# Review on m12 PEX expander



## RW Plumbing (Aug 16, 2010)

I tried out my new M12 Pex expander by milwaukee today.. This thing rocks. It is incredibly fast to expand pex and is actually a good value at 400 bucks. It comes with all heads and it actually comes with 2 batteries. Most Milwaukee 12v come with only 1 battery and at 50 bucks a peice it's nice it comes with two. 

I would recommed this to anyone using the Uponor system.


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## LEAD INGOT (Jul 15, 2009)

RW Plumbing said:


> I tried out my new M12 Pex expander by milwaukee today.. This thing rocks. It is incredibly fast to expand pex and is actually a good value at 400 bucks. It comes with all heads and it actually comes with 2 batteries. Most Milwaukee 12v come with only 1 battery and at 50 bucks a peice it's nice it comes with two.
> 
> I would recommed this to anyone using the Uponor system.


 How many expansions can you get per battery?


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## RW Plumbing (Aug 16, 2010)

I don't know yet. I did about 20 today of 1/2" and the battery was still going. I will have to let you know when I have a complete repipe with it, how many expansions it gets. I would say it is definately enough to never run out of, if you have one battery on the charger and one in the tool.


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## LEAD INGOT (Jul 15, 2009)

RW Plumbing said:


> I don't know yet. I did about 20 today of 1/2" and the battery was still going. I will have to let you know when I have a complete repipe with it, how many expansions it gets. I would say it is definately enough to never run out of, if you have one battery on the charger and one in the tool.


 I think I'm going to order one. Contractor Access has them with 2 batts, charger, and case for $375.00 no tax. And I scored a ton of M12 batteries wicked cheap at a local hardware store.


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## RW Plumbing (Aug 16, 2010)

I'm suprised contractors access carries them since they don't carry any wirsbo pex. Or do they and i'm just missing it. If they do that would be great. They have very good pricing on lots of materials.


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## plumbpro (Mar 10, 2010)

RW Plumbing said:


> I'm suprised contractors access carries them since they don't carry any wirsbo pex. Or do they and i'm just missing it. If they do that would be great. They have very good pricing on lots of materials.


No, no wirsbo, I asked a few months ago.


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## suzie (Sep 1, 2010)

Uponor hedquarter's is in Apple Valley Minnesota. However most plumbing contractors around here don't use Uponor. When it gets cold and installation is performed. Lot's of times hard to get air test on systems. That is a nice tool though


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## plumbpro (Mar 10, 2010)

suzie said:


> Uponor hedquarter's is in Apple Valley Minnesota. However most plumbing contractors around here don't use Uponor. When it gets cold and installation is performed. Lot's of times hard to get air test on systems. That is a nice tool though


It is harder to install in the cold, especially brass fittings. I usually heat the brass fittings a little before I put the pex on, I keep the plastic fittings in my pockets to keep them warm.


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## RW Plumbing (Aug 16, 2010)

It might take time to contract but it seems like a much more foolproof system than the crimp rings. You don't have to worry about getting the ring in the wrong place.


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## plumbpro (Mar 10, 2010)

RW Plumbing said:


> It might take time to contract but it seems like a much more foolproof system than the crimp rings. You don't have to worry about getting the ring in the wrong place.


Is this an issue with crimp ring pex systems?


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

plumbpro said:


> Is this an issue with crimp ring pex systems?


Sounds more like an installer issue to me...:whistling2:


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## bartnc37 (Feb 24, 2009)

I use the copper crimp rings with a mil spec crimper and you gotta work to get a bad crimp, as londgas you hit the fitting it will hold. I liked the expansion for somethings but for doing service it sure is nice to hit the crimper and turn the water back on with no waiting, plus expansion rings slide like a biotch when they get wet, i can usually get em to hold but its a pita that the crimp rigs avoid entirely.


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## RW Plumbing (Aug 16, 2010)

Crimp rings slide all over the place too. And the tools need to be calibrated every so often to insure a proper crimp. You do use your go-no go gauge on EVERY crimp don't you..... Thats all eliminated with a expansion system. You're right Red, it is an installer issue. It's easy when your doing hundereds of joints to get lazy on one or forget a crimp. It when your dry fitting stuff or working with lots of pex in a tight space.

You cannot dry fit expansion pipe. With all that being said, I have never had a failure with the crimp ring style. I just figured it was a matter of time before I did.


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## RW Plumbing (Aug 16, 2010)

UPDATE: I smoked my pex expander today after only the second usage. I got some water in it and smoke started coming out it will be sent back to Milwaukee tomorrow. Luckly for me, Milwaukee's repair factory is in Milwaukee WI, where I live. I'll keep you posted on what happens with it.


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## SewerRatz (Apr 25, 2009)

I was wondering which batteris came with it? The standard I seen for 40 bucks, and the extendad one goes for 70 bucks.

The standard one? Or the extended battery?


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## U666A (Dec 11, 2010)

Had a rep from uponor come to our jobsite a few years ago to give us a demo of their state of the art 14.4v expanding tool. The battery died during the demo... What a heap. The contractor I work for bought 2 of them and inside of a month we were using Hand expanders and elbow grease. At the time I would have killed for a quality aftermarket equivalent but one could not be found nearby. I think we paid something ridiculous like $1200 each for those stupid things. 

I haven't a tremendous amount of experience with crimp style pex as my typical jobs, mostly institutional and industrial, spec copper. I understand for the service/small business guys, that pex is a wonderful thing for cutting labour/material costs, but I have copper in my veins and that is what I will always install if given the choice.

BTW, the ring slippage when wet is an issue that I have encountered many times and I too find it a pain in the ass.

I love this app


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## RW Plumbing (Aug 16, 2010)

SewerRatz said:


> I was wondering which batteris came with it? The standard I seen for 40 bucks, and the extendad one goes for 70 bucks.
> 
> The standard one? Or the extended battery?


 
It comes with the new red lithium ion battery. Not the extended life one though.


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## Studman420 (Dec 4, 2010)

Hope to get one of those after Christmas looks like it could really get into some tight places would be nice for those tuff remodels


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## Castiron (May 4, 2010)

Used this tool last week at work - excellent battery life for 1/2 and 3/4 pex - not great for 1" in (cold weather?) - found I wa running short of juice a few times. I'd get a few more batteries and keep them nearby if I was doing a lot of it every day.


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## Studman420 (Dec 4, 2010)

Thanx for the info. I was wondering how the batt lev was


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## rocksteady (Oct 8, 2008)

RW Plumbing said:


> UPDATE: I smoked my pex expander today after only the second usage. I got some water in it and smoke started coming out it will be sent back to Milwaukee tomorrow. Luckly for me, Milwaukee's repair factory is in Milwaukee WI, where I live. I'll keep you posted on what happens with it.


Some water as in drenched or a few drips? I'm really interested in how weatherproof this tool is since I do service and there's ALWAYS water in the lines.






Paul


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## Widdershins (Feb 5, 2011)

Castiron said:


> Used this tool last week at work - excellent battery life for 1/2 and 3/4 pex - not great for 1" in (cold weather?) - found I wa running short of juice a few times. I'd get a few more batteries and keep them nearby if I was doing a lot of it every day.


 I've had nothing but trouble expanding 1" with this tool.

The 21 to 24 expansions needed to reach the right level of expansion heats up the expander head, which causes the tubing to begin shrinking immediately, sometimes before you can get the fitting inserted.

I have to say I'm not very happy with it at the moment.


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## Widdershins (Feb 5, 2011)

U.A.til.I.die said:


> BTW, the ring slippage when wet is an issue that I have encountered many times and I too find it a pain in the ass.


 You're talking about the Wirsbo system, right?

I carry a roll of Electricians friction tape in my truck for rainy days here in soggy Washington State -- A few turns of tape right behind the ring will keep it from riding up.


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## SlickRick (Sep 3, 2009)

Widdershins said:


> You're talking about the Wirsbo system, right?
> 
> I carry a roll of Electricians friction tape in my truck for rainy days here in soggy Washington State -- A few turns of tape right behind the ring will keep it from riding up.


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## RW Plumbing (Aug 16, 2010)

rocksteady said:


> Some water as in drenched or a few drips? I'm really interested in how weatherproof this tool is since I do service and there's ALWAYS water in the lines.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


It wasn't a whole lot of water. I would expect better for a tool that's designed to be used with water piping.


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## U666A (Dec 11, 2010)

Widdershins said:


> You're talking about the Wirsbo system, right?
> 
> I carry a roll of Electricians friction tape in my truck for rainy days here in soggy Washington State -- A few turns of tape right behind the ring will keep it from riding up.


That idea doesn't sound half bad. I might try that in the future if necessary. Thankfully I'm on a job where I won't have to put down the turbo torch for another year or so (except for the fusion weld pp)
Thanks for the tip WS.


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## Epox (Sep 19, 2010)

plumbpro said:


> Is this an issue with crimp ring pex systems?


You can have a missed crimped joint if not careful, darn phone ringing, other distractions. It happens. I do one joint one ring at a time, takes little more time but no crimp misses. With Uponor no such thing as a dry socket.


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## Will (Jun 6, 2010)

bartnc37 said:


> I use the copper crimp rings with a mil spec crimper and you gotta work to get a bad crimp, as londgas you hit the fitting it will hold. I liked the expansion for somethings but for doing service it sure is nice to hit the crimper and turn the water back on with no waiting, plus expansion rings slide like a biotch when they get wet, i can usually get em to hold but its a pita that the crimp rigs avoid entirely.



The newer rings don't slide when wet anymore. The fixed that problem over a year or so ago. The newer rings can only be installed in one detection, they have a slight lip on one side to keep from sliding.


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## rocksteady (Oct 8, 2008)

Will said:


> The newer rings don't slide when wet anymore. The fixed that problem over a year or so ago. The newer rings can only be installed in one detection, they have a slight lip on one side to keep from sliding.


I was wondering what all the fuss was about because I haven't seen the "sliding" rings for a long time. I love the new rings. Add in the m12 expander and you've got a true one hand expansion.







Paul


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## Widdershins (Feb 5, 2011)

rocksteady said:


> I was wondering what all the fuss was about because I haven't seen the "sliding" rings for a long time. I love the new rings. Add in the m12 expander and you've got a true one hand expansion.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 As far as I know, the new rings with stops aren't available in 1" and above.


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