Ideal tubing Tool

[adk1]

To be used for installing with 3/4" Leader 30P and the 5/16" lateral lines. which one to choose? ALso, I plan on usign the saddle fittings, can I drill the holes with my cordless drill or do I really need the tool for installing them. ITs not like I will be installign 100's of them, just a couple dozen.

[steve J]

Well I think you can save some money here as I put up more lines then your talking without a fancy tool. Although I did buy a cutter to cut the Main line with and it works for the laterals too.

[steve J]

Oh forgot to say your cordless will work fine just be careful you do not drill thru both sides. This is first year I have used one of those fancy drill bits and they are sweet but I got by for years on a regular bit. So you can cut a few corners here to spennd your money on the more important things and then down the road up grade the things you are getting by with.

[ennismaple]

To be used for installing with 3/4" Leader 30P and the 5/16" lateral lines. which one to choose? ALso, I plan on usign the saddle fittings, can I drill the holes with my cordless drill or do I really need the tool for installing them. ITs not like I will be installign 100's of them, just a couple dozen.

I've put in hundreds of saddle manifolds using an 18v cordless drill. I don't see why you need a specialized tool. We don't use a mainline tubing tool either. Brute force and a propane torch are all we need to get mainlines on the fittings.

[adk1]

thanks for the comments, I figured as much. what size drill bit for the saddle fitting? is it jsut the 5/16" bit?

[Monster Maples]

it depends on which saddles you go with. I only use the Lapierre saddles and those are 3/8" and 31/64". If you ask your dealer when you purchase them what size holes, they should be able to tell you. I would agree with the others, a cordless drill will work just fine drilling the holes out.

[Flat Lander Sugaring]

GO BIG OR GO HOME ADK1 Like Randy did HEHEHE JK
I just used drill and dril bit no fancy tool, heck the one I bought years ago from leader to do lats looks like a little kid welded it together. watch the quality of any ones stuff

[danno]

For drilling mainline with a cordless, the mainline is gonna wanna suck the bit through to the bottom side of your mainline. Works well to put some 5/16 (if you are uisning that size saddle) tubing or a dowel on your bit to act as a stopper once the bit goes through the top of the mainline.

For mainline fittings, I carry a thermos of boiling water with me. Dunk the mainline and the fitting slids in. Then single or double clamp.

[adk1]

danno, thanks for those tips. I plan on using the saddles that Leader sells. I have an assortment of bit stoppers that I was planning on using.

[MillbrookMaple]

The first year I didn't use a tubing tool for the 5/16 lines the next year I borrowed one from my neighbor. Having the tool makes the work much faster and tighter and when you have to fix a busted line from a deer or heavy tree limb the tool makes it much easier to put everything back together. On the other hand if I had to buy one for $200 I would have to think hard about it for several months and probably not buy one unless I was putting in over 1000 taps. I just didn't see anyone chime in about how nice they are to use so I figured I would. If you know someone that has one see if you can borrow it and build your lines in the off season.