Pipe Threader (Manual)

[LJS30]

Hey guys do any other companies besides Rigid make a good manual pipe threading kit? I know Harbor Freight carries one. However from my past experience it was pretty poor performing.

 

[wore out]

(quoted from post at 11:04:23 02/08/23) Hey guys do any other companies besides Rigid make a good manual pipe threading kit? I know Harbor Freight carries one. However from my past experience it was pretty poor performing.

What sizes do you need to thread?

What quantity, just an occasional thread, or dozens?

If you watch ebay you can find nice individual Rigid handles and individual dies or sets quite reasonably if you take your time and keep checking.

I have a wide variety of Rigid dies and have increased the range of sizes with reasonable ebay purchases.

 

[kencombs]

I have an old Craftsman, but made by Reed, very good service from it. I have no idea if the current Reed product is as good, but they have a good reputation.

 

[John Garner]

Armstrong and Toledo are the names coming
to mind other than Ridgid and Reed.

 

[Geo-TH,In]

I bought a used craftsman set in 1979,
I still have it. I rarely use it. I'll never sell it..

 

[Stephen Newell]

Unless you need a threader often I would just have pipe cut and threaded the length you need rather than getting the tools to thread with.

 

[MarkB_MI]

I picked up a set of Ridgid dies at a garage sale twenty years ago. I don't use them often, but I'm glad I have them when I do.

 

[timcasbolt]

(quoted from post at 17:04:23 02/08/23) Hey guys do any other companies besides Rigid make a good manual pipe threading kit? I know Harbor Freight carries one. However from my past experience it was pretty poor performing.

bought the Harbor Freight kit. It's good enough if you don't need it much. No regrets.

 

[glennster]

check facebook marketplace , a lot of used sets show up reasonably priced.

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

What's your objection to Ridgid?

If it's cost, you're not going to find anything of comparable quality for anywhere near what you can buy a Ridgid. Same quality is going to be more expensive due to economy of scale.

The Ridgid pipe threader we've had on the farm for 47 years cuts the threads too deep. Fittings won't tighten up. Pipes snap off at the end of the threads. Bought another die, did the same thing. Took it back, hardware store owner just shrugged his shoulders, "I dunno." So we lived with the pipes snapping off every time the cows stepped on them or bumped them wrong.

When they opened the first Harbor Freight in the area, we came out with a cartload, including their cheap pipe threader. It peels sections of the thread out as it cuts.

 

[J.Wondergem]

I bought a Harbor Freight set too. The threads came out good enough for what every I needed it for, I remember I used a lot of oil. I only needed it that once.

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

We use plenty of oil cutting threads. The Harbor Freight dies still peeled threads randomly.

 

[LJS30]

I absolutely love the quality of the Rigid unit. However it is the cost of said quality I must admit that is a sticking point. I had an awesome Rigid set that I inherited from my Grandfather. Sadly an employee stole that set. Now I have a Rigid set but with only three dye's.

 

[Stan Coryell]

No, I don't think there are any companies close to Rigid's quality. The company I work for tried to buy Reed Tri- vices a few years back, they were junk. Anybody know what dies a Harbor Freight set takes? If they can take Rigid, might be worth a try.

My OLD Toledo 1 - 2 needs 1 1/4 dies, I can't find replacements. I found a 1/2 to 2 with a 700 power- head Rigid set on Facebook for $800. It's in very good shape.

 

[LJS30]

Yes my Harbor Freight set was horrible.

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

Harbor freight comes with the dies. They are nothing like the Ridgid dies.

This post was edited by BarnyardEngineering on 02/09/2023 at 10:42 am.

 

[Bruce Dorsi]

A lot of the problems with threading today are due to the poor quality of the imported pipe and fittings.

I have Rigid and Toledo manual threaders and a Toledo power threader, and have experienced threading problems with all of them. ...Speaking to some plumbers, they mention the same problems.

Often, correctly threaded pipes bottom out in new fittings because the fittings are oversized.

China is known as the Land of Almost Right for a reason !

 

[wore out]

A abundant application of quality threading oil makes a world of difference no matter what brand of threading dies you may be using.

 

[BAnNC]

Many years ago, I learned with both Craftsman and Rigid on half, three quarter and one inch mostly galvanized and steel pipe.
Craftsman felt lightweight but worked fine. Old style Rigid was bulky but never failed. Not too bad for a 16 year old kid.

 

[Traditional Farmer]

I have several Rigid sets,bought them at auctions for cheap prices.