RIDGID Model RP 115 Mini Press Tool Kit

I use this pretty much daily on my job. I work in a lot of old houses so the shut off valves don’t always work completely making sweating difficult. This tool is perfect since you can press with water flowing. I have pressed a ball valve while under full pressure before. Tool case is a bit cheaply made but the tool itself and jaws are solid.

I’m a contractor and, while I don’t do plumbing every day, I do enough of it that I use ProPress fittings occasionally along with PEX and/or solder to make repairs or additions to customers’ systems. I have been using a manual press to install ProPress fittings but I had a job for a good custome that was in a tight space that would make using a manual press difficult or impossible to use due to the space needed for the press handles. So I sprung for this tool. Yes, it’s expensive for occasional use, but for me it was worth it. It fits in tight spaces and is so easy to use that it feels like I’m cheating! Now that I have both Pex and ProPress tools, solder and torch are pretty much retired. Note that this tool won’t do anything larger than 3/4″, but in residential work, I rarely see anything larger than that anyway. So, win/win!

As a licensed GC I shelled out the $1350 for this as an end of the year Xmas tax gift to myself. It sat on the shelf for a couple of months. First time using it was iffy. It wouldn’t engage but I chalked it up as a battery issue as it did finally work. Then two months later on another job I pulled it out and this time nothing. Read the same issue happening to others. So I called RIDGID but guess what? They told me they don’t deal with any warranty or repair work if you buy the tool off of Amazon. Only if you buy from a vendor like Home Depot. Huh? Are you kidding me? The Amazon page says RIDGID and only sells RIDGID products. Well guess what folks, according to RIDGID, anyone can set up a page like that and sell who knows what, maybe refurbished or just crap. Well mine was supposed to be new but it was crap and wait there’s more. The only thing they offered me was to return it and pay a 20% restock fee as it was three months old. They wouldn’t even send me a new tool as a swap as I asked for. In other words caveat emptor or DONT take a chance and buy this here. It ain’t worth it. If you have a problem you will be dealing with outsourced customer service hell and it ain’t fun or pretty.

This will be an excellent tool for experienced plumber to DIY person. I have been doing plumbing over 18 years now and I can say this thing is a life saver. If you want to marry anyone it should be this tool. I have always chosen to solder copper joints its all I knew. It is also the strongest and best connection. However with soldering you have to correctly clean the pipe, correctly heat up the fitting, handle the torch with open flame (very difficult in tight spaces and fire hazard, near impossible to solder with water still running etc. Now don’t get me wrong i have always gotten the job done no matter how difficult, but soldering is a skill that takes alot more expertise . Then I started hearing about propress so I bought the manual propress tool for about $100 bucks. It does work and if you are on a budget and only doing couple jobs a year that would be best for you. However doing water tanks, boilers, washing machine set up, faucets kitchen and bath etc, using propress just made life 10x easier. I still solder many connections where space and time allows but its about 60/40 now with propress. It take me 2-3 minutes to replace a water shutoff valve with propress. it cane take even 15 or more with soldering. I can also take just 3 tools to a job, this ridgid propress machine, a deburing tool (ridgid as well), and the auto cutter. Cut debur and the press and done. If I was going to solder- I would need my gas tank, torch head, flexible extention house(optional I use this so i dont have to hold the tank great for tight spaces), thinning flaux, solder, auto cutter, deburing too, and sponge to wipe off excess flaux off the pipe. I lso would need to make sure to remove anything that might catch a flame , even the fitting you have to be careful not to over heat. So all in all I’m using propress 40% more.

Now for the tool it self-
Pro
Light weight- you can literally hold it in one hand. it weights as much as say and impact drill.
the heads are easy to change out. takes less than a minute and holds securly
Kit includes 1/2 and 3/4 attachment (which is all you need 90% of the time).
kit includes a carrying case to keep everything in one place (bonus you can leave the last attachment you used on. so when you done put tool with attachment back in the case.
led light for extra lighting
to press a fitting you just attach and press a button
very small tool and clapping a fitting is easier than the manual tools because those require more clearance to go 360 degree around the fitting while this one only need about 180 degress to be able to get around the fitting.
recommended for under sinks, basements, water tanks, (indoor use only), tight spaces, commecial application so you wont need fire permits, DIY, landlords, handymen, and professionals.
PRICE- its one of the cheapest professional quality press tools but I also have this as a con because well it is still alot to shell out on a tool.
Con,
the case is flimsy and feels cheap
for the price the pex fitting should be included atleast 1.
I forget after how many thousand pressing you are supposed to get it recalibrated. (however honestly if used it that much and didn’t save or make enough to pay for this 100x over you did something wrong.
PRICE- its worth it but I can buy a used car for this price