11 Of The Best Tools For Plumbers

Joe GalottiNovember 16th, 2020

If you’re ready to make a few upgrades to your collection of tools or are looking for a great functional gift for a professional plumber in your life, you’ve come to the right place. In this post, we’ll introduce you to 11 of the top tools used by plumbers today. The items on this list all come from top tool manufacturers and can be found on Amazon. Use the index below to find the item you’re looking for, and check out our tool recommendation.

Best Plunger

Korky Beehive Max Toilet Plunger

Well we couldn’t have this list and not recommend at least one plunger. We know any plumber worth their salt already has a few reliable plungers handy, but this model from Korky qualifies as a good one to add to your collection. In fact, Wirecutter has declared the product as their best toilet plunger pick. In their analysis of the plunger, they wrote the following: “The Korky easily surpassed all of the other plungers in pure pipe-clearing power. We built a transparent toilet-drain mockup then jammed in a foam ball to simulate a clogged pipe, and while the Korky was able to move the ball down the pipe at a rate of 2 to 3 inches per plunge, none of the other plungers could even budge it.” Sounds like an elite product to us.

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Best Pipe Wrench

Tradespro 830914 14-Inch Heavy Duty Pipe Wrench

This item from the people at Tradespro is no lightweight. It’s been constructed with drop forge steel with heat treatment, making it one of the more durable wrenches on the market today. The jaw of the item is also quite noteworthy, as it can be expanded all the way to 2.5 inches. There’s also an easily adjustable nut and precision machining teeth, which are perfectly suited for pipe work and other plumbing tasks. Sure this item is a bit on the heavy side, but when nuts and fittings need to be tightened or loosened, you’ll be glad to have this powerhouse tool to turn to.

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Best Hand Auger

RIDGID GIDDS-813340 41408 Power Spin

Hand augers are a lot more technologically advanced then they used to be. Do your research and you’ll find some pretty remarkable electric and mechanical augers to choose from, although beware, they can get a bit pricey. For this list, we selected a more affordable and still highly useful manual hand auger from RIDGID. What you’ll love most about this item is that it self-feeds into and out of drains quickly, and does so without making a mess or your hands having to touch the cable. The product is designed for 1-1/2 inch lines, making it perfect for cleaning toilet pipes or clogged sink drains.

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Best Borescope

Oiiwak Borescope Inspection Camera for Pipe Drain Sewer

Borescopes generally aren’t cheap, but they are an investment most plumber’s are glad they made after the fact. For those unfamiliar, borescopes feature small cameras binded by a long, flexible cable, which can be inserted far down into drains and sewer lines to give plumbers a better look at the condition of piping. They can save plumbers from hours of deconstructing and reconstructing, and help them in identifying potential problem areas much faster. This model from Oiiwak comes with six LED lights, waterproof capabilities, and a long-last rechargeable battery, The item also has a 4.3 inch IPS screen, which renders bright, vivid images and perfectly shows what the micro-camera grabs.

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Best Plumber’s Torch

Bernzomatic TS4000 Trigger Start Torch

Sealing copper pipes isn’t very difficult, as long as you have a reliable torch to help you with the task. This model from Bernzomatic has been crafted for soldering large diameter copper pipes, as well as brazing and heat treating. It’s optimized swirl flame can burn red-hot, which means soldering gets done in a hurry. Operating the device is as simple as pulling and releasing the ignition trigger, and there’s also a lock button on the torch that keeps it lit for finger-free use. Built-in pressure regulation allows the flame to burn in any direction and ensures consistent performance and accident-free jobs.

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Best Vise Grip Pliers

Milwaukee GIDDS2-288104 Quick Adjust Reaming Pliers

Some of you may be thinking, aren’t all pliers pretty much the same? Well these pliers from the Milwaukee company excel above the competition for a variety of different reasons. They come with comfortable handles, 22 different size settings, quick adjust jaws and a helpful push-action button. The top of the nose on this item has also been reinforced and the ends of the handles are exposed metal and taper towards one another, providing two areas designed for reaming out the burrs on a cut piece of metal conduit. Expect to accomplish a lot more with this product then your typical pair of around the house pliers.

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Best Hacksaw

Stanley STHT20138 Solid Frame High Tension Hacksaw

Cutting through pipes, nuts, bolts and screws probably isn’t one of the more enjoyable parts of your job. But, with this hacksaw from Stanley Tools in hand, slicing through hardware is a breeze. Don’t be scared off by this product’s next-to-nothing cost, as it is still a high quality item. The hacksaw comes with a 12-inch blade that can be adjusted within a range of 90 and 180 degrees. The flexible nature of this item will help users make easy adjustments while working in tight areas and ultimately get jobs done much faster. The large, comfortable tension knob of the saw will also protect your knuckles from harm.

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Best Pipe And Tube Bender

RIDGID 38048 Model 608 Heavy-Duty Pipe Bender

When it comes time to alter pipes into new shapes, you’ll need a powerful tool to get the job done. This product from RIDGID is as strong as they come, and should have no problem bending even the stingiest of pipes. Sure, pipe benders tend to be a bit costly, but just consider how much a device like this could improve your work days. The tool has been engineered with a 2-stage bending system, and allows pipes to be bent up to 180 degrees without twisting the handles. Just about everyone will find the device easy to use, and the product’s durable construction guarantees it can be used for a very long time.

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Best Stubby Screwdriver

TEKTON Phillips/Slotted Stubby High-Torque Screwdriver Set

Is this a rather basic tool? Sure. Is it a highly necessary tool for plumbers? Absolutely. This little guy will come through in the clutch when you have screws that need to be tightened or loosened in hard to reach places, and larger screwdrivers are too big to handle the task. This item from TEKTON has compact three-sided handles, which can provide you with leverage for maximum torque. The high-strength blades that come with this model are made of premium chrome molybdenum steel and have precisely sized tips for an exact fit in fasteners.

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Best Crimper

IWISS Angle Head F1807 PEX Pipe Crimping Tool

When it comes to crimping tools for plumbing tasks, most experts tend to agree that it’s worth paying a little more for a better quality item. This is because when joining multiple pieces of metal or other material, you need a truly precise tool to do the job right. This combo crimping tool from IWISS is perfectly made for addressing 1/2 inch and 3/4 inch pipes. The product’s intelligent design will help plumbers achieve a tight and secure connection while crimping, and the well polished jaws of the item will prevent any copper ring damage.

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Best Laser Levels

DEWALT Line Laser, 3-Beam

If you’re purchasing a laser leveling device, you’ll need to view it as a long-term investment towards making your business better, because they typically don’t come cheap. However, if you do ultimately decide to add a laser leveling device to your arsenal of plumbing tools, we can’t recommend this model from the DeWalt company enough. The product’s self-leveling point laser is accurate from 1/4 inch to 100 feet. The dot size created by the item remains consistent, no matter the distance. The unit is also easily mountable, as it comes with a built-in magnetic pivoting bracket.

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Continue to check in with the Ring Savvy blog for more information on how to upgrade your HVAC business.

Also check out our list of 7 Best CRMs for Field Service Companies!