How to cut crimps rings off PEX pipe

[Mary]

Hi everyone-Its been a very long time since I've posted but lurk many times a year.
We need to replace the faucet in the Master Bath shower. It is behind a wall. We don't want to shorten the PEX or run new PEX so were wondering what's the best way to cut off crimp rings? If we don't we will have to buy new brass connectors and don't want to have to do that. We will be using new crimp rings we ordered from you a long time ago and still have on hand.
Thanks for any help you guys can give us on this.
BTW Mark-the house has never had any type leaks since you spent that day along time ago plumbing the whole thing with PEX. Many thanks for that job well done!!

[JD]

They make a ring buster tool for the copper crimp rings but I am not sure if it damages the pipe when removing the ring. For the short time I used copper rings, I removed them by notching the ring deep with a hack saw, then forcing it off with wire cutters. I use different rings now.

I am not sure how useful the very end of the pex pipe will be after removing the fitting though. I would imagine that it is embossed with the ribs and ring of the fitting you took off. Let us know how it works for you.

[cskal]

I have used the tool to remove copper rings. I guess it depends on what the pipe looks like after you use it (inside and out). I have crimped, cut off and then crimped a new ring on new connections without issue but I am not sure how well that would work on an aged pipe. The tool I use is a plier type. It has a round anvil that fits into the PEX pipe with a hardened notching blade that severs the crimp ring when you squeeze. Usually I sever one side, then rotate the tool 180 deg and repeat. From a time perspective I wouldn't use anything else unless I had to due to space constraints and such.

[Mary]

Thanks everyone-I will check to see if I can find that tool as my son could use it too. Still wondering what Mark does? JD what type rings do you use now? and why?