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Plumbing Picks

Pro & Prosumer Tools

Guides for serious DIYers and working tradespeople on the heavier end of the tool list: press tools and press fittings, drain cleaning machines and jetters, sewer inspection cameras, threading machines, PEX expansion and crimp tooling, and torches and solder. You will find system comparisons, ProPress against soldering, MegaPress against ProPress, NIBCO against Viega, M12 against M18, and technique articles that answer the questions that come up mid-job: insertion depth, pressing a wet line, why solder will not flow, how to remove a press fitting or a crimp ring, and what each O-ring seal is rated for.

Picks are chosen from manufacturer specifications, installation instructions, warranty terms and plumbing code, with attention to fit and to whether replacement parts stay available. Nobody pays for a place on these lists. Some links are affiliate links, mostly to Amazon, and the site may earn a commission if you buy through one, at no extra cost to you.

With press and crimp systems, the fittings, jaws and tool must all be approved together by the system maker. Mixing brands can void a warranty or fail an inspection, so check the maker’s compatibility chart before you buy jaws or rings. For drain machines and cameras, match the cable size to the pipe size and keep a written record of what you find. Read the tool manual for duty cycle, battery and service intervals, and wear the eye, hand and hearing protection the manual calls for.

Newer guides in this section: Best boiler pressure gauge, Best brazing flux, Best clamp meter, Best combustion analyzer, Best emery cloth, Best half face respirator, Best hydrostatic test pump, Best internal pipe wrench, Best pipe lasers, Best plumbing test plug, Best PVC saw, Best sillcock key, Best spill kit, Bucket tool organizer, Contractor trash bags, Internal pipe cutter.

Tool prices and kits change often, so the guides focus on what stays true: which jaws and rings fit which tools, battery platforms, pipe size ranges, duty cycles and what is in the box. If you already own batteries from one brand, that usually narrows the choice more than any single feature. Renting is worth considering for a one-time job such as a long sewer run or a large repipe, and many supply houses rent press tools and drain machines by the day.

🔧 Guide finder
Hi! I am the Plumbing Picks assistant. Ask me about toilets, faucets, drains, leaks, water heaters, hard water, tools — anything plumbing — and I will point you to the fix. What is going on?