SharkBite PEX Press Review: Press Fittings Without the $1,500 Tool

Disclosure: SharkBite sponsors the Tools In Action channel. Our opinions are our own.

SharkBite is best known for its push-to-connect fittings. If you talk to plumbers about SharkBite, you’ll get strong opinions both ways. In our video “The Ultimate Plumbing Game Changer? (SharkBite PEX Press)” we look at something different from the brand: the new SharkBite PEX Press system. It’s a line of press fittings for PEX pipe that you can install with a hand tool instead of a battery press tool that costs thousands.

What It Is

SharkBite describes PEX Press as “one system” of fittings, valves and accessories for PEX-a and PEX-b pipe. The lineup on sharkbite.com includes poly and brass PEX Press fittings, PEX Press valves and PEX Press water heater connectors. In the video we show couplings, a valve, faucet connections and manifold options.

According to SharkBite’s PEX Press brochure, each fitting has three key design features:

• A factory-installed stainless steel sleeve that stays attached to the fitting, so there are no loose rings to lose.
• Three pipe insertion viewing windows that show the pipe is fully inserted before you press.
• A built-in locator ridge on the sleeve that helps the jaws of the tool sit in the right spot.

SharkBite also says PEX Press fittings work with tools specified for ASTM F3347 (brass) and F3348 (poly) fittings, so you aren’t locked into one brand of press tool.

What the Video Shows

We start with the usual SharkBite debate. Plenty of plumbers dislike push-to-connect fittings, and in our experience most of the problems come back to pipe prep. As Eric puts it in the video, if you don’t prep the pipe the right way, you could get a leak. He’s had a SharkBite connection on his water heater for seven or eight years without a single leak.

Then we get into PEX Press. Press connections normally call for a dedicated press tool, and the big battery-powered ones we see on jobsites run somewhere around $1,500 to $2,400 depending on the kit. That’s a lot of money if you’re only plumbing a basement bar.

Here’s what we point out on the fittings:

1. The sleeve is retained. On a lot of press and expansion systems the ring is a separate part. If you’re a plumber with a box of 30 fittings, you might end up with 20 rings. With PEX Press, the sleeve stays on the fitting.
2. You get an instant visual. Slide the PEX in, and you can see the red pipe through the holes. If you see the pipe color, you know it’s all the way in.
3. The ridges guide the tool. The locator ridge sets the tool in the right place so you get a solid press every time.

Next we go from copper to PEX. You can do that with a SharkBite push-to-connect fitting, or you can stay with press and use an adapter that has a copper end and a PEX end. The prep is the same as always. Sand the copper, deburr it, and mark the insertion depth with a Sharpie. Then slide the PEX on and check the three viewing holes for red.

For the press itself we skip the big battery tool and use SharkBite’s hand-held PEX press tool. It comes with different heads for different sizes. Eric lines the tool up on the ridge, squeezes until he gets the click, and we zoom in on a clean, even press on both sides. We also put on a PEX Press valve, so you can shut off a run when you’re working in a bathroom, and a faucet connection. Then we cut PEX with a SharkBite PEX cutter that lines the cut up so it comes out straight.

Pros and Cons From the Video

What we liked:

• No loose sleeves to drop or lose.
• The viewing windows show you the pipe is seated before you press.
• The locator ridge takes the guesswork out of where the tool goes.
• A hand tool makes press connections possible without a big tool investment.
• SharkBite says you can pressure test right after a complete press, with no wait time.

Things to keep in mind:

• Your local code still rules. As we mention in the video, PEX isn’t used much in the Chicago area, and some of it isn’t allowed in Cook County. Check what’s allowed where you live before you plan a job.
• Prep still matters. A clean, square cut and a deburred pipe are what make any connection last.
• A hand tool takes more effort per connection than a battery press tool. That’s fine for a repair or a small project, but it’s slower on a whole-house job.

SharkBite backs the PEX Press system with what it calls a 25-year system warranty and 10-year consequential coverage, under RWC’s warranty terms.

Who It’s For

PEX Press fits the homeowner who wants to run water to a basement bar, add a shutoff valve, or make a repair without hiring out or buying a pro press tool. It also works for plumbers who want press connections without spending a few thousand dollars on another tool, or who want fittings that still work with the press tools they already own.

We still like copper too. There’s something satisfying about a pressed copper joint, and SharkBite makes copper press fittings as well. But for speed and ease, PEX with press fittings is hard to beat. Watch the full video above, then let us know in the comments what you think about SharkBite.

Where to buy: SharkBite PEX Press fittings | SharkBite PEX Press Hand Tool Kit