Review on 🔧 Cal-Van Tools 166 Hydraulic in Line Flaring Tool: Easy Flaring Solution for Auto Repair - 1 Pack, One Size by Jeffery Pricinoc

I have this brake line flaring tool on my old pickup. Since the old leads have become rusty, I replaced them with good copper-nickel leads. This tool created beautiful double flares in a 3/16" line without the problems with cracking or misalignment that users of cheap non-hydraulic flaring tools experience. I have a few complaints: 1. The dies that clamp around the line, shift slightly when tightened, in which case the forked threads will align where they connect to the hydraulic cylinder, making it impossible to screw the coupling in and there is a risk of damaging the threads if you force them apply to it.The solution I found was to clamp the two parts of the die with a pair of smooth-nose pliers while the screws were tightened.It would be nice to have a set of machined guide pins or even just milled tongue slots and grooves on the two Parts to see to ensure alignment when tightening.2.When unscrewing the coupling there is nothing the flare holds. I ran into this problem when flaring the end of a line under the back of a truck. The line needs to be pointing up or at least sideways or the insert will just rip off the tip of the brake line and fall over the coupler. Maybe they could add a little burr on the inside of the clutch to prevent the die from slipping.3. This is very small, but the star handle on the hydraulic cylinder's drive screw is only held in place by two rubber plugs. If you turn the handle, the caps can be removed very easily and then the crossbar can fall out. Overall this is a great tool that is less than half the price of other hydraulic flaring tools. Regarding the other comment about not knowing how to tighten the screw, I've had good results just turning it by hand to the hilt. The hydraulic system appears to be calibrated to deliver almost perfect power at the moment.