Apollo PEX 69PTKG1096 3/8-inch - 1-inch Stainless Steel Pinch Clamp Tool

I bought this to do a pex project at the house. The brand on the packaging and handle said Apollo. The Apollo brand and part number is the same sold by both the big blue store and big orange store by my house at 50% cheaper on Amazon from Conbraco. I did the calibration test in the instructions before using it. I didn't have to make any adjustments. I was able to put the two calibration pieces in a little bag, tie it with wax lacing tape and stuff it down the handle. That way, I won't lose them or forget what they are for. I crimped a ton of 1/2 inch and 3/8 inch pex clamps with these crimpers. They work great and crimp very easily. I have used the knipex that don't ratchet before and this is easier and makes a tighter crimp. Pretty awesome tool.I looked into the crimp rings vs the pinch clamps. I imagine if you are doing this for a living or have an extremely large project, you could end up cheaper in the long run going with the crimp rings. (A better guess is that a professional has both though.)The reason being is because the rings are cheaper than the pinch clamps. The down side is that the crimpers are way more expensive. They also must go all the way around the clamp and hose so they would be more difficult to get into tight spaces.

Works perfectly for installing PEX even for someone with small hands.

The fit and finish is good, they work well. These ARE NOT one handed by any means! It takes both hands to complete the CINCH on the rings.Don't make the mistake that I did and buy these and clamp/compression rings and get ready to plumb and find out they aren't compatible. So do a little research if this is your first time using pex and get compatible tool and rings.These are awkward to use and keep the cinch in place but I'm ham handed.All of the cinches on the pex, about 26, held with no leaks.There are no instructions other than some simple how to use on the package back . When I opened mine a mysterious little bag with two metal objects fell out. There was no indication what so ever as to their function. I went to YouTube and found a video by the maker which previewed their products and in there it showed this tool and how to use the mystery bag of stuff to calibrate it. http://youtu.be/h1UAG6xkHhg

I hated that we had to buy this, but our landlord hired an unlicensed plumber to redo the plumbing on the house, and we found that his connections tended to be leaky. After trying to get him to come out and fix it, I just decided to fix it myself. This tool gives the user good leverage, and won't release unless the ring has been clamped down tight. Simple and easy to use.The only issue I can see with this tool would be that if you are working in tight spaces you may have issues. The handles open wide, and while it helps to give a good clamp, I can see where it could be an issue for some. My connections have been in use for six months without leaking so I'm pretty happy!

This tool is great! I recently finished my own basement, including my own electrical, HVAC, framing, etc. it was the plumbing that I was most apprehensive of doing myself. The rest of my house is plumbed with Pex so I knew that was what needed to be done. I had read and watched videos on Pex installation and decided to take the plunge and give it a shot. The plumbing turned out to be BY FAR the easiest part of finishing the basement! I put in a bathroom and small kitchen, and the plumbing was so easy!There are two types of pex fasteners. There are crimp rings, which this tool does not do. Then there are cinch clamps, which is what this tool uses. From everything that I have watched and read, the cinch clamps are just as good as the crimp rings, but are much easier to install. The only critical part is to make sure you and tightening them the right amount. The tool needs to be adjusted to clamp them correctly! The too. Comes with an adjusting gauge, that tells you if it's too tight or loose. Search YouTube for a video on how to adjust it! The tool doesn't come with sufficient instructions on how to adjust it, and mine needed adjustment before I could use it! If I had used it right out of the box the clamps would have been too loose, and susceptible to leaks. You need to adjust it!I did about 30 total connections, and have not had a single leak. Buy this tool, it's great!

Used these on 3/4 pex and they worked great. Despite other reviews I had no problem squeezing the clamps closed even in some cramped spots. Tool seems sturdy and the calibration is quite easy. Just go to the web site for full instructions. Mine was correctly set when I got it. Much cheaper here than the home stores. They don't seem to stock the lower cost versions. Big surprise.

I gave this product 5 stars because it does exactly what it says. I can see where others may deduct for their stated reasons but it does not seem to be a fair review. For example... As a female, it was difficult to align the crimp into the tool and get the ratcheting started. My hands are not big man hands and this made it a bit difficult until I got some practice in. Was this the fault of the tool? No. You may have to practice aligning the tool and crimp to hold it steady to clamp down on the tool with both hands. I was installing a bathroom faucet for the first time ever. I assumed that faucets were like electronic hardware in this day and time... "plug n play". I was so wrong. After dropping the new faucet in I was 6" short from my lines reaching the faucet. After many trips to a hardware store and hours of researching pex, crimp rings, cinch rings, connectors, push to connect, and shark bite, I realized that the easiest way to remedy my problem was to install new pex lines and crimp in the fittings. The tools were a bit pricey in the store so Amazon came to my rescue. With practice, this little tool made the installation a breeze! After this debacle, I have decided to change the other two bathroom faucets and ordered a new kitchen faucet from Amazon that arrives today. Trust me, especially if new to the world of Pex and crimp rings, this will make the project quick and easy.