Klein Tools - what's your opinion?
- Thread starter 330Scott
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Well that's because they can't make up their minds if they are ironworks or carpenters. It must be some kind of identity issue.
DiStOrTiOn
Well-known member
I always reach for my Klein wirestrippers first. They can't be beat, in my opinion. I also own a pair of Klein linesman pliers that were passed down from my mom's father, who was an electrician. They still work like new, and I know they were used every day. Also, I think the craftsman strippers that have that same curved handle as the kleins are made by klein, anyone know?
Jane Bodford
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- Mar 26, 2008
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It was founded by German immigrant Mathias Klein in 1857, the company has evolved from a one-man metalworking business in Chicago to a global leader in hand tools. Around the world, professionals in the electrical, telecommunications, construction, mining and electronics industries trust the quality and workmanship of Klein tools to help them get the job done.
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Theo
Well-known member
krusty the clown
Member Emeritus
if you mean "the most respected name in american made tools for electricians" the bmwpower is correct!
dad was an electrician, he never said "hand me that pair of pliers" it was always "hand me those kleins"!
dad was an electrician, he never said "hand me that pair of pliers" it was always "hand me those kleins"!
jniolon
Well-known member
Ironworkers and nails ???? somehow that brings to mind the quote "Hey yall !! watch this **** !!!"
krusty the clown
Member Emeritus
Ironworkers and nails - a strange combination, I know! Every now and then its necessary, though (mostly as an anchor to tie rebar against the bar chairs on the form.) I heard one rodbuster claim he could hammer a nail better and faster with his linemans than with a hammer.
MAD
Well-known member
If you want your pliers to last, just don't "knock the lineman off the pole"
(don't hammer with the side of the joint with the picture of the lineman)
I'm not thrilled about their screwdrivers, although they are not bad. What I do like are their needle-nose pliers. I picked up a used pair a while back and I have yet to find anything else better. The weight and balance is just about perfect. I almost look for electrical work to do so that I can use them. I don't have any of their linesman pliers because I have a couple of C-man and a pair of Channellocks. The Channellocks are nice too.
Theo
Well-known member
Nope
I mean Snap-on bought Sandvik Saws and Tools, which is now the Bahco Brand. The Bahco Tools compete directly with Klein, though the Bahco line isn't quite as broad.I was chuckling a bit though because saying Klein = Snap-on of the electrical tool world is a bit like saying Lincoln is the Cadillac of SUV's.
I know what bmwpower and yourself are getting at though. Klien makes good tools.... just having some fun!
Uncle Buck
Banned
OMG! an Elroy post that was not in third person! Elroy must have had an off day for that post!
eschoendorff
Well-known member
Nope
Fixed
Funny thing about contractors...they are always losing tools.
I know that as an auto tech, I left tools under the hood on a couple of occasions, but always got them back eventually. Once it took a year, then I spotted the customer's car in a parking lot. Raised the hood and retrieved my Mopar camber/caster adjuster.
I guess electricians make enough money that they never come back to look for tools left in a building. Part of my Klein collection includes a set of strippers, two screwdrivers and some small sidecutters, all of which were left in ceilings by an electrical contractor.
He hasn't come looking for them in a year and a half, so I am claiming them. Poor guy had his "jobsite dog" truck stolen off the site too, but didn't complain much.
Must be nice.
I know that as an auto tech, I left tools under the hood on a couple of occasions, but always got them back eventually. Once it took a year, then I spotted the customer's car in a parking lot. Raised the hood and retrieved my Mopar camber/caster adjuster.
I guess electricians make enough money that they never come back to look for tools left in a building. Part of my Klein collection includes a set of strippers, two screwdrivers and some small sidecutters, all of which were left in ceilings by an electrical contractor.
He hasn't come looking for them in a year and a half, so I am claiming them. Poor guy had his "jobsite dog" truck stolen off the site too, but didn't complain much.
Must be nice.
eschoendorff
Well-known member
I have Klein screwdrivers and various pliers and wire strippers. Honestly, to me, they are on par with Craftsman and Channellock. Nothing really special, and their screwdrivers are the same Pratt Reed screwdrivers that are sold under the Craftsman label (nd other labels - Greenlee, Husky, Channellock, etc) anyway. Oh, with black painted tips.
As for wire strippers, I skip the Kleins and go right to my pair of Ideal wire strippers. Much nicer IMHO.
As for wire strippers, I skip the Kleins and go right to my pair of Ideal wire strippers. Much nicer IMHO.
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Man, that's a little disappointing. I guess they stopped making them themselves.
I didn't even know that Northern sold spud wrenches/ratchets in their stores.
When your ready to upgrade try Knipex
DiStOrTiOn
Well-known member
I've got a pair of Klein lineman pliers from my Grandfather. They still work just as well as a new pair, and I love my Klein wire-strippers, nothing better. They make C-mans strippers (the ones with the curve handle) as well.
up_in_the_air
Well-known member
As a power line mechanic i wouldnt use any other brand, klein make a large amount of specialized gear for our industry to, pullers, wire grips (***-a-longs) also belts climbing irons spikes......list goes on. work low voltage and high voltage hot every day whether be bare-hand or gloving.
http://www.ktool.net
http://www.ktool.net
only the ratchet was Japanese. The adjustable spud wrenches were still USA made. It still looked like good quality.
They had a small display of industrial black Klein stuff.
speed bump
Well-known member
Actually the PRs and the Kleins are different animals. If you look at the current Kleins the handle is completely different from anything PR makes. Also I when we had a Klein guy in town at the electrical distributor and they showed off the different product line and how they manufactured them. The screwdrivers are made in house.
The Dykes that they make are better than anything that anybody I can find makes. The closest cutting edge interface, and they last much better than Channellocks or even the set of Knipex I tried did. Also the Kleins I think have a better handle shape for when you need to really open up the jaws compared to most other peoples pliers.
MAD
Well-known member
Actually those Craftsman strippers are made by Stride tool. I assume the Kleins are as well.
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DiStOrTiOn
Well-known member
Huh, didn't know that. I figured that since the handle shape is called the "Klein-Kurve", they were made in house by Klein. Thanks for the info!
Phog Allen
Well-known member
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- Feb 7, 2009
- Messages
- 83
Having been an electrician for nearly a decade now, I have and use a LOT of Klein hand tools. I have traded the traditional 9" "linesman's" pliers for Knipex. Specifically the 02-05-225 model. Knipex refers to these as combination pliers but they are linesmans. I like the narrower, more tapered jaws as opposed to the more traditional "New England" pattern nose on most Klein or other brand of linesman pliers. My BIGGEST beef with Klein these last few years is the fit and finish of their pliers. My last pair of linesman's were so stiff in the pivot joint that I had to squirt some oil in the joint and spend about 5 minutes opening and closing them just to get them loose enough to use comfortably with one hand. Unacceptable to me for a plier that costs over thirty bucks. They were the Journeyman 2000 series. My Knipex pliers are chrome plated, smooth as glass and have a better handle shape/material and are more comfortable to use. I still use the Klein offset diagonal cutters(again 2000 series) and like them quite a bit. I haven't used the Knips of that variety. I also have a pair of needle nose from Klein that are the MOST useful pliers I have ever owned. They have no cutter edge so the jaws close completely at the tip. They are very narrow and the jaws are only about two inches long. The handle however is about 6-7 inches long and provides great reach for getting into deep boxes. Yet the jaws are delicate enough to grasp smallish wires without undue damage. Very versatile. Model 314-8 I believe. I also have a number of the cushion grip screwdrivers and nutdrivers. The screwdrivers are not quite as good as they were when I got mine a few years ago. The nutdrivers are some of the best around. A nice touch with any of their cushion gripped drivers is that the type of driver is etched in the top of the handle so you can easily see what you need when the are tucked into your pouch and only the tops of the handles are visible. Overall pretty good stuff but not quite as refined as they once were. I would take any of their pliers HANDS DOWN over the C'man stuff I have used. BTW, for those who want to try Knipex linesman's but love their old reliable New England styles, Knipex now offers their version with a NE option. Me, I like their standard nose better.
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HandyManny
Well-known member
Hello, having owned and used Klien tools over the years I thought I'd add my opinion.
What is excellent from Klien are their Linemans pliers, needle nose pliers, diagonal cutters, nutdrivers, and wire splitters.
As far as the newer made Klein screwdrivers are concerned, lets just say about the only thing on them I still like are the sure grip rubber wrapped handles, the quality of steel being used lately has gone way down hill. I can't believe their screwdrivers are still considered a professional grade tool. I've had to file or re-grind more Klein tips within the last 5 years than any other reputable brand screwdriver. The steel used in the tips, particularly the philips tips are too soft to hold up to daily use. They just wear and damage to easily. If they do cam out, the tip is usually ruined the first time. Even worse, the 5-in-1 and 10-in-1 screwdriver tips are made of the softest steel I've ever seen.
I find the basic Craftsman screwdriver tips to be pretty strong and much more durable. If cam-out occures the Craftsman drivers tend to ruin the fastener head with barely minimal damage if any to the screwdriver tip. If Klein want to justify the price they charge for their screwdrivers then they need to invest in better heat treating and tempering of their steel. I come across a lot of electricians and while a lot of them do have Klein screwdrivers in their tool belt I also notice that a whole lot of them tend to have a mix of Klein, Craftsman, and I see lot's of Stanleys too.
As far as pliers are concerened, especially tonge & groove pliers, I regard Channellock as top of the line. Another great benefit is that they are still the most reasonably priced too.
What is excellent from Klien are their Linemans pliers, needle nose pliers, diagonal cutters, nutdrivers, and wire splitters.
As far as the newer made Klein screwdrivers are concerned, lets just say about the only thing on them I still like are the sure grip rubber wrapped handles, the quality of steel being used lately has gone way down hill. I can't believe their screwdrivers are still considered a professional grade tool. I've had to file or re-grind more Klein tips within the last 5 years than any other reputable brand screwdriver. The steel used in the tips, particularly the philips tips are too soft to hold up to daily use. They just wear and damage to easily. If they do cam out, the tip is usually ruined the first time. Even worse, the 5-in-1 and 10-in-1 screwdriver tips are made of the softest steel I've ever seen.
I find the basic Craftsman screwdriver tips to be pretty strong and much more durable. If cam-out occures the Craftsman drivers tend to ruin the fastener head with barely minimal damage if any to the screwdriver tip. If Klein want to justify the price they charge for their screwdrivers then they need to invest in better heat treating and tempering of their steel. I come across a lot of electricians and while a lot of them do have Klein screwdrivers in their tool belt I also notice that a whole lot of them tend to have a mix of Klein, Craftsman, and I see lot's of Stanleys too.
As far as pliers are concerened, especially tonge & groove pliers, I regard Channellock as top of the line. Another great benefit is that they are still the most reasonably priced too.
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lauver
Well-known member
Guys,
I've got many different brand screwdrivers; Craftsman, Snapon, Proto, Mac, Indestro, Xcelite, and Klein. I don't own any of the German made screwdrivers so I can't comment on their quality.
Now, let's talk #2 philips screwdrivers, arguably the most important and frequently used screwdriver in your tool box. Of all the brands I own, the only #2 philips that has a perfect tip on it is my Klein. It is over 20 years old and is used almost every day. It won't die, it won't slip, and it won't tear up philips screws. All my other #2 philips screwdrivers are finished... completely warn out and useless.
This makes me want to buy a compete set of Klein philips screwdrivers. I'd also like to sample some of the German brand philips screwdrivers just to see what I have been missing.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it...
I've got many different brand screwdrivers; Craftsman, Snapon, Proto, Mac, Indestro, Xcelite, and Klein. I don't own any of the German made screwdrivers so I can't comment on their quality.
Now, let's talk #2 philips screwdrivers, arguably the most important and frequently used screwdriver in your tool box. Of all the brands I own, the only #2 philips that has a perfect tip on it is my Klein. It is over 20 years old and is used almost every day. It won't die, it won't slip, and it won't tear up philips screws. All my other #2 philips screwdrivers are finished... completely warn out and useless.
This makes me want to buy a compete set of Klein philips screwdrivers. I'd also like to sample some of the German brand philips screwdrivers just to see what I have been missing.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it...
I wouldn't say they ****, they're decent but no, they don't compare to something like a Wera.
lauver
Well-known member
Ok guys,
I'll try a Wera #2. But let me ask you guys how long you've had your Wera's? You got any with 20 years under their belts?
I'll try a Wera #2. But let me ask you guys how long you've had your Wera's? You got any with 20 years under their belts?
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unfortunately I've only known of these upgraded brands for a couple years now. But with that said I have seen a huge difference in wear from my old Kleins that never fit right in the first place(though I thought they were great at the time)
make sure to get the made in germany lasertip type, not the made in czech repub.
mickeyone
Well-known member
Klein is the standard. I have sidecutters that are 25 yrs old that still cut great Knipex is a new kid on the block lets see if they have stuff that holds up .All the electricians i know use Klein tools with Channelock and Ideal filling in the gaps...Klein has been around a long time and is great stuff This Euro stuff is pretty but cant say ive seen line guys using facom tools.