Vol. XXVI · No. 04 • Workshop Almanac
— The Everyday Handyman —
Est. MMXIX
Vol. XXVI · No. 04 • Workshop Almanac
Est. MMXIX
Pipe wrenches, drain augers, tubing cutters, and basin wrenches — the right plumbing tools turn a dreaded leak into a twenty-minute fix. This buying guide covers the wrenches, cutters, and clearing tools every homeowner should own, plus what to look for in quality, so you can stop a drip, clear a clog, or swap a faucet without calling a pro for the small stuff.
§ II — Reader’s Manual
Plumbing tools are cheap next to a plumber’s call-out fee, but a bin of soft, ill-fitting ones will strip fittings and round off nuts. Buying a few honest tools beats a giant kit of junk. Here are the six things we weigh before recommending plumbing tools in this guide.
A pipe wrench for threaded steel and iron, a set of adjustable wrenches for supply lines, a basin wrench for the impossible nuts behind a faucet, and slip-joint (tongue-and-groove) pliers for everything else. These four handle most household plumbing repairs. Buy forged, hardened jaws that grip without slipping or chewing the fitting.
Copper takes a rotary tubing cutter for a clean, burr-free edge; PEX needs a ratcheting PEX cutter; PVC and ABS take a plastic pipe cutter or fine-tooth saw. The right cutter gives square ends that seal properly. A hacksaw is a last resort that leaves burrs you must ream out.
A cup or flange plunger clears most toilet and sink clogs. For deeper blockages, a hand drain auger (plumber’s snake) reaches where a plunger cannot, and a closet auger is shaped for toilets without scratching the porcelain. Match the tool to the fixture before reaching for chemical drain cleaner.
The difference between a tool that lasts and one that fails is in the jaws. Look for drop-forged steel, hardened teeth, and smooth adjustment. Cheap cast pliers flex and round off compression nuts and hex fittings — turning a simple repair into a call to the plumber.
Thread seal tape (PTFE), pipe joint compound, an assortment of washers and O-rings, and a set of Allen keys live in every plumbing kit. Add a small tubing reamer and a thread file. These consumables cost little and save a second trip to the hardware store mid-repair.
A homeowner fixing faucets, running toilets, and slow drains needs a different kit than someone soldering copper. Do not overbuy a pro press tool or a powered drain machine for a once-a-year clog. Match the tools to the plumbing jobs on your own to-do list.
Read the guide. Then close the tab, walk away, and come back to it tomorrow. The tools that still feel right after a night’s sleep are usually the right ones to buy.
§ II — Specimen Pages
§ II — Specimen Pages
Every recommendation here is also a set of tools we left out. Below are the kinds of plumbing tools we have stopped recommending — not to fault one brand, but because the type rarely earns space in a homeowner’s kit.
Half the pieces are pot-metal that flex and round off nuts on the first tight fitting. Buy a few forged wrenches and pliers separately instead of a case full of tools that strip fittings.
Caustic drain cleaner corrodes pipes, damages seals, and rarely clears a real clog. A plunger and a drain auger do the job without eating your plumbing from the inside.
A pro drum auger is overkill and dangerous for the occasional homeowner clog. A hand snake or closet auger clears most blockages without the expense or the mess.
A 6-inch pipe wrench cannot break loose a stuck main fitting and will slip and gouge. Match the wrench length to the pipe diameter; buy the size the job needs.
A bargain cutter whose wheel dulls in three cuts leaves ragged, out-of-round copper that will not seal. A quality rotary cutter with replaceable wheels lasts for years.
Single-purpose gimmicks that promise to replace a basin wrench usually fail on the one nut that matters. A real basin wrench reaches and turns where the gadget cannot.
§ IV — Directory
One email, every Sunday. New tool reviews, the best tip of the week, and a single recommendation from the editors. No clutter.
