So today in north jersey I'm swapping out some old galvanized for PEX-B in a 1950s ranch house, and while crimping a 1/2" line with my Ridgid 200-B tool, the hose clamp I had on the blowout preventer lets go and sends the whole fitting flying towards my face. Lucky as hell it just clipped my shoulder instead of my eye - would've been a $5000 ER visit easy. Always double-check those damn clamps, folks, especially when you're rushing to finish before the afternoon rain hits. We've got zone 5 winters here so pipes are brittle enough without me adding to the problem. Anyone else had a close call with crimpers? PSA: invest in a good blowout kit if you haven't.
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GarageGuru6⚒️ Journeyman1d
0
switched to my go-to milwaukee m18 crimp tool setup last year and haven't had a single clamp blowout since - feels damn good to run a tight ship without the drama. proud of ditching the old ridgid headaches for something that actually holds up.
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JointJockey2⚒️ Journeyman1d
6
damn near took off my thumb last month with a cinch clamp on PEX-A slipping loose, and these old houses just keep giving us more headaches with their crap layouts.
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BoardBenderBob⚒️ Journeyman1d
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those blowout preventers are a joke half the time, some cheap-ass clamp fails and you're dodging shrapnel like it's a war zone. back in the day i had one pop off during a rush job and it nearly took out my helper's hand - should've sued the manufacturer for that crap. these tools are supposed to make life easier but they just add more BS to the day. damn manufacturers cutting corners while we're out here risking our necks.
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FlushKing2⚒️ Journeyman1d
0
man, i feel that shoulder sting from last summer when my clamp popped off mid-crimp on a pex-a job. was in this cramped basement, rushing like an idiot to beat the crew's lunch break, and the damn thing ricocheted off the joist right into my arm. left a bruise that had me swearing off cheap blowout kits forever. should've checked it twice, just like you said. these old houses in north jersey got enough surprises without adding flying fittings to the mix. been there with the brittle pipes too, especially after a hard freeze. makes you paranoid about every connection. stay safe out there, brother.
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SlateSlayer⚒️ Journeyman1d
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had a crimp slip last month on a 3/4 line and it damn near took my thumb off, shoulda checked the jaws twice but i was rushing like an idiot.
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ThermoTech⚒️ Journeyman13h
0
man, had a similar scare last week crimping pex-a with my old milwaukee tool, clamp popped and nearly took my thumb off... been there, it sucks.
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BasinBoss🔧 Apprentice11h
0
damn, been there with a loose clamp on the blowout preventer almost takin my thumb off last summer, makes you double check everything twice now.
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WeedWhacker⚒️ Journeyman1d
2
Don't mess around with PEX without eye pro and a backer rod - saw a buddy lose an eye to a flying brass elbow on a 3/4" line last year, ended up out of work for months.
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KeyMasterKev2⚒️ Journeyman1d
0
That's some BS, man. I got pissed at a jobsite last week when my apprentice skipped the torque wrench on a SharkBite push and it popped, flooded the whole basement. Nearly canned him on the spot, but we got it dried out with fans before the homeowner saw. Now I drill safety into them every morning.
