crappy double flare tool - snap on

Getting ready to plumb the brakes and everyone said buy a quality flaring tool. got one from snap on, $70.00 What a piece of crap. after 6 aborted tries I called a buddy. He came over with his $10.00 Harbor freight tool and we did the job. Both tools were cast, but the HF one had been machined on the end of the clamp and it stayed put. the snap on tool was uneven and would roll over and make a crooked flare. As an aside, I called both Snap On, and the distributor on Sat. no one working of course, and no one has returned my call yet. so high dollar don't mean high quality.

 

I have not found a good double flaring tool. I think I've been through 3. A friend showed me a trick though. put the thing in a vise on your work bench seems to hold the thing together better.

 

Unusual....I've had my Snapon for 35 years and it has always worked flawlessly.

 

If he had bought a 35 year old snap on it probably would work flawlessly....

a $70 snapon flaring tool is a CHEAP one! you have to take into account the snapon name inflation....$70 at snapon is like $20 at a discount auto parts store.

 

What the hell... I have a cheap one and a Snap-On one. They both work fine for me.

Post a pic of your Snap-On one.

 

Definately works better in a vise. You need 3 hands to do it otherwise.

 

It`s a poor craftsman that blames his tools!

 

LOL ! good one, I guess I am a poor craftsman.

I had the same dilemma, my new "qualilty" tool would not do a double flare in stainless brake line.
my neighbors 20 year old snap-on did the job without delay.

and no, I asked , he will not sell it to me !

 

Try Imperial Eastman, not cheap; but the quality is there. Usually available at a wholesale supply store; like Grainger.

 

Don't know about the others but, my Imperial Eastman has never failed to give me superb service and repeatable double-flares. Nearly 40 years since purchased and not a single complaint. Well, I did squeal like a pig when I had to dig DEEP in my pocket for the original purchase price-I was one broke-ass youngun' back then!

 

This is timely. I've been wanting to post to vent over my frustration at getting good results from the tools I've bought. I've done my "shopping" for these tools when I get a break at lunch, got one at NAPA, the other at Sears. I actually broke the first one (Napa), trying to get it to clamp tight enough on the 3/16" tubing to make the backside of the flare smooth. The Sears one I ended up with like 10 straight suck flares - none were straight.

Even though I've been careful about the tube cutting, the chamfering, the deburring of the bore... most of my flares have come out shitty. Using a combination of the pieces of each of the kits I've gotten a bit more consistent.

I'm not ready to blame the tools just yet... I haven't tried a cutting wheel. Maybe using a tube cutter is the problem. Frustrating, though. I'm new to this but I'm not an idiot.

Seymour, do you use a tube cutter, a grinder, or your teeth?

 

Seymour, do you use a tube cutter, a grinder, or your teeth? [/quote]

thats funny, He snipes the hAmb and ebay all day

I have had 2 cheap ones. For some reason the 3/16 one always ends up broke after about 10 flares or so. I am trying to try out other friends to see which one I want to buy to last. I borrowed a Mac tools one last Sunday and the first flare was crappy but the last three went real good. Still not a selling point yet. Have talked to the local street rod shop and they said Mac was good but I aint sold on it yet. Talked with another local builder that has the hydraulic one and he said he swares by it. been using it for about 3 years without a single problem. I think I will save my money up for that one for now.

 

I used a tube cutter. I don't understand how you guys' aren't comin out square. How are you gauging how much tube to stick out past the tool?

 

lol... I work a day and a night job, but since I work a night job, my "day" starts pretty late and my night job has internet access. hahaha

 

I got a Rigid flaring tool from Grainger, I had never done it before, and I only f'ed up one out of about 12 flares. I just followed their directions.

I don't know if Rigid makes different models, but this one came in a nice plastic case with a tubing cutter.

I think it was about $60 about 8 years ago.

 

Snap-On sells a lot of stuff with their name on it that they don't actually make. I think that includes the flaring tools. They look to be the same ones sold under a dozen or so brand names. Not real high quality stuff. Mastercool hydraulic flare tool is the way to go, but it's about $300.

 

sounds like all of you with the crooked flares are trying to cut the tubing too fast and causing problems later.

 

picked up a blue point (snap-on), old one. looked like it was in good shape but know matter what it won't hold the tube (any size) tight enough to get a good flare. even tried it in my vice. what gives? yeah i know used. but visually not worn. just me piping in.

 

I've got an old Edelman that has never failed. It's also made to mount in a vise. Take a look at a KD 2190, it's similar but doesn't have the vise mount.

 

Good tools do not cost money.....they save money.....it the long run.....




Great flares the first time.......
Click on this......and then click on the video.....

http://www.mastercool.com/instr_video.html

 

That is the best way to put it. IF you think you are doing it wrong then let a expert you know use. I did and it still flared crooked. The directions are pretty self explanatory so I believe you cant mess that up. Good tolls do cot money but atleast I wont be buying more lines or fixing leaks. I hate the feel of brake fluid anyway.

 

I have tried a few and now (for the past 4 yrs) have some Old Forge piece of crap. I think it was $30 or so, and only time it comes out messed up is "user error", no complaints.

 

In previous posts about this subject, some have suggested lightly heating the tip of your tube with a torch to anneal it, making the flaring easier. I have not tried this so I don't know how well it works (or doesn't).

 

I`m thinking the biggest problem some have flaring is the length of tube you let stick out. I use the tip that does the double flare as a gauge for the amount sticking out. The end of the tubing should come to the top of the first step of the tip, no more, or your tubing will crush and the flare will be uneven.

 

Right on, thats what I do. It said it in the kit...all beit in Chinese, but hey, we got the internet right?

 

I was a snap on dealer for 8 yrs until 1980 and all things on the trucks marked blue point is bought through vendors for snap on with theier specs, all thing that say snap on made of iron or steel is made by them at their plants.. as for the flaring tool i have a matco from 1980 i took in on trade on the snap on truck that still works perfectly....

 

Not sure if that's correct. I have a rethread tap and die set in a red box with a Snap-On label, but it's made by someone else. I also have a screw extractor set that's in a red plastic Snap-On box, and I know those are made and/or sold by Rigid.

 

looks cool but the video didn't have a soundtrack and was pretty poor quality......did I miss something? Thanks...

Brucie

 

I was having difficulty with doing double flares on stainless, until I bought a RIGID flaring tool. Great tool!
There are a few "details" you need to do correctly to help get the double flares to come out right every time.
First is a square cut, as a lot of guys have already mentioned. A good tubing cutter is a must.
Second, be sure to chamfer the end of the tubing both inside and out before flaring. I bought a special chamfering tool to do the stainless, from McMaster Carr, made by Royal Products. It looks like a deburring tool, but has cone shaped carbide cutters to put a nice inside chamfer on the tubing. Actually, if you use a good tubing cutter, you don't have to do the outside of the tubing, it pushes the extra metal to the inside.
Last, put the tubing holder in a vise. The RIGID flaring tool actually has an extra threaded rod on the side, to squeeze the holder even tighter, but it still helps to put it in a vise, and get the extra clamping grip on it.

 

i called around yesterday and asked for a quality double flaring tool; napa and our local machine shop....before i called i stopped at the super quick of parts stores, advanced and i refused to pay $25 for theirs.......napa was out of (can't recall the name) and the machine shop had a lisle......the lisle looked to be the exact set as advanced......so, since i have some time off and i wanted to get my lines run.......i bought the one at advanced.......it did ok on a pc of copper but when i tried actual brake line.....maybe it's me.....sucked! i'll try the heating, and knocking off the outside Burr too......

so, the consensus is to buy an older better quality one...??

EDIT: when i took my HVAC courses, i had to flare some lines, the instructor said, "hold on, i'll be right back"......he brought in his personal one (yellow jacket???) and man was it smooth as glass, however, i don't know if it would do double flares..

EDIT 2: after looking at them on erape; cornwell, kd, yellow jacket, mac, snap on, etc all look the same....now, i know without holding it in my hands, it's hard to tell.....or without trying it...
my neighbor has a $100 rigid set (not double flare) that i can try with my fittings......