Channelock GLS-3 Pliers

[ste6168]

Anyone have any first hand experience with this style channellock pliers? I have plenty of Knipex, but trying to put together a kit for only marine sanitation (toilet/plumbing/holding tank) jobs. Main use would be rebuilding vacuflush vacuum generators (replacing duckbill valves) and other similar work. I am not doing this work daily, and truth be told, I hate getting my good tools dirty with human waste. I try my best to wipe them down and lysol them at the end of these jobs, but then I go to do electrical work the next day and sometimes feel like the good old 'urine' smell gets baked in. LOL...

At any rate... Any thoughts on these? Price looks good!

Channellock 3 Piece Griplock Plastic Grip Tongue and Groove Plier Set Dipped Handle GLS-3 | Zoro

Order Channellock 3 Piece Griplock Plastic Grip Tongue and Groove Plier Set Dipped Handle, GLS-3 at Zoro.com. Great prices & free shipping on orders over $50 when you sign in or sign up for an account.

www.zoro.com

 

[Vwpower]

I want to like channellock. I have many of their tools. I also live 40 minutes from their factory.
But pretty much never use them anymore since knipex cobras are a better tool.

 

[Vwpower]

I do have the big pair of those Channellock griplocks in my work van. only Use them on gas stove supply lines and they work fine.

 

[ForrestT]

Love my GL 6 and GL 10’s. First pliers I pull out. Rarely use my other original style Channellocks anymore like 420’s 422’s etc.

 

[uncwstudent]

I have used the GLS pliers and they are probably my favorite Channellocks. They're not as stiff as I'd like, but neither are the Knipex cobras. I highly recommend them!

 

[redwrench60]

Great pliers for down and dirty plumbing/piping/mechanical. Coarse, robust teeth and beefy in the hips for farm/factory/oil field abuse. Not so expensive you hold them back.

 

[Tools4Me]

The Channellock GLS pliers have pros and cons in my opinion. I think they are one of the best value pliers out there, and most would be happy with them, but satisfaction will depend on what you do with them. I prefer the GLS rivet slip joint in mud and dirt over the Cobra style toothed push button joint. I also like how they can grab flat stuff just like a pair of Cobras can, but for grabbing round things I prefer my v-jaw Channellocks (422, 432, and/or 442). They are beefier overall, there are almost always three points of actual tooth contact instead of just two (noticeably better for grabbing anything plastic), and the joint adjustment channel has a lot more contact area, so they feel more secure when cranking on them. V-jaw teeth can also grab from both directions instead of slipping easily if used in the reverse direction (Cobras have the same issue). V-jaw pliers are pretty useless for grabbing onto flat stuff though.

The GLS pliers also have a stop on them which I don't care for. It prevents you from pinching your fingers between the handles in any jaw position, but the stop isn't easy to see visually during use, and sometimes (for me at least) that stop engages at about the exact time the plier clamps onto something, so it becomes hard to know if the jaws are getting a good bite or if the pliers are hitting the stop instead and will likely slip when I crank on them. I prefer pliers that are designed so the jaws either touch or the handles touch and anything else means the full force of my hand squeeze is helping to dig the jaw teeth into the object I am grabbing. I'm willing to take responsibility for preventing my own finger pinching.

Good luck in your decision OP.

 

[javyLSU]

I have that exact set, and your use case seems like a perfect application for these pliers. I use these mainly outside when dealing with wet and/or dirty environments, and they've been great for that. They can get a bit slippery due to Channellock's classic vinyl grip, but I'm usually using gloves in these cases (and I'm assuming you will be too haha). I've owned them for about 4 years, and despite the wet conditions they've been subjected to there's not a hint of rust or corrosion anywhere. No complaints to report, I've been happy with them. Good luck!

 

[JradM]

Excellent value and good pliers. I own this set.

Is Knipex cobra better? Yes. They're also way more expensive. The push button style adjuster would also be harder to clean satisfactorily, in my opinion. The Channellocks seem like an excellent choice for your use case.

The thing about them is, they are robust and cheap. Even someone who owns Corbas might want to have a pair of these Channellocks around for dirty work.

 

[Ton ton]

I love channellock pliers. But I have not seen these models @ a brick and mortar store if I remember correctly.

 

[Odd-job]

I have a set of these as well, but like many others much enjoy a pair of 7 and 10 inch Cobras which live in my cart. Probably 90% of the performance of Cobras at less than 50% of the price.

 

[ste6168]

Alright, yall convinced me, going to order a set of the 9.5/12 and a single 9.5. That should handle what I need. Along with a couple Quinn pliers from HF and some cheap screwdrivers, I wont have to get the good stuff "smelly" anymore!

Thanks for all the feedback, I searched the net far and wide and couldn't find much on this style of pliers, glad I decided to ask here.

 

[ste6168]

Well, that was quick, ordered from Zoro Thursday evening and they showed up today. Here’s a few comparison pics against Knipex for anyone else who may be interested…. I haven’t used them yet, but can say with certainty they aren’t as nice as the Knipex. That said, for $31ish shipped for all three (less than the price of a single Cobra 250), they seem like solid tools. If they say in the same bag as the cobra, I’d probably never grab for them, but for their intended purpose on my kit(s), they seem like they’ll be just fine. One thing I was surprised by is the noticeably smaller jaw opening on the Channelocks 9.5” vs Knipex 250mm

 

[Blind1]

I prefer the cobras to that style channel lock. Also prefer the straight jaw channellock to those gridlocks.