Gearwrench PivotForce Pliers

[woodstockva]

Hey everybody

In this review I will go over the main differences between standard pliers (diagonal cutters & needle nose) and the new PivotForce pliers.

The main difference is going to be the pivot on each, where a standard pair will have one center pivot point, the Gearwrench pairs have a combination pivoting action that will allow you to apply a lot more force onto the item you are cutting without nearly the amount of pressure applied onto the handles.

I will show you a close-up view on exactly how this works, and will cut through a variety of materials to show the advantages of all the extra leverage you gain by using the PivotForce pliers.

Thanks for watching!

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/hBDaAjJjxJ0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[Jswain]

Nice job on the review, the grips on those look comfy as well. Curious if you have tried those tests against a different brand new set of name brand pliers? Not saying the results would be any different but I know after a lot of use the cutting tip on the cheap sets take a lot of effort to cut through just about anything. Nice product from gear wrench, thanks!

 

[Fedwrench]

Gearwrench was demoing those pivotforce pliers at SEMA last year. They had a brand new same length pair of Crescent dykes to compare with. you cut the three strand wire inside a plastic box so, the pieces wouldn't go flying everywhere. Even compared to the new dykes, it took less than half the effort to cut the wire with the pivot force. On a side note, the pivotforce aren't exactly light. They probably weigh twice what a normal pair of side cutters weigh. I have a pair and if you need to cut a lot of wire, they'll make the job easier but, I still think one should have a pair of angled side cutters like the 447G from channellock for pulling cotter keys. Knipex has a similar model to the pivotforce. I wonder how those cut.

 

[NewEdgePerf]

Fedwrench,

I saw the demo as SEMA last Fall, I had to have a pair when I got home. For cutting, they are great, but you are right about using another pair to pull cotter keys.

Tony D

 

[Hootbro]

FWIW, Home Depot is now carrying the Crescent version of these pliers plus they add a pair of Linesman's pliers to the line.

 

[Fedwrench]

Looks like the Crescent version (also an Apex brand) might have gotten better looking grips.

 

[Hootbro]

Looks like the Crescent version (also an Apex brand) might have gotten better looking grips.

While I have not handled the Gearwrench versions, I agree that the Crescent version seems to have the better grips.

I only mentioned Home Depot having these so people can see and handle them in person before buying. Gearwrench pliers for the most part are a online mail order kind of thing.

 

[Fcvapor05]

I own the knipex twinforce cutters... Wonder how these compare

 

[JDon99]

The mechanism appears to be nearly identical to the NWS Fantasticos, are these China or Taiwan? I may have to check these out at HD.

 

[Brownsfan]

I was going to ask if the HD Crescent brand version was the same. Looks like they are. I may have to try a pair. I was looking at them the last time I was in HD and kinda thought they were gimmicky. I have somethings I cut daily that these could be useful. I currently use Knipex mini bolt cutters but if these are better for the hands and use less force then they may be worth it. Regardless of COO.

 

[metaldad]

thank you for the efforts on that review.
without seeing your review, i would have passed those off as more gimicky chinese junk.
i think i need a coupla pairs now.

 

[Brownsfan]

I felt the same way as above. I actually had them in my hand ready to buy them with a HD gift card. I ended up buying the Milwaukee combo needle nose wire stripping tool and small 6" diagonal angled head cutters. Maybe next time I am there I may pick up a set to try.out.

 

[Fedwrench]

At only $17.97 for the Crescent Pivotforce diagonal cutters, I think Home Depot wins.

 

[metaldad]

Well, bought the dykes and needle nose from the orange box.
crescent brand, even though they're made in same factory as gearwrench.
nice handles.
*note to whomever is buying a set of needles.*
inspect the length of the jaws. i went thru the rack of 6 to find one pair where the jaws do meet the entire length of jaw. (i see in Mr. Hootbro's example, the jaws are not 100%). cannot view jaws ends mating due to the plastic blister packaging.
the dykes ........... discovered once opened, coulda used a little more clean up on the forging.
they seem to operate smoothly. my weary and sore hands will appreciate these, if they hold up.
thanks for the review, Mr. Woodstock. I would not have bought these, simply for the fact of coo.

 

[bimmerZ5]

awesome review... really has me considering these now. i see the pair of Gearwrench branded ones are $64, while the Crescent branded pair $35 at Home Depot. (pair as in a set of both side cutters and long nose) That's a significant price difference if they are the same product... does Apex consider the GW brand that much more premium than Crescent?

 

[woodstockva]

Nice job on the review, the grips on those look comfy as well. Curious if you have tried those tests against a different brand new set of name brand pliers? Not saying the results would be any different but I know after a lot of use the cutting tip on the cheap sets take a lot of effort to cut through just about anything. Nice product from gear wrench, thanks!

Thanks! The grips are standard slip on similar to the Wilde Flush Fastener ones I reviewed. I tried this pair initially in the video against a new(er) pair of Craftsman side cutters & the new ones were worse at cutting, so thats why I used the older pair.

Gearwrench was demoing those pivotforce pliers at SEMA last year. They had a brand new same length pair of Crescent dykes to compare with. you cut the three strand wire inside a plastic box so, the pieces wouldn't go flying everywhere. Even compared to the new dykes, it took less than half the effort to cut the wire with the pivot force. On a side note, the pivotforce aren't exactly light. They probably weigh twice what a normal pair of side cutters weigh. I have a pair and if you need to cut a lot of wire, they'll make the job easier but, I still think one should have a pair of angled side cutters like the 447G from channellock for pulling cotter keys. Knipex has a similar model to the pivotforce. I wonder how those cut.

Good point....these definitely weigh a bit more than the standard pairs. The considerable less force needed to cut though, I think make up for the added weight.

FWIW, Home Depot is now carrying the Crescent version of these pliers plus they add a pair of Linesman's pliers to the line.

Thanks! And funny that Crescent has an extra pair available over the Gearwrench versions....

Looks like the Crescent version (also an Apex brand) might have gotten better looking grips.

The mechanism appears to be nearly identical to the NWS Fantasticos, are these China or Taiwan? I may have to check these out at HD.

Not sure, I threw the packaging out.

thank you for the efforts on that review.
without seeing your review, i would have passed those off as more gimicky chinese junk.
i think i need a coupla pairs now.

Thanks!

I felt the same way as above. I actually had them in my hand ready to buy them with a HD gift card. I ended up buying the Milwaukee combo needle nose wire stripping tool and small 6" diagonal angled head cutters. Maybe next time I am there I may pick up a set to try.out.

Glad this video was helpful!

Well, bought the dykes and needle nose from the orange box.
crescent brand, even though they're made in same factory as gearwrench.
nice handles.
*note to whomever is buying a set of needles.*
inspect the length of the jaws. i went thru the rack of 6 to find one pair where the jaws do meet the entire length of jaw. (i see in Mr. Hootbro's example, the jaws are not 100%). cannot view jaws ends mating due to the plastic blister packaging.
the dykes ........... discovered once opened, coulda used a little more clean up on the forging.
they seem to operate smoothly. my weary and sore hands will appreciate these, if they hold up.
thanks for the review, Mr. Woodstock. I would not have bought these, simply for the fact of coo.

Well, you wasted no time! haha.....and thanks for the warning on the quality issues.....glad to hear you found some that were correctly made.

awesome review... really has me considering these now. i see the pair of Gearwrench branded ones are $64, while the Crescent branded pair $35 at Home Depot. (pair as in a set of both side cutters and long nose) That's a significant price difference if they are the same product... does Apex consider the GW brand that much more premium than Crescent?

Thanks! I added a link to the gearwrench ones in the YouTube description to Trident-Supply.com .... they have the pair of them for the same as the crescent ones I think. I do think Apex considers gearwrench better.....look at the double-x pliers.....the gearwrench ones cost way more than the crescent versions.

 

[dgxlh]

They look the same to me. Does crescent offer a lifetime warranty?

 

[Brownsfan]

Does that mean they ate different? Or just cost more? I have the Crescent double x and they have served me well for what they are.

 

[Hootbro]

They look the same to me. Does crescent offer a lifetime warranty?

They have a "Guaranteed Forever" label on the packaging. What that exactly entails, I have no clue.

 

[Zeke]

Tools get better all the time but my bag full of Channellock brand works fine. I'd use nothing but Klein cutters but I'm not a tool snob.

 

[Makapuu]

Knipex Twin-Force are under $60 at Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Tools-73-71-180-Performance/dp/B009YGK7ZY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407204379&sr=8-1&keywords=knipex+twin+force

I know Gearwrench are better than most Asian imports, but Made in Germany trumps China or Taiwan, especially Knipex. No way the Gearwrench are better than Knipex. At a lofty $64 the Gearwrench are a pass for me.

 

[Fcvapor05]

It sounds to me like there needs to be a twin force v pivot force showdown.

I can only speak for myself, but my twin force pliers are awesome.

 

[JBradley500]

I need to stop coming to this site. I'm always finding something I never knew I needed.

 

[JDon99]

The Knipex TwinForce and the PivotForce are totally different mechanisms to increase leverage. While I love Knipex products, I don't think the TwinForce can come close to the amount of leverage as the PivotForce. I wouldn't mind seeing a test to prove this, but a closer comparison IMO would be the PivotForce and the NWS Fantasticos.

http://www.german-hand-tools.com/images/138-69-200.jpg

 

[Makapuu]

The Knipex TwinForce and the PivotForce are totally different mechanisms to increase leverage. While I love Knipex products, I don't think the TwinForce can come close to the amount of leverage as the PivotForce. I wouldn't mind seeing a test to prove this, but a closer comparison IMO would be the PivotForce and the NWS Fantasticos.

http://www.german-hand-tools.com/images/138-69-200.jpg

All the comparisons between Knipex and Gearwrench boil down to way more than leverage. Sure a $2.00 cheap 3lb dead blow hammer may hit harder than a 1lb Estwing, but the quality is not there in the materials or fit and finish. The quality of Knipex steel exceeds anything made in Asia, as well as the fit and finish. Knipex is superior - period, and it is ridiculous to even compare the two. Even if the GW were to prove to have greater leverage, looking at the video it is clear the GW blades have been chewed up and damaged and are not holding up. Sort of a 900 lb gorilla while watching the video. Knipex durability due to the high quality is far out of GW's league. In fact I shouldn't even put them in the same sentence!

I am not saying the GW are not a decent tool- but to charge more for it than a Knipex is an abomination.

 

[JDon99]

All the comparisons between Knipex and Gearwrench boil down to way more than leverage.

I agree, I would expect the Knipex to be constructed of a much better material. I was stating that the mechanism is an apples to oranges comparison. I'm still curious how the TwinForce compares as far as cutting power is concerned, but the NWS can still be had for a bit cheaper than the Knipex.

 

[pauls_workshop]

Woodstock: Another great tool evaluation and comparison. The design is better on these new pliers than the older styles. But as mentioned, if the hardened surfaces of the cutting edges are not up to par or the steel materials are not up to par, relative to say Knipex or Klein or Channellock, all champs in those areas, then the life of the tool cutting edges may not be very long, particularly if cutting things like steel. What I'd really like is this kind of design but made by one of those companies or similar. Or a long term durability test of these cutters after use for a while relative to the others. Clearly, this is a case of better design doing a better job. Cutting through the steel dog cable makes this very clear. I had to do that a few weeks back and had to use a dremel to cut through it. My dykes would not do it period. Keep 'em coming Woodstock. Good stuff. - Paul

 

[woodstockva]

Woodstock: Another great tool evaluation and comparison. The design is better on these new pliers than the older styles. But as mentioned, if the hardened surfaces of the cutting edges are not up to par or the steel materials are not up to par, relative to say Knipex or Klein or Channellock, all champs in those areas, then the life of the tool cutting edges may not be very long, particularly if cutting things like steel. What I'd really like is this kind of design but made by one of those companies or similar. Or a long term durability test of these cutters after use for a while relative to the others. Clearly, this is a case of better design doing a better job. Cutting through the steel dog cable makes this very clear. I had to do that a few weeks back and had to use a dremel to cut through it. My dykes would not do it period. Keep 'em coming Woodstock. Good stuff. - Paul

Thanks!

Yeah, I dont think these would be ideal "cable cutters" day in and day out.....but just to show that they could do it, I added that in there. I knew anyone that has ever tried cutting through a cable would appreciate that example!

 

[JDSV]

I am not saying the GW are not a decent tool- but to charge more for it than a Knipex is an abomination.

Knipex: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009YGK7ZY/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Gearwrench: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EANBDCW/?tag=atomicindus08-20



While it may not be better than Knipex, it sure is a lot cheaper. You sure your not looking at Gearwrench MSRP?

But, if I was in the market for a pair I would probably go for Knipex or even the NWS ones, for just slightly less than the Knipex.

Maybe Woodstockva can report back after some time and see if the GW ones are showing any wear.

 

[Regnar]

I picked up the Cresent CCA5428 (Dykes) today. Normally I would have passed these up as well due to them looking gimmicky. But due to the review I figured I would try them out. I cut cotter keys all day long at work so this will be a nice change.

For the good. I had some 10-3 with ground lying around. I was able to cut this with one hand with a fair amount of pressure. I could have given it even more but the cutter made it through.
I also cut a Kreg screw, some smaller cables and various other **** with no problems or effort exerted.
Handles are comfortable and feel like they are going to last. Unlike my last pair of Dykes.


For the bad. I think I have a pair that the cutting head forgot to go through a tumbler or grinder. Basically the whole head needs to be deburred.
The black coating on the pliers is also pretty weak. Just from screwing around the garage today it looks scratched up and it wont be to long before its all gone.
With the double action you have to spread the pliers almost 2x more to fit the same amount of wire in-between the jaws. Not a big deal unless you have small hands but it is very noticeable.

Overall for 17.29 out the door from Home Depot I think they will have a nice home in my toolbox as long as the jaws hold up. No regrets. Thanks OP for the review.

 

[1950mercury]

12-3 wire should have 4 wires 12-2 should have 3

 

[metaldad]

thank you for the efforts on that review.
without seeing your review, i would have passed those off as more gimicky chinese junk.
i think i need a coupla pairs now.

Well, bought the dykes and needle nose from the orange box.
crescent brand, even though they're made in same factory as gearwrench.
nice handles.
*note to whomever is buying a set of needles.*
inspect the length of the jaws. i went thru the rack of 6 to find one pair where the jaws do meet the entire length of jaw. (i see in Mr. Hootbro's example, the jaws are not 100%). cannot view jaws ends mating due to the plastic blister packaging.
the dykes ........... discovered once opened, coulda used a little more clean up on the forging.
they seem to operate smoothly. my weary and sore hands will appreciate these, if they hold up.
thanks for the review, Mr. Woodstock. I would not have bought these, simply for the fact of coo.

*Update.*
both units retired from service.
main reason........... i keep my tools stuffed in an overflowing pouch. with their BIG handles, they took up too much room. replaced with a pair of klein 8'' angled dikes and channey 8'' long nose
performance..........meh.