# Which pex crimper to buy.



## The Dane (Feb 19, 2015)

So I just started a new job where pex crimpers are something I have to supply myself and since I dont have them I have to buy 1/2" and 3/4" and I like this style of crimpers where you have the adjustment star up in the corner and the handle opens up half way and then pulls back to open up all the way.







I seem to find prices from $40 to $120 for one of those crimpers depending on what brand it is. is there a brand of that style of pex crimpers that you can recommend? Crimpers are to be used with normal copper rings.


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## BOBBYTUCSON (Feb 8, 2013)

do yourself a favor and buy the ridgid close-quarters crimpers, they are affordable compared to zurn and will outlast you.


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## Snowyman800 (Jan 7, 2016)

BOBBYTUCSON said:


> do yourself a favor and buy the ridgid close-quarters crimpers, they are affordable compared to zurn and will outlast you.


Oh, man. Gotta get me some of those. Looked it up and they seem nifty. We normally use Uponor stuff with the Milwaukee M12 expansion tool but sometimes we do small jobs or add-ons with crimp fittings. It always seems you have to crimp the first fitting in the smallest of spaces. Plus, Ridgid. I like how the gauge is also on the tool itself.


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## The Dane (Feb 19, 2015)

BOBBYTUCSON said:


> do yourself a favor and buy the ridgid close-quarters crimpers, they are affordable compared to zurn and will outlast you.


The ridgid ones seem to work the same way as zurn crimpers and basically have the same design so what exactly would make them better than zurn or other brands?


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## BOBBYTUCSON (Feb 8, 2013)

The Dane said:


> The ridgid ones seem to work the same way as zurn crimpers and basically have the same design so what exactly would make them better than zurn or other brands?




price, integral gonogo guage, and the thicker red grip handles really give more leverage on tough crimps in tight areas in my opinion. and price ofcourse


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## BOBBYTUCSON (Feb 8, 2013)

Snowyman800 said:


> Oh, man. Gotta get me some of those. Looked it up and they seem nifty. We normally use Uponor stuff with the Milwaukee M12 expansion tool but sometimes we do small jobs or add-ons with crimp fittings. It always seems you have to crimp the first fitting in the smallest of spaces. Plus, Ridgid. I like how the gauge is also on the tool itself.


im a big fan of wirsbo too infact i prefer using my m12 over crimp aswell, but lately i got a killer deal on cash acme pex and have been crimping the **** out of everything, especially mobile homes. i rufuse to bring expander under mobile homes anymore because dirt and dust gets in the cone head and jams the **** outbof my milwaukee expander


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## ShtRnsdownhill (Jan 13, 2016)

the rigids are made in twain and over priced and the rest made in china....
http://www.amazon.com/IWISS-Plumbin...58037946&sr=1-19&keywords=iwiss+crimping+tool
I bought these and they work great and are plenty heavy duty...the lower star rating is because the people buying didnt see you could order a set of 2 or a set of 3, and complained they only got 2 crimpers..but all said they worked good...


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## spcwaters (Jan 27, 2016)

Can't beat these IMO


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## Qplumb (Dec 19, 2015)

I switched from crimp to cinch about a year ago. Rings are about 30 cents a piece but hold much tighter and you don't have to worry about tool loosening up. I use wirsbo on bigger jobs.


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## Snowyman800 (Jan 7, 2016)

Hey, I forgot about these. I found these yesterday in a crawl space. It looks like they've been there awhile. A little oil and care and I'm sure they'll be as good as new.


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## Snowyman800 (Jan 7, 2016)

Snowyman800 said:


> Hey, I forgot about these. I found these yesterday in a crawl space. It looks like they've been there awhile. A little oil and care and I'm sure they'll be as good as new.


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## Johnny Canuck (Feb 24, 2015)

Just my $.02 - I've found it depends on region. In Cape Breton it seemed like everyone used Uponor and the cinch and crimp ring were for hacks. Here in Newfoundland everyone seems to use crimp and are so/so about cinch. Only 1 or 2 places sell Uponor without it being special order.
As for crimp rings I got a good deal on a new set of Ridgid close quarters crimpers and they work great. 3/4" will give you Popeye forearms.


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## spcwaters (Jan 27, 2016)

Johns_TPS said:


> Just my $.02 - I've found it depends on region. In Cape Breton it seemed like everyone used Uponor and the cinch and crimp ring were for hacks. Here in Newfoundland everyone seems to use crimp and are so/so about cinch. Only 1 or 2 places sell Uponor without it being special order.
> As for crimp rings I got a good deal on a new set of Ridgid close quarters crimpers and they work great. 3/4" will give you Popeye forearms.



We've had a few people at the supply house around there trying to talk up the cinch rings, I'm not sure about em. I still use the crimp. I don't trust the cinch rings. 

Nothing will ever feel as good as a sweat joint though..


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## spcwaters (Jan 27, 2016)

Snowyman800 said:


>



Those look like the Mil3's, I've heard good things. 


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## ShtRnsdownhill (Jan 13, 2016)

I like the crimp ring, never had a failure or problems, the cinch rings look flimsy to me and they could uncinch..lol... but everyone has their favorites...


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## BOBBYTUCSON (Feb 8, 2013)

Qplumb said:


> I switched from crimp to cinch about a year ago. Rings are about 30 cents a piece but hold much tighter and you don't have to worry about tool loosening up. I use wirsbo on bigger jobs.


i cinch to with zurn quick clamps, but ive went through 2 of these dam tools, one of them locked up out of the box within 5 crimps


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## BOBBYTUCSON (Feb 8, 2013)

ShtRnsdownhill said:


> I like the crimp ring, never had a failure or problems, the cinch rings look flimsy to me and they could uncinch..lol... but everyone has their favorites...


nah the stainless stell zurn quick clamps are bullet proof, they are not popping off, try cutting one of them off a fitting with a pair of dikes and you will understand


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## GREENPLUM (Jul 27, 2008)

I use the mil3, made in America


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## paultheplumber1 (May 1, 2014)

The stainless cinch clamps hold up better to the salty air near the ocean. The key is buying the decent tool. I've been fooled by the 1/2 price Apollo ones twice. Now I just buy the watts tool.


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## The Dane (Feb 19, 2015)

I think I will go with the mil3 crimpers.


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## GREENPLUM (Jul 27, 2008)

The Dane said:


> I think I will go with the mil3 crimpers.


Smart decision


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## Snowyman800 (Jan 7, 2016)

We have the same ones, the Mil3, and those are the ones I also found in the crawlspace. My boss took them and said he was going to go soak them and see if he could get them cleaned up. When I first started we used to use the stainless steel cinch rings for only setting angle and straight stops. But then jobs he had done in the past entirely with stainless steel rings, before he switched over to Wirsbo, started leaking because of the stainless steel rings failing, and I've heard the same thing from other people around here as well. After that we switched over to using the Mil3 with copper crimp rings. Having one tool for doing 1/2" and 3/4" crimp rings is handy but maybe there's something here that affects the stainless steel rings. Of course this was also when my boss was on his dezincification spree so he was a little leery of using anything brass that wasn't Wirsbo.


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## Qplumb (Dec 19, 2015)

I switched to the cinch rings because I started fixing lots of leaks on the copper crimp rings. Must be temperatures and water conditions from area to area. The cinch rings seem to hold a lot tighter though.


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## Workhorseplmg (Apr 10, 2013)

I use cinch for about the last 5 years, Wirsbo before that. Only problem with the cinch is proper alignment, and checking calibration on your tools. I have seen a lot of failures on copper crimps and Zurn stainless cinch rings. By a lot of failures i mean too many for me to sleep good at night.


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## Snowyman800 (Jan 7, 2016)

I don't know if the crimper for the stainless steel rings ever has to be recalibrated but maybe that's why there was leaks showing up with the copper bands, they didn't keep the tool in check and so the band's weren't tight as they needed to be.


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## ShtRnsdownhill (Jan 13, 2016)

the bottom line is..you cant blame the tools or equipment for poor installation....I would guess 95+% of failure is because of poor installation..and that isnt because the installer didnt care, they just didnt check to see if the tools are being used or adjusted properly by their apprentice or other mechanics..I have seen well meaning people screw up a wet dream ..


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## skoronesa (Oct 27, 2015)

We have these viega pex crimpers, they work great. We never have a bad fitting, the only issues happen if you don't use it right and in which case it is obvious. Price on the crimpers is a bit high but they are made by panduit and I guess since panduit's electrical crimpers cost 500$+ most of the time I suppose they are well priced. We have been using them for years and I have yet to hear a mention of calibration and we have zero issues.

I don't like the stainless bands, I have seen them fail, they don't seem much better than a pipe clamp, and at least those are replaceable with a 4$ nut driver and not a 100$ tool.


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## The Dane (Feb 19, 2015)

skoronesa said:


> We have these viega pex crimpers, they work great. We never have a bad fitting, the only issues happen if you don't use it right and in which case it is obvious. Price on the crimpers is a bit high but they are made by panduit and I guess since panduit's electrical crimpers cost 500$+ most of the time I suppose they are well priced. We have been using them for years and I have yet to hear a mention of calibration and we have zero issues.
> 
> I don't like the stainless bands, I have seen them fail, they don't seem much better than a pipe clamp, and at least those are replaceable with a 4$ nut driver and not a 100$ tool.


I have used those viega crimpers when I repiped my own house and I thought they were too long and not able to get in tight spots so I do not like them. I do however love using viega crimp jaws with the ridgid propress and the vuega fitting that come with a ring on them ready to go. I wish I could work with viega again but my boss don't like that we can't buy them anywhere in town so we would have to wait a day or two if we were to be out of a fitting.


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## skoronesa (Oct 27, 2015)

They are a bit long but one of the handles does this thing where it partially folds in. Even with that it can be a pain sometimes but they never leak so I guess that's more important. We also have the ridgid crimper for them.


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## goeswiththeflow (Feb 24, 2018)

You are about to get your pipe crimped, big time.


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## sparky (Jan 8, 2014)

goeswiththeflow said:


> You are about to get your pipe crimped, big time.
> [/QUOTE
> 
> ?????????


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## The cable guy (Oct 31, 2020)

Judging by the fact that the previous post was 5 years before it was probably a reaction to a spammer


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## Tango (Jan 13, 2018)

The cable guy said:


> Judging by the fact that the previous post was 5 years before it was probably a reaction to a spammer


Deleted 4 of them today.

Oh wait one more just now, make that 5


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## KCPlumb (Oct 26, 2021)

I use stainless cinch rings. 1 tool for 1/2" through 1-1/4"


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## BRPguy21 (Jan 15, 2021)

So I went to bid a job today. Owners want pex and I have been doing small stuff by hand with my pex crimper. But I was looking at Milwaukee matrix and says that the Ridgid compact jaws fit the M12 propress tool. Anyone have experience in them working?


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## skoronesa (Oct 27, 2015)

BRPguy21 said:


> So I went to bid a job today. Owners want pex and I have been doing small stuff by hand with my pex crimper. But I was looking at Milwaukee matrix and says that the Ridgid compact jaws fit the M12 propress tool. Anyone have experience in them working?


We have the compact ridgid tool and use it to crimp pex all the time. Personally I prefer to use the hand crimper because it's less weight to carry. I am always on service so I don't do many pex joints. The install guys love being able to use the propress tool on pex. I mostly use it for copper.


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## BRPguy21 (Jan 15, 2021)

skoronesa said:


> We have the compact ridgid tool and use it to crimp pex all the time. Personally I prefer to use the hand crimper because it's less weight to carry. I am always on service so I don't do many pex joints. The install guys love being able to use the propress tool on pex. I mostly use it for copper.


Thanks for the reply. I might just keep going with the hand crimper. See how it goes.


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## skoronesa (Oct 27, 2015)

BRPguy21 said:


> Thanks for the reply. I might just keep going with the hand crimper. See how it goes.


Keep in mind, I think there's different pex jaws for different brands of crimp rings. We use Viega so our crimp jaws have a groove carved in.


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## SchmitzPlumbing (May 5, 2014)

hand crimpers suck. milwaukee m18. zurn rings with stops. crimp 1 inch all day in 10 degree weather by hand and you will thank me.


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## Logtec (Jun 3, 2018)

For the most part, now we’re/I’m using
PEX-a with a Milwaukee M12 expanding tool, for rough-Ins, recipes etc..

Other then that, for PEX-b: this








this is what I use for 95% of my 1/2”-3/4”
PEX-b crimping jobs.
It’s fast and easy, some times you have to plan a few crimps ahead of your self so you don’t get stuck in a space you can’t use this crimper in- but as a plumber you should be able to figure that out your self.
I have a smaller crimper with unlockable jaws for tight spaces.


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## skoronesa (Oct 27, 2015)

SchmitzPlumbing said:


> hand crimpers suck. milwaukee m18. zurn rings with stops. crimp 1 inch all day in 10 degree weather by hand and you will thank me.


If I end up crimping pex all day I will quit haha

I hate getting stuck on a jobsite day after day, and I hate that we install plastic tubing.


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