Brake pipe flaring tools

Recommendations please! Looking on that there interweb thing, there's the usual massive price difference between something that looks like it came out of a cracker, and the professional kit that a main dealer might use.

I need to make up some brake lines for my Ninety (and at some point, my Series). What do you use and how much do I need to pay to get something that'll do a half-decent job?

Cheers in advance.

i can recommend these had one years ago until i lent it out!
sykes-pickavant brake flaring tool on eBay (end time 06-Apr-11 15:26:02 BST)

the vice held ones are better sykes pickavant and you dont need to get all bits just ones for 3/16 and 1/4,even snap on hand held is poor and leaves mark on pipe that union dosent slide over

well the last one i used was an hand held draper,,simple to use (first time i had ever used one)did the job an passed the mot..result

I have a sykes pick vice held one. Its a little more expensive but always does the job and you will never need another. Really easy to use as well

I've got one of the cheap MachineMart ones and, as long as you're careful, it makes quite satisfactory flares. I only need to do a few pipes so it's not going to get used a lot and it's cheaper than buying the pre made ones.

Funnily enough I think theres a review in this months Practical Performance Car magazine.

I just made some brake pipes this week and my uncle is a mechanic so i borrowed his professional one. It has to go in a big vice and then you clamp the pipe in the right size hole and pull a handle in stage one then again in stage two. The pipes are perfect, I'd say if you will use it often buy an expensive one.

This is the sort you want http://www.diytools.co.uk/diy/Images/DB_Detail/_109586_207140.jpg

looks suspiciously like the sykes design so should be good

I got a cheap one for a one off job.

Its now been used to do a car transporter trailer, a 2cv, a series land rover, the clutch pipe on my TD5 and some bits on a van... and still going strong.

Nothing has failed yet... so i see it as a great success. Some tools are worth spending lots on... it appears this isn't one of them from my experience

Yep PPC did run a review on flare tools. this months issue. left it in works van so cant give you any details. But if you want a really good one go for the more expensive vice mounted ones. they are great. Used my uncles for years. The cheaper handheld ones are a little naff. Dearer handheld are ok if you need to pipework on vehicle.