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Unpopular opinion: pipe threading by hand isn't worth the hassle for tight spots
I spent 3 hours last Tuesday trying to thread a 2 inch pipe in a corner by the boiler room at the old Kraft plant. My knuckles were raw and I ended up with a crooked thread anyway. Finally gave in and grabbed a Ridgid 300 off the truck, had it done in 10 minutes. Anyone else find that hand dies just aren't worth it when you're working in a cramped space?
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beth8782mo ago
Hold on, is it really that big of a deal though? I get that your knuckles were hurting, but three hours on a 2 inch pipe sounds like you might have been fighting the die more than working it. A little patience and some good cutting oil usually makes it go smooth even in tight spots. Plus, that 300 you grabbed is heavy and needs power, which you don't always have on an old site. I've hand threaded plenty of pipes in corners and it's never taken more than 45 minutes. Maybe the trick is to just take smaller bites and keep the die straight from the start.
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christopher7132mo ago
Respectfully push back on this one. I've been in a few tight spots where hauling a power threader in just isn't an option and the hand dies got the job done with some patience. A fresh die head and steady pressure, not fighting it, makes a huge difference even on 2 inch.
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