thoughts on brake flaring tool

this one currently on sale thru Sunday

Eastwood Professional Brake Tubing Flaring Tool Item #25304

http://www.eastwood.com/professional-brake-tubing-flaring-tool.html

I been doin' OK w/ cheaper brand but for a cpl bills I might pop

What say GRMers

The Eastwood tool is awesome! I use it several times a week. Quick perfect flares without leaving clamp gouge marks on the tubing and even flaring 3/8" steel fuel line is easy. If you see yourself flaring tubing more than once or twice a year it's a great investment. Keep in mind you need a different tool if you plan on doing AN work requiring 37 degree flares.

My only complaint with it is that it requires mounting in a vice. That means you can't flare with the line on the car. But the only way to get a good flaring tool that lets you do that is to go with the Mastercool hydraulic tool, which is a good bit more expensive than the Eastwood. From what I've heard the Eastwood is a great tool.

I have the Mastercool and wouldnt use anything else. Worth every penny. Sure its $300 or so, but take your car in for ONE brake job at a shop and its paid for. A lot nicer than the endless struggle of a regular flaring tool.

I use a Blue-Point (whatever the Snap-on cheap brand is). You can use it on the car but it takes a bit of work to keep from putting a bend in the line. It's a lot easier in a vise. Looks like the cheapies you can borrow from Autozone, but with much better metallurgy.

Nothing is more frustrating than a cheap flaring tool. They break at inopportune moments and it's harder to get a good flare.

Keith wrote: Nothing is more frustrating than a cheap flaring tool. They break at inopportune moments and it's harder to get a good flare.

This is the most truest statement I've read on the net, EVAR!
Good tools are worth the expense.

93gsxturbo wrote: I have the Mastercool and wouldnt use anything else. Worth every penny. Sure its $300 or so, but take your car in for ONE brake job at a shop and its paid for. A lot nicer than the endless struggle of a regular flaring tool.

I have as well. The best tool for doing this that I have ever seen! I can take a brake line and is less then 1 minute make a bubble flare, add 30 seconds and I can make it a SAE double flare. And you can use it to make a flare on tubing while still on the car if you have to.

jimbbski wrote: And you can use it to make a flare on tubing while still on the car if you have to.

Here in MI, that's neer needed. By the time a brake line has been on the car for a number of months, the line is too rusty to be flared. Here, if there is a problem with a brake line, you replace the whole thing from the master to the wheel cylinder/caliper. Sux!

I have the Eastwood tool as well. Best money I ever spent. As mentioned not much good for doing flares on the car but off car it is straightforward and works great.

DrBoost wrote:

jimbbski wrote: And you can use it to make a flare on tubing while still on the car if you have to.

Here in MI, that's neer needed. By the time a brake line has been on the car for a number of months, the line is too rusty to be flared. Here, if there is a problem with a brake line, you replace the whole thing from the master to the wheel cylinder/caliper. Sux!

I live near Chicago and I know RUST! Just today I had to replace one of the two straps that holds up my gas tank on my 2000 SVT Contour. There was only one holding it up! And I wouldn't be surprised if I have to replace one or more brake lines in the near future!

only ever used cheapos... if I did it a bit more often I can understand spending the extra... with the cheepo I had to clamp the bar portion with a C clamp so it would hold the tubing tight enough that it wouldn't slip... not fun when you are under a car fighting tools like that... but sure beat running a line from front to back on that stupid suburban