Plumbers Tool Reviews

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. 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.

Milwaukee M12, M18 Force Logic Press Tools

Milwaukee Force Logic Press Tool Preview

We don’t do a lot of copper and steel pipe pressing, but we know plenty of high-end plumbers who do. For them, pressing tools are either laborious hand tools that take a lot of effort, or expensive solutions that bolt onto existing tools or come in oversized packages which are less than ideal for repetitive use. Milwaukee interviewed a lot of plumbers and then delivered what we believe to be one of the (if not “the”) smallest, lightest tools for copper and steel pipe press connections. Milwaukee is calling the new tools their ForceLogic Press Tool line. We’ll explain the “Logic” part later, but the tools all feature a one-handed, in-line design, so they are super-easy to wield. For offset piping, the inline design is also indispensable. And that “logic” part? Milwaukee also designed an intelligent press solution that delivers exceptional accuracy and reliability.

Ridgid micro CA-300 Inspection Camera Preview

Ridgid micro CA-300 Inspection Camera Preview

We’re big fans of the inspection camera, having reviewed several on PTR. They allow home inspectors, plumbers, appraisers, HVAC technicians and electricians document and troubleshoot problems with an ease that was impossible before the advent of LED and micro-camera technology. Ridgid’s newest inspection camera, the micro CA-300 is the company’s next evolution of the microEXPLORER family. You can record both still images and videos of problems in hard-to reach areas and then share these findings with the RIDGIDConnect solution. On top of that, an embedded microphone means that you can also document your video with live commentary, so your notes are more complete.

Milwaukee 2313-20 M-Spector 360 Inspection Camera Preview

Milwaukee 2313-20 M-Spector 360 Inspection Camera Preview

At the 2011 Milwaukee New Tools Press Event, Corey Dickert gave us an up-close-and-personal look at the M-Spector 360 – the company’s newest inspection camera. What probably impressed us the most was it’s small focal length. At just 1″ away, the camera gave a really good view of materials and let you get right up close to check out what’s happening in pipes, behind walls, etc. Most inspection cameras can’t get that close without losing focus. We also appreciated the detailed and colorful images that the new camera presented. There is at least one competitor that does an equally impressive job, but the Milwaukee is far and above most of the typical inspection camera, which looks, for all intents and purposes, black and white. It also has a very narrow 9mm camera head as opposed to the more common 17mm head. Right off the bat it’s already suited for residential, commercial AND automotive applications. In our hands-on use of the camera we examined jean material, circuit boards, and Cat 5e cable close-up and the images were excellent.

Milwaukee M12 ProPEX Installation Tool 2432-22 Preview

Milwaukee M12 ProPEX Installation Tool 2432-22 Preview

We’re used to seeing lots of unique tools – and the cordless aspect just means that the possibilities are endless. But when Milwaukee pulled out the stops and introduced their M12 Lithium-Ion ProPEX installation tool with auto-rotating ProPEX Expansion Heads we knew they had gone somewhere new. Really new. Designed for easy one-handed use, the M12 ProPEX Expansion tool allows users to install Uponor ProPEX fittings up to four times faster, and are compatible with over 25 tools on their respective battery platforms for added utility and value. This much anticipated product launch follows the April 2010 announcement of a new partnership with Uponor to deliver increased productivity to plumbing and heating professionals by developing a comprehensive solution for installing ProPEX.