About Pipeandwrench
Why I Started This Site
After twenty-two years of crawling through crawlspaces, sweating copper in August attics, and thawing frozen pipes at 2 AM, I got tired of watching good people waste money on garbage tools. I was standing knee-deep in a flooded basement one midnight in 2019, watching the jaws of a "premium" pipe wrench snap clean off a galvanized fitting, when I decided enough was enough. Too many review sites are written by content farms where the author has never held a tool that wasn't made of plastic. Pipeandwrench exists because I was sick of reading "best of" lists based on manufacturer spec sheets instead of bloodied knuckles and real job-site trauma. This site solves one problem: keeping you from holding a broken tool while water sprays in your face. I tell you what works when you're upside down under a kitchen sink with a home inspector arriving in ten minutes, not what looks good in an Amazon photo.
About Mike Hargrove
I'm a licensed master plumber, and I've held that license through two decades of residential service calls and commercial new construction. I started my apprenticeship at twenty years old, carrying bags for guys who had thirty years on me, and I've worked everything from ten-fixture bathroom remodels in historic Victorians to hydronic heating systems in forty-story high-rises. My expertise wasn't built in classrooms—it was forged in the tight spots. I learned which tankless water heaters actually vent properly in old masonry chimneys because I've retrofitted fifty of them. I know which PEX expansion tools hold up when your hands are numb at fifteen degrees because I spent the winter of 2018 repiping an entire subdivision after a freeze burst.
I've flooded two basements early in my career (every honest plumber has), replaced thousands of water heaters, and cleared more drains than I can count. I've seen what happens when cheap solder fails under 80 PSI, and I've watched big-box faucets corrode from the inside out within eighteen months. You should trust my judgment because I've already made the mistakes so you don't have to. When I tell you a basin wrench will actually grip a rusted nut instead of stripping it, it's because I've torqued thousands of them in spaces where you can't fit a second hand.
What We Cover
This site is for anyone who needs gear that won't quit when the pressure is literal. Here's what I write about:
- Real-world tool reviews—pipe wrenches, tubing cutters, PEX crimpers, and soldering kits tested on actual copper and galvanized, not display boards
- Fixture testing—faucets, toilets, shower heads, and water filters installed in real homes and run for weeks or months before I write a word
- Emergency repair guides for when the water won't stop and you need answers fast
- Water heating equipment—tankless, heat pump, and standard tanks tested for install difficulty and long-term reliability
- Drain cleaning gear and sump pumps pushed to their actual limits, not their rated ones
Whether you're a DIY homeowner trying to fix your own leak, an apprentice building your first toolkit, or a commercial plumber who needs gear that survives daily abuse, I write for people who value function over marketing.
How We Test & Review
Everything on this site gets installed and used. I don't do unboxing reviews or spec-sheet comparisons. A pipe cutter lives in my bag for a month. A faucet gets installed in a rental property I manage and monitored for leaks and finish wear. A drain snake gets pushed through real tree roots, not clean PVC. I evaluate based on criteria that matter in the field: Does the grip hold when your hands are wet with condensation? Does the solder take flow or reject it? Does the sump pump switch fail after three months of continuous cycling?
I purchase most products myself. When manufacturers send samples for review, they get the same brutal honesty. If it breaks, I report it breaks. Pipeandwrench runs on affiliate commissions—that's how I pay for hosting—but those relationships never influence scores or recommendations. I've told readers to buy a twelve-dollar hair snare over a three-hundred-dollar powered auger because price has nothing to do with solving the problem. If I wouldn't use it in my own house or recommend it to my crew, it doesn't get a checkmark.
Get In Touch
Got a question about a tool, a repair situation that's got you stumped, or just want to argue about the best brand of copper fittings? I read every email, even if I can't always respond same-day. Shoot me a message at info@pipeandwrench.com and I'll get back to you as soon as I'm done with the day's service calls.
Questions? Reach us at info@pipeandwrench.com