No assumption of 'free' involved.
If it had different configuration, it would be a 12 dollar tool for crimping
coaxial cable, vinyl siding, whatever. I see it as a
grotesquely overpriced tool.
Ya know, the cell phone industry has made such strides because the true
product is not the phone, but the use of the communication system it
connects with. So the phones are virtually 'free', but necessary for the
connection.
I see PEX in similar fashion. They could 'bundle' tools with the tubing,
put it into installers hands, and if a tool gets lost, pay list price for a
roll of 500 feet and get another tool.
PEX has considerable future if they stop seeing it as an opportunity to
gouge the users on the price of the tools. And if they continue, they will
get the attention of the Chinese 'knockoff artists' who will provide the
tools for 'free' if you buy the PEX from a Chinese manufacturer, and there
goes another U.S. company down the tubes because of failure to acknowledge
international marketing patterns.

"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in message
. com...

"Michael Baugh" wrote in message
Here's a site
http://www.pexconnection.com/products.php?catID=124
showing crimping tools that cost nearly or over a hundred dollars
because
of their limited application and utilization. Seems to me that they
should
give you the tool when you ask for it with an order of over 500 feet of
tubing.

And who would really pay for that tool? Nothing is truly free.