HF pliers quality

[greasemonkey44]

If you're thinking of "upgrading" to HF pliers, what have you been using? Two lumps of cheese pivoting on a carrot?

hilarious; laughed really hard
i have thier hose pliers; they are pretty damn good for 12 bucks
i have a set of the long nose pliers; i use them alot but they dont hold up to pressure very well, they will be getting replaced as funds allow

 

[805gregg]

Channel Lock for me I have some of that HF **** the side cutters wouldn't hardly cut zip ties, with Channel Lock youjust have to picthem up and the zip tie falls off, night and day differance and made where? USA. I saw a show recently that detailed how the Chinese are hacking our country's companys secrets for over 2 billion annually, it time to cut the sleeze balls off. F China

 

[Skin]

i used them to put up a fence , but i would never use them for any thing i care about , thats what the snap-on ones are for...

Except those SO diagonals. Those belong at HF. Worst diagonal design i ever used.

 

[back2class]

For the money I would say get the long reach ones. great to have for occasional use. many DIY people can't justify $30 for a single pair of occasional use ones. As with much HF stuff.....much better to have the HF version over having nothing. I've onlt played with them in the store, but the seemed ok. Not as nice as my not so awesome chinese made Cornwell ones, but seemed to be the exact same quality as some Sunex ones I did once have.
But for basic stuff like linesmans, slip joint, needle nose and so on....I would move up a notch to Craftsman, Kobalt, Stanley. I do not find any great preformance difference with those brands over my snap-on and Klein and would not feel like they are not up to the job. My channellocks are somewhere in the middle and do not do anything for me that the Stanley's don't. Day in and day out use is another story.

If you do not already have about 5 core pliers (side cutters, slip joint, water pump, combination, needle nose, ,,,,buy something better than HF. But if you are just a average tool using guy, the HF specialty stuff can be a great deal.

 

[ladygaga]

I always find myself using them at least once per job.

 

[shampoop]

Pliers are one thing to not cheap out on. Crappy pliers will make a routine task very time consuming and frustrating. Not worth it considering how cheap channellocks are. Most of the stuff they make is awesome.

 

[Danglerb]

I've got an OLD set of HF orange handle mini pliers I use all the time, but in general their pliers are VERY hit and miss. What pushed me over the edge to buying a batch of Mountain brand were the poor quality of the hose pliers and the longer cutters. I sorted through all of them on the wall and could not find ONE PAIR without serious enough flaws, bad jaw alignment etc., that I would buy them.

Mountain was a clear step up in function, no snapon or NWS pretty, but no issues in actual use, just rough casting in some areas. I've now bought two more batches of Mountain brand and like it all.

 

[Soon2AdjustYou]

If you're thinking of "upgrading" to HF pliers, what have you been using? Two lumps of cheese pivoting on a carrot?

Going in my sig line!! Haha!

As for the HF Pro line, they are fairly stout. I can make the cheaper handles touch eachother by squeezing hard, the pro line won't budge. Resistance to jaw marring has been fine as well.

 

[hairtrigger]

If you're thinking of "upgrading" to HF pliers, what have you been using? Two lumps of cheese pivoting on a carrot?

I should've said "adding" to my pliers set. I've been using a cheap pair of regular pliers and vise grips, and that's about it. Other times I've been finding myself either borrowing or disconnecting things via other methods. I've been reluctant to buying more pliers because everyone is asking too much for their pliers. I mean seriously, they're pliers. They shouldn't cost $60 for a set of 4 pliers.

But there is always some toolmonger that thinks expensive tools are the only way to go, and anyone buying anything else is inferior. I've had limited experience using snap on tools, but a few times I have broken snap on sockets. They're not invincible. Any tool can break.

 

[jjjrmx5]

I've been reluctant to buying more pliers because everyone is asking too much for their pliers. I mean seriously, they're pliers. They shouldn't cost $60 for a set of 4 pliers.

But there is always some toolmonger that thinks expensive tools are the only way to go, and anyone buying anything else is inferior. I've had limited experience using snap on tools, but a few times I have broken snap on sockets. They're not invincible. Any tool can break.

Actually, in many cases, tools ARE one of those instances where you often DO get what you pay for. And especially so since a lot of mfgrs are sourcing tools to Asian and quality control and raw material quality has slipped.

Is a $20 diagonal cutter better than a $3.99 HF unit? Likely yes. A more rubust handle design, better hinge and better hardened steel with a good cutting edge means they will last a lifetime.

If used daily, that $3.99 set will likely last 6 months to a year, and as it dulls, the quaility of your cuts and thus professional work will decline. If your work declines enough, it can casue injury to yourself or others if frayed wires short out and thus the possible loss of your job.

I realize that is an extreme scenario, but as every chef and ER doc will say, a dull knife is far more dangerous to a user than a sharp one.

There a a lot of respectable pliers out there that will last decades and cost a reasonable price, but cheap does not always = good and long lasting in the world of tools out there and there are 100's of not 1000's of threads here on GJ that prove that case.

Good luck with your purchase whatever it may be.

 

[hairtrigger]

Ended up buying several kobalt sets from lowes. 5 sets for about $110. Get them in the mail by the fourth. Will let you know how decent they are.

I understand that you do get what you pay for, but sometimes there is price gouging for name's sake. In the case of pliers, what could be driving the cost of a single plier to over $100? It's definitely not the material or manufacturing method. It's the name. I refuse to pay for a name.

Most of my tools are midgrade craftsman. I understand they're not the best in the world, but they work, and if they fail, they get replaced. But I rarely use pliers, so I refuse to buy their sets because they're way overpriced. Lowes had a decent set of deals that covered almost all of my plier needs. But I have had bad experience with lowe's warranty in the past.

 

[NWphotog]

Ended up buying several kobalt sets from lowes. 5 sets for about $110. Get them in the mail by the fourth. Will let you know how decent they are.

Why 5 sets? Perhaps you mean 5 pair? $22 a pair?!

 

[hairtrigger]

Why 5 sets? Perhaps you mean 5 pair? $22 a pair?!

5 sets, each containing about 4 to 6 pliers each. All different sets, though. Each set averaged about $20.

 

[sk1nner]

i have these
http://www.harborfreight.com/2-piece-11-inch-straight-90-angle-long-reach-pliers-33203.html
i like them, they do flex when you twist them, but for long reach they are ok. a buddy of mine has the craftsman equivalent and he said mine are beefier than his.

 

[byoungblood]

Pliers are one thing to not cheap out on. Crappy pliers will make a routine task very time consuming and frustrating. Not worth it considering how cheap channellocks are. Most of the stuff they make is awesome.

Precisely. You can buy a good set of pliers once and have them last forever if you don't abuse them, or you can go around and around with a crappy set of pliers that don't do their job well. In the end, you'll still end up buying the better set of pliers when the cheap HF **** breaks or just can't get the job done while you're in the middle of something.

If I am buying something for a single use and/or I can consider the tool disposable, yeah, I'll probably drive on over to Northern/Tractor Supply/HF and buy a cheap tool if I think it will get the job done. If I don't think the cheap tool is going to cause me anything but grief, I try to buy the tool used.

But for basic, everyday use, hand tools, I buy as good of quality as my budget allows. Spending an extra $10-20 for something you're going to own for the next 30+ years is peanuts.

 

[garfunkle24]

If you'd ever been stuck in the bush in minus 40 weather, unable to fix a million dollar machine because your pliers won't bite into a hardened shaft, you'd understand why I spend so much on pliers (mine are all Knipex and NWS).

Anyhow, I was just trying to be funny, not elitist.

 

[diesel research]

I understand that you do get what you pay for, but sometimes there is price gouging for name's sake. In the case of pliers, what could be driving the cost of a single plier to over $100? It's definitely not the material or manufacturing method. It's the name. I refuse to pay for a name.

No matter the brand you always pay for the name, advertising, retail space, warranty costs, profit margin, etc. Quite often those figures are similar across the board, although some cheap stuff actually has a higher profit margin and you effectively end up paying more (percentage wise) for "the name".

 

[Nelson58]

The $9 orange handled set is worthless- they don't hold a grip.

I like a lot of HF stuff, but these are junk- don't buy them.


Nelson

 

[Notwerk]

When I started hobby wrenching, I bought a set of the orange-handled pliers (strangely, I've never seen any "Pro" brand pliers at either of my HFs), and while they served me OK for the price, they really only lasted a couple of months. Busted the long-nose pliers on my second use.

I like HF Pro ratchets and sockets, but as for pliers, I'd have to say they're pretty bad. Very, very soft metal that's quick to bend and break.

I bit the bullet later on and bought Channellocks. I can say that while the CLs are more expensive, it's still a better value. Why? Because you won't have to replace them after a month. You will pay more, but I can say for sure that you are getting a product that's worth the price.

For what it's worth, most of the Craftsman pliers (anything that's USA made) are made by Western Forge. They're not as nice as Channellocks, but they're a few dollars cheaper and still much better than the HF stuff.

Still, I'm going to have to stick with a recommendation of Channellock. You'll pay more, but you won't regret it.

 

[Monte]

Ended up buying several kobalt sets from lowes. 5 sets for about $110. Get them in the mail by the fourth. Will let you know how decent they are.

I understand that you do get what you pay for, but sometimes there is price gouging for name's sake. In the case of pliers, what could be driving the cost of a single plier to over $100? It's definitely not the material or manufacturing method. It's the name. I refuse to pay for a name.

...not necessary to spend $100 for one pair of pliers but $100 can get you a nice set of 5 Channellock pliers...

 

[John316]

...not necessary to spend $100 for one pair of pliers but $100 can get you a nice set of 5 Channellock pliers...

Here is a link with some additional info on the the manufacturing of HF and Kobalt Pliers

A friendly dig.. for laughs. Enjoy

 

[melliott28]

Stay away from the orange handled HF pliers. They are not very good. But, the HF Pittsburgh Pro series are not bad at all. They are about the same quality as the Kobalt pliers that you can buy at Lowes. I have about 6 different types of the Pittsburgh Pro pliers that I keep in my "around the house" tool kit. I've had them for a couple of years and they work fine for household DIY tasks and have held up pretty well, so far.

But like many others, I prefer Channellocks (I own about 12 pair) because they are made in the USA and offer good quality for a reasonable price. But, "reasonably priced" means different things to different people. The price range of Channellocks I own are $15 - $30 (purchased at retail stores) while the Pittsburgh Pros I own range from $5 - $8. I say if you are doing basic DIY stuff, buy whatever can get the job done and stay within your budget.

 

[bhclark]

If you can't find the "pro" line of pliers, look in the glass locked cabinet. Some stores keep them there.
Hell, my store locks up $4 small items in there.....

 

[goody4her]

When I see programs about 20 year old entrepreneurs in China driving around in a Ferrari and living in a 8 million penthouse and I see an interracial line of people 2 blocks long waiting at a food pantry across our great USA, remember that the HF's of the world and other made in china junk is the reason why. Many hard working Americans have lost their jobs and the few left continue their loyalty to Chinese junk. To all the cheapskates in America, stop trying to justify these tool purchases, they sell junk and the little money you save is not worth it. Sears is closing down 100 stores, which leave thousands of people unemployed, but people are still on here talking about how great their little pliers from HF is. Wake up America. No tool discussion on Sears leaving, just those old, cheap guys you see at HF how they bought some cheap tools. Think outside of the box and support American tool makers. Ingersoll Rand, Lisle, Cal Van, Milton, the list goes on and on. I was never that pro-American when I use to hear these arguments in the 70's, but now I see the effects of these decisions.

 

[Monte]

When I see programs about 20 year old entrepreneurs in China driving around in a Ferrari and living in a 8 million penthouse and I see an interracial line of people 2 blocks long waiting at a food pantry across our great USA, remember that the HF's of the world and other made in china junk is the reason why.

Maybe the US should introduce a one child policy like in China ?

 

[scylla]

...not necessary to spend $100 for one pair of pliers but $100 can get you a nice set of 5 Channellock pliers...

Holy Smokes! I have only been on GJ for a few months so I don't know his real history, but this is the first time I've seen Monte recommend anything but Euro tools.

UHH, that was a recommendation for U.S. made Channelocks right?

 

[trboxman]

They're adopting capitalism and are on the rise, we're abandoning capitalism and are on the decline....

 

[scylla]

When I see programs about 20 year old entrepreneurs in China driving around in a Ferrari and living in a 8 million penthouse and I see an interracial line of people 2 blocks long waiting at a food pantry across our great USA, remember that the HF's of the world and other made in china junk is the reason why. Many hard working Americans have lost their jobs and the few left continue their loyalty to Chinese junk. To all the cheapskates in America, stop trying to justify these tool purchases, they sell junk and the little money you save is not worth it. Sears is closing down 100 stores, which leave thousands of people unemployed, but people are still on here talking about how great their little pliers from HF is. Wake up America. No tool discussion on Sears leaving, just those old, cheap guys you see at HF how they bought some cheap tools. Think outside of the box and support American tool makers. Ingersoll Rand, Lisle, Cal Van, Milton, the list goes on and on. I was never that pro-American when I use to hear these arguments in the 70's, but now I see the effects of these decisions.

#1 thing U.S. manufacturers have do do is innovate and invest money in machinery.
I KNOW Channelock can make a better tool than, say, Knipix Cobra, but not with the facilities they have.
I watched a video on how they make some of their pliers and it looked like a shop from the 1930's.

 

[Monte]

Holy Smokes! I have only been on GJ for a few months so I don't know his real history, but this is the first time I've seen Monte recommend anything but Euro tools.

UHH, that was a recommendation for U.S. made Channelocks right?

Once or twice i already recommended american tools

only $80.- ...

 

[Monte]

#1 thing U.S. manufacturers have do do is innovate and invest money in machinery.
I KNOW Channelock can make a better tool than, say, Knipix Cobra, but not with the facilities they have.
I watched a video on how they make some of their pliers and it looked like a shop from the 1930's.

At least Channellock already use a robot in their forge and their prices are very reasonable, i would be more concerned about companies like Wright and Cornwell....

 

[bhclark]

I just don't understand the hate for HFT when just about ANY store you go into has a majority of Chinese made products?
If Craftsman, Kobalt, Husky, etc are all China tools, then why pay more for the same quality?
Yes, some of it (like the pliers) are lower quality, but HFT is working on correcting that and improving the quality. However, before I was smart enough, I bought plenty of crappy pliers from a variety of stores. Now, I'm a Channellock fan!

Want STUPID cheap tools that are absolute ****? Attend one of the mobile tools sales that tend to appear here at the VFW halls. I bought a $9.99 grinder there that burned up before I cut through the first pipe and there was nowhere to go for an exchange.

At least HFT stands behind their product!

 

[trboxman]

Country of origin alone is not what determines quality.

 

[Hootbro]

I know it is lost on many here, but the Chinese can build to any quality standard that is asked of them.

The main problem is the importers and purchasing companies here in the USA that bring this stuff in are the ones demanding the quality or lack thereof, along with it meeting a certain price point.

 

[shampoop]

Country of origin alone is not what determines quality.

Depends on what kind of tool. For certain things like impact sockets, it really doesn't seem to make much of a difference. But for things like pliers, it is extremely true. You'd have a very very hard time finding any pliers made in the US or Germany that are poor quality, most are excellent. However, you'd be damned if you found any excellent quality pliers made in china or taiwan, but poor quality ones are everywhere.

I'm not saying those countries can't build good pliers, just that they don't.

 

[atlinwi202]

If you're thinking of "upgrading" to HF pliers, what have you been using? Two lumps of cheese pivoting on a carrot?

I know I'm late to the party here but I woke up the wife laughing. Thanks for that one Gareth.

 

[byoungblood]

The main problem is the importers and purchasing companies here in the USA that bring this stuff in are the ones demanding the quality or lack thereof, along with it meeting a certain price point.

Therein lies the problem.

When a company chooses to offshore production, they are doing it for cost savings. It isn't a huge leap from that point to also cut corners on quality to try to out-price the competition, or just to pad the bottom line.

US companies could keep production here if they'd focus more on product differentiation instead of trying to compete with the HFs of the world trying to do nothing but produce a very cheap tool.

 

[puttsy]

I like looming around old threads, Apparently that's kinda my style but, I'll chime in too.

I do applaud some companies for staying in the US, heck, I just got a grin when I opened a package of Scotch tape and saw the "Made in USA" Flag on the corner.

The problem with this pliers discussion though, I go to Walmart and I can get a pair of Stanley Diagonal and Needlenose pliers for ~$10, go to HFT and can get a similar pair for <$5. Both made in pacific rim, but the Stanley ARE, in fact, better.

I DO second the innovation perspective though. Did you know that the USA is one of the only countries that uses fixed-top table saws? Many other countries use tablesaws with a moving table to allow wood to be affixed to the table, THEN pushed through the blade. Try and finding that 'better' style table saw in the states. There just aren't out there en-masse.

I DO want to support states based companies BUT, they need to innovate. Look at the scads of people getting Knippex, Wiha, Wera drivers and pliers. ALL foreign companies, ALL about the same price as Pratt Read or Klein BUT, they are superior because those companies sell by innovation. Do I want a pair of Wera drivers? No, not really. I don't like the look but more, I don't think I'd like the feel, THAT is a sheer personal thing though. If I could afford it, yeah, I'd get a set of Pratt-Read square handle drivers but, that's preference for a US design (allbeit a bit dated)

Yes, there are great US made pliers, there are also lesser US made pliers, but there are also decent pacific rim ones. Channellock comes to mind for USA made (thanks guys who helped my decision in a previous discussion) BUT, you can get Knippex or Bahco foreign made products that are Superior...through innovation, quality, and service.