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Eastwood or similar pro flaring tool

arse_sidewards said:
I know everyone here likes to jack off to the $200+ Mastercool kits but a $15 Chinese bender and a $20 Chinese bubble flaring kit will do anything you need to do on a stock vehicle.
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There’s a price to be paid for not having to fiddle fuck with something, especially when you’re under a rusty crusty pile where everything you touch breaks or has to get the torch to loosen up.

“iPhone, it just works” even though the iPhone is a piece of junk, as I type this on an iPhone.
 
Pocahontas said:
There’s a price to be paid for not having to fiddle fuck with something, especially when you’re under a rusty crusty pile where everything you touch breaks or has to get the torch to loosen up.
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Rusty garbage is most of what I work on. Bending lines and making flares isn't the problem.

Pocahontas said:
“iPhone, it just works” even though the iPhone is a piece of junk, as I type this on an iPhone.
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IDK man. My garbage flaring tools "just work" too. I've got two under the seats of shitboxes which have done a fair number of parking lot brake line jobs on various people's cars . I am in no way limited by or forced to work around my tools on this.

Now, perhaps if I'd cut my teeth on the nice stuff I'd have picked up some bad habits I can't get away with on the cheap tools but I can't really imagine what those habits would be since even with the shit tools the whole process is pretty foolproof.

Before any of the usual scumbags show up to be scumbags and put words in my mouth, if I was doing a bunch of A/C sized stuff, stainless or thick wall hydraulic stuff in sizes above 1/2 I'd get a fancy tool.

Ransil said:
says someone that has never used one........they kick ass....I have done on and off vehicle works everytime
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I've used one. I don't own one. I don't feel the need to buy one because I'm not limited by my flaring tools. They're nice but not necessary for standard automotive use, which is why you don't see places like HF selling knockoffs.

OP should get a shitty 45deg flaring set and a cheap bender. When he needs to do 37deg hydraulic shit then he should consider a fancy flaring tool.
 
arse_sidewards said:
Rusty garbage is most of what I work on. Bending lines and making flares isn't the problem.



IDK man. My garbage flaring tools "just work" too. I've got two under the seats of shitboxes which have done a fair number of parking lot brake line jobs on various people's cars . I am in no way limited by or forced to work around my tools on this.

Now, perhaps if I'd cut my teeth on the nice stuff I'd have picked up some bad habits I can't get away with on the cheap tools but I can't really imagine what those habits would be since even with the shit tools the whole process is pretty foolproof.

Before any of the usual scumbags show up to be scumbags and put words in my mouth, if I was doing a bunch of A/C sized stuff, stainless or thick wall hydraulic stuff in sizes above 1/2 I'd get a fancy tool.


I've used one. I don't own one. I don't feel the need to buy one because I'm not limited by my flaring tools. They're nice but not necessary for standard automotive use, which is why you don't see places like HF selling knockoffs.

OP should get a shitty 45deg flaring set and a cheap bender. When he needs to do 37deg hydraulic shit then he should consider a fancy flaring tool.
Click to expand...
The ability to do fuel line push disconnect lines is incredible. That made the tool worth it for me alone.
 
I've used the garbage flare tools, and they suck. I've gotten and used "good" versions of the "basic" flare tools. They work well and repeatably for me. Will not discard. I have the Mastercool set (and all the extra dies), and it is awesome, once you get used to it and its capabilities. Had the clones come out (which I am not terribly sure they are not the exact same pieces with different branding), I'd have bought a clone at half the price and bought the extra Mastercool dies. but as it is, each tool has its place, and not everyone has the need for the expensive one(s). Tools in the toolbox at this point.
 
have done a few vehicles with a flaring tool that looks identical to that eastwood (forget which brand it is right now, but it's not eastwood). works fantastic. I don't think I've had a single bad flare (other than forgetting to put the nut on.... :flipoff::lmao:)
 
All the knockoffs just as good? I don't have any need to make GM lines, but that could come in handy in at some random time.
 
one thing I did notice recently, be sure if you consider a clone of the mastercool, you get one that takes the same shape dies as the mastercool. There appears to be a couple versions out, if you plan to buy additional die sets for a clone from mastercool. I know one of the Vevor ones on a vid I watched was very different than the mastercool in that regard.
 
I do a lot of brake lines on hot rods and love my turret style flare tool. If you have a large Crescent wrench you can use it in place of a vise and make it somewhat portable. I've used the hydraulic ones as well and they work quite well. Anything is better than the old wing nut and bars that the auto parts store sell.
 
Data point here:

The Eastwood and the Summit Racing tools are exactly the same thing. Most likely made by the same 10yo in China. I had the Summit tool in 45*, and bought the Eastwood 37* tool head and tube blocks. The Eastwood parts work just fine in the Summit tool.
 
Harbor Freight is entering the game...

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About $60 cheaper than the Eastwood "house brand" version - probably from the same Chinese factory, although there appear to be some minor differences. Maddox isn't usually included in the exclusions on coupons, so potentially you can save another 10~25% off with a future coupon too.
 
not directly related, but close enough to drop here:

if buying one of the handheld style shown below, buy the Capri. I have the Titan and it works great, but the handle sucks. its a thick rubber sleeve over a shaft, and the rubber spins. I need to glue it or something or figure out a new handle, it annoys the hell out of me

the capri handle looks WAY nicer. I'd bet the heads are identical. I paid $36 in April so I saved $7, i guess that was worth it?

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I have the metric version of the Capri, and it does work great.
 
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