# propress 330...Cordless or cord?



## damnplumber (Jan 22, 2012)

I'm going to pull the trigger on a Propress Monday but I haven't decided between cordless or corded. If you have one or have spent time with one please chime in to offer pros and cons to help me with my choice.
Many thanks


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## GREENPLUM (Jul 27, 2008)

i like cordless


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## TX MECH PLUMBER (May 27, 2011)

Torch!!!! Or cordless. If you get corded you mite as well carry a b bottle around


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## JoshJ (May 10, 2012)

Go cordless. My boss had both, and I hated the corded one. When I bought my own, it is cordless, and it's great. No issues with the battery life pet charge either. Get lots of presses out of single charge.


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## dmar2053 (Feb 6, 2013)

I own a cordless and never had a problem with batery life... just beware after 32000 crimps the tool shuts off and needs to be factory recalibrated. Has anyone had any experience with the new milwaukee pro press?


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## dclarke (Dec 22, 2012)

How long does recalibration take ? Does everyone have more than 1 press in case it shuts off in the middle of a job ?


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## TX MECH PLUMBER (May 27, 2011)

No but you can solder can't ya ???


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## JoshJ (May 10, 2012)

dmar2053 said:


> I own a cordless and never had a problem with batery life... just beware after 2000 crimps the tool shuts off and needs to be factory recalibrated. Has anyone had any experience with the new milwaukee pro press?


It notifies you when that is getting near?


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## dclarke (Dec 22, 2012)

TX MECH PLUMBER said:


> No but you can solder can't ya ???


I never did learn to solder. I have never seen pro press around here. Its mostly cpvc so i don't think I'll have an issue with it anytime soon. Just a thought I had. Of course I can solder BTW.


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## HSI (Jun 3, 2011)

I have the cordless and the only two complaints I have are heavy and bulky. Besides that it work great.


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## Greenguy (Jan 22, 2011)

Cordless all the way doesn't matter if service or new install, there isn't always a decent power source near by. the batteries tend to last, but as said above it does weigh a ton, i think it was close to 60 pounds for my 330 case.


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## Pac Rim Plumber (Jun 23, 2010)

The company I work for has both. I prefer the corded after having the cordless shut down on a very hot day where is was being used almost none stop. The battery over heated and put us in a bind, but this is also in Kona Hi where it was a 95ndeg plus day on a roof. The corded though weighs a ton.


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## dmar2053 (Feb 6, 2013)

JoshJ said:


> It notifies you when that is getting near?


 
Nope, you can be right in the middle of a job and the pro press will shut off.


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## JoshJ (May 10, 2012)

dmar2053 said:


> Nope, you can be right in the middle of a job and the pro press will shut off.


 Seriously!?!? I am going to have to remember that. Going to take a look at mine. For whatever reason, I was sure that there was a light that came on when it was within a couple hundred crimps of needing recalibration. Might be making a call to the sales rep that sold it to me...:yes:


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## victoryplbaz (May 19, 2012)

Cordless!!! you can get it in tighter spots. I think mine gave me a warning when it was close to the time to recalibrate. Seemed like it beeped and flashed lights on the control part.


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## dmar2053 (Feb 6, 2013)

victoryplbaz said:


> Cordless!!! you can get it in tighter spots. I think mine gave me a warning when it was close to the time to recalibrate. Seemed like it beeped and flashed lights on the control part.


 
You might be right... I just know when it happened to me I didnt get a warning or maybe did not notice the warning


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## damnplumber (Jan 22, 2012)

*Thanks for the advice!*

Thank you for all your thoughts, I pulled the trigger on a used 330B 1/2-2" from e-bay and won the auction for $1509. Was that a good price? It will get here next week and I can't wait. After 28 years of sweating copper I guess it's time for change.


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## dhal22 (Jul 30, 2010)

Greenguy said:


> Cordless all the way doesn't matter if service or new install, there isn't always a decent power source near by. the batteries tend to last, but as said above it does weigh a ton, i think it was close to 60 pounds for my 330 case.


I only carry the 1/2 and 3/4" in the 330 box. The 1" - 2" stay in the van. Way too heavy to lug around.

David


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## Best Darn Sewer (Dec 23, 2012)

damnplumber said:


> Thank you for all your thoughts, I pulled the trigger on a used 330B 1/2-2" from e-bay and won the auction for $1509. Was that a good price? It will get here next week and I can't wait. After 28 years of sweating copper I guess it's time for change.


I'd have jumped on that price. I have been watching them for years hoping the price would come down from $2k to $2300 and it isn't going to. $1500 for a used one if it is good enough shape is a decent price.


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## Best Darn Sewer (Dec 23, 2012)

dclarke said:


> How long does recalibration take ? Does everyone have more than 1 press in case it shuts off in the middle of a job ?


Lots of supply houses, such as Fergusons, will let you borrow their loaner while the other is getting calibrated. That is assuming there is one near you and you have a good relationship with them or if you're buying all your pro press fittings from them. In my opinion there are very few occasions where propress wasn't a good fit and I had to solder. Only one I can think of was a boiler I was repiping and the supply house didn't have propress fitting mips and I had to solder an 1½ fitting mip into a tee so I could fit a new circ pump. But that's a rarity.


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## damnplumber (Jan 22, 2012)

Well I got it and it is in OK shape and seems to work just fine. I'm waiting for my first stock order of fittings 1/2, 3/4 & 1-inch to keep on my truck. Looking forward to putting this fine tool to work!


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## Best Darn Sewer (Dec 23, 2012)

damnplumber said:


> Well I got it and it is in OK shape and seems to work just fine. I'm waiting for my first stock order of fittings 1/2, 3/4 & 1-inch to keep on my truck. Looking forward to putting this fine tool to work!


You will end up saying, "Why did I wait so long to get one?!".


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## theplumbinator (Sep 6, 2012)

I plan on buying one this month I'm definitely going cordless, I'm up in the air between the ridgid or the Milwaukee. I know both will press up to 4" if you get the large fitting kit. But do they make mega press jaws for Milwaukee? Or only ridgid? I'm thinking the mega press is going to be the wave of the future for black pipe. Thoughts......


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## TX MECH PLUMBER (May 27, 2011)

theplumbinator said:


> I plan on buying one this month I'm definitely going cordless, I'm up in the air between the ridgid or the Milwaukee. I know both will press up to 4" if you get the large fitting kit. But do they make mega press jaws for Milwaukee? Or only ridgid? I'm thinking the mega press is going to be the wave of the future for black pipe. Thoughts......


It sucks. By the time you ream bevel and clean the coating off. Then have two guys hold and press. You could have threaded and screwed it in. No way in hell could you ever bid it against screw pipe and fittings. The mega press kit is around 2k to 2.5k. A 1 1/4 tee is around 40$. I can thread the hell out of pipe. Just as fast as prepping it to be pressed. And you do t save that much time not screwing it together. U still need the power head to cut and ream and now a good power drill to prep pipe !!!


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## Radium (Dec 25, 2010)

I've got a corded, just because I didn't want to deal with batteries. Up to 2 1/2" jaws, and I buy bigger jaws when I know a job is coming up that warrants a jigger jaw.

Sent from my iPad using PlumbingZone


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## theplumbinator (Sep 6, 2012)

TX MECH PLUMBER said:


> It sucks. By the time you ream bevel and clean the coating off. Then have two guys hold and press. You could have threaded and screwed it in. No way in hell could you ever bid it against screw pipe and fittings. The mega press kit is around 2k to 2.5k. A 1 1/4 tee is around 40$. I can thread the hell out of pipe. Just as fast as prepping it to be pressed. And you do t save that much time not screwing it together. U still need the power head to cut and ream and now a good power drill to prep pipe !!!


Yeah that does suck if i still have to drag the 300 out, might as well just thread at that point. Thanks for the insight.


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## TX MECH PLUMBER (May 27, 2011)

theplumbinator said:


> Yeah that does suck if i still have to drag the 300 out, might as well just thread at that point. Thanks for the insight.


No prob. The fittings fit loose you have to hold it and press. Not like a copper press fitting. You could cut in a tee with it say on a roof But still have to have a heavy 1/2" chuck drill to clean and bevel pipe They make all diff fittings even slip couplings It might have its place but I'm old school. I even used the bread trick on a yard line today !!!


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## kiddplum (Feb 7, 2010)

*propress 330 corded or cordless*

thanks tx mech plumber for the great input on the megapress system its always good to hear from first hand experience in the field how things really work


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## wyrickmech (Mar 16, 2013)

Cordless the tool is handy but buy the chain cutter if you do any cast iron work its sweet.


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