# T-drill -verus propress- verus soldering



## gordos610 (May 30, 2009)

Hi there everyone, I hope you guys are staying a float.I come on once in awhile to get or give advice. Well i been awarded 2 jobs . one is a golden corral . The other is a old folks home . So to the question. I been reading and talking to some other contractors that said propress is a great labor saver . But some places forbbiden the use of it on the job site. Now 20 years ago. I worked with a guy on a school job . and he used a T-drill. 
What do you think of the T-drill. I heard the only down fall was guys loosing some parts to it. I will have cut in over 100 tees . I love to solder but i am trying to change my ways (pex) (gas tite) and so on. So any opinions on this problem would help. As always good luck staying a float . there is a couple of plumbing shops that has went under cause they did not change with the new economy


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## Boundry (Jul 14, 2012)

I've used Tdrill before on jobs and it is a real money saver if your pulling tees out of larger lines 
2" and up. However if your guy isn't trained proper in its use you will damage the machine when your extracting tees from larger lines and repairs to a tee drill cost thousands.


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## DesertOkie (Jul 15, 2011)

First time I have heard of it. I don't do enough copper to make it worth it, but it does sound cool.


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## Gettinit (May 9, 2012)

DesertOkie said:


> First time I have heard of it. I don't do enough copper to make it worth it, but it does sound cool.


Its cool if you have a plumber that can braze worth a [email protected] Many around here cannot unless they do oxygen.


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## ironandfire (Oct 9, 2008)

Do you own the tool ?


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## Boundry (Jul 14, 2012)

Tdrills are expensive, a new t-60 with all the heads can run about 6000. It's also not a tool you pick up from toolbarn or whatever. You gave to contact the rep for your area and deal direct with them


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## gordos610 (May 30, 2009)

Yes i do have a couple of guys that can braze. 
about 80 out of 100 tees are on a 2" line . the other 20 or so will be 2 1/2 and 3" copper
I found a couple for sale from 1000 to 2500 . The one i was looking at is the t55 . i was hoping that would take care of my needs. Thanks again for your opinions. On a side note , it does feel good that i stop all the phone book ads. Now when i drive down the road and see the book sitting rotting away .I can now just laugh and keep driveing:thumbup:


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## DesertOkie (Jul 15, 2011)

Gettinit said:


> Its cool if you have a plumber that can braze worth a [email protected] Many around here cannot unless they do oxygen.



Do you guys braze over 2" ?


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## Gettinit (May 9, 2012)

DesertOkie said:


> Do you guys braze over 2" ?


2" brass is the biggest I have had to braze. Refrigeration lines in a hospital.

You were talking about me personally, right. The HVAC mechanical guys around here will smoke most any plumber.


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## DesertOkie (Jul 15, 2011)

Gettinit said:


> 2" brass is the biggest I have had to braze. Refrigeration lines in a hospital.
> 
> You were talking about me personally, right. The HVAC mechanical guys around here will smoke most any plumber.



In AZ we had to braze over 2" and anything underground. I didn't know if it was everyone. 

I don't mind brazing but it's a damn bit slower than soldiering, or so it seems to me. The T-drill looks like it would be great for existing tie-ins.


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## Gettinit (May 9, 2012)

DesertOkie said:


> In AZ we had to braze over 2" and anything underground. I didn't know if it was everyone.
> 
> I don't mind brazing but it's a damn bit slower than soldiering, or so it seems to me. The T-drill looks like it would be great for existing tie-ins.


It should be done on any underground when under concrete or asphalt. It was code hear that way but I would need to review it here. It has been several years since I ran a copper main. I have been getting undercut on bids.


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## RealLivePlumber (Jun 22, 2008)

I'd ProPress the shiot out of it.


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## PrecisePlumbing (Jan 31, 2011)

Might sound strange but have you heard of a bent bolt? Its basically a concreters pin bent in a not extreme z ish shape. Drill hole, anneal with heat then beat the hole into the shape you need, get expanders in the hole and voila T pulled. I do i pretty regularly for half inch in a 1 1/2 up to 4 inch in a 6 inch. Brazing only though. Once you have a few goes of it you can get pretty quick at it and no expensive tools needed


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## DesertOkie (Jul 15, 2011)

PrecisePlumbing said:


> Might sound strange but have you heard of a bent bolt? Its basically a concreters pin bent in a not extreme z ish shape. Drill hole, anneal with heat then beat the hole into the shape you need, get expanders in the hole and voila T pulled. I do i pretty regularly for half inch in a 1 1/2 up to 4 inch in a 6 inch. Brazing only though. Once you have a few goes of it you can get pretty quick at it and no expensive tools needed



Take some pics next time, that would be interesting to see.


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## Gettinit (May 9, 2012)

PrecisePlumbing said:


> Might sound strange but have you heard of a bent bolt? Its basically a concreters pin bent in a not extreme z ish shape. Drill hole, anneal with heat then beat the hole into the shape you need, get expanders in the hole and voila T pulled. I do i pretty regularly for half inch in a 1 1/2 up to 4 inch in a 6 inch. Brazing only though. Once you have a few goes of it you can get pretty quick at it and no expensive tools needed


Will this process pass code if the knew you did it that way, I can't see it.


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## deerslayer (Mar 29, 2012)

Gettinit said:


> 2" brass is the biggest I have had to braze. Refrigeration lines in a hospital.
> 
> You were talking about me personally, right. The HVAC mechanical guys around here will smoke most any plumber.


Not here my friend! Did a job 3 years ago where we changed every medical gas valve in a hospital in one night 300 plus valves IIRC it was all hands on deck and our entire plumbing andhvac staff was there. We smoked them with our turbo torches and superior field experience. I had to stay late and fix their leaks. Around here all medical gas is brazed and usually installed by plumbers with a medgas cert so we are pretty good at brazing!


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## PrecisePlumbing (Jan 31, 2011)

Gettinit said:


> Will this process pass code if the knew you did it that way, I can't see it.


Its basically the same process as a mechanical t puller but not as expensive. It takes a tad more skill and is a little slower but not by much. The end result looks and works identically. Its perfectly acceptable here and i would be shocked if it wasn't there. Sometimes cutting a t in is just not an option without gibolts and flanges. 
We also beat out copper drain junctions every now and then but not often. The next time im running a reticulated copper system ill do a few pics as i pull some branches.


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## Toan Nguyen (Aug 19, 2011)

I have T drill ( T 55 ), I bough several year ago and do only one job (about 40 Tee fittings . It still in perfect condition , it sits in my shop and I no longer use it . Any body interest ? Call me at 620-276-8266


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## Boundry (Jul 14, 2012)

Toan Nguyen said:


> I have T drill ( T 55 ), I bough several year ago and do only one job (about 40 Tee fittings . It still in perfect condition , it sits in my shop and I no longer use it . Any body interest ? Call me at 620-276-8266


What you thinken for price


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## Boundry (Jul 14, 2012)

How much


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## CaberTosser (Mar 7, 2013)

I used a T-drill around 1989-1990 pulling branches into a 4" domestic cold line in a brand new high school. I also swaged hubs into the ends of the pipe to save couplings, to do so I had to heat the pipe cherry-red with a rosebud tip on an oxy-acetylene torch and hammer in a tool that had expanding 'fingers' kind of like a machinists collet. The lines I got in there were fine, though I missed finishing stage on the building due to my first stint at apprenticeship school. I'd not hesitate to use one again, they're fairly easy to operate.


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## newyorkcity (Nov 25, 2010)

I have a T Drill, and it is great. Used it to branch off of a 2 1/2" tp copper pipe. 
If you are going to pull your own tees, you need the tool that comes with it that dimples and cuts 2 oval pieces off the edge of the pipe so there is no protrusion into the line.


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## wyrickmech (Mar 16, 2013)

We cannot use the t drill here anymore all branches must be made with fitting


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## TX MECH PLUMBER (May 27, 2011)

I've used a tee puller system and lots if times just used a uni bit and drilled a hole and then insert pipe and braze the chit out of it. 15% sil flos is strong as hell I can do 1" on 2" and up. 

As far as brazing goes I can braze two donkey tails together if I had two!! No way some a/c guy that brazed maybe 1 1/8" and down can hang when I've brazed 4" for weeks straight


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## wyrickmech (Mar 16, 2013)

Brazing the big stuff is quite enjoyable until you realizes you have burnt your eyes from all the heat . Happened to me brazing 6 in chill water lines in a printing press plant.


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## TX MECH PLUMBER (May 27, 2011)

Glasses. Homie tinted or clear And yes the bigger the braze the bigger the fun


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## plumber101us (Feb 25, 2013)

having also done a lot of HVAC- REFRIG work I have brazed a lot and found it to be a stronger joint I have also used a T Drill with lots of success on big commercial jobs


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## MDPlumber1977 (Mar 4, 2013)

Love me some T-Drillling. I use it whenever I have any line over 2" That requires a small to mid tap. Why buy a 4"x 1/2" Tee when you can just pull it and braze it. One thing that I learned the hard way is that larger (thicker) copper should be annealed in the location of the tap before drilling and extracting. Makes the whole process easier.


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## wyrickmech (Mar 16, 2013)

The one draw back to tee drilling is it does make the integrity of the copper slightly less ,any side movement can and will break the pipe just past the joint. That is why they will not allow it here anymore.


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## plumbing ninja (Jan 15, 2012)

See it thru the eyes of Forest Gump..
"Mama says plumbing fittins are like the wooden block set o kitchen knives! Knives for a slicin, knives for a peelin, knives for a choppin. Mama likes the #2 big knife for choppin onions n tomatoes, choppin just bout anythin! Jenny she likes them little knives for choppin onions n tomatoes. Colonel Dang well he likes them big ol meat cleavers for choppin just like back in the Nam when we was lookin for Charlie!" Everyone has diffent likin as long as them greens are chopped I don't mind!
T Drill vs propress vs soldering..."horses for courses" or "weapon of choice"


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