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Grip-on Locking pliers

S

Sparkfarmer

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 11, 2010
Messages
235
Location
Toronto Canada
Yesterday I finally picked up my "GK-SET5" grip on locking plier set. Overall I am very happy with them. The "omnium grip" pliers are a fantastic design! The quality of the pliers is much better than any Chinese locking pliers I have seen. This set is distributed through Grey in Canada and was a great deal at 85$.

2011-07-22 16.11.15.jpg

2011-07-22 16.11.50.jpg

Heres my initial reveiw:
I think it goes without saying that these Grip-on, made in Spain, locking pliers are of very high quality. They are as we all know, the same company that make the "LP Series" locking pliers for Snap-On.

Bad:
1) Some of the pliers dont line up exactly when closed, the jaws are just slightly offset to the side by around 1/16. Not a huge deal but I would like to see better tolerances from this brand considering their reputation
2) The jaws are painted black. There is no reason why this should effect the usability but I think it looks better with raw metal (nickel plated I assume) like you see on the Snap-On LP Series. Inevitably the black paint will wear off on the jaws, I don't think this will look very good
3) There is surprisingly little information online about this product


Good:
1) Epoxy resin coating looks great and seems highly durable
2) Release lever has a spring so even when the plier is released the lever doesn't flop around (no big deal but reeks of quality)
3) Large size adjustment nobs make adjusting very easy
4) On the 12" pliers, when open, there is at most 1/32 of side to side play in the jaws
5) Where the adjustment screw goes in the two sides are welded together unlike most Chinese locking pliers
6) adjustment locking nuts allow you to make a size permanent for repeat jobs, not a bad feature
7) NOT MADE IN CHINA!!!!
8) When you hold them in your hand you can tell that these will be passed down to your grandchildren


Cheers!
 
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S

sk farmer

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Joined
Mar 4, 2009
Messages
5,556
Location
nd
woody 73 said:
Is there a big difference in the grip-on versus the vise grip that was made in Dewitt Nebraska?
Click to expand...



yup, you just said it. vice grip was a good old usa mfg. before irwin whored them out to china and now they are p's.o.s.:mad: some will complain about the lock lever but they have stood the taste of time as a classic quality tool.
 
W

woody 73

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Joined
Apr 14, 2009
Messages
11,540
Location
The Great State Up North
Is it that Irwin went to a cheaper metal or is the metal thinner in some way? The only thing that I have ever seen is that the teeth on the chinese Irwin seem to get crushed in a short time.
 
OP
S

Sparkfarmer

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 11, 2010
Messages
235
Location
Toronto Canada
I dont have any or the made in USA vice grips to compare unfortunately. Probably if I did i wouldn't need to buy the Grip-on's. I can say however, they beat the living piss out of the Chinese Irwin Vice Grips (I have a few of them).
 
S

silversix

Active member
Joined
Jun 2, 2009
Messages
39
Location
Los Angeles
I bought the snap on set of grip on pliers and I like the quality of my "made in usa, with global components" Vise grips far better.
 
N

Notwerk

Well-known member
Joined
May 11, 2011
Messages
329
USA Irwins were nice and I'd say they're on par with my Grip Ons (I have the nickel plated version). But the Grip Ons are far and away better than the Chinese Irwins available now.

All the other junk is roughly on the same level as HF, so if you're going to get a Chinese POS, might as well save your money and go with HF. If you're buying a new set of locking pliers and want a quality tool, Grip On is pretty much the only game in town these days.

(For the record, I know Klein offers locking pliers, and that they were once made in the USA, but I haven't been able to ascertain whether their current production has changed. I suspect it has, and I can't speak to the quality of the current offering.)
 
T

Trucky

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 26, 2011
Messages
1,747
Notwerk said:
USA Irwins were nice and I'd say they're on par with my Grip Ons (I have the nickel plated version). But the Grip Ons are far and away better than the Chinese Irwins available now.

All the other junk is roughly on the same level as HF, so if you're going to get a Chinese POS, might as well save your money and go with HF. If you're buying a new set of locking pliers and want a quality tool, Grip On is pretty much the only game in town these days.
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You can throw Knipex and other German brands in the "high-quality" locking pliers category as well. They're around 20-25$ each and put everything else (
Besides Grip-On) to shame. They're a good option, and are available on amazon.
 
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Joe B.

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Joined
Jan 2, 2007
Messages
2,752
This is my observation....

The China Vice Grips are no better or worse than any USA models made in at least the last 10 years. I have a few older Vice grips and they do seem to be a little more sturdy.

The Grip On pliers are better than any Vice Grip pliers ever made...USA Or China. I'm surprised that silversix feels otherwise.
 
D

dankicksass

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 28, 2010
Messages
1,820
Location
New Jersey
You just missed the sale on Snap-On rebranded 4pc tool roll, great pliers those Grip-On's though. I've got a drawer full of nickel plated myself, with an orange one in by luck of the draw. I haven't seen any chipping on the enameled one I've got, but haven't had it that long. Nothing beats the versatility of the Omnium jaws.

FWIW, I've also got in one of my small boxes an Acesa curved jaw locker made by Grip-On that belonged to my grandfather. Far as I know, he quit buying tools in the late 70s; it shows dings and box-sliding wear, but the jaws look better than brand new China Vise Grips after one use, and he used his tools hard at the factory and at home.
 
Last edited:
D

dodge610

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 22, 2010
Messages
5,467
Location
North Canton Ohio
Joe B. said:
This is my observation....

The China Vice Grips are no better or worse than any USA models made in at least the last 10 years. I have a few older Vice grips and they do seem to be a little more sturdy.

The Grip On pliers are better than any Vice Grip pliers ever made...USA Or China. I'm surprised that silversix feels otherwise.
Click to expand...

Do you or anybody know where i can get the Grip-On GK-5 set could find nothing on the internet about getting them. Or do you have a link where i could buy them thanks.
 
D

dankicksass

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 28, 2010
Messages
1,820
Location
New Jersey
Amazon often has the best prices on Grip-On, just be careful to distinguish Grip-On and G.R.I.P. On, a cheap Asian import brand from Apex/Danaher. Amazon doesn't know the difference in their brand sorting.
 
D

dodge610

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 22, 2010
Messages
5,467
Location
North Canton Ohio
Sparkfarmer said:
Yesterday I finally picked up my "GK-SET5" grip on locking plier set. Overall I am very happy with them. The "omnium grip" pliers are a fantastic design! The quality of the pliers is much better than any Chinese locking pliers I have seen. This set is distributed through Grey in Canada and was a great deal at 85$.

2011-07-22 16.11.15.jpg

2011-07-22 16.11.50.jpg

Heres my initial reveiw:
I think it goes without saying that these Grip-on, made in Spain, locking pliers are of very high quality. They are as we all know, the same company that make the "LP Series" locking pliers for Snap-On.

Bad:
1) Some of the pliers dont line up exactly when closed, the jaws are just slightly offset to the side by around 1/16. Not a huge deal but I would like to see better tolerances from this brand considering their reputation
2) The jaws are painted black. There is no reason why this should effect the usability but I think it looks better with raw metal (nickel plated I assume) like you see on the Snap-On LP Series. Inevitably the black paint will wear off on the jaws, I don't think this will look very good
3) There is surprisingly little information online about this product


Good:
1) Epoxy resin coating looks great and seems highly durable
2) Release lever has a spring so even when the plier is released the lever doesn't flop around (no big deal but reeks of quality)
3) Large size adjustment nobs make adjusting very easy
4) On the 12" pliers, when open, there is at most 1/32 of side to side play in the jaws
5) Where the adjustment screw goes in the two sides are welded together unlike most Chinese locking pliers
6) adjustment locking nuts allow you to make a size permanent for repeat jobs, not a bad feature
7) NOT MADE IN CHINA!!!!
8) When you hold them in your hand you can tell that these will be passed down to your grandchildren


Cheers!
Click to expand...

Were did you get these at i would like to get a set just like them possibly a link thanks.
 
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