Who makes a good quality eccentric flaring tool?

[Garwood]

I need to buy a 45 degree eccentric flaring tool for HVAC use. I bought one of the $40 Chinese ones and while the cone part works fine, the part that holds the tubing is dogshit. It wrecks the backside of the flare so there's no way the nut will apply even pressure when sealing.

I was going to buy a new Ridgid 458 or 459, but all the reviews online over the past few years say these along with most other Ridgid tools are complete junk today.

Who makes a high quality eccentric flare tool? I don't care where it comes from, but USA, Japan, European maybe? Ridgid claims USA manufacture, but it doesn't seem to equal quality.

 

[BT Fabrication]

Yellow Jacket 60278

 

[Garwood]

That appears to be a conventional non-burnishing flare tool. Yellowjacket makes this: https://yellowjacket.com/product/eccentric-cone-flaring-tool/ Which is what I'm looking for. If their quality is good it works for me.

 

[kb0thn]

I have the Ridgid 458 at the suggestion of my HVAC guy. Those tools are what they use across their fleet. Mine was purchased < 4 years ago and is flawless. I can't speak for any changes that might have taken place since then.

 

[Garwood]

I have the Ridgid 458 at the suggestion of my HVAC guy. Those tools are what they use across their fleet. Mine was purchased < 4 years ago and is flawless. I can't speak for any changes that might have taken place since then.

Want to sell it? lol

Reads like Ridgid took a nose dive the last couple years. Lots of used ones on Ebay, but I'd prefer to buy new for this.

 

[mixdenny]

Imperial Rol-Air were all we used at NASA. The ones we used had tapered rollers that do the flaring and burnishing. They do make lower priced versions with the faceted cone.

 

[BT Fabrication]

That appears to be a conventional non-burnishing flare tool. Yellowjacket makes this: https://yellowjacket.com/product/eccentric-cone-flaring-tool/ Which is what I'm looking for. If their quality is good it works for me.

yellow jacket is what the pro hvac guys use.

 

[Gordon Heaton]

I have a US made K-D tool. Used a lot, no complaints. This is the set I have: https://www.toolsource.com/flaring-tools-c-1321_1_19/double-flaring-tool-kit-p-102472.html

 

[Garwood]

I have a US made K-D tool. Used a lot, no complaints. This is the set I have: https://www.toolsource.com/flaring-tools-c-1321_1_19/double-flaring-tool-kit-p-102472.html

This is not an eccentric tool. That's just a plain squash and done tool. Eccentric flaring tools make the flare with a spring loaded wobbly cone. Once the cone is formed, you keep turning the handle and it burnishes the flare's inner sealing surface under heavy spring pressure.

The purpose is just so refrigerant doesn't leak out. R410 and the whatever the new stuff is are wildly expensive and operate at very high pressures. A high quality flare means much lower risk of refrigerant loss.

 

[Garwood]

Imperial Rol-Air were all we used at NASA. The ones we used had tapered rollers that do the flaring and burnishing. They do make lower priced versions with the faceted cone.

Any chance you have a model # or link? I only found the faceted flaring tools by Imperial. I have some of Imperials premium tubing tools and they really are top notch. They're standard stuff is same as everyone else, but the high end is in a different league.

 

[Gordon Heaton]

This is not an eccentric tool. . .

Oops, sorry! I didn't know about the eccentric tool, thought it was just a difference in terminology.

 

[Garwood]

I tracked down a 10 year old NOS Ridgid 458 and ordered up a new Yellow Jacket flaring tool. Will compare quality when they arrive.