Technical Double Flare Tool

After struggling through several flares on some brakelines today, I've decided that I need a new HIGH QUALITY double flare tool....I'm so tired of looking at cheap Chinese junk...anyone have an opinion on a really good one...? I know alot about tools and how to search them out, but this time I'm looking for YOUR input.

 

I have a MAC Tools one from many years ago. It has never let me down.

 

hard to get the MAC guy to stop at my house....I wish I had an account.

 

I've had an Imperil Eastman flare tool for 40 years. Never had a bad flare that wasn't my fault

 

You just find out when and where they stop. Usually they hit the shops in the area at right around the same time on the same day every week. It takes a bit of research but it isn't that hard to figure out.

All Mac is showing online is a metric double flare tool http://www.mactools.com/en-us/Brake-and-Wheel/Brake/FT159B/Metric-Double-Flare-Tool

 

Good thing they deliver!

http://www.mactools.com/en-us/Brake...b7-45cc-b421-a30c0111e643/Double-Flaring-Tool

 

I just went threw this a few months back. I ended up purchasing a Mastercool kit. They have a bunch of different kits depending on what you want to be able to do. I paid around $300 or a little less for mine and it does everything http://www.mastercool.com/pages/flaring_tools.html you can get simpler kits too. It's the company that Snap-on rebrands and sells on their trucks. I've done my entire Model A and numerous other small jobs, to many to count, that I would not have attempted before. I highly recommend it. All the flairs I have done have been perfect 1st time with this tool!

 

I have an old KD that works ok, and a not so old KD that doesn't work very well. I suggest you spend some money on a good one. But I don't know exactly which one is good these days....that hydraulic one looks pretty nifty, though!

 

Bought one from Napa at their tool sale, reasonable and works great!

 

I also have an old Mac that works well.

 

Unless you are doing a lot of them it might be cheaper to have a brake shop do the flares. Of course finding a brake shop that still knows how to do them might be a problem.

Charlie Stephens

 

I have an old K-D also, durned thing does what looks to be a perfect double flare...but leaked.
Spun the flared end around in a slow speed electric drill driver and the flare was lopsided.
Tried 3 more, same problem.
My late bud John Lyons told me "It's the operator", and borrowed it to do some flares on his '27 sedan.
When he returned it, he said it was 'flawed'. I laughed. "Sure it wasn't the operator?"
He laughed, but not loud....

 

I have had a K-D for 30+ years. Held up great and still makes perfect double flares.

 

Better yet.... have a friend that owns a hydraulic flaring kit and lets you borrow it!

 

Mine is an Imperial Eastman. Bought it at the NAPA store when I was starting the '37. That was in 1988.

 

yeah, the more I look, the more I like the hydraulic tool.....

 

I have just been trying to do my first ever flares the last couple days. I am using a KD also. Mine is probably 10-12 years old. It took me about 7 tries to get one that I was happy with(at least in appearance). I don't know how much was the tool and how much was the operator.

 

It's more like go get some beer and go see the friend. I personally rarely lend tools any tools, and definitely not $300 dollar ones. I've just learned over the years that most people don't take care of other peoples tools very well. Obviously there are a few exceptions. But not many.

 

It's seriously sweet. Seems very high quality. Seems like a tool you will have for life. I was worried about how much I had just spent until I did my first flair.

 

I have the hydraulic unit it has sprung a leak and having trouble finding seals, If I were to buy a new tool
I would look at Eastwood, it has a 37* flare kit also.

 

Do you actually have a Mastercool? They have replacement seals listed on their site... One of the reasons I bought mine over other brands.

 

Haha, I sound like a mastercool rep.

 

Yeah, you do. Way cool tool though.

 

Any body user east woods double/ single flaring tool? I'm thinking of buying it

 

I've got a 35 year old KD flaring tool, and discovered early on that square cuts on the end of the tubing go a long ways towards a successful double flare. I actually file mine square, and make sure there are no burrs on the inside of the tube where the cut was made. Use oil to lube the dies, take your time. Once you figure it out you'll get a good flare 90% of the time. I always leave my lines just long enough to make a second flare just in case. Nobody's perfect, right?

 

And don't forget to put the fitting on first. No need to ask how I know that

 

I have a Rigid flaring tool I have used for 15 years or so. Like Ebbsspeed said, prep is very important.

 

I bought a Eastwood Flaring tool (pictured) about 4 years ago, have done about 6 cars (all brake lines) with it since then, has not failed me once. I highly recommend it, it took me awhile to pull the trigger, but after dealing with several new cheaply made flaring tools (after losing my early 90's KD flaring tool) the Eastwood tool is worth every penny in the end. Good luck.

 

I have one I bought at an auction 35 years ago. I believe it's an Imperial Eastman. Does perfect flares. The ones you put in a vice like Eastwood's are great, unless you are doing repair work and need to flare a line that is still on the car. Then the one like I have is the ticket.