Decent Quality Locking Pliers

[Dynasty]

What is the go-to choice for decent quality locking pliers available today? I really don't see myself using them very often. They will be more of a just in case tool. I have no need for top of the line quality as this will be for DIY home use. Any suggestions?

Thanks

 

[gdocktor3]

Everyone will tell you USA made Irwin vice grips from Petersen, but for homeowners, Kobalt, Craftsman, Irwin, etc will work fine. Grip Rite or Grip On makes Snap On's locking pliers, but many say aren't nearly as good as USA made Irwins. I have a mix of Irwins and Kobalts. I actually like the comfort grips of the Kobalt locking pliers. Milwaukee makes decent pliers, as do Knipex.

 

[VoodooCLD]

I believe it's actually Grip on that makes snap on's locking pliers.
https://www.amazon.com/Grip-111-10-10-Inch-Locking-Nickel-Plated/dp/B001G0MGTQ

 

[Sonorous]

All very good advice above (I have no experience with Kobalt and Craftsman). For what you're doing the Irwin's will do fine and are readily available. Just avoid to temptation to buy a "set" of off-brand or rebranded ****.

Assuming you already have 10-12" channel locks, Knipex Cobra or similar, I'd personally buy the long nose (6 or 9") and big jaw models before the "standard" vise grips (and in that order).

I use the long nose more than any others, and it's really where the off-brand ones are the worst, because they twist and don't line up properly in the first place. With some old rubber tube over the jaws, the long nose version can also be used as "soft jaw" pliers or even to pinch hoses in, well, a pinch!

You'll find a surprising number of uses for the big jaw version. I use them to clamp things to work surfaces, clamp casters to drill bolt holes, remove stubborn filters, and with some padding they can also grip smaller pulleys and countless other things.

Since we all love photos:

 

[tonyciambrone]

Irwin's are fine, rebranded as Mac and others.

I really like the pair of Toptuls I got, (9" long nose) much firmer and less sloppy feeling than most.

 

[T45]

Take a serious look at Milwaukee at home depot.

Grip on - $20/pr
Milwaukee - $12/pr

So whatever you want is fine. Price difference won't break bank.

It only really adds up if buying alot of them.

Just my $0.02.

 

[Tim37]

I have a bunch of Mac (rebranded irwin). You can catch them on sale for less than irwn.

 

[bwringer]

Take a serious look at Milwaukee at home depot.

Grip on - $20/pr
Milwaukee - $12/pr

So whatever you want is fine. Price difference won't break bank.

It only really adds up if buying alot of them.

Just my $0.02.

Yep -- the Milwaukees are made in Taiwan and quite nice.

The Grip-Ons are quite nice as well.


Irwin Vice-Grips haven't been made in the US in many years. They're Chinese junk now.

With locking pliers, there are tons of chinese cheapies out there that will do basic pinching just fine. But in challenging situations (which, to be honest, is usually when you end up using locking pliers -- they're often a last resort) the chicom cheapies aren't as effective -- the jaws are too soft to dig in, the metal is weak, the mechanism is not made very precisely so you can't release them or you can't use as much pressure.

 

[d.mcfarland]

Grip On really aren't that expensive in the grand scheme. They are rebranded as Proto, Snap On, and others I believe. Just find a good sale and jump on it.

 

[KnurledNut]

Everyone will tell you USA made PRE-Irwin vice grips from Petersen

Fixed it for ya.

The majority says Irwin models have softer jaws, especially the offshore production.
The originals stamped "Petersen-Dewitt, Nebraska" Vise-Grips can be found used very easily and cheap, as they saturated the market in their prime.
If i needed some, id look for these on the used market.
As a note, Irwin offers replacement springs and screws at no cost on their website.

 

[HomeTheaterMan]

I love my Peterson Vise Grips as well. I have several sets of modern Irwin Vise Grips as well, but most of them are still in the packaging so I can't really comment on them.

 

[bassbone52]

Irwin's are fine, rebranded as Mac and others.

I really like the pair of Toptuls I got, (9" long nose) much firmer and less sloppy feeling than most.

I'll second this. There is a GJ member who sells Toptul and they are a great value.

 

[four.cycle]

The originals stamped "Petersen-Dewitt, Nebraska" Vise-Grips can be found used very easily and cheap, as they saturated the market in their prime.
If i needed some, id look for these on the used market.

Check Ebay. Starting bids are usually in the $10 range. Sometimes they get bid way up to crazy prices - don't get sucked into that. You should be able to find decent units for $12-$16 if you bide your time and don't get involved in bidding wars.

 

[Stuey]

+1 for Grip-On.

 

[Empty Pockets]

I have a drawer full of locking pliers. By far, my favourites are the USA made Vise Grips. Around the house, CM are fine. Imported Irwins have failed me in the past. Grip on and Milwaukee are fine for homeowner use

 

[chris142]

How bad are the Chinese made vice grip brand? Are they like the hf ones that twist and fall off?

 

[Wamsutta]

The main thing is how the release lever works. It's extremely important but nobody ever talks about it.

 

[WWheeler]

How bad are the Chinese made vice grip brand? Are they like the hf ones that twist and fall off?

They are nowhere near as bad, but they are not anywhere near as good as the old Petersen-Dewitt either.

I'll give one real-world example. I reclaim wood from pallets at work fairly often. To remove the nails I have a few short pieces of pipe with inside diameters that are just barely larger than the nail heads and I've tapered the outside edges of the pipe on one end with the bench grinder so that I can place the pipe over a nail, give it a tap with a small sledge, and then I have a tapered indention in the wood just enough that I can grab that nail with just the tip of a locking plier that I have attached to my 10lb slide hammer. Usually one whack with the slide hammer removes the nail as long as the locking plier holds.

When I first started doing this I was looking to avoid tearing up my old Vice Grips so I bought some new Irwins just for that purpose. They couldn't do it. At all. So I tried some new Milwaukee locking pliers. Again, no luck. They just slip off. Every time. And usually they come unlocked. I then dipped into my box and tried my old-school USA-made Craftsman locking pliers. Again, no luck. What does work though, not every time on the first try but more often than not, is my old USA Vice Grips.

Once the nails are out I use a dropper and put a few drops of water in each nail hole which makes the wood swell back out somewhat where I had indented it with the pipe. Makes the holes that I need to fill much smaller and less noticeable. This method works a LOT better than using any sort of nail puller / pry tool to get them out.

 

[SMKS]

I have a set of Blackhawks

 

[southalabama]

Find an old mom and pop hardware store. I've found several American made vice grips that way.

 

[Skin]

I have a bunch of Mac (rebranded irwin). You can catch them on sale for less than irwn.

MAC aren't the same as Irwins. The former are from Taiwan, latter from China.

I think Grip-Ons are are severely overrated here, just my 2 cents and yes I own them. The only benefit I feel they have over Chinese Vise-Grips is the "correct" lock release lever.

 

[L.Cheapo]

I believe it's actually Grip on that makes snap on's locking pliers.
https://www.amazon.com/Grip-111-10-10-Inch-Locking-Nickel-Plated/dp/B001G0MGTQ

https://store.snapon.com/LP-Series-Pliers-Locking-Curved-Jaw-with-cutter-10-long-P644849.aspx
Cheaper from Snap On, free shipping under $500.

 

[T45]

https://www.zoro.com/proto-locking-pliers-curved-jaw-9-14-in-l-j292xl/i/G2831884/

$21 at zoro, if you wait for 30% off you get a good deal on sale black friday.

Snap on is hard to beat tho in the normal course. 4 piece set with kit bag under 100 shipped and lifetime warranty which they actually uphold. that's compelling if you use the tools in a pro environment.

https://store.snapon.com/LP-Series-Set-Locking-Pliers-Combination-4-pc-P644851.aspx

...

 

[DerekV]

Milwaukee

 

[GTO]

I like my CH Hanson Auto locking pliers,but I still have my USA made Peterson Vice Gripps too.
http://chhanson.com/products_ALP.html

 

[VoodooCLD]

https://store.snapon.com/LP-Series-Pliers-Locking-Curved-Jaw-with-cutter-10-long-P644849.aspx
Cheaper from Snap On, free shipping under $500.

Ya, i threw that link up quick. They're cheaper from chad's toolbox as well.

https://chadstoolbox.com/gr11107bk-grip-on-7-curved-jaw-orange-epoxy/

 

[theoldwizard1]

How bad are the Chinese made vice grip brand? Are they like the hf ones that twist and fall off?

I have a couple of HF locking pliers. For the price, they are not bad ! I would recommend running a tap in and out of the threaded adjustment. It made a huge difference.

If you need a number of them, I would not hesitate to pick up a dozen or more.

 

[bcradio]

I have a drawer full of locking pliers. By far, my favourites are the USA made Vise Grips. Around the house, CM are fine. Imported Irwins have failed me in the past. Grip on and Milwaukee are fine for homeowner use

As well as for professional use

 

[IndyGarage]

I like the Strong hand locking pliers. I don't know if they make their own or rebrand someone else's. I think most of theirs are for welding, but they work way better than the Irwins

I also recently bought a set of Stanley Fatmax long nose locking pliers, and they have a locked on setting where they cannot accidentally release - it works good.

 

[DeliveryGuy]

Grip On pliers are quite nice, but with one major flaw.

The pressure point where the adjustment bolt meets the lever arm is just the edge of a thin piece of steel, and deforms a lot with frequent use. The result is the adjustment knob is difficult to turn without opening the handles so that these two parts do not touch. I can provide pictures soon.

 

[DeliveryGuy]

This is a close up. These haven't been used much, and still work great. Eventually, this edge will mushroom over and interfere with the adjustment bolt. I've thought about making a small tack with the mig here to add some harder metal to prevent wear.

Other than that, they are good pliers. I have several of them. The omni grip versions are my favorite by far.

 

[Youngguns]

A single pinch warrants the premium for a nice pair.

 

[T45]

This is a close up. These haven't been used much, and still work great. Eventually, this edge will mushroom over and interfere with the adjustment bolt. I've thought about making a small tack with the mig here to add some harder metal to prevent wear.

Other than that, they are good pliers. I have several of them. The omni grip versions are my favorite by far.

Ar you highlighting the wear scoring caused by the bolt rubbing against the connector? or are you talking about the seam along the threaded body?

 

[DeliveryGuy]

I'm highlighting the wear caused by the bolt, as described in my comment before the pic. It not only wears like this, but it begins to roll an edge like the back of a cold chisel.

It gets very difficult to turn the bolt without opening the handles. I have a well-worn pair at work I'll snap a pic of if I remember tomorrow.

I might try a small weld tack on the end to add some hard metal to resist wear.

 

[VoodooCLD]

I'm highlighting the wear caused by the bolt, as described in my comment before the pic. It not only wears like this, but it begins to roll an edge like the back of a cold chisel.

It gets very difficult to turn the bolt without opening the handles. I have a well-worn pair at work I'll snap a pic of if I remember tomorrow.

I might try a small weld tack on the end to add some hard metal to resist wear.

I bet that over time the metal is work hardening from the mushrooming at the wear point. I'd just file off the mushroomed portion and keep on using.

 

[dnschmidt]

I sell TOPTUL and they seem to be identical in quality to the original Peterson made Vice-Grips. The Milwaukee, which are also Taiwanese made, are very good as well. PM me if you'd like to buy multiple TOPTUL Vice-Grips as I can easily ship a bunch of these in one flat rate box. I have these up on EBay but there they are sold one at a time and with shipping that makes them high priced. When I need Vice-Grips I need a bunch of them that's why I suggest that if you buy them like I do that you PM me. We can make a deal where the shipping will not kill you.

 

[tarbellb]

CHEAP - Just buy the lowest price 4 pack or whatever you can find at bigboxstore/Ebay

MID- Milwaukee, comes w/ warranty easy to replace, good quality.

HIGH - Grip-on

HOLY GRAIL - Facom... drool worthy- http://www.facom.com/ru/products/Series-500A-Description.html

 

[bsaint]

CHEAP - Just buy the lowest price 4 pack or whatever you can find at bigboxstore/Ebay

MID- Milwaukee, comes w/ warranty easy to replace, good quality.

HIGH - Grip-on

HOLY GRAIL - Facom... drool worthy- http://www.facom.com/ru/products/Series-500A-Description.html

Facom's are rebranded as Proto in the uSA

 

[DadsTools]

I vote with those who suggest the old USA-made Petersen Dewitt Vise Grips. Find 'em on eBay. Don't worry too much about those with tarnished or missing finish because the chrome was never very thick on these. The uglier they are, the cheaper they are.

 

[tanukiboy]

HOLY GRAIL - Facom... drool worthy

I agree. Facom locking pliers are pretty much the only ones that feel like precision tools.