ABN Double Flaring Tool Kit – Product Review

We don’t need to tell you that certain specialist tools are obviously handy to have in your ever-growing classic car fettling arsenal. From caliper wind back tools to flared spanners and inspection cameras, these more job-specific items can seriously extend your skill set and experience when it comes to vehicle maintenance. Sadly, however, due to their nature they only come out once in a blue moon. Unlike the 10mm socket or humble screwdriver they don’t see daylight anywhere near as often. But if, like us, you have a bit of a reputation as a spanner monkey amongst your friends and family then the opportunity to break out said tools increases exponentially. Case in point is a recent outing with our ABN Double Flaring Tool Kit.

Get your ABN Double Flaring Tool Kit here.

The Product

With the exception of a pipe bender (allegedly supplied but missing) the flaring kit contains everything you need to successfully cut and flare steel, aluminium, and copper tubing – from brake to fuel lines – using either single or double flares. Featuring a yoke compressor, a pipe cutter (1/8 to 1-1/8-inch or 3-30mm), flaring bar and numerous adapter dies (3/16, 1/4, 5/16, 3/8, 7/16, 1/2 and 5/8-inch) it certainly has you covered for any automotive, pipe-related endeavours you may embark upon, all wrapped up in a handy carry case and complete with usage instructions. Combine with the aforementioned pipe bender and you’ll be creating new hard lines quicker than you can say “but why didn’t my kit come with a pipe bender when the product title clearly defines it as being included?”

The Test

A friend of ours was recently lamenting their need for new copper brake pipes after an MOT failure and realising there is a fine line between moaning and dropping hints larger than our Volvo 940 estate we decided to lend a hand and offer to replace said hard lines for them. It was a pretty simple route for the pipework and so copying the shape of the original pipe was easy enough, using the supplied pipe cutter to trim it to length. Then it came time to install the fresh fittings and flare the ends using the correct size die from the ABN Kit, combined with the compressor tool.

The Result

Flaring a brake or fuel line isn’t exactly rocket science. It’s a pretty basic tool, all things told and if it’s your first time then following the simple instructions included in the kit will see you right. It’s also a good idea to practice on a piece of scrap pipe first to make sure you get the technique down pat. The individual pieces of the kit feel well made and despite a number of reviews claiming that the dies were of poor quality and broke we didn’t experience any such issues. As long as you take your time and use the kit correctly, making sure everything is square before you start cranking down the compressor, you shouldn’t encounter any problems. Our friend’s car subsequently passed its MOT which is proof enough for us as to the kit’s effectiveness.

The Verdict – 4 out of 5

The ABN Double Flaring Tool Kit is a handy tool to have in your collection. It’s simple to use and gets the job done, saving you money on garage bills. Adding another string to your vehicle maintenance bow is never a bad thing and this kit does exactly that, allowing you to be ever more self-sufficient when it comes to looking after your classic. We’re knocking a point off for the lack of a pipe bender when it is expressly mentioned in the title but these can be picked up for around £15.