2 handed tool suggestions

[lyford]

I'm new this year to tubing and looking to buy a tubing tool. My thoughts are to purchase a 2 handed tool with a cutter. Just looking for advice on where to purchase a quality piece of equipment for a fair price. Thanks.

[whity]

Any maple supply house will have a good 2 handed tool. I built mine for $50

[mainebackswoodssyrup]

psparr (member on here) makes them for quite a bit less than the big manufacturers. I bought one 2 years ago and it works good. Send him a PM and do search on here for some pics of his work.

[Haynes Forest Products]

Make sure the ones you buy have REAL Vice Grips and not some cheap bargain bin ones. Add wing nuts to the thumb screws so you can find a happy place setting and secure it. Then weld on another 12" to the handles. I had a guy make mine for me and they work great.

[ToadHill]

If you get one with a cutter I would advise removing it. Everyone I know that has used one ends up cutting themselves and sometimes quite bad.

[Moser's Maple]

i would suggest an aluminum LOAC tool. they are higher priced, but weight much less, and the way the cutter is configured it makes it difficult to cut yourself with it

[maple flats]

I'm with Jake on that. I've had 4 sets of 2 hand tools over the years, and finally bought a LOAC a year ago. It is far better, easier to use, far more leverage, safer, lighter to carry and if cared for properly will last as long as you do maple. However, if you get a conventional one, as said above, remove the cutter and use a hand held cutter. With the original set I had I used the cutter in year 1, cut myself 2-3 times and then removed the blade. On the LOAC I use and like the blade design and safety.
Shop around, LOAC prices are not all the same, I got mine from Heritage Maple, an Amish dealer near me for $185 a year ago. He has no website but does have a dealer listing in this forum, he is in Canastota, NY and has a phone. If no answer, leave a message, he does return calls.

[Haynes Forest Products]

Plus keeping the cutter sharp is a must or you will be fighting raggedy cut that make tube insertion a PITA.

[maple flats]

Correction, old age did my memory in, I just found the LOAC receipt, I paid $285 not 185. Sorry for the error. I actually had a $100 credit there which brought it down to the 185, but $285 was the price.

[lyford]

Alright guys, maybe a dumb question but whats a LOAC tool?

[mainebackswoodssyrup]

It's an aluminum tubing tool. Weighs less than the steel ones and the pliers are adjustable to accommodate 3/16" or 5/16" tubing. Standard tubing tools are steel and made to fit only one size of tubing.

http://mapletrader.com/traderclassifieds/buckets-2c-spouts-and-tubing/p3212-loac-tools-authorized-dealer.html

[Daryl]

LOAC is the manufacturer of the tool.

[jscheib]

Does anyone know where to get replacement blades for this tool?