Gen Z Plumbing and Electrical tools

[mobiledynamics]

Of course this stuff pops up in my YouTube feed. Seems to be copied from Tik Tok.....

In the realm of plumbing prep and electrical terminatons

I see videos of drill mounted copper cleaning tools. Or drill mounted wire strips and then -wire/qty- specific wire nut drivers
Not new as I've had a Mill Rose 1/4 shank copper cleaning tool won's ago and while I've just used my hands for wire nuts, Ideal Spin Twists existed eon's ago.

However, I don't recall seeing a drill mounted wire stripper, specific to the wire gauge before...Is this something new or have I been living under a rock.

 

[mike93lx]

You can get powered stripperals for large gauge wires. Is that what you mean?

 

[mobiledynamics]

More along the lines of 12 or 14 gauge wire.
It just popped up on my U Tube. A quick Amazon search ----something along the likes of

Amazon.com

 

[mike93lx]

More along the lines of 12 or 14 gauge wire.
It just popped up on my U Tube. A quick Amazon search ----something along the likes of

Amazon.com

Solving problems that don't exist for a thousand please, alex

 

[mobiledynamics]

Same goes the copper tubing cleaners which also appeared in my 'tube feed, but I can see if one was a pro and needed to sand paint off copper to get it clean to solder....
This does seem to be well reviewed...
I've had a Mill rose set. It was trash.

Amazon.com

 

[neophyte]

Same goes the copper tubing cleaners which also appeared in my 'tube feed, but I can see if one was a pro and needed to sand paint off copper to get it clean to solder....
This does seem to be well reviewed...
I've had a Mill rose set. It was trash.

Amazon.com

Getting copper clean for a proper solder joint is very important, and somewhat of a pain with a flat brush, or even with flexible abrasives of various kinds.
I would definitely purchase a powered drill mount version, and those you linked to look much nicer than the plastic bodied versionI’ve seen at Lowes.
The plastic bodied hand spinning version that has been around a while for those brushes also works decently, but at $100+ an hour for a plumber, I can see a plumber just converting to a flat rate fee, and speeding the job up with a powered version, especially for a large number of joints.

 

[housewolf]

Getting copper clean for a proper solder joint is very important, and somewhat of a pain with a flat brush, or even with flexible abrasives of various kinds.
I would definitely purchase a powered drill mount version, and those you linked to look much nicer than the plastic bodied versionI’ve seen at Lowes.
The plastic bodied hand spinning version that has been around a while for those brushes also works decently, but at $100+ an hour for a plumber, I can see a plumber just converting to a flat rate fee, and speeding the job up with a powered version, especially for a large number of joints.

We just bend and break the handle off the hand brushes & put ‘em in a drill. Once you get to ~ 1-1/2”, it’ll cover anything larger.

As far as cleaning pipe if it has paint or tape residue, just burn it off and clean with emory cloth.

A place I worked at in the late 80s had a (rigid) machine set up with multiple cleaning brushes, a reamer, and a chamfering tool. We used it a little but fitting brushes wear so quickly and and anything special is a pita to keep on hand. The little hand brushes are a dime a dozen and available anywhere and we always had to plenty of drills

 

[BrandonV]

More along the lines of 12 or 14 gauge wire.
It just popped up on my U Tube. A quick Amazon search ----something along the likes of

Amazon.com

Those tools twist wire how I've seen it in eastern Europe where they solder or use electrical tape afterwards.

 

[neophyte]

At current rates, a plumber probably costs $2 a minute.
If a plumber saves 30 minutes in a day, the tool has already paid for itself and then some, in either extra work or jobs that can be done, or in extra time the plumber can spend checking his work, to avoid a callback due to a stupid mistake.
The power version can also help avoid extra wrist strain in annoying locations.
Using whatever you have on hand to do a job is one thing, but using a better tool if it’s available and affordable doesn’t seem wrong.

One of the competent plumbers my parents hired years ago said one of his favorite tools was one of those 2-4volt battery powered craftsman screwdrivers.
I never really thought regular screwdrivers as hard to use, but various “gimmick” tools have become standard over the years, from cordless drill/drivers, to ratchet wrenches (for sockets), etc.
Some plumbers even cheat and use powered threading rigs, or press plumbing fittings nowadays.

 

[mike93lx]

At current rates, a plumber probably costs $2 a minute.
If a plumber saves 30 minutes in a day, the tool has already paid for itself and then some, in either extra work or jobs that can be done, or in extra time the plumber can spend checking his work, to avoid a callback due to a stupid mistake.
The power version can also help avoid extra wrist strain in annoying locations.
Using whatever you have on hand to do a job is one thing, but using a better tool if it’s available and affordable doesn’t seem wrong.

One of the competent plumbers my parents hired years ago said one of his favorite tools was one of those 2-4volt battery powered craftsman screwdrivers.
I never really thought regular screwdrivers as hard to use, but various “gimmick” tools have become standard over the years, from cordless drill/drivers, to ratchet wrenches (for sockets), etc.
Some plumbers even cheat and use powered threading rigs, or press plumbing fittings nowadays.

Pressing fittings is far from cheating.

My plumber has stopped soldering unless they can't press for some reason. Cleaner, safer, faster and cheaper (from a time perspective)

 

[neophyte]

Pressing fittings is far from cheating.

My plumber has stopped soldering unless they can't press for some reason. Cleaner, safer, faster and cheaper (from a time perspective)

 

[mobiledynamics]

PP is the way ! My POV has changed over the last 2 years.....I was an all solder...threaded ....but after using the pro press, I have the compact swivel jaws, and full copper/ gas press system...

 

[mike93lx]

Why?

 

[neophyte]

Why?

I would not trust a fitting based on an O-ring.
Compression fittings also have issues.

With solder, the main issues that can go wrong, are the pope not being properly cleaned before soldering, which is easily done now with the tubular cleaning brushes,
And flux left on the outside of the pipe, which is visibly noticeable.

 

[mike93lx]

I would not trust a fitting based on an O-ring.
Compression fittings also have issues.

With solder, the main issues that can go wrong, are the pope not being properly cleaned before soldering, which is easily done now with the tubular cleaning brushes,
And flux left on the outside of the pipe, which is visibly noticeable.

Fair enough, no one is forcing anyone to use them.

I trust them and many others do too. Regardless of the fitting type, no method is perfect and none last forever

 

[speed bump]

I would not trust a fitting based on an O-ring.
Compression fittings also have issues.

With solder, the main issues that can go wrong, are the pope not being properly cleaned before soldering, which is easily done now with the tubular cleaning brushes,
And flux left on the outside of the pipe, which is visibly noticeable.

or inadequate solder in the joint, overheating the fittings, flux trapped inside the solder. One thing we run into is a lot is our plants alkali water tends to eat the solder joints. I've also heard this is far worse if you have a more acidic water but I haven't personally seen it.

Ive pulled enough O-ring sealed fittings that are 40+ years old that weren't leaking I am fairly confident they will last the lifetime of the pipe.

 

[readhead]

What do tools have to do with Gen Z? I'm confused.

 

[neophyte]

What do tools have to do with Gen Z? I'm confused.

I think the thread is referencing all the “new”, labor saving devices,
that that a job that used to be done with a basic tools,
like a flat wire brush, or pair of pliers,
And making specialty tools to do the job more automatically, or possibly with less skill.
Not that this in any way new.

Automatic apple peelers date from at least the mid 1800s,
Plenty of other specialty tools to make jobs easier or quicker go back just as far or farther.

 

[dscheidt]

I would not trust a fitting based on an O-ring.
Compression fittings also have issues.

With solder, the main issues that can go wrong, are the pope not being properly cleaned before soldering, which is easily done now with the tubular cleaning brushes,
And flux left on the outside of the pipe, which is visibly noticeable.

IF you drive a motor vehicle, you're trusting o-rings to hold pipes carrying much higher pressure and higher temperature than domestic water ever sees. They fail, sure, but most last many years in harsher conditions.

The last professional plumber I watched solder was refitting a bathroom, all 1/2". he had a fitting brush in one drill and a pipe brush in another. Milwaukee m12s, not fancy ones. You can buy a drill and impact for $100, if it saves him 5 minutes a day, it's paid for in 2 weeks. That was several years ago, I'm sure he's pressing all that these days.