Of the trades, plumbing is both respected and feared. You can’t argue that you have tradesmen good at this job, or Pros who would rather do anything else. Our plumbers tool reviews target professionals and help them know which new products are helpful in real-world jobs. We cover power tools like the Milwaukee M18 Force Logic brushless press tool and Milwaukee M12 ProPEX installation tool. We also test hand tools such as the Ridgid Close Quarters PEX crimp tools and the BernzOmatic Quickfire Torch. Then there are articles which over important topics like comparing copper piping vs PEX tubing. How We Do Plumbers Tool Reviews Our plumbers tool reviews frequently use professionals who do plumbing jobs every day. Put a new tool into their hands and you find out very quickly if it holds up. Plumbers may have a lot of patience when tracking down leaks, but they don’t tolerate a bad tool for long. Some of the best experiences we have involve handing these Pros new hand tools designed to save time. When they work, we see huge smiles (and they see dollar signs as they save time on the job). That’s a big win for everybody.
Clean Cuts in Seconds The Knipex Tubix Pipe Cutter caught our attention this week and looks like a fresh take on an old idea. The lightweight magnesium tool lets you make clean, one-handed cuts in 1/4″ to 1-3/8″ copper, brass, and stainless steel pipe. It also gives you a built-in tool for deburring fresh cuts […]
We caught a sneak peek at a new Bosch Cordless 18V Band Saw in this month’s Popular Mechanics magazine. It looks to be a very compact unit that sports an ergonomic grip and weighs much less (just 7.7 lbs including the 18V battery) than comparable products from Milwaukee Electric Tool (about 10.5 lbs). For overhead use – common in electrical work, this is going to be an amazingly advantageous tool. The 18V lithium-ion battery sits above the handle, rather than below it, giving it a weight-forward feel and aiding in vertically-oriented cuts. Like most 18V tools, the Bosch Cordless Band Saw has a safety switch that needs to be pressed before the trigger releases to power the saw.
Aside from references to the popular 1987 movie Predator, how thermal imagers work hasn’t gotten a lot of mainstream attention. In the past several years, dropping prices have seen their increased use in troubleshooting. There’s a good reason for that. Thermal imaging has always been in transition. A lot of recent technological changes have really […]
As a remodeling contractor, I learned early on that containing remodeling dust and keeping that dust out of the non-remodeled portion of your client’s home is often more important than the quality of your work. It’s a fact that construction transports fine dust particles into parts of your home that are not being worked on. […]
The outstanding DeWalt 60V FlexVolt Cordless Pipe Threader showcases the company’s solid sense of design and attention to detail. This tool category is quite new, but it really seems like DeWalt thought of everything. Electricians, plumbers, mechanical technicians, sprinkler installers, and other Pros can rejoice that the days of manual threading or running miles of […]
The Milwaukee MX FUEL sewer drum machine (MXF501-1CP) simplifies sewer calls, letting a single person tackle a 200-foot auger job. Even better, the proprietary PowerTredz system turns the tool into a veritable tank. It lets the onboard battery drive the sewer drum in and out of a service van or even up and down the […]
Tough Angles? No Problem for Crescent K9 Angle Access Jaws Plumbers don’t often get the most ideal workspaces. In fact, it’s rare when they get unrestricted access to, say, a leaky pipe. Rather, plumbers often have to find the leverage they need from harsh angles, which often results in the wrench slipping off the pipe […]
Milwaukee Adds a Cable Drive to the Switch Pack Family Plumbers already experiencing the magic that the M18 Fuel Switch Pack sectional drum system brings to the job site now have something else to get excited about. The Milwaukee cable drive assembly (model 47-53-2774) attaches to the Switch Pack to provide Pros the ability to […]
Put a Linear Drain Anywhere Infinity Drain has simplified barrier-free bathroom design with the recently released Universal Infinity Drain. The new linear drain design is compatible with every type of waterproofing method. The universal kit features a pitched channel with a clamping collar, and Infinity Drain gives you the option of a tile insert frame […]
Complete Two Jobs at Once Using Ridgid FlexShaft The Emerson branch of the Ridgid brand introduces the FlexShaft K9-306 Drain Cleaning Machine. The new drain cleaner tackles 3-6 inch pipes up to 125 feet, bringing wall-to-wall cleaning to your jobsite. Plus, with the ability to simultaneously run an inspection camera, you can effectively complete two […]
Professional Tool Reviews for Pros
