Description
- The pex tool expands 3/8-inch – 1-inch Pex Type-A tubing
- The pex expander tool has an automatic rotating head action for even expansion
- The pex expansion tool comes with full trigger actuation for use in tight spaces
- Bright LED work light to help illuminate dark areas
- Dual-sided hang and belt hooks for convenient storage
- Rubber overmold for comfortable, ergonomic grip
- Uses DEWALT PEX Heads. Compatible with Milwaukee and Uponor Heads. (Milwaukee is a registered trademark of Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp. Uponor is a registered trademark of Uponor Oyj.)
Clin –
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I have a Dewalt battery, so getting this over the Milwaukee version was an easy choice. I can’t talk enough about how easy this has made plumbing. It gets almost anywhere a crimper tool can get and some new places; you don’t have to pull apart handles to work the tool.
I replumbed half of a house using it and the only thing that leaked was an NPT connection that tied into old work. I’ll probably use a Sharkbite next time for the old work.
The kit includes three heads, 1/2, 3/4, 1 inch. The video I included with this review shows the 3/4 head. They screw on easy enough. You should apply the included grease when changing fittings.
The trigger is huge and easy to use.
The case is for-purpose and nice to have. This isn’t like a hammer or screwdriver; unless you plumb often you’ll want something for longer storage between use.
The only two things that I could complain about with this type of PEX (a or expansion) is the availability of fittings in local stores (only Lowes seems to carry them), and trying to find a place to put the tool after you’ve expanded. The belt clip helps with that, but it’s heavy. It is best to plan a location to set the tool.
jb –
Me ha servido muy bien
Glenn R. Howes –
As a general contractor, I use this PEX expansion tool all the time for capping off waterlines, as well as installing new plumbing fixtures for kitchen and bathroom remodels. It’s easy to use and provides secure PEX connections. So much quicker and consistently better leakproof connections than the old copper sweat process. And shares the same Dewalt batteries as my other cordless power tools.
Denis Comeau –
Really easy to use . Fun with good connections.
Emilio Barcenas del Castillo –
Great tool! fast and powerful – takes 5 sec. to make a joint. Love it
Erin –
I’ve been happy with this tool although, I haven’t had cause to use the 1” expander. Mainly ³⁄₄” around my water heater. Amazingly quick and problem free compared to soldering. But, you have to do some soldering to get started with an adapter. I like that PEX-A is full flow and that the piping is cheap.
I probably don’t do enough plumbing to justify the cost of this tool but it is pretty cool and I’ll gradually get some use out of it.
JESSE VILLASANA –
I installed pex A in my entire house with this tool and it works great. I am not a plumber. Every single joint was made with no leaks on the first try. This tool makes it too easy to complete plumbing yourself.
jb –
This tool is awesome. It works great and is fast. The tool comes with expansion heads for 1/2, 3/4, and 1 inch pex fittings. This kit has no battery or charger and since there were Dewalt batteries in my shop it made sense to get the bare tool. Plumbed an entire utility room with a pex manifold only took about 2 hours and would have been an all day job in copper. The hand operated tool is good for a here and there but not as good for 50 connections on a full re-plumbing job and this power expansion tool makes this job seem way too easy. Thats a good thing.
Be sure to keep the cone portion of the tool clean and lubed with the special lubricant which comes in the tube. Remove the expansion head and clean the inside of the expansion head and the cone and apply lube. If you use too much lubricant then it will seep through the expansion head and get inside the pex tubing which does not seem to be an issue. Just wipe off the expansion head of the excess and keep working. Too little lubricant would shorten the life of the expansion head. It also has a hook that you can mount on either side and the head comes with a hook already. The hook on the head seemed a bit unhandy to use and preferred to use the hook mounted at the battery end of the tool and it made for a more natural grip when reaching for the tool when hung on your tool belt.
Milwaukee makes a tool and seems like the head of the tools are identical. One may directly compare the two and for my use it made more sense to maintain battery compatibility.
Ron H –
Works as advertised.
Simplifies plumbing
Pricey but compares to other brands
Prefer Pex-A over Pex-B as there is no volume restriction caused by adapter
Clin –
Love this tool for installing pex A. The only thing is it does struggle just a bit with 1” fittings. I have to expand longer in order to stretch the coupling long enough for fit up. Other than that it works great
BraveWampa –
It was much cheaper than the Milwaukee brand and works so well.
The only issue is it doesn’t come with a battery, so you need to have Dewalt batteries.
I already have 3 so didn’t need one and saved money not having to buy the battery.
There’s no way I could do my pex plumbing without this thing. I started out with a manual expander and while it’s a good workout, not feasible for doing more than 5 connectors a day – you too muscle fatigues with the manual expanders.
Each extender takes like 15 seconds and you just pull the trigger. Can’t believe I waited so long to buy it.
John Burr –
This is obviously much more efficient than the manual tool for PEX expansion. I’ve used it to repair plumbing for an auxiliary building and my landscape irrigation line. It operates as expected and I haven’t had any issues so far. It comes with the 3 heads, the lube and the case, as described. It was also less expensive than competitors’. I’m happy with it!
slava –
Great price and great decision for running water lines