Which manual swaging tool should you choose?

4th March 2020


Which manual swaging tool should you choose?


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		When it comes to buying a manual swaging tool, there are several points you can consider to help you choose the right one.

		While all manual swaging tools do the same job, there are some key differences which could make your life easier, or harder should you choose the wrong one for the task! The primary factors to consider when choosing which tool to purchase are:

		Pipe material
		While all manual swaging tools can be used to swage mild steel or copper pipes, only the compound action swaging tool can be used to swage stainless steel pipes.

		Therefore, it’s important to know what material the pipe you will be swaging is made of – if it’s stainless steel, the compound action swaging tool is your only option!

		Attempting to swage stainless steel pipe using a standard or ergonomic manual swaging tool will be virtually impossible, due to the strength required, and could also result in a bent or damaged tool.

		Shape of pipe
		While either a three-bladed or five-bladed swaging tool can be used to swage round pipes, only a three-bladed swaging tool should be used to swage square pipes. (See: What is the difference between a three-blade and five-blade manual swaging tool?)

		So, if you need to swage a section of square piping, make sure your chosen swaging tool is a three-bladed, rather than a five-bladed model.

		Length of swage needed
		The length of swage you choose to apply to your pipe’s diameter will affect the tightness of the fit once it is inserted into a second pipe. Depending on the model, manual swaging tools can swage lengths of 30mm (standard manual swaging tool), 40mm (ergonomic manual swaging tool) or 52mm (compound action swaging tool).

		It is also possible to use a swaging tool with a greater swage length (such as the compound action swaging tool) to swage smaller lengths. However, as there is no adjustable stop or visible rule on the jaws, it can be difficult to achieve a consistent length of swage around the entire pipe diameter.

		A longer swage length allows for a tighter join between pipes; this is because, when more of the pipe’s surface area is swaged, more of the swaged pipe will be able to fit inside the unswaged pipe. This increases the surface-to-surface friction between the pipes, thus making it harder for them to slide apart.

		However, every millimetre swaged is a millimetre of your pipe’s length that will be lost once the swaged pipe is inserted into a non-swaged pipe. If you have limited pipe length, it may be worth starting with a shorter swage length and adding to it with a second, longer swaging tool if necessary.

		Length and difficulty of task
		If the task at hand is likely to take a long time, consider choosing a lighter swaging tool – the weight difference between a standard manual swaging tool (450-518g [16oz-1.14lb]) and a compound action swaging tool (760g [1.7lb]) is considerable.

		Holding a heavy tool for a long period may become over-tiring, resulting in fatigue and error.

		Alternatively, you may decide that the greater ease offered by a compound action swaging tool’s system of compound leverage and spring-tensioned handles is benefit enough to override its additional weight.

		Indeed, using a standard or ergonomic manual swaging tool over a long period is likely to become equally as tiring, due to the lack of force amplification (meaning that the tool’s effectiveness depends on the force input by the user alone).