Best quality pliers?

jvitez · Dec 31, 2010

I have a hodge-podge of pliers, and was pondering getting several top quality new ones. The old ones will go in a secondary tool box I'm setting up to go in our travel trailer. The best pliers I have is my Dad's Klein lineman's pliers: probably 35 or 40 years old but still tight and strong. I've got a Klein needlenose which is nice, and bought two small Chanellock slip joints at Menards a while ago, which seem to be excellent quality for the price. A local dealer has started to carry Knipex :drool:

I'm looking for an assortment of general use pliers.

I'm always surprised at the price of Snap-On, Mac, and the few Proto pliers that I've seen. Are they really that much stronger/better to warrant the price? I've got Wiha, Snap-On, Mac, Proto, Wright, Gray (Canadian, not chinese Grey USA), Knipex, and Channellock available locally at retail prices, but of course I'm always up for a deal

Monte's pics of his enormous and gorgeous plier assortment on the Show Me Your Pliers thread makes me :drool:

Anyway, what are your thoughts? Which brand of pliers are at the upper echelons, and why?

The Muffin Man · Dec 31, 2010

Of all the various pliers that I've used I would say that NWS is the best pliers manufacturer.

The quality of NWS's pliers are absolutely tremendous. The machining of the pliers are perfect in basically ever aspect. The joints open easily under the weight of the pliers themselves, yet the joints do not have any sloppy movement or feeling to them. The joints open and close precisely and effortlessly even after years of daily use. The jaws/cutting edges are perfectly aligned and can cut the most thinnest materials perfectly with extremely little effort (such as a hair or a single sheet of paper.) The jaws/grooves of the combination and "nose" style pliers are also aligned and machined consistently which makes hard to reach wires and material much less frustrating to get. The cutting edges and machined grooves seem to be practically impervious to wear as well.

The most noticeable edge that NWS has over the other brands is the ergonomics of the handles. To me the handles are really the bread and butter. While other pliers maybe similar in quality with respect to the functionality of the tool... there is not one competitor that comes close to the perfection of the handles. The handles are the most comfortable to use by far. The soft cushiony material that NWS uses is extremely forgiving on the hands absorbing majority of the "shock" when cutting through both hard and soft materials. The soft handles enable me to apply the most amount of force with my hands while cutting (or gripping) the material without causing any discomfort. Even when repetitiously cutting thick wires for hours my hands feel great, which is something I haven't been able to say about the other brands. Even though the handles are soft they are also very durable. After several years of daily use the handles have virtually zero wear.

NWS's pliers are also available in a variety of finishes which I think is a nice perk to have. The satin chrome and "Titan" finishes that are offered have great corrosion resistance which for me is great since I use mine in the field majority of the time (living close to the shore also presents a potential corrosion problem

.)

Well time to for some some eye candy :drool:

Arachnotron · Dec 31, 2010

I'll second NWS for the reasons stated above. I love the grips.

american lockpicker · Dec 31, 2010

Knipex.

Jayincali · Dec 31, 2010

Those are really nice looking pliers. Where can one buy these in the states?

treasureseeker · Dec 31, 2010

I have mostly chrome Knipex but want to add some NWS. I see NWS comes up with a search at Chads but no photos which I believe means they don't stock them

american lockpicker · Dec 31, 2010

Whats the prices like?

Danglerb · Dec 31, 2010

I like old pliers, SK, Utica, but I figure any old pliers that still work well must be pretty good.

mrholeshot · Dec 31, 2010

In terms of pure value Channellock rules. Not fancy, not expensive just very solid, available and affordable.

Jim C. · Dec 31, 2010

For the money, quality of construction, and country of origin (USA), I'm going with Channel Lock.

Krokodil · Dec 31, 2010

My Gedore pliers have very similar grips (in shape at least, never handled a NWS)

Looks my next purchase will have to be a NWS!

Monte · Dec 31, 2010

They stock NWS pliers:

NWS catalogs: http://www.nws-tools.de/German/katalog/download.html

BTW: The handle design will be discontinued and replaced with Knipex style handles. So if you want the extra cushion handles hurry up !

wafrederick · Dec 31, 2010

I agree on Knipex,Have a couple Matco branded made by Knipex at work and like them.My Matco dealer says they are awesome and likes Knipex.Knipex is not cheap,My pair of needle nose was $47.00 and the side cutters was $54.00 off the Matco tool truck

zer0cell · Dec 31, 2010

My vote is for channellock for the reasons mrholeshot stated above. Otherwise try Klein or Knipex. NWS looks good but is much harder to locate in the US.

mrholeshot · Dec 31, 2010

Much depends on just how much you are willing or able to spend. I won't buy Knipex or NWS (I only own one pair of NWS purchaced at a flea market for 5 dollars) unless they are seriously on sale. As good as they are they arn't that much better in actual function as a Channellock. As much as I would love to have a drawer full of NWS or Knipex I can't justify the cost. If I was a journeyman electrician then thats probably what I'd own due to the limited amount of tools needed for that line of work. The problem with NWS is if you break them good luck getting them replaced. Knipex is just coming into it's own with such a good network of readily available dealers to warranty tools. Remember as very impressive as Monte's collection is he buys them on home turf. True advantage. I stick with what best fits your needs vs your budget while staying within a truly quality tool. Just my thoughts

mikevango · Dec 31, 2010

Knipex are no better than channellock. ChannellOchs are made here in Pennsylvania too. Those NWS pliers do look nice.

jvitez · Jan 1, 2011

I'd never heard of NWS until this thread. World famous Solingen steel, still made in Deutschland, awesome! I'll have to email the Quebec dealer, many thanks for the link Monte. Mais, ma Francais est mal....so I hope they speak English

I find I use adjustable wrenches a lot, so trying a Knipex flat jawed plier would be interesting.

Also good points about Channellocks. They do seem nice for the price. Ah, capitalism, the dilemma of choice. Ain't it wonderful?

What do you gents think of Wiha? It's available mail order in Canada. I've got a few of their screwdrivers and they're very nice. Are their pliers comparable quality? Are they still German made?

woody 73 · Jan 1, 2011

mrholeshot said:
Much depends on just how much you are willing or able to spend. I won't buy Knipex or NWS (I only own one pair of NWS purchaced at a flea market for 5 dollars) unless they are seriously on sale. As good as they are they arn't that much better in actual function as a Channellock. As much as I would love to have a drawer full of NWS or Knipex I can't justify the cost. If I was a journeyman electrician then thats probably what I'd own due to the limited amount of tools needed for that line of work. The problem with NWS is if you break them good luck getting them replaced. Knipex is just coming into it's own with such a good network of readily available dealers to warranty tools. Remember as very impressive as Monte's collection is he buys them on home turf. True advantage. I stick with what best fits your needs vs your budget while staying within a truly quality tool. Just my thoughts

I second that,Monte's pliers collection is over the top in quality and he does have that home advantage. It would be hard to get replacements,but maybe in the future more companies will carry the NWS brand. For now the channellock pliers are the way to go.

Monte · Jan 1, 2011

jvitez said:
many thanks for the link Monte. Mais, ma Francais est mal....so I hope they speak English

no problem !!!!
And yes they speak english + german (at least he can write in english + german

)

boydgti · Jan 1, 2011

Im an electrician and the only plyers are the klein series 2000 end of conversation lol, o and usa made

Roots · Jan 1, 2011

mikevango said:
Knipex are no better than channellock. ChannellOchs are made here in Pennsylvania too. Those NWS pliers do look nice.

I'd disagree, the Knipex have a far more aggressive tooth profile. Additionally, the Knipex push button locking mechanism is really beneficial. I still like Channellock and consider them one of the best valued tool brand around. I keep both in my work truck and at home.

matthew · Jan 1, 2011

jvitez said:
A local dealer has started to carry Knipex

Who would that be? Always looking for dealers for interesting stuff in Canada... What do they stock - decent amount of stuff, or just the pliers wrench and Cobras?

jvitez · Jan 1, 2011

matthew said:
Who would that be? Always looking for dealers for interesting stuff in Canada... What do they stock - decent amount of stuff, or just the pliers wrench and Cobras?

http://www.toolworld.net/

They're in Winnipeg. Got my Gray roller and top chest from them too. I haven't been there for a while, but they had the flat jawed and Cobras. The counter guy smiled, grabbed a Cobra, put in on the horizontal metal railing in front of the front counter, and stood on the handle! It didn't budge. If I hadn't dropped too much during that visit I'd have bought one right there. Great demo!

jay50 · Jan 1, 2011

Just get channel locks and don't loose any sleep over thinking you need those **** ugly handle NWS; the colors make them look like kids toys. No way would I be seen with those in my tool box.

I've got a few Kleins and Knipex, but Channel locks are the way to go.

Hiball · Jan 1, 2011

Ive never heard of NWS pliers before.. They look like solid Pliers but im not sure if i would like the flares off the Handle. I can see them being troublesome working in tight areas. I pretty much own exclusive Snap On and Channel-lock and Im happy with Either. I do like the comfort level of the SO versus the Channel-lock but Price wise there is No comparison.

crewchief888 · Jan 1, 2011

mrholeshot said:
In terms of pure value Channellock rules. Not fancy, not expensive just very solid, available and affordable.

Jim C. said:
For the money, quality of construction, and country of origin (USA), I'm going with Channel Lock.

channellock gets my vote. :thumbup:

been using them for 20+ years.
i do have a couple pair of knipex that i use more and more.

i picked up a bunch of mac, SO, & knipex in a car that i scrapped, been using the knipex dykes, since the're a little cleaner cutting than my old channellocks.
but i havent been using them to cut off screws and pull cotterpins like the old channellocks.

:beer:

5lima30 · Jan 1, 2011

+3 on Channelocks and made in USA!

pep · Jan 1, 2011

mrholeshot said:
In terms of pure value Channellock rules. Not fancy, not expensive just very solid, available and affordable.

I've got way too many Euro-pliers, mostly because they're cool looking probably, but I admit that Channellocks are a killer concept for dealing with anything dirty. They have more crazy variants on the business end, too.

pep · Jan 1, 2011

jay50 said:
Just get channel locks and don't loose any sleep over thinking you need those **** ugly handle NWS; the colors make them look like kids toys. No way would I be seen with those in my tool box.

Oh, come on. You know you want them. :lol_hitti

jay50 · Jan 1, 2011

pep said:
Oh, come on. You know you want them.

no way in hell would i show up in the shop with those goofy colored toys; would get laughed out of the shop. :thumbup:

pep · Jan 1, 2011

jay50 said:
no way in hell would i show up in the shop with those goofy colored toys; would get laughed out of the shop.

So I guess the Zyklop ratchet is out of the question?

jvitez · Jan 1, 2011

jay50 said:
Just get channel locks and don't loose any sleep over thinking you need those **** ugly handle NWS; the colors make them look like kids toys. No way would I be seen with those in my tool box.

Ouch!

BTW: love your avatar. Suddenly, fond memories of acrid herbaceous youth came flooding back. And pouches of Drum.

pep · Jan 1, 2011

jvitez said:
Ouch!

BTW: love your avatar. Suddenly, fond memories of acrid herbaceous youth came flooding back. And pouches of Drum.

I think we should chip in and buy him some Wiha Inomic pliers.

jay50 · Jan 1, 2011

pep said:
I think we should chip in and buy him some Wiha Inomic pliers.

, go ahead, I'd just sell them on craigslist or evilbay :lol_hitti

I'm too old school for all those pretty toys, my CMAN pliers and channel locks have served me well for many years.

Why try to fix what is not broken????

mrholeshot · Jan 1, 2011

"Best" is a very subjective term. When Knipex are new and when the load isn't super high they are nice. In terms of brute strenght and durability I'll take the Channellocks over Knipex. I'm thinking about taking a set of my Knipex back and getting one of the 3 packs of Channellocks with free 6-1. I'll even get enough change to buy a soda

otis66 · Jan 1, 2011

Channel Locks :beer:

2chipped · Jan 1, 2011

Once again the op asked for the best quality ,not the best value. :wtf:

It still comes down to the individual.
For the newer stuff it is ,1 knipex ,2 so,3channelock ,4matco and mac are tied.
I haven't tried wiha, witte,nws,or other brands that are not listed.

My criteria after quality is,ergonomics due to very small hands(7 1\8 in from bottom of palm to end of middle finger )
Unless the grip is very thin they always get cut off.
My 3 cts. :beer:

MrMark · Jan 1, 2011

I prefer the Snap-on above all if just considering quality. The finishing is immaculate, the ergonomics superior and the new handle grips are the nicest yet.

The Knipex are very close and the Cobra is an outstanding plier. Some people like the Plier wrench too, but I don't use mine that much. Klein makes great pliers too. They are expensive but it is hard to beat Klein cutters, needlenose and linesman. They are on a par with Knipex.

The only other pliers I have are Channellock and they are excellent as well.

mrholeshot · Jan 1, 2011

2chipped said:
Once again the op asked for the best quality ,not the best value.

:

Who made you the pliers police?? maybe some of think the USA Channellocks are better. I could beat a set of knipex Cobras to peices with the same size channellocks and still have a good useable set of channellocks

crewchief888 · Jan 1, 2011

here we go again.......

time to unsubscribe

Best quality pliers?

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