[RustyRealtor]

Hello,

I have a Milwaukee Pex Expander Kit. It came with a small tube of grease. Well, that small tube (1.75 oz) of grease costs about $20. Is there a special ingredient in the Milwaukee grease which makes it cost so much? Can I use wheel bearing grease, or am I being a cheapskate?

 

[de-nagorg]

Look up the ingredients on their website.

Might be molybdemum based grease, which is available in tubes for a lot less than the manufacturers price.

My Craftsman weed whacker specifies special grease for the flex shaft, but I buy the cheap molybdemum grease in a tube, and dip the shaft in and reinsert it in the tool. And the ingredients are identical.

Yes I know this is a weed wacker, and your pex tool is not, but grease is grease.


ED

 

[Akpsdvan]

The grease for the Milwaukee is for potable water, ie your using it to open the aqua pex pipe with the collar to put the fitting in. So , which grease would you rather have getting into the water?

 

[Oso954]

The grease for the Milwaukee is for potable water, ie your using it to open the aqua pex pipe with the collar to put the fitting in.

The grease goes between the cone on the tool and the expansion cone that you mount over it. Properly lubricated, you will not get grease inside the pex.

The grease is not the same as potable water grease.

 

[DR P]

https://documents.milwaukeetool.com/58-97-1280.pdf

very low toxicity - contains proprietary mineral oil & additives
not certain you will get anything close for any less cost...

Peace

 

[RustyRealtor]

The grease goes between the cone on the tool and the expansion cone that you mount over it. Properly lubricated, you will not get grease inside the pex.

The grease is not the same as potable water grease.

I saw a youtube video where a fella was greasing a big pex expander and he put the grease, like you say, between the expander head and the tool. And that makes sense. Nowhere in the the Milwaukee manual which came with my kit does it make mention of greasing the tool in this way.

The manual says, "Use a clean, lint-free cloth to apply a thin coat of Milwaukee Expander Cone Grease Cat No.49-08-2400 to the expander cone. Do not over-lubricate."

 

[iamrfixit]

Nowhere in the the Milwaukee manual which came with my kit does it make mention of greasing the tool in this way.

The manual says, "Use a clean, lint-free cloth to apply a thin coat of Milwaukee Expander Cone Grease Cat No.49-08-2400 to the expander cone. Do not over-lubricate."

The inside piece IS the expander cone....

The cone pushes outward against the back side of the expander jaws to force them open. As the cone slides against the back of the jaws, that is where the highest friction point is so that is where the lube would need to go.

Even using a light coating, as the jaws of the expander open and close a small amount of the grease is likely to get scraped off the cone, get up between the jaws and end up on the surface where it could be transferred to the inside of the pipe and end up in your water. It could take a long time to get that grease completely rinsed out of the pipes.

I wouldn't use a non edible type of grease just to save a couple bucks. There are many food safe greases out there but they may not lube the tool as the manufacturer intends.

 

[Ghostmaker]

Keep in mind what ever you insert into your potable water pipe your drinking it.

 

[RustyRealtor]

I'll stick with the Milwaukee grease. Wouldn't want to poison the well, so to speak.

And I won't put any grease on the bit that goes into the pex.

Thanks for the replies.

 

[Clutchcargo]

I bet KY Jelly would do the job too; water soluble and non-toxic.