Best PEX crimp tools

This is the tool I’d point most people to, because one kit covers every copper crimp ring size you’re likely to find in a house: ⅜, ½, ¾ and 1 inch. Apollo’s crimp tool page lists it as model 69PTKH0015K or 69PTKH0015Q and says the kit comes with the crimp tool, its heads, a Go/No-Go gauge, an adjustment wrench and a plastic carrying case.

Apollo’s page describes four interchangeable heads from ⅜ to 1 inch. Its instruction sheet adds a detail worth knowing before you open the case: for 1-inch rings you crimp with no jaws inserted, because the tool itself is the 1-inch size. The ⅜, ½ and ¾ jaws go in when you need them.

Changing sizes is quick. The sheet says to pull the handles apart to open the jaws fully, slide one jaw into the tool under the pin, and let the magnets click it into place, then repeat with the other jaw. To take one out, pull it down and out.

Apollo notes that jaws can’t be replaced on any of its other crimp tools, so this is the Apollo crimper that changes sizes.

The other reason I like it is the force adjustment. The sheet shows a screw with numbers around it. You open the handle, loosen the nut, push and rotate the screw to a higher number for more crimp force or a lower one for less, and tighten the nut. When the gauge says a ring is off, you have a clear way to correct the tool.

Apollo’s gauge rule is specific. Slide the correct slot around the crimped ring. If the ring won’t enter the slot at all, the crimp is a No-Go, so add force and re-crimp. If it slides all the way in, it’s compressed too small, so remove the ring and reduce force. A good crimp stops in the Go range at least at one point.

Know the limits. It closes copper crimp rings only. Apollo’s page talks about crimping fittings on PEX-B pipe; if your pipe is PEX-A, confirm your fitting maker approves crimp fittings on it, as SharkBite’s guide does for its F1807 fittings. On Oct 21, 2026 the seller was a third-party store, 67 Hardware, with few left.

My call: if you’ll crimp more than one size, this kit is the sensible single purchase. Set the ring ⅛ to ¼ inch from the end of the pipe, over the fitting’s ribs, as Apollo’s sheet shows, and gauge every joint.

A full-size crimper needs room to open its handles wide, and the joints that leak are often the ones nobody could reach properly. RIDGID built its close quarters tools for that problem. Its catalog says their handle openings are up to 71% smaller than traditional PEX crimp tools.

The 43853 crimps ½-inch copper rings and the 43858 crimps ¾-inch rings. Both are listed in RIDGID’s catalog for the ASTM F1807 black copper crimp ring system. RIDGID gives the 43853 at 2.0 pounds and the 43858 at 2.3 pounds.

The feature I’d pay for is the gauge. RIDGID’s catalog says the Go/No-Go gauge is built in and folds into the handle, and calls it an exclusive feature of its crimp tools. In a tight spot, a gauge that can’t fall out of your pocket and into the insulation matters.

Calibration is by an adjustable cam, per the catalog. RIDGID’s handles are glass-filled polycarbonate with its E3 grip design. For comparison, RIDGID’s traditional ½-inch crimp tool, the 23448, is listed at 14.3 inches long; its own catalog pitches the close quarters line for maneuvering into tight spaces.

The trade-off is that each tool does one size. If your job has both ½ and ¾ joints in tight spots, you’ll want both. I’ve linked the 43858 as a second button on this card. On Oct 21, 2026 both were new from America Tools, with few left.

The joint itself follows the same rules as any copper ring. Square cut, ring ⅛ to ¼ inch from the end of the pipe so it sits over the barbs, tool square to the fitting, handles fully closed, then gauge it.

My call: if you’re a pro or a serious DIYer fixing joints in finished walls, this is the tool for the hard ones. For open runs in a basement, the dual-head SharkBite or the Apollo kit covers more sizes per tool.

If the rings on your fittings have a raised ear, this is the tool type you need. SharkBite’s product page says it compresses stainless steel clamp rings to secure PEX or PE-RT tubing to brass or poly crimp fittings, and that one tool works with every clamp size from ⅜ to 1 inch. It meets ASTM F2098.

The three-handle design is the practical draw. SharkBite says it lets you grip the tool with one hand and keep the other free for a flashlight, a ladder or the pipe. SharkBite’s PEX-A guide adds that the tool can’t be removed until the clamp ring is fully compressed.

Making the joint is short. Set the clamp ⅛ to ¼ inch from the end of the pipe so it sits over the barbs, put the open jaws over the raised ear and squeeze until it’s completely compressed. Then SharkBite says to look at the clamp for a correctly closed ear.

SharkBite also says a properly calibrated clamp tool removes the need to gauge each ring. To check calibration, close the handles to the stop and put the gauge in the jaw gap. If it stops at No-Go, you’re set.

If the gauge goes past No-Go, loosen the adjustment nut, set the Go side in the jaws, turn the adjustment screw counterclockwise until the jaws touch it, tighten the nut and make a test joint.

The second button is Apollo’s 69PTKG1096 ratchet clamp tool. Apollo’s sheet says it ratchets until the tool auto-releases, works with Apollo, Watts, Murray and Oetiker clamps, and must not be used with Zurn QickClamp crimp rings. Apollo says its clamp tools are pre-calibrated for up to 10,000 uses, with a jaw gap of 0.8 to 1.2 mm.

One limit is easy to miss. SharkBite’s PEX-A guide says not to use its crimp fittings with stainless clamps on PE-RT pipe at 32°F or less, and to use copper crimp rings then. If you work outdoors in winter on PE-RT, a copper ring tool belongs in the truck too.

My call: if you’re starting fresh and everything you run is 1 inch or smaller, a clamp tool is the simplest way to cover every size. On Oct 21, 2026 the SharkBite was sold by Amazon.com.

This attachment turns an impact driver into a powered pinch tool. DEWALT’s manual says the impact driver turns a power screw that mechanically compresses the pinch clamp. Trigger it in forward to close the jaws and in reverse to open them.

DEWALT’s product page claims 6x faster clamps. Its footnote says that’s pinch time only, measured on 1-inch stainless pinch clamps on PEX-B pipe with a DCF845 impact driver, against a competitor’s hand pincher. DEWALT also claims far less pinching effort than a hand tool, and it lists a capacity of ⅜ to 1 inch.

Read the manual’s limits before you buy. It says the attachment installs stainless pinch clamps that meet ASTM F2098, and lists it for use with PEX-B pipe and brass or poly alloy couplings. It’s approved only for impact drivers. DEWALT says not to use it with a drill/driver.

Your driver matters too. The manual calls for an impact driver under 4,000 RPM and under 280 Nm (2,500 in-lb), or a mode below those numbers on a stronger driver. DEWALT’s page lists its optimized drivers and compatible models from other brands, including Milwaukee, Makita and Bosch.

The pinch steps are clear. Open the jaws in reverse until you hear a click, set the clamp ⅛ to ¼ inch from the pipe end per the fitting maker, and secure the tubing. Put the clamp tab in the jaws and run it forward. The crimp is complete at an audible click, when the viewing windows are fully green.

Before any jaw check or calibration, remove the impact driver’s battery. DEWALT requires the included Go/No-Go gauge before and after each clamp. The GO side should go in and the NO-GO side shouldn’t. If either fails, you adjust an eccentric pin inside the housing one number at a time.

DEWALT’s page says it fits a standard joist bay with 360° rotation, includes a brace bracket and gauge, and carries a 3-year limited warranty, 1 year of free service and a 90-day satisfaction guarantee.

My call: for a crew setting dozens of pinch clamps on PEX-B, it earns its place. For one bathroom, the hand clamp tool above does the same job.

Most crimp tools stop at 1 inch, but ASTM F1807 lists copper crimp ring fittings up to 2 inch. For a main line, a manifold feed or a light commercial job, this is the kit among my picks that reaches those sizes.

SharkBite’s crimp tool table lists the 24675 as a multi-head kit for 1¼, 1½ and 2 inch. The Amazon listing says the kit includes the crimp tool, crimp jaws for all three sizes, a go gauge, a socket, an Allen wrench and replacement parts. SharkBite says its crimp tools are factory calibrated and meet ASTM F1807.

Big rings follow the same rules as small ones. SharkBite’s steps: cut the pipe clean and square, set the ring ⅛ or ¼ inch from the fitting shoulder, keep the tool at 90 degrees to the fitting and close the handles completely. Then check the joint with the gauge.

A square cut matters more as the pipe gets bigger. SharkBite’s PEX-A guide says a rough or uneven cut can weaken the joint. On 2-inch pipe, use a cutter rated for that diameter and look at the end before you slide the ring on.

Why not a clamp tool for these sizes? The clamp tools on this page are rated to 1 inch, and ASTM F2098 clamps cover five sizes of fittings. For 1¼ inch and up, copper rings and a tool like this one are the route among my picks.

Be honest about whether you need it. If your largest pipe is 1 inch, the Apollo kit covers every size you’ll touch. This one is for the bigger runs, and on Oct 21, 2026 it was sold by Amazon.com.

SharkBite’s guide has you slide the ring about 2 inches back from the end before you push the pipe onto the fitting, then move it to ⅛ to ¼ inch. On big pipe, set the ring before the fitting goes on, because it won’t go over the fitting afterward.

My call: if you crimp 1¼ to 2 inch copper rings, this kit saves renting or borrowing a tool for every job.