Knipex Cobras for Hose Clamps
- Thread starter richfinn
- Start date
dnschmidt
Well-known member
They work. I thought that they were ridiculously overpriced (Seems to be a German thing and I'm German) but they do work.
klassenl
Well-known member
Yes. Expensive. Very well made and a very handy tool.
Fedwrench
ALLIANCE MEMBER
I think the shorter version is handier.
https://www.knipex.com/index.php?id...obile=&parentID=1368&groupID=2178&artID=35217
They aren't cheap but, I think this is case of you get what you pay for. I like them so much, i have the short set, the long set, and the locking long set. Although the locking version are on the heavy side
If you want a spring band clamp pliers that won't break the bank but, are real handy, check these out: http://www.9circleint.com/products/engine/multi-directional-hose-clamp-pliers/
They're also sold under AST and many truck brands.
https://www.knipex.com/index.php?id...obile=&parentID=1368&groupID=2178&artID=35217
They aren't cheap but, I think this is case of you get what you pay for. I like them so much, i have the short set, the long set, and the locking long set. Although the locking version are on the heavy side
If you want a spring band clamp pliers that won't break the bank but, are real handy, check these out: http://www.9circleint.com/products/engine/multi-directional-hose-clamp-pliers/
They're also sold under AST and many truck brands.
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if working on cars is your job then i understand, but £50 on somthing you might only use 10 times in 10 years seems far to much on a 1 job tool. i just use normal irwin water pump pliers to grip the clips and move them down the pipe and they only cost like £12 - 15 from screwfix or somthing like that, same goes for oil filters, no fancy oil filter tools for me, i just irwin those suckers of
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The nice thing about the Cobra's is the locking feature that allows one to set the desired jaw 'width'. Handy with something like hose clamps. My other water pump type pliers slip out of adjustment and need constant fiddling back to the correct setting.
LOTS of other uses besides hose clamps...
LOTS of other uses besides hose clamps...
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I think the shorter version is handier.
https://www.knipex.com/index.php?id...obile=&parentID=1368&groupID=2178&artID=35217
They aren't cheap but, I think this is case of you get what you pay for. I like them so much, i have the short set, the long set, and the locking long set. Although the locking version are on the heavy side
If you want a spring band clamp pliers that won't break the bank but, are real handy, check these out: http://www.9circleint.com/products/engine/multi-directional-hose-clamp-pliers/
They're also sold under AST and many truck brands.
I might invest in the 180 if the 250 works out ��
Those ones you linked look good and I got to the knipex version searching for some similar by KTC
Shipping stuff to the UK from outside the EU is still ludicrously expensive unfortunately, so it kind of rules out USA/Japanese tools (although Koken and the tool truck brands are available)
I have shipped from AESwave a couple of times and you guys are just spoiled for choice as far as diag equipment is concerned
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if working on cars is your job then i understand, but £50 on somthing you might only use 10 times in 10 years seems far to much on a 1 job tool. i just use normal irwin water pump pliers to grip the clips and move them down the pipe and they only cost like £12 - 15 from screwfix or somthing like that, same goes for oil filters, no fancy oil filter tools for me, i just irwin those suckers of
Yep, I'm an RAC mechanic in the UK so I will use them all the time on air intakes and cooling systems
I still had to do a lot of soul searching to drop £50 on a pair of pliers
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pizza
Well-known member
i've had the locking version (85 51 250 AF) in my azde cart for a while
Lassen Forge
Well-known member
I bought a multiple piece set of Knipex as I found a special on them - at first I didn't like the cobras, but after using them for a while, I found I'll grab them before my Channellocks most of the time. Now I couldn't see not having them...
And while they're not the ones specifically for hose clamps, they work wa better than what I was using before...
And while they're not the ones specifically for hose clamps, they work wa better than what I was using before...
Paul_The_Builder
Well-known member
That's the underrated feature of them. They're expensive because they're a specialty tool. Probably still cheaper than the Snap-on equivalent.
The ability to grip the hole clamp, and rotate the pliers around the clamp without losing your grip is very very handy, and something you can't do with simple slip-joint pliers.
Preference is such a strange thing - I freakin' hated my Channellocks. At first I thought it was that the knockoffs I had were **** (very bindy when adjusting), but got a genuine set and liked them only marginally better. I find that design pretty fiddly and slow.
I have seen the opposite when it comes to the teeth of the Cobras - super hard and aggressive teeth. Maybe I had a bad copy of Channellocks, but I do love my Cobras and the pliers wrenches.
I grabbed the 180mm hose clamp model anticipating the water pump/thermostat on my Mini, which was an extravagance. I did get it for a good deal since it put me at a discount-level and free shipping, but since I've only used...three?...tanks of gas this year in the car, the time for that work is still a ways off...
Perhaps slightly easier to adjust, but also easier to slip out of adjustment.
The teeth on my 7+ year old 180 Cobras that get used quite often show very little wear. I haven't noticed much wear on the teeth of my Channellock's either. I'm using them in an auto repair scenario, so maybe not putting them to the same test you are
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