Does anyone make good Vise Grips anymore?

[Carquest]

Now that all of the Irwin Vice Grips are imported, who makes the best quality of these type pliers in your opinion?

 

[bwringer]

This comes up a lot.

Bang for buck, the Milwaukee "Torque Lock" pliers at Home Despot are made in Taiwan and very nice quality.

 

[Carquest]

I was reading a thread last week, think the name of the pliers was Grip On? Is that correct?

 

[Super Sport]

I was reading a thread last week, think the name of the pliers was Grip On? Is that correct?

Grip On are made in Spain and are good quality. They are the OEM for Snap On and some others.

Knipex sells some decent ones that are made in Germany. They are not the OEM - but I can't remember the name of the manufacturer. I'm sure someone will chime in.

Epstein's is trying to begin selling another German brand. They have posted updates on their FB page. I can't comment on the quality, but they seem pretty excited about them.

 

[tarbellb]

Search function will pop up a lot of info...

 

[GTO]

Search function will pop up a lot of info...

..and you will find CH Hansen locking pliers..

 

[Carquest]

Thanks, found the other thread I had been looking for.

 

[neonlazer]

Grip On are made in Spain and are good quality. They are the OEM for Snap On and some others.

Knipex sells some decent ones that are made in Germany. They are not the OEM - but I can't remember the name of the manufacturer. I'm sure someone will chime in.

Epstein's is trying to begin selling another German brand. They have posted updates on their FB page. I can't comment on the quality, but they seem pretty excited about them.

Bollman is the OEM for Knipex and Jori said they plan to be a Bollman US distributor soon.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[gdocktor3]

New old stock and used Vice Grips are readily available on eBay every day. Pawn shops also have abundant supplies of them. In fact, a member just posted a gold mine of NOS at his local pawn shop. Flea markets too. I've purchased Irwin USA Vice grips from as little as $1 each at pawn shops within the past year.

 

[bassbone52]

Toptul. Great quality and value.

 

[T45]

Bollman is the OEM for Knipex and Jori said they plan to be a Bollman US distributor soon.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

Gedore does a nice looking vise grip needle nose as well as beefy jaw standard style with a half flat, half curved jaw profile.

 

[Cope]

I bought a couple of the imported Vise Grips last year to make a window extraction tool, and they look fine. Is there a problem with quality or just that they moved production offshore? All my other Vise Grips are Petersen USA.

 

[Empty Pockets]

I am always on the look out for NOS or good used Petersen Vise Grips at auctions swap meets and flea markets. I found a couple at a mom & pop hardware store recently, they were no bargain, but I adopted them anyway

 

[Art From De Leon]

I have tossed about all of my Vise Grips, USA made or not, other than using them as a clamp, there are far better tools out there.

 

[CJM8515]

I liek the milwaukee ones, best bang for the buck imho.

 

[machine_punk]

another vote for CH Hanson Automatics

 

[SuzukiGS750EZ]

I was literally just going to post this same topic. I have a pair of older vice grips and the teeth haven't flattened out at all. I also have a new pair of vice grips that the teeth have mashed so bad they're just as good as smooth pliers. I'll be keeping my eye on this thread, i'd like a set as good or better than my old ones.

 

[d.mcfarland]

I have tossed about all of my Vise Grips, USA made or not, other than using them as a clamp, there are far better tools out there.

Damn, would have been nice to have some for a project I'm working on before you pitched them.

 

[Know Wosad]

I'm a Grip-on fanboy. I buy from Chadstoolbox
IMNSHO they have no equal. Proto, Snapon, Mac, NAPA --others-- seem to agree.
Peterson fanboys here violently disagree
OH well. My money goes to Grip-On .As far as I'm concerned anything ever made that has Vice-grip stamped on it is absolute garbage

 

[SuzukiGS750EZ]

I'm a Grip-on fanboy. I buy from Chadstoolbox
IMNSHO they have no equal. Proto, Snapon, Mac, NAPA --others-- seem to agree.
Peterson fanboys here violently disagree
OH well. My money goes to Grip-On .As far as I'm concerned anything ever made that has Vice-grip stamped on it is absolute garbage

If you were to clamp them down hard on a bolt with a seized nut and the bolt spun under torque, would the teeth flatten or fold over like the newer vice grips? How do they look after your use? I mostly use the needle nose and blunt nose vice grips, does this company make versions of these?

 

[rpcraft]

I noticed lately that even the Vice-grips I had were pretty flimsy compared to some in my dad's tool box from back in the day. The upside though is I learned to stop depending on vice grips for anything other than casual clamping here and there.

 

[tarbellb]

CH Hansen Auto Grips ..... are terrible.

Maybe not completely but mostly. Be sure to put your hands on them first and test them. They have two glaring issues.

_ when open, the handles flare out so wide it takes two hands to close

_ if clamping something not completely solid, say twisting wires or multiple sheets, the "auto" feature does not clamp.

 

[Art From De Leon]

Damn, would have been nice to have some for a project I'm working on before you pitched them.

Most were tossed out the door (literally) when I was working as a JD ag mechanic back in the early 90's.

 

[sberry]

They may have fiddled with the design a bit, I have a couple 6R and I don't think they are the exact same as the old.

 

[jvitez]

+1 for Grip-On.

http://graytools.com/toolcatalogue/...o=61&s_filter=&recPage=9&startRow=1&pageNum=1

I bought a couple of sets through the Gray website. Great tools. I like them better than USA made Vice-Grips. The unlocking lever is easier to use and the ergonomics are better for my medium sized hands.

Here's a set:

https://shopgraytools.com/collections/2016-fall-tool-specials/grip-on-locking-pliers

 

[SuzukiGS750EZ]

+1 for Grip-On.

http://graytools.com/toolcatalogue/...o=61&s_filter=&recPage=9&startRow=1&pageNum=1

I bought a couple of sets through the Gray website. Great tools. I like them better than USA made Vice-Grips. The unlocking lever is easier to use and the ergonomics are better for my medium sized hands.

Here's a set:

https://shopgraytools.com/collections/2016-fall-tool-specials/grip-on-locking-pliers

How do the serrated teeth hold up to tough clamping and spinning hardware though?

 

[sberry]

They changed the jaw leverage and made teeth bigger and farther apart. I might put some side by side but I noticed it when it didn't feel right. They are the go to brake fitting tool.
I don't care if it marks up some old rusty fitting, I want it to come apart without ruining it. Straight jaw. They get spread out, I could use a couple each 6 and 10R

 

[SantaAna12]

I recently dipped my Peterson 10Rs (Evaporust) and sprayed some Triflow and some T9 to seal em.
Just a great set of vise grips.
For those that dont like em.......how much you want for them?

 

[jvitez]

How do the serrated teeth hold up to tough clamping and spinning hardware though?

Point taken, as I haven't subjected them to really heavy use yet, but so I far I like 'em.

 

[trackwelder]

If you were to clamp them down hard on a bolt with a seized nut and the bolt spun under torque, would the teeth flatten or fold over like the newer vice grips? How do they look after your use? I mostly use the needle nose and blunt nose vice grips, does this company make versions of these?

I have several pairs from Snap On and the teeth wear quickly. They have been warrantied several times and they just don't last. I'll take Peterson vise grips any day.

 

[SuzukiGS750EZ]

You guys do not make it easy to make an informed decision lol. I've got old and new vice grips, the old ones hold up like new, the new ones all mash on the teeth. I'll be damned if I buy locking pliers and mash the teeth first use

 

[Roddyo]

Grip On fanboy here.

 

[trackwelder]

The teeth are soft and I really don't care for the release mechanism. I won't buy any more.

 

[SuzukiGS750EZ]

So is there a consensus as to which pliers deform the least?

 

[6PTsocket]

Question. Are the imported ones actually inferior or are you just reacting to the word China? It is understandable but just askin'.

 

[bobcatdan]

While I hate seeing an American icon go overseas, I have yet to figure out why the import vise grips ****. While most of mine are USA, I have a few newer imports and I'll be damn, they work fine.

 

[Carquest]

Based on what I read, I ordered two pair of Facom and a set of Grip On and will give them a go

 

[PBCampbell]

I'm curious too about this too. I have old and newish Vise-grips, as well as other brands. I've never found a great use for the plier jawed style, but do use the other types frequently. I was never a fan of the Vise-Grip release, but I can understand it's intent. I prefer the Grip-on release for my own use. Sears use to sell a locking plier with the reverse(reverse to Vise-Grip) release and I came to prefer that. Those were some good items too. I think I read Mole-Grip were the OEM, but I'm not sure.

 

[dutchgray]

If Mole Grip were the maker they would have been good, the original British ones before Stanley ruined them are why I have never personally found a pair of Peterson's here in the UK, there are some used ones on eBay (I have bought NOS a couple times) but all you find used is Mole Grip, some Irwin Vise grip and cheap rubbish.

 

[Tinner]

While I hate seeing an American icon go overseas, I have yet to figure out why the import vise grips ****. While most of mine are USA, I have a few newer imports and I'll be damn, they work fine.

Pretty much the same experience here, but I'll add a few caveats.

The first Chinese Vise Grips suffered from piss poor quality quality control. Problems were mainly with locking and release. Myself and coworkers bought dozens of these, and a simple email to Irwin got them replaced without sending the defective ones in. Within a year it seemed the defective ones were gone from the system.

The metal in the new ones is a bit softer. The pliers teeth wear and deform easier. I don't consider that a huge problem, I use real pliers when I need them and only use Vise Grips for holding/clamping. The teeth in the old ones weren't real great either.

I'm a sheet metal fabricator and easily own 100 Vise Grips of various vintage. The past two years I've done group buys for the guys at work. Four to five hundred pair total. One defective unit.

I'm no fan of moving production to China and in general have a low opinion of Irwin tools, but the whole deal with Chinese Vise Grips is way overstated on this board.

There is better stuff on the market, but price wise, Vise Grips are a pretty good value for my purposes.