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Pipe press tool or cable crimper

Updated: October 2026

The amazon.co.uk search that brought you here mixes two tools that close two different joints. A pipe press tool or cable crimper question has one answer: a hex die closes a cable lug, and a U, TH or V jaw closes a fitting of that profile. The fitting maker chooses the letter. Cable rows are on the [hydraulic crimping pliers comparison](/hub/pliers/hydraulic-crimping-pliers). The stroke for a lug is on [how to use a hydraulic crimping tool](/hub/pliers/hydraulic-crimping-pliers/sub/hydraulic-crimping-pliers-how-to-crimp). Products Compared compared these amazon.co.uk listings on 16 October 2026, with no laboratory test. A purchase through our links can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

The amazon.co.uk search that brought you here mixes two tools that close two different joints.

Our top picks

Growlush Growlush SL-1632 U-profile pipe press

Best overall

Growlush Growlush SL-1632 U-profile pipe press
6.8/10about £68.88
View offer
Vrietina Vrietina V and TH hydraulic pipe press

Alternative

Vrietina Vrietina V and TH hydraulic pipe press
7.8/10about £99.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Two tools, one search
  2. 2.U, TH and V
  3. 3.The two pipe tools in this set
  4. 4.Force, clearance and gas

Two tools, one search

Eight listings here are hand-hydraulic kits with hex dies, mostly claimed around 4–70 mm² and priced between £32.29 and £40.99. They squash a barrel onto a conductor. Growlush SL-1632 and Vrietina are pipe presses. Their jaws are contoured. A hex die will not form the bead a fitting expects, and a U jaw will not make a BS-style hex on a cable lug. If the job is a battery or inverter lug, leave this page for the hydraulic crimper for battery cable guide. If the fitting is printed with U, TH or V, stay. Z-Press treat U and TH as two multilayer contours that are not interchangeable. A published exception does not make a cable kit into a pipe tool.

U, TH and V

Read the letter on the fitting, then buy the jaw that repeats it. U and TH both turn up on multilayer pipe, including underfloor heating, and the contours differ. A U16 jaw does not become a TH16 jaw because the pipe diameter looks similar. V is the contour sold for copper press fittings. A Novopress V jaw set can sit near £399 ex VAT. Multipipe cite BS EN 1057 for copper tube and BS EN 21003 for multilayer, and their system note of 15 kN is not a test of the tools below. Wavin’s current Tigris K5 and M5 manual says those fittings accept U, Up, TH, H and B jaws. Older Tigris K1 and M1 fittings are U only. If the fitting names one letter, use that letter. Vrietina is not approved here for any named copper brand. A V jaw in the box is a V jaw, not a certificate.
Growlush Growlush SL-1632 U-profile pipe press

Testsieger

Growlush Growlush SL-1632 U-profile pipe press
6.8/10about £68.88
View offer

The two pipe tools in this set

Growlush SL-1632 is the U-only listing: U16, U20, U25 and U32, about 80 kN, £68.88, and 5.0 from one review with no review text. Keep it only if your fittings say U and the sizes are 16, 20, 25 or 32 mm. The stored weight conflicts, 5.27 kg against 6 kg. Nothing in the snapshot shows this jaw checked on a named underfloor brand. Vrietina lists a V jaw from 12–28 mm and a TH jaw from 16–32 mm, up to 100 kN, at £99.99 with 4.2 from 107 reviews. Buy it only if the fitting’s letter is V or TH and the size sits inside that jaw’s list. One UK review returned the tool because the pipe pulled out after the press. The stored TH bullet also begins with the words V-contour, so read the jaw you fit. Neither listing is a general winner. If you do not yet know the letter, buy neither.

Force, clearance and gas

The Growlush head wants at least 4 cm of clearance from the wall. About 80 kN and up to 100 kN are the printed claims. They are not a reason to press a fitting whose letter is absent, and they are not a cable kit’s 10 ton sticker. Do not treat that sticker as a tested 98 kN. Gas press work belongs with a Gas Safe engineer. If the fitting letter is missing, or if the only tool you own is a 4–70 mm² cable kit, do not press the pipe. Fittings marked U in 16, 20, 25 or 32 mm point at the Growlush SL-1632, with almost no review evidence. Fittings marked V or TH inside the printed ranges point at the Vrietina, with a pull-out return you should take seriously.

Common questions

Can a 4–70 mm² cable tool press a pipe?
No. Those kits close a hex on a cable lug. A press-fit pipe needs the jaw profile printed on the fitting, typically U, TH or V. The handles can look alike. Using the cheaper cable case on underfloor pipe is how the joint fails to form.
Do I need U or TH for underfloor heating?
You need the letter the fitting states. Z-Press treat U and TH as different contours, so they are not interchangeable as a default. Some current Wavin Tigris K5 and M5 fittings accept several jaw letters, while older K1 and M1 fittings are U only. Read your fitting.
Which jaw is for copper?
V is the profile sold for copper press fittings. Vrietina’s V jaw is listed from 12–28 mm. A trade V jaw set, such as Novopress, can cost hundreds of pounds on its own. This comparison does not claim the Vrietina jaw is approved for a named copper system.
What does the Growlush kit actually include?
A U-profile press for 16, 20, 25 and 32 mm, at £68.88, with a force claim of about 80 kN. The snapshot shows 5.0 from one review and no review text. Weight is listed as both 5.27 kg and 6 kg. It does not include TH, V or a hex cable die.
Can I press a gas pipe with these?
No. Gas press work is for a Gas Safe engineer. Neither listing is a reason to press gas yourself, and this page does not set out a gas method. If the pipe carries gas, hand the joint to someone who is registered to make it.

Related pages

Hydraulic crimping tool buying guide

Hydraulic crimping pliers

Hydraulic crimper for battery cable: dies and lugs

Best hydraulic crimping tool: review volume, faults

How to use a hydraulic crimping tool, step by step

Sources

Public UK sources checked for this comparison, plus the amazon.co.uk listing facts in the display file on 15 October 2026. Shelf prices and star lines are those UK figures. A later public snippet put the Solsop ASIN at £44.06, so the table price is the snapshot, not a promise.

  1. BSI, BS 7609:1992+A2:2009, code of practice for uninsulated connectors (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  2. IET Wiring Matters: will any old terminal block do? (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  3. ETS Cable Components: cable crimping and BS 7609 (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  4. E-Tech Components: crimping mistakes and good practice (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  5. HSE: fluid injection from hydraulic equipment (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  6. GOV.UK: General Product Safety Regulations 2005 (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  7. Z-Press: U, TH, V and M press-fit jaw profiles (retrieved 15 October 2026)