On Monday, October 22, 2007 at 4:52:02 PM UTC-4, wrote:
OK, I posted about PEX clamping. I made the mistake of stating my
opinion about it, which is not in favor of it. Thus the whole
discussion thread went in that direction and the original point of my
post was lost.

So, I am posting it again, with the intended question.

1. There are two types of PEX Clamping Tools (Crimp Tools) and two
types of crimp bands being sold. One is just a solid metal ring that
somehow (magically) shrinks when the tool is applied. The other looks
more like a common auto hose clamp minus the screw, and requires a
different tool. Which is better?

2. Why cant someone just use a common hose clamp? Hose clamps are a
tad bit more costly for the actual clamp, but the average DIY
homeowner is not going to spend $100 (or even $50) for the tool to do
one job. In the end, hose clamps are cheaper if the cost of the tool
is included. Better yet, hose clamps are easily removed and replaced.
It would seem to me that they would actually be better. I am
surprised they are not just used overall, even by plumbers, with their
only drawback being that stupid homeowners can loosen them and cause
problems. Hose clamps have been used exclusively for underground
plastic black pipe (I cant recall the type of pipe that is) where
people have wells, and they work well.

I'm sure that in time there will be cheap generic crimp tools being
sold that only cost $19.99, but even at that, everyone owns a
screwdriver and with hose clamps being readily available, easy to
install, and much easier to remove than the PEX clamps now being sold,
why not just use hose clamps?

Hose clamps work on thick walled rubber hoses. Hose clamps wouldn't work on pex. If you have pex plumbing in your house and usually do diy plumbing then buy the tool. Otherwise there are some reusable connectors that work on pex and can be used on "occasional" repairs. They work fine, the only trouble is they run around $10 a piece.