Appreciation post: manual tube expanders vs the hydraulic crap

I spent 10 years fighting with those old hydraulic tube expanders on condenser jobs down in Baton Rouge. They'd leak oil, you'd have to bleed the lines every time, and the pressure was never consistent. Plus hauling that heavy pump up 4 flights of stairs on a retrofit job was a nightmare. Last month I finally caved and bought a manual torque-controlled expander from a guy at the union hall. Cost me $180 but it was worth every penny. No fluid, no seals to blow out, and I can feel exactly when the tube seats against the tube sheet. I swear I finish tube bundles in half the time now. Has anyone else switched back to manual tools after dealing with hydraulic headaches?

3 comments

3 Comments

lopez.karen2mo ago

Did your buddy ever get that weird hydraulic burn on his arm from the hose blowing out mid-crimp? I know a guy who had that happen and he jokes his left arm is more seasoned than his right now.

grant_hart2mo ago

Told him to just rub some bacon grease on it and wrap it in duct tape until he could see a doc. He actually did that and it healed fine, no joke.

holly_sanchez751mo ago

I mean, not gonna lie the hydraulic unit I had left my arm looking like a Jackson Pollock painting from all the fluid burns and pinch marks. I swear @grant_hart probably saw me limping around the shop after one blowout and thought I got into a fight with a wildcat. The manual expander is way more forgiving on my clumsy ass, at least when I mess up now it's just my own bad luck not a pressurized oil bath. Plus I can actually tell when I'm about to overdo it instead of waiting for the seal to scream at me.