's a few inches too short and you'll get caught on all the joists, plus whatever is strapped to them, so you have to actually crawl around. But I FEEL like I should be able to get around on my hands and knees. They're the worst. A true story.


A good set of gel knee pads to save my knees from rocks, nails and anything else that I swear crawls under my knee when on the floor.....im sure your thinking crude comments too..LOL


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## ShtRnsdownhill

Snowyman800 said:


> Well then. There goes my idea of being an inspector. I'll stick with being a plumber and caulking my toilets down. Speaking of which, do you guys ALWAYS caulk your toilets down on wood floors?


I caulk all my toilets down, but leave a 1 inch space in the back, to let some air flow underneath, not much chance of any piss or stinky stuff getting in way in the back...plaster is useless, every toilet I ever lifted and was set in plaster stunk like rotten piss and the plaster turns to mush from the moisture..


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## tim666

What is the purpose of caulking the toilet to the floor. I never do it unless I have to shim the toilet 

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk


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## ShtRnsdownhill

tim666 said:


> What is the purpose of caulking the toilet to the floor. I never do it unless I have to shim the toilet
> 
> Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk


to keep it from moving around, the leverage on those 2 bolts are tremendous and will end up cracking the porcelain, and keeping piss and other crap from going under the toilet where it cant be cleaned..


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## plbgbiz

tim666 said:


> ...I never do it unless I have to shim the toilet...


Same here.


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## Snowyman800

ShtRnsdownhill said:


> A good set of gel knee pads to save my knees from rocks, nails and anything else that I swear crawls under my knee when on the floor.....im sure your thinking crude comments too..LOL


Same here. Mine are the basic $10 pair, though. Hard plastic shell on the outside. Good for muddy crawl spaces.


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## Snowyman800

plbgbiz said:


> Same here.


So what I was getting at is that we have a house we're doing, one in Oaktree by Edmond, and they have two toilets, both powder bathrooms, with wood floors. My boss told us me not to caulk them down because it won't look very good on the wood and in the long run, wood floors damaged from water seeping or leaking from the wax ring without being able to tell quickly. Edmond seems to be on top of stuff when it comes to enforcing code. So I'm not sure what we'll do about that. In my asking, ALWAYS, I was including wood floors there.


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## Qplumb

tim666 said:


> What is the purpose of caulking the toilet to the floor. I never do it unless I have to shim the toilet
> 
> Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk


It's required by code here, only on Comercial though. I don't caulk in residential either unless shimmed.


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## plbgbiz

Snowyman800 said:


> So what I was getting at is that we have a house we're doing, one in Oaktree by Edmond, and they have two toilets, both powder bathrooms, with wood floors. My boss told us me not to caulk them down because it won't look very good on the wood and in the long run, wood floors damaged from water seeping or leaking from the wax ring without being able to tell quickly. Edmond seems to be on top of stuff when it comes to enforcing code. So I'm not sure what we'll do about that. In my asking, ALWAYS, I was including wood floors there.


I wouldn't caulk a wood floor either.


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## sparky

plbgbiz said:


> Same here.


I don't caulk them either unless it has a huge gap:no:


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## BOBBYTUCSON

no cock for me either, but my one tool i cant go without is my kobalt willy light, 420's, 420 v jaw, ridgid teloscoping basin wrench with megaloc inside the wrectangle tube, and my ridgid multi tool with all its heads. best purchase ever


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## Snowyman800

BOBBYTUCSON said:


> no cock for me either, but my one tool i cant go without is my kobalt willy light, 420's, 420 v jaw, ridgid teloscoping basin wrench with megaloc inside the wrectangle tube, and my ridgid multi tool with all its heads. best purchase ever


The Ridgid multi-tool you have, is it the X4, 12 volt, or corded one? I've looked at that before. I've heard pretty decent things about it. I have Ridgid's cordless vacuum and I think it's probably the best for the price. I think I paid $50 for it. My boss has the Dewalt one and it has a smaller hose and doesn't have as much power. Mine will burn through batteries pretty quickly. It's the only thing I use my old X4 batteries for now, though. Compared to the Milwaukee and Dewalt, I think it has more power, a bigger hose, and more capacity. Now if only they came up with a better way to store the hose and nozzle, it would be perfect. Great for sucking water out of toilets and cleaning up my work area on finals and service calls if need be.


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## tim666

ShtRnsdownhill said:


> to keep it from moving around, the leverage on those 2 bolts are tremendous and will end up cracking the porcelain, and keeping piss and other crap from going under the toilet where it cant be cleaned..


It also ensures that any leak in the seal would have the piss and crap either trapped under the toilet or to go through the floor. I have refused many requests to seal it to the floor for those reasons and when I explain it to the homeowner they are fine with it. Even if for some reason I had to shim one on a hardwood floor I would never caulk it

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk


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## ShtRnsdownhill

tim666 said:


> It also ensures that any leak in the seal would have the piss and crap either trapped under the toilet or to go through the floor. I have refused many requests to seal it to the floor for those reasons and when I explain it to the homeowner they are fine with it. Even if for some reason I had to shim one on a hardwood floor I would never caulk it
> 
> Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk


well before you caulk the toilet to the floor, you should test it and make sure it doesnt leak, also why I leave a small 1 inch opening in the back of the toilet...but when their bathroom starts to smell like a mens room in a high school they will know why now..


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## Debo22

tim666 said:


> It also ensures that any leak in the seal would have the piss and crap either trapped under the toilet or to go through the floor. I have refused many requests to seal it to the floor for those reasons and when I explain it to the homeowner they are fine with it. Even if for some reason I had to shim one on a hardwood floor I would never caulk it
> 
> Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk


We always caulk them to the floor for the same reason Shtrnsdwnhil does, but to your point this does happen


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## Johnny Canuck

I was taught to never caulk them but then again I was taught to put the flange flush to the rough floor so there'd be no wobble.


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## Letterrip

I guess you guys have never worked with Miami flooring guys. The toilet will rock due to uneven flooring as well. All the toilets I install get grouted to tile floors and caulked to wood floors. All it takes I a little wobble to break that wax seal and cause a leak IMHO. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## KoleckeINC

Or UNCLE FRANK with his size and stature happens to come over.


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## Kpwplumb

I usually caulk but now I'm starting to think I shouldn't.


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## Cal

Channel locks, flashlight , pretty much everything in my Veto tool bag ( weighing in right around 60lbs) 
But the most important tool I keep is rarely use but so fantastic for service work ,, 
My 4- piece Wheeler- Rex pipe hog kit . Removes PVC or ABS safely from a fitting so you can move on ! 
http://www.toolfetch.com/wheeler-re...erm=wr-16010&gclid=CLOEjMzkycsCFZQbgQodjHkH2w


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## plumberkc

Cal said:


> Channel locks, flashlight , pretty much everything in my Veto tool bag ( weighing in right around 60lbs) But the most important tool I keep is rarely use but so fantastic for service work ,, My 4- piece Wheeler- Rex pipe hog kit . Removes PVC or ABS safely from a fitting so you can move on ! http://www.toolfetch.com/wheeler-rex-16010-pipe-hog-kit-with-extension-shaft.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cse&utm_term=wr-16010&gclid=CLOEjMzkycsCFZQbgQodjHkH2w


There is a trick to using these without breaking the hub. Not going to say what it is but I definitely had to learn the hard way.


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## KoleckeINC

I use the Reed brand. It's probably the best one. Passes a stack test no problem. 

For you sewer guys-these ratcheting tree pruners from Menards are the best thing I've found for cutting out 1-2" roots out of a trench excavation. It's got a telescoping handle too. I won't do another sewer repair without em.


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## spamispeople

Cal said:


> Channel locks, flashlight , pretty much everything in my Veto tool bag ( weighing in right around 60lbs)
> But the most important tool I keep is rarely use but so fantastic for service work ,,
> My 4- piece Wheeler- Rex pipe hog kit . Removes PVC or ABS safely from a fitting so you can move on !
> http://www.toolfetch.com/wheeler-re...erm=wr-16010&gclid=CLOEjMzkycsCFZQbgQodjHkH2w



I picked these up a few months ago, pretty damn disappointing...
Only tried 11/2" and 2" so far. Both left the fitting looser than loose.

I used the painters tape trick to tighten up the gap in the pipe and kept the drill straight as an arrow.


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## KoleckeINC

Here's the one I got. The Reed PPRK4 At first I used the pasco style-although I'm a huge pasco brand fan, 
I did a few repairs on some 3" and stack tested already. It was a little loose I imagine the more you use it the tighter the interference fit becomes. The cutting blade is a great design-one Allen key and 4 sides to the blade. I'd imagine if you were a little ocd you could file it down.


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## OpenSights

KoleckeINC said:


> I use the Reed brand. It's probably the best one. Passes a stack test no problem.
> 
> For you sewer guys-these ratcheting tree pruners from Menards are the best thing I've found for cutting out 1-2" roots out of a trench excavation. It's got a telescoping handle too. I won't do another sewer repair without em.


Had to go there today. Took a look at them.... they had an anvil style too for five bucks more. Thinking of picking one up for Tuesday's job. 

Thanks for the tip!


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## Eddy k

I like my rubbermaid cart with cup holder to haul all my crap into a building, also my cordless bandsaw.


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## OldNelly

Too many tools to list but a couple that often come in handy for me are the Ridgid basin wrench and the Larry light.


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