Plier for stretching tubing

[jld186]

What kind of plier are people using to simply stretch the end of 5/16th tubing to insert fittings? 90 degree bend nose, snap ring, what brand? How well does this method work?

Thanks.

[batsofbedlam]

A thermos of hot water works best of all. I dip the end of the tubing into the thermos for 5 seconds and the tubing will easily slip onto the fitting. I do this on all of my saddle fittings.

[DrTimPerkins]

What kind of plier are people using to simply stretch the end of 5/16th tubing to insert fittings?

You do not stretch the end of the tubing to insert the fitting. You should use a tubing tool, especially if you are on vacuum. If not, use a thermos of hot water. You also do NOT want to use any type of lubricant except water.

[ennismaple]

Stick it in your mouth for 10 seconds while you do something else and it softens enough to push on by hand.

[maple flats]

NOT, don't even blow warm breath on it, bacteria issues. If you use a 2 hand tool it has a flare to help start, but it is about 30-40 degree flare so you only stretch the end a little. If your operation is not big enough to get the tool, you might be best using the hot water idea, most of us started with that. If you do only hold it in about 3/8-1/2" to soften a few seconds and then immediately push it on. If you heat back too much the tubing will collapse behind the fitting.

[rookie]

i was told to chew on the end of the tubing as well, by a couple different producers, they say the tubing tool sucks. haven't tried it yet. wouldn't the boiling kill any bacteria any way?

[NH Maplemaker]

Don't know who told you tubing tool suck! But best 200 buck i've spent in a long time!! If you don't belive it come over and try it. You Know were to find me. JimL.

[maple flats]

I have 3 tubing tools (for 5/16) , all money well spent. I just bought my 3rd at the Verona conference from our sponsor. This one is a parallel action, my first such. I never realized how hard the original 2 hand tool was to use until I spent 2 days adding drops using the new one. Wow, much easier to use and lighter to carry. It has compound leverage requiring much less force. If I need more I will be getting the parallel action again, fittings go in faster, resulting in more production in a day.

[DrTimPerkins]

If you're on gravity, having fittings on very tight and leak-free is not as big a deal, so soaking in hot water and pushing them on is acceptable. That is...as long as they are put on well enough so the tubing doesn't pull off the fittings when you're putting it up. On vacuum, a tubing tool is a requirement. It is pretty much the only way you're going to get the fitting ALL the way on the tubing in a leak-free way. Yes, you can stretch, crew, lubricate and fight with the tubing and fitting to get it on...but it will leak, and to improve your vacuum later you'll go out and cut it out and put in a new one. Far better to just get (or make) a tubing tool and put the fittings on the right way the first time.

Almost any kind of lubricant (other than water or sap) can cause the tubing to deteriorate and the fitting to fail. Not worth making you life easy for a few minutes to make it more difficult when the junction comes apart.

Along with this....if we cut a fitting out because it is leaking....it is thrown out. It is nearly impossible to cut tubing off a fitting without scoring it, which will create a leak, and make you go back and fix it again. End result is you pay somebody to fix the same piece 3 times before you realize it isn't working and put in a new fitting.

They aren't cheap, but if you're using tubing on vacuum, there really is no substitute for a good tubing tool. And I agree...the two handed tools are vastly superior to the one-handed tools, especially with the newer formulations of "grippy" tubing out there.

[OGDENS SUGAR BUSH]

some times for a small producer check with your supplier they might have a set to loan you

[rookie]

Don't know who told you tubing tool suck! But best 200 buck i've spent in a long time!! If you don't belive it come over and try it. You Know were to find me. JimL.

well i gotta stop by some day and see what your up to. when are you planning on tapping? btw last year after i talked to you I put in a small blower, doubled my gph. thanks!