Press Tools - Ridgid vs Milwaukee

NYplumber

Hey there wallies. Looking into adding a press tool to press Veiga fittings. Most of the jobs will be residential or light commercial with the largest size we plan on pressing being two inch copper.



A colleague has the m12 force logic tool and it looks great. Even got to press a few fittings with it. I would be interested in the m18 which presses up to four inch capacity, however it doesn't seem like Milwaukee sells the "ball tip actuator jaws ring clamp kit" in small diameter sizes like Ridgid has for its new RP340.



Insight from the field would be much appreciated.

archibald tuttle

milwaukee says compatible with rings but i can't confirm from experience

notice the milwaukee kit that ships with 1/2" to 2" jaws says it is compatible with 4" using rings and the ring kit for 2.5" to 4" ( 49-16-2690) has a jaw adapater with it although it is not listed separately as the one for the ridgid. 



can't give you any field feedback because these things are still way out of my league. I use veiga hand tools.  i can only assume these are priced on the efficiency they might provide to a crew doing a lot of connections because i just don't see the engineering be worth $2 or 3 grand unless they are imagining really low unit numbers to be sold.



when these hit a grand -- and depending on how the whole no more separate veiga sleeves thing works out -- i might get on board.



otherwise, seems like lithium batteries are similarly priced across the platforms for back-up so i would honestly choose by  myself to match battery system i already have in service (ridgid at this point) although i think milwaukee is doing good stuff with their motor technology. If they keep innovating might consider them for my next fleet.



brian

Paul Pollets

Rems

I have both the Rems and Milwaukee sets. Also have a Rems AkkuPress in 110v that we use for commercial jobs and don't have to recharge a battery. Don't think it's available anymore. Love the tools and pressfitiings. It's well worth the significant costs to "tool up" and forget about leaks, not to mention the labor savings and safety over acetylene and flux.



Rems was the first in introducing the presstools to N. America.



http://www.remstoolsusa.com/Radial-Press-Joining-c34/

Slimpickins

Rothenberger

I like the Rothenberger 15800 ROMAX 3000 or should I say love. It is the only tool I've used that doesn't tweak the piping out of alignment when you press it. I tried Milwaukee and the Ridgid and had a hard time keep my pipe straight when I pressed and the first time I used a Rothenberger it felt right. Good battery life too!

Robert O'Brien

Rems

Have 2 corded and 2 cordless,no problems

NYplumber

many options

So many options. Ridgid has a great lifetime warranty. Milwaukee says ridgid jaws will work, so that opens up options. The German press companies dont seem all to common, but I could be wrong.

Dave_132

RP340 vs Milwaukee

I have become very bias with regard to press technology. I used a Ridgid 330B for six years and have pressed everything from 1/2"-4" and have not broken a jaw or had a leak. Furthermore more recently I have begun utilizing Mega Press for gas distribution and it is exceeding our expectations with regards to time savings and performance. To summarize ! as for me I will stick with a proven track record. I recently ordered the new 340 tool.

Keep on pressing !

Bart Vaio

Ridgid

I have been pressing with the ridgid 330b since the tool came out. We have the xl-c rings up to 4" and the soil pipe cutter as well. We have crawled with it, dropped it, done ditch work and it keeps going strong. If mine ever breaks I am going straight for the new 340 ridgid has such a good track record with these tools I would not think of changing.