Pro & Prosumer Tools
Professional and prosumer-grade plumbing tools — press tools, drain machines, inspection cameras, threaders and more. A licensed plumber’s buyer guides for serious DIYers and the trade.
-
SharkBite vs ProPress: Which No-Torch System Should You Use?
Push-to-connect or press? A licensed plumber on cost per joint, what each system actually does, and the behind-the-wall question settled with the IAPMO listing number.
-
Channel Locks vs Pipe Wrench: Which One, and When (Plumber’s Answer)
A pipe wrench bites into round steel and marks everything it touches. Channel locks grip nuts and traps without wrecking them. A licensed plumber on which to reach for, and the mistakes that cost you a fitting.
-
NIBCO Press vs Viega ProPress: Are They Interchangeable? (Plumber’s Answer)
Below 2 inches NIBCO Press and Viega ProPress are interchangeable — both built to ASME B16.51. Above 2-1/2 inches they are not. A licensed plumber explains where the line is and what it costs to get wrong.
-
RIDGID RP 251 vs Milwaukee M12 & M18 Press Tools: Which to Buy
Real prices and specs compared. The M12 kit stops at 1 inch — reaching 1-1/4 inch costs another $189. A licensed plumber on which press tool actually fits your work.
-
Best Pipe Threading Machine 2026: RIDGID 300 & More
This is the narrowest page in our pro tools cluster — most homeowners will never touch a pipe threader. But if you work with black iron or galvanized steel pipe — gas lines, older water systems, some commercial and conduit work — cutting clean threads is the job, and there’s no shortcut. Here’s how to…
-
Best Copper Press Fittings 2026: Viega, Apollo & Nibco Compared
You bought (or rented) a press tool (or you are still choosing between M12 and M18) — now you need fittings. And here’s where people get tripped up: press fittings aren’t all the same, brand compatibility has real rules, and they cost a lot more than the sweat fittings you might be used to. Buy…
-
Best Sewer Inspection Camera 2026: Pro & DIY Picks
A sewer camera changes the whole conversation about a drain problem. Instead of guessing — “maybe it’s roots, maybe it’s a belly, maybe the line’s collapsed” — you push a camera down and see it: the break is 38 feet out, there’s a root ball at the joint, the line bellies under the patio. For…
-
Best Drain Cleaning Machine 2026: A Plumber’s Picks
There’s a clear line between a hand drain snake and a drain machine. A hand snake clears hair in a tub and grease in a kitchen line. A machine spins a steel cable hard enough to chew through roots in a 4-inch sewer. If you’ve ever fought a clog the hand tools couldn’t touch —…
-
Best Press Tool 2026: RIDGID vs. Milwaukee vs. DeWalt
A press tool is the single biggest tool purchase most plumbers make after their drain machine — and it’s the one I get asked about most. The good news: the three major brands all make genuinely excellent tools now, so it’s hard to buy a bad one. The real question is matching the tool to…
-
ProPress vs. Soldering: A Plumber’s Honest Take
Twenty years ago, joining copper pipe meant one thing: a torch, flux, solder, and a steady hand. Today you’ve got a second option that’s taken over a huge share of professional work — press fittings (ProPress is the brand name everyone uses, the way people say “Kleenex”). Press a fitting with the right tool and…