Please recommend a good double flaring tool

I have survived to this point without owning a double flaring tool, but I foresee the need for one in the near future.

Which one do I want to buy?

I bought a lisle that uses hex nuts instead of the wing nuts, which never get tight enough to hold the tube in place.

If you have the cash, get the mastercool hydraulic version.

You have to tighten the wing nuts using the bar of the flaring tool or it will indeed slip.  The basic Weatherhead unit does the job well.  Do not buy cheap imports as they don't hold up. Plan on spending $50-100 and be sure you are getting a double flaring tool - they have the mandrels for all the various tube sizes.

The Eastwood one is brilliant.  Perfect flares every time. The kind of tool you buy once and are glad you did. 

I have a bluepoint basic one with the wing nut that has served me well for 30 years.   

I bought a mastercool 5 yars ago, and am very glad every time I use it. Expensive, but awesome. 

This thread is useless without links. I have a set from the parts store and it works if you are working on soft line like nicopp. It is really hard to deal with on oem lines. (Tldr, I wouldn't mind an upgrade).

I bought the mastercool hydraulic one and never looked back.  Threw my $15 parts store one in the recycling bin.  

Robbie said:

This thread is useless without links. I have a set from the parts store and it works if you are working on soft line like nicopp. It is really hard to deal with on oem lines. (Tldr, I wouldn't mind an upgrade).

Exactly.

One more vote for the eastwood.

For $150 it is unbeatable. Flares stainless just as easy as nicopp.  I have NEVER had a bad flare with it and use it at least 100 times a year. The only drawback is that it is bench mounted and the lines have to come off the car, although I have pushed a vice under the car to get the job done

Mastercool is the answer if you want a forever tool without compromise. I've never regretted spending the money. I went through several lesser ones over the years, all with varying degrees of frustration.

There's places on eBay sell them pretty cutthroat.

I have this Cal-Van one.  I like it a lot, it works well even though I SUCK at using the standard cheapie ones.

Mastercool 72475 is the current version, replaces the 71475 that was the old standard. Cheapest I see is here:

https://www.toolsid.com/mastercool/new-design-flaring-tool-set-mpn-72475-prc.html

at $268. I've never ordered from this place, though. Looks like you can get similar pricing on eBay. I've thought about ordering this for a while, but I so rarely make flares. If my project volume picks up I'm sure I'll end up buying it eventually.

I've used the mastercool and own the eastwood.  Both work great (far better than even the high quality bar type ones), it kinda depends on if you want vise-mounted or not.

I used this size-specific ADT tool (like the Cal-Van above) to flare Miata steel hard lines. They're sold under several brand names on Amazon and sell for <$20 each. Mild heat and grease were the key to success.

Another vote for the Cal-Van set.  It works very well

I use a Blue-Point kit. It looks exactly like the cheap and nasty one you'll get from Autozone, but it won't snap in half like the Autozone one will. I like the fact that I can use it on the car, although that Eastwood looks pretty awesome.

It's worth pointing out that the key to a good flare is the prep - make sure the tube is cut square and you've got a small chamfer on both the inside and outside.

+3 for the Eastwood tool.

I recently re-did some lines on my Miata and debated between the Eastwood and Mastercool, and ended up with the Eastwood.  As noted above, the only drawback is being vise mounted.  If you have to work under the hood, or under the car the Mastercool is probably the better choice.

Also, as noted above, a square cut that's chamfered inside and out is imperative.  Eastwood has a chamfering tool that works great as well.

I've had very good results with the Rigid flaring tool.  It's available at Home Depot stores and Amazon.  

https://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-3-16-in-to-1-2-in-Model-345-DL-Flare-Tool-23337/202826744

https://www.amazon.com/Ridgid-23337-345-DL-Flaring-Tool/dp/B001HWKZLO

If you can find the Eastwood Tubing Deburring Tool, pretty much anything works.

Here in the rustbelt, the Mastercool makes quick work of some awful messes.

I like it so well I bought a second one (dirty cheap, like $80 cheap) just to loan out to people who ask to borrow my nice one.  

Moved up as my frequency of use progressed over many years from cheap manual bar type to better ones, Eastwood, and eventually a Mastercool. I have a K-D bar type for 3/16",1/4", 5/16", 3/8", and 1/2" I used a few times before I bought an Eastwood, haven't used it in many years and not likely to at this point in my life. $ 10.00 to cover shipping and it's your's Woody. If he doesn't want it the first one of you guys to respond can have it for the same deal. I'm sure someone who would use it only rarely or is on a tight budget could put it to good use and I suspect Woody will buy an Eastwood or Mastercool.

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I'm really looking at that Eastwood vice-based flaring tool. Anyone know if one can order metric sized line clamps? That's kind of a deal breaker.

I own a whole bunch of these flare tools. The fastest is the mastercool hydraulic, the flare is okay quality (small bit off center sometimes) but very fast and can be used on the car. Has a ton of dies so you can make all sorts of weird terminations if you get creative. 

The Rigid you can get from home depot is the most accurate flare, but slow to use. The calvan kit is slow to use, but makes a very good flare, just about as good as the Rigid and is brainless in terms of fiddling with alignment. 

For the money, the calvan kit is the winner.  For versatility, mastercool is the winner. 

I've always just used the red box cheapie.  Bought one back in the early '90s, and never really needed anything else. I only do factory brake likes lines and cheap aftermarket replacements, however.  As said, prep is everything.  As long as it is cut straight and chamfered correctly, I have never had an issue. I like the fact that I am able to use it most anywhere on the vehicle that a factory fitting twists off the end of the line because it is seized to it.