For a DIY homeowner, a $3,000 tool is insanity. Even for a journeyman, the ROI only makes sense if you are pressing 100+ fittings a week. The fittings themselves cost 3x to 5x more than a standard copper fitting. A ½” copper elbow is $0.80; a ProPress elbow is $4.00.
But if you walk onto a new construction site today, you are just as likely to hear the ratcheting click of a ProPress tool. Manufactured by Viega, ProPress is a mechanical press fitting system that has fundamentally changed how we join copper tubing. It is faster, colder, and statistically more reliable than traditional solder. propresser
While soldering will never die (it is an art form and necessary for tight quarters), the industry has voted with its wallets. Major code bodies (IPC, UPC) fully recognize ProPress. Major specifiers (hospitals, schools) demand it for fire safety. For a DIY homeowner, a $3,000 tool is insanity