Channellock warranty and quality fail

[HamAndEggs]

Pretty disappointed in Channellock. A year or so ago I bought some Channellock 317Z Needle Nose pliers. I paid extra for them because they were made in the USA

Right away I noticed the jaws were cut wrong, but I needed them so I used them





So I emailed Channellock pictures, and they said that it can't be handled via email, I need to call. So I called, they then said just take them to Home Depot who will warranty them under the lifetime warranty, no receipt needed

Yesterday I go to Home Depot, and of course they are out of stock. So today I drive out my way to one that does have them, wait 15 mins in the return line where they have zero clue about what to do. I tell them Channellock said to just bring it in and they will swap it, but they won't do it.

Try calling Channellock but they are closed for the weekend. I figure I'll just buy a new set and return the old set, easy. I'm not messing around with Channellock or trying to get HD to warranty it. I pick through 8 different sets, I find one set that has the jaws cut right. All the rest were way off, even worse than my original set

New ones look good






And then I go to use them, and find they will scrape on your hand every time. There some metal poking through the handles on both sides



First ever Channellock tool, and probably last. I'll probably pick up either the Klien or Knipex ones

 

[Jim greengo]

Pretty disappointed in Channellock. A year or so ago I bought some Channellock 317Z Needle Nose pliers. I paid extra for them because they were made in the USA

Right away I noticed the jaws were cut wrong, but I needed them so I used them





So I emailed Channellock pictures, and they said that it can't be handled via email, I need to call. So I called, they then said just take them to Home Depot who will warranty them under the lifetime warranty, no receipt needed

Yesterday I go to Home Depot, and of course they are out of stock. So today I drive out my way to one that does have them, wait 15 mins in the return line where they have zero clue about what to do. I tell them Channellock said to just bring it in and they will swap it, but they won't do it.

Try calling Channellock but they are closed for the weekend. I figure I'll just buy a new set and return the old set, easy. I'm not messing around with Channellock or trying to get HD to warranty it. I pick through 8 different sets, I find one set that has the jaws cut right. All the rest were way off, even worse than my original set

New ones look good






And then I go to use them, and find they will scrape on your hand every time. There some metal poking through the handles on both sides



First ever Channellock tool, and probably last. I'll probably pick up either the Klien or Knipex ones

I like the regular channel locks with the round jaws,I have several sets of them.
I dont use needle nose pliers very often though,I'd have to dig through the van and see what brand I actually have for needle nose pliers.

 

[HamAndEggs]

Fixed the metal coming through the grips, I did think about calling them about that, but I feel like I've already wasted enough time for $26 pliers

 

[redwrench60]

Channellock needle nose and dikes are not their sweet spot. They can be decent but not outstanding. Too soft to be tough.

They’re thing is T&G pliers of all sizes and styles.

 

[Kuma601]

Wow...that's not good. Shouldn't have to fix them in the first place. I picked that model from Lowes and went through about 8 to find one that looked right. The jaws on mine are good but the metal finishing isn't that great. Handles properly dipped though. The Channellocks I have that are about 20+ years old are IMO better.

Bought an 8" 338 diagonal cutter in '20, that one has been good all around. A lucky buy from Amazon as I normally buy local to see-feel them because of production variables.

 

[Junkdrawer Dog]

Channellock for, well...Channellocks. Klein for needlenose, lineman and diagonal pliers.

 

[HamAndEggs]

Channellock for, well...Channellocks. Klein for needlenose, lineman and diagonal pliers.

Knipex for Channellocks!

Thinking about it, I don't know if I've ever had a bad experience with Klein

 

[SRSemenza]

Yeah, It seems there might be a down turn in CHL quality over the last 5 - 7 years. My anecdotal evidence is the slip joint pliers. I bought three in different sizes about 5+ years ago. The teeth wore very quickly. In just a few uses for regular pliers stuff they were noticeably less grippy. Both in use and to the touch.

I might actually file them down a bit more to make a sort of "semi-soft grip" plier. Probably replacing them with Snap On slip joints.

The fix for the metal on the handle ends actually looks kind of cool ................... the black on blue.

Seth

 

[HamAndEggs]

Don't copy my black on blue, I'll sue!

 

[Junkdrawer Dog]

Knipex for Channellocks!

Thinking about it, I don't know if I've ever had a bad experience with Klein

Everyone seems to like Klein for needlenose, lineman and diagonal pliers. Everyone seems to hate Klein for "channellocks", even the yellow ones that look just like Channellocks!

 

[Tools4Me]

Pretty much all brands have issues here and there with getting their needle nose tips equally matched. It all depends on who did the final grinding/shaping that day at the factory. I have fixed quite a few "unbalanced tips" by using a flap wheel to sand down the outside curve of the thicker plier tip until both sides matched. Channellock, Knipex, Klein, Crescent, etc. They all have that issue from time to time, and it's often worse on angled tip or right angle needle nose pliers.

The thing I mainly look for when buying any rivet jointed plier is that the jaws are cut perpendicular to the handles. It's surprising how many are off. It doesn't really matter functionally, it just annoys me when I see a pair of expensive pliers holding onto something and notice that the handles are tilted over at an angle in relation to the object. See my attached image for an example of what I mean.

 

[sparky 1971]

I use Klein's at work but have a bunch of Channellock needle nose at home. I've never noticed an issue, but have never looked either. I've never analyzed pliers other than making sure they open and close easy enough before I buy them. I figure if they aren't screwed up out of the package, I will have the them screwed up soon enough.

 

[Jtels85]

The few Channellock pliers I’ve purchased over the years were disappointing. I had the exact same issue with my long nose pliers. The arc joints also had a bit of slop in them.

I found the dipped handle Masterforce pliers at Menard’s to be better quality and better made. I hate to say it, but USA or not, Channellock quality has slipped.

 

[Steve_P]

NWS makes really nice needlenose. As does Knipex, but they've got very slim pointed tips and are for light duty work only. Both seem to be finished robotically as they're very evenly machined. Channellock seems to have a guy on a belt grinder doing the finishing

 

[gatewaysysop]

Fixed the metal coming through the grips, I did think about calling them about that, but I feel like I've already wasted enough time for $26 pliers

Good on you for cutting your losses, no pun intended. I struggle with the same thing, but more and more I realize that time is too valuable to waste on folks who don't care and where your effort won't change a damn thing.

 

[HamAndEggs]

Pretty much all brands have issues here and there with getting their needle nose tips equally matched. It all depends on who did the final grinding/shaping that day at the factory. I have fixed quite a few "unbalanced tips" by using a flap wheel to sand down the outside curve of the thicker plier tip until both sides matched. Channellock, Knipex, Klein, Crescent, etc. They all have that issue from time to time, and it's often worse on angled tip or right angle needle nose pliers.

The thing I mainly look for when buying any rivet jointed plier is that the jaws are cut perpendicular to the handles. It's surprising how many are off. It doesn't really matter functionally, it just annoys me when I see a pair of expensive pliers holding onto something and notice that the handles are tilted over at an angle in relation to the object. See my attached image for an example of what I mean.

I've had some pliers like this, drove me up the wall!

 

[kngelv]

That is unfortunate. I think their Channellock pliers are still great and I like their dykes though I hated the linesman pliers I had by them. Needle nose pliers are very subjective compared to nearly very other plier tool IMHO. It is hard to find good tips and good handles in the same pair. I have some Klein with great tips and bad handles and some Knipex with great handles and bad tips. I'm an industrial electrician and many times I guide wires to a terminal strip with one hand while securing with the other. I carry two pairs depending on how small the wire, and how crowded the panel is. Sometimes when troubleshooting you just know there's a loose wire somewhere and I like to use a small needle nose to tug on every wire till I find a loose one. My favorite pair is some Made in the USA Crescent's that I picked up in 1996 when I started my apprenticeship. The orange handle coating is cracked and peeling off but they are still the perfect fit for my hand and needs.

James

 

[JradM]

I'm not contradicting anything said here, but I feel like Channellock's "problems" are a bit overblown.

That said, the OP's first pair looks defective to me too. Some minor variation between the tips is OK in my opinion, but the one tip in that picture is too thin.

I've got a drawer of Channellock pliers, including a few pairs of needlenose pliers. Only ever had one dud - I bought the flush-cutting pliers and the cutting edge chipped (only ever cut copper and plastic with them). Everything else has been great.

I've got Knipex, NWS, Klein and Engineer pliers in my tool chest too. Don't get me wrong - they're better than my Channellocks, generally speaking. However, I maintain Channellock is excellent value and pro-grade tools.

I'm not convinced Channellock quality is taking a sudden nose dive. Seems more likely that consumers are becoming pickier about "issues" that are largely cosmetic because some of the German offerings have raised the bar in the degree of finishing we can expect in hand tools.

 

[unslow1]

I still prefer my Channellock stuff over my other pliers. In those other pliers I have Klein, Knipex, Snap on, MAC and several others.

 

[ejot]

Colleage picked up a Channellock pliers similar to OPs for his work tool cart a couple years ago and I was so notably surprised and disappointed as to still distinctly recall the asymmetrical and poorly mating jaws, coarse uneven grind, crude serrations, and rough action. Ordered the most comparable Knipex I could find, 26 11 200, and received a tool of dramatically higher quality in absolutely every respect, and that is always a particular joy to use. Small sample size, but that has been the experience, for what it's worth.

Plenty other Channellock stuff is great.

 

[Meursault74]

I

I'm not convinced Channellock quality is taking a sudden nose dive. Seems more likely that consumers are becoming pickier about "issues" that are largely cosmetic because some of the German offerings have raised the bar in the degree of finishing we can expect in hand tools.

I'd tend to agree. I've bought some Channellock and the HF Doyle brand tongue and groove pliers over the last year. Have to admit the Doyle are "finished" slightly better. Won't make a difference in use. Doubt it'll make a difference over the long haul. If I wasn't on this site so much, I probably wouldn't have even looked that closely.

I have the long nose pliers that the OP started the thread with. Yes, there is a slight asymmetry visually in the pliers I have from their finishing grinding, but it doesn't have an impact on their function. They are a solid feeling tool though. I ordered mine from amazon. Luckily, I received a decent one.