iCrimp Copper Tube Fittings Crimping Tool with 1/2, 3/4 and 1-inch Jaws, Press Tool for ProPress Copper Fittings IWS-1632AF

I am not a Plumber, I am simply a homeowner. Last time I had plumbing done in our house. I watched what the Plumber was doing to our pipes. I didn’t want to spend thousands of dollars on a tool so I bought this Hand crimping tool. For someone that will not have to use it all the time, this is perfect and inexpensive.. it worked very well and the first time I used it. There was a bit of a learning curve because it’s heavy, but it worked flawlessly once I figured out how to use it properly.

This tool is built for serious plumbing work—solid jaws sized for common fittings and enough leverage to make clean crimps without a struggle. The action feels sturdy, and the results are tight, leak-free connections that hold up under pressure. I used it on a mix of 1/2 and 3/4 copper fittings, and each crimp came out consistent. It’s not the lightest tool in the box, but the reliability makes it worth hauling around.

It works for sure but it's a fair bit heavy and might be difficult in tight spaces. I yse mostly PEX in my state and have a pro press for that. I primarily bought this to Crimp conversion adapters from copper to PEX. I had a couple pipes that we couldn't quite stop the water from draining back in from further up in the system and didn't have time to wait for it to finish and put a solder fitting on it. This works on a wet fitting and enabled us to get moving along on the repipe. I don't use enough copper crimps to warrant the purchase of an additional $1500-2000 tool. This tool is solid, has the sizes I need and gets the job done. The handles extend for better leverage and close up for better carrying. The carrying case is okay and works well enough but I wouldn't toss it around too much in my truck. The other Crimp jaws float around in the case and won't stay in their respective spots. If I put some thin foam on top to keep them in place, it would help but really, it's not a detractor for me. This tool works very well for the price and convenience. The head piece swivels as well. If it broke, I would happily buy another one of these but I do expect this tool to last a good while. I would purchase with confidence. It's perfect if doing some small jobs or conversions.

This crimping tool worked great for me to redo some 3/4" copper fittings that had given up the ghost. However, there are a few things you should know before buying it if you've never used a similar tool before: 1) If you're using this for the first time, it's best to have an assistant. You need to mark the pipe where you want the crimped fitting to end up and it's really helpful to have a second person holding the pipe together while you crank down on the handles, otherwise the pipe can slip apart and you may end up with a bad crimp. 2) The tool is heavy and requires a significant amount of force to crimp. It's about 10 pounds, so if you're working on something overhead, it can be hiring to try to hold everything in place to get it set up for the crimp (once again, helpful to have an assistant). I'm making the assumption that once you start the crimp, you can't reopen it and adjust, you need to follow through all the way or you'll probably end up with an issue. 3) The tool can be awkward to handle. You need to have the handles spread all the way apart to open the crimping die and set your pipe in it (once again, this makes overhead work, which I was doing, a bit tricky). Also note that you may need to get creative with the handles. If you're doing 3/4" or 1", you'll need the handles telescoped all the way out in order to be able to apply the necessary force to crimp. Sometimes you can't open them all the way when you initially set it, so you may need to start with only one handle out and then telescope the second out partway through the crimp as you bring the handles closer together. So, in short, this tool does work, but it's nowhere near as easy as it would be with the electric tool. As long as you prepare yourself, though, you can get the job done.

Actually works perfect. With handles extended it’s very easy to crimp. The swivel head is a life saver.

You do need some space for the long handles, but you need the leverage. It's a little challenging to work in a wall and get the head on the fitting. I installed a new shower valve with 11 fittings (used Viega) and no leaks. A very cost effective option.

I purchased this tool for a smallish project, converting a soaker tub into a shower stall. All of the plumbing was in a relatively small area, so I thought it may finally be time to give the press a try. To begin, the reviews that say it is bulky are mostly correct. There is a degree of heft to the press tool, and lining up the fittings in place, attaching the crimp head and actually making the press does take a bit of muscular gymnastics. I found it more exerting to assure the proper alignments during the set up to press a fitting in place, rather then the actual pressing itself. You absolutely want to do as much pressing as possible ahead of time. It is much easier to assemble your distribution set up for the shower system on the ground, and then just do a few presses in place for the final rough in. Because of the nature of the tool, the jaws need to be spread fairly wide to allow the head to slip around the fitting and snap in place. If your fitting needs to be tight to a stud or the drywall, you cant press. if your fitting is close to a return wall, or deep in a floor cavity or otherwise obstructed, you cant press. The head does rotate, so you can overcome some of those situations, but I'm not sure a manual press tool would be appropriate for a larger project, certainly not for a whole house. For repair work or small modifications, if you have access, this tool is a dream. I would imagine the powered press tools would mitigate some of the access issues i encountered. As an example, I ended up having to install 2 elbows inside of a floor cavity. It was easy peasy to sweat them in place, however, there was no possible way to be in plane with the fitting, inside of the floor cavity, and close the jaws. I could have spread the handles wide enough to fix the head on the fitting, but it would be impossible to close the handles that are now inside a joist cavity, parallel to the floor joists. A powered press could have done it, though. One final caveat is that press fittings are a LOT more expensive than sweat fittings. I hesitate to say how good/bad at sweating you have to be to justify making the switch. In my situation, I ran into the learning curve stumbling blocks, so I don't think I really saved a lot of time vs sweating. I did however develop an understanding of where the tool excels, so for future jobs, I am absolutely certain that I will be reaching for press fittings.

This tool cannot fit in walls for shower piping install. VERY hard to press the fittings on. Handles must be extended all the way out to crimp couplings. If you can’t have room to extend handles in small space, this will not be able to get the job done. Not work it, rent a battery operated Pro press from Home Depot. This tool is a waste of money.

Work as it should be..

Very good high quality tool.

This set did exactly what was expected for a fraction of the cost of the powered option. So far no leaks and easy to use although you do need to extend the arms to operate and you have to be fairly strong. If I was doing this every day of the week I would invest in a powered model but for the occasional installation this worked great and seems to be of good build quality.

Did exactly what it is meant to do! The head is big so make sure you have space to work with!

This is great.when in a pinch this is awesome.dont always have access to a pro press so I bought this . I crimp views fittings all the time ,extensions on the handles make a huge difference, easy to close and it swivels the head.I’ve used it in a tight ceiling space and it works great