Product Lineup
OUR PRODUCTS
Each product is engineered to exceed industry standards and deliver measurable performance gains in the field.
BATTERY POWERED
POWER SOURCE
Recommended Cordless Drill/Driver or Operators Drill/Driver.
RPM
0 to 500 RPM on Low Speed (Adjustable).
TORQUE
Up to 110 FT/Lbs.
ELECTRIC / HIGH SPEED / MEDIUM TO LOW TORQUE
POWER SOURCE
115 Volt, 60Hz, 1Phase, 15A-20A.
RPM
0-175 RPM.
TORQUE
Up to 30 FT/Lbs.
ELECTRIC / LOW SPEED / HIGH TORQUE
POWER SOURCE
115 Volt, 60Hz, 1Phase, 15A-20A.
RPM
0-123 RPM.
TORQUE
Up to 45 FT/Lbs.
CUTTING CAPACITY
Up to 5" OD Tube With Optional 4" Chuck.
CUTTING CAPACITY
Up to 5" OD Tube With Included 4" Chuck. 6" Sch. 80 PVC With Optional 6" Chuck.
CUTTING CAPACITY
Up to 6 5/8" OD Tube With Included 6" Chuck.
Product Notes
The recommended drill/driver is the Milwaukee 2903-20 M18 Fuel. All testing and specifications have been performed using this drill motor. A number of drivers appear to fit in the speed control bracket, but only the DeWalt DCD794 and Ryobi PCL206 / PSBDD02 have been tested. The Ryobi drivers required some rubber to be trimmed from the grip.
The actual cutting capacity of the battery-powered unit is based solely on the Milwaukee Fuel driver listed above. Other drivers cannot be guaranteed to achieve the same tube cutting capacities, including other Milwaukee drivers. Cutting capacity is also based on using fully charged batteries that are in good condition.
500 RPM is too fast for larger tube sizes but works very well for cutting tubes up to 7/8". The speed can be reduced using the foot pedal; however, it takes a little practice to maintain a consistent medium or slow speed. The max speed can be adjusted down by adjusting the cable length on the speed control bracket.
The rated torque, which Milwaukee refers to as peak torque, is 110 ft-lbs. This differs from the constant torque output of the electric drive units.
During test cutting, we found that full torque is only achieved at full trigger input while operating in low speed mode. Torque drops off dramatically when the trigger is held in the mid to low range. This is why the 360-ML electric unit is able to cut slightly larger tubing more smoothly and consistently than the higher-rated battery-powered unit.
When cutting larger tubing with the battery-powered unit, additional foot pedal pressure may sometimes be required after the tube cutter has established its track in order to increase torque and reach proper cutting speed. Once cutting is established, the pedal can then be backed off to reduce cutting speed.
In testing, we found that once the cutting process is underway, the unit can cut 5" O.D. × .065 wall steel continuously until the battery is depleted without issue.
The electric units are wired for a 20 amp circuit but will also operate properly on a 15 amp circuit and are protected from overload by the VFD. For in-shop use, we recommend connecting the unit to a dedicated 20 amp circuit.
Units can also be ordered in 230 volt, 60 Hz or 50 Hz configurations.
INCLUDED WITH BPTS360
BPTS360 PRODUCT OVERVIEW
DRILL/DRIVER COMPATIBILITY
The BPTS360 is a battery-powered tube spinner that uses the customer's preferred cordless drill/driver to drive the Tubespin load adapter/tube holder. This allows the customer to use the same battery charging system they already have rather than requiring an additional battery and charger.
Although the tool was built and tested around the Milwaukee 2903-20 FUEL drill/driver, other brands will work; however, tube cutting capacity specifications are based only on the 2903-20 FUEL and cannot be assured with other Milwaukee drivers.
The DeWalt DCD777 and DCD794 have also been fitted and tested and provide similar performance. Most other manufacturers' drill/drivers will fit in the speed control bracket and perform well for cutting most rated tubing but may not be able to handle larger or longer tube sizes.
SETUP AND OPERATION
REMOVE THE DRIVER BATTERY
Set the driver's 1/2" chuck over the load adapter's hex drive shaft and tighten it securely, making sure the three jaws of the driver chuck align with the three flat surfaces on the hex drive shaft. Tighten slightly beyond hand-tight using adjustable pliers. When properly tightened, it will not come loose.
Unroll and lay out the foot pedal, cable, and speed control bracket. Slide the speed control bracket onto the drill handle. The bracket is intentionally slightly under-bent to provide a snug fit on a Milwaukee driver. For DeWalt drivers, you may need to squeeze the bracket slightly closed to achieve a snug fit. Ryobi handles have a thicker rubber covering that creates a tighter fit, so trimming some of the rubber may improve fitment.
Swing the restraint bracket over the driver handle. Ensure the cable is laid out in large S-shaped turns. Always begin with the cable laid out straight to allow it to unwind itself into a slack position while fitting it to the driver.
Attach the trigger strap and secure it with the wing nut. The strap should fit in its current location when using the recommended Milwaukee driver. Other drivers may require moving the strap stud to one of the alternate mounting holes. Additional information on adjusting the speed control bracket can be found in the manual supplied with the tool.
Check that the collet holder output and/or chuck area is clear and safe. Never leave the chuck key in the chuck. Verify that the trigger strap has not unintentionally engaged the trigger. If everything appears correct, install the battery.
If the driver starts without the foot pedal being depressed, the speed control bracket cable will require adjustment. Refer to the manual for instructions. If the driver only operates when the foot pedal is pressed, the unit is ready for operation.
INCLUDED WITH EPTS360-ML
EPTS360-ML PRODUCT OVERVIEW
The EPTS360-ML is a 115 volt electric drive tube spinner. It has a 1 HP TEFC motor. The motor itself is 208 volt, 3 phase, 4.5 amp. It is powered by a 115 volt single-phase, 16.5 amp input to a 208 volt, 3 phase, 4.5 amp output VFD.
The motor speed of 1750 RPM is reduced to 175 RPM at 60 Hz through the gearbox. This speed of 175 RPM supplies an optimal speed for cutting smaller tubing.
For larger tubing, the speed can be reduced to a preset speed on the VFD while still maintaining a constant medium torque to cut tubing up to 5" O.D.
While 6" Schedule 80 PVC can be cut with this unit, it is near the upper limit of its torque capacity. However, once dialed in, you can cut 6" Schedule 80 PVC continuously. The VFD also provides excellent motor overload protection and will stop cutting if too much cutting pressure is applied, while allowing an immediate restart.
The foot pedal starts and stops the tube spinner and also controls the speed from 0 to 175 RPM, or from minimum to maximum preset speeds. This gives you precise speed control for accurate cutter starts and helps prevent tracking.
The foot pedal on the electric units comes with a pedal guard as well as an emergency stop switch. This switch is handy for shutting down when stepping away from the process momentarily. The pole aids in positioning the foot pedal for cutting and also provides a tool tray for holding miscellaneous piping tools.
The foot pedal/tool tray assembly includes a 25' cord with a quick connect for coupling it to the power unit.
The EPTS360-ML comes with a collet set and a 4" chuck and is most popular in the 115 volt configuration for cutting small to medium-large tubing. This is a great unit for production cutting in a shop environment. No more trying to hold onto small stainless tubing!
INCLUDED WITH EPTS360-H
EPTS360-H PRODUCT OVERVIEW
The EPTS360-H is the go-to unit for cutting larger tubing sizes. It has all the same specs and features as the EPTS360-ML, except it is configured as a low-speed, high-torque unit.
The gearbox ratio runs the output shaft at 123 RPM, and the torque is increased to 45 ft-lbs. This allows the operator to preset the maximum speed at a more controllable RPM while still having the torque to cut up to 6-5/8" O.D. × .100 wall 316 stainless tubing.
The added torque does sacrifice some cutting speed on smaller tubing, but compared to cutting 3/8" stainless steel tubing by hand, there is still no comparison.
Because the load is so light on smaller tubing, you can overspeed the VFD to 70 Hz to gain a little more cutting speed.
MOUNTING TABLE OPTIONS
For portable units, we recommend a folding work table such as a Workmate or, as shown in the video, the WORX WX051. Another option we tested and liked for the battery-operated unit was a Packout setup where we mounted the unit to the top, which worked well for transporting the unit and also served as a cutting base. The drawers were handy for storing tooling.
For permanent installations in a shop, a heavy table or stand that is fastened down is best, along with a safety stand and a "V" head or roller stand when using long lengths of tubing.
Long lengths of large tubing, especially if bent, are going to move around until they are cut. Schedule 80 PVC is often bent. We have cut long, bent tubing without anything fastened down, but realignment is often required.
You will also need movable catcher stands. The type and quality will depend on your application. It is also helpful to have extra space on the mounting table for tooling.
USING COLLETS AND CHUCKS
The BPTS360 comes with a set of tube holding collets from 1/4" to 1-1/8" O.D. These collets hold the tube in the collet holder of the load adapter.
In most cases, the collet nut only needs to be hand tightened unless you are cutting heavy wall stainless steel or installing a chuck. All optional chucks will also hold small tubing, but they are not as forgiving as the collet holders.
Example: A 1-1/8" × 20' stainless tube will support itself in the collet holder, but in a chuck it will likely fall out and would require a "V" stand to align it with the chuck.
Collets are simply more robust and can handle bent tubing. For production cutting of stainless or titanium tubing, they are fast and help keep the tube end in perfect shape.
With collets, you can use almost anything for a support stand, such as a sawhorse, inexpensive roller stands, etc.
SUPPORT STANDS
As mentioned above, when using lightweight tubing up to 1-1/8" and collets for holding the tube, you can use almost anything for tube support. A typical fold-up roller stand, available at most hardware stores, is inexpensive and works well.
If you are cutting a bundle of tubing, such as 7/8" × 20' titanium, and need to make multiple cuts per tube, you can set up sawhorses to support the bundle and cut directly from the stands. Use Vise-Grip® welding clamps to separate your cut and uncut pieces.
For larger tubing, we suggest purchasing at least one good "V" head pipe stand. These can be purchased from various suppliers or online. These stands are designed for heavy pipe but are also stable and well suited for spinning tubing. They use a tripod design and fold up for storage.
Be sure to select the correct height to match your drive unit table. The "V" heads are made of steel and will drag on the tubing, which may cause marking. To prevent this, you will need to purchase HDPE rivet-on slides from us or make your own. These are available as an accessory from Tubespin 360 suppliers.
If you are cutting large, heavy tubing such as 6" Schedule 80 PVC or 6-5/8" stainless tubing, or if you simply want to reduce turning drag on 2-5/8" O.D. copper tubing, a roller stand can be used.
Some "V" stands also offer interchangeable roller head attachments.
SAFETY AND CATCHER STANDS
A safety stand is used at the chucked end of the tube to catch the tube if it comes out of the chuck. This may happen from time to time when cutting bent or out-of-round tubing, or when your setup is on uneven or out-of-level ground.
Safety stands are not necessary on tubing held by collets, as they provide approximately 2" of grip on the tube. The safety stand can be a dedicated pipe stand, sawhorse, or roller stand.
When mounting the Tubespin to a table, you can position it farther inward on the table so that if the tube comes out of the chuck, it lands on the tabletop. This will work with up to a 4" chuck, but with a 6" chuck and 6-5/8" tubing, you will need to shim the unit base upward to provide clearance over the tabletop.
You must raise the unit high enough to maintain clearance and avoid creating a pinch point. This is why we recommend using a separate safety stand for 6" chucked tubing.
Catcher stands are used to support the cut-off section of tubing after separation. For example, if you are cutting a 20' length of 4-1/2" stainless tubing in half, you will need a pair of stands at the cut-off end to catch the falling tube.
Once again, these stands do not need to be dedicated pipe stands—they can be sawhorses or something similar.
GROUND LEVEL CUTTING — 2 PERSON
For a quick setup on a rooftop—for example, when piping in a condenser with 2-5/8" copper—you can simply set down the BPTS360 battery-powered unit and use a ground-level "V" head tube support. One person can operate the trigger by hand while the other person cuts the tube.
TUBE CUTTERS
There are many sizes and brands of tube cutters on the market. Some of these include Reed, Ridgid, Super Ego, Imperial, and Milwaukee. There are different cutters and cutting wheels available for different materials.
For example, if you are cutting 6" Schedule 80 PVC, you need a cutter that fits the pipe size and a wheel with sufficient cutting depth for Schedule 80 PVC.
Reed Manufacturing provides a very good cutting wheel selector for most materials and tube cutter brands.
READY TO GET STARTED?
Contact our team for a custom quote or to discuss which product is right for your application.