Knipex locking pliers, my first experience.

[MagnumForce]

They are still useful but no more useful than channel locks at half the price. I work in industrial maintenance in a very large factory. I basically have 3 sets of everything, the stuff at my bench which is rarely used and is kobalt, rp craftsman and various other stuff. My mobile cart which is used constantly and is Gearwrench, Channellock, good craftsman, Ridgid, etc. And then my tool pouch which goes on my belt and consists of an Allen key set, fat max tape, knipex Cobras, knipex alligators, knipex dykes and 10 inch pliers wrench, tiny were flat head, middle of the road flathead and Phillips and an 8 inch channel lock Crescent.

 

[Strouty]

I have Cobras, Alligators, Dykes and Pliers Wrench from Knipex. I was going to continue to build my collection until I discovered that Channel Lock stuff aside from the Pliers Wrench was built better, looked way better, worked just as good, held up to use better (my cobras have very stripped jaws, my channel lock grip locks look like brand new with even use), are made in the US , and the kicker they cause half as much or more.

My decision became easy and I have a drawer of gorgeous blue handled pliers with grey finish and polished working edges.

I am convinced Knipex is a cult.

What were you using your cobras on? Mine eat steel.

 

[Brownsfan]

I have a bunch of Knipex and feel the same a Magnum. EXCEPT the mini bolt cutters and the small size large gauge cable cutters. There is no equivalent to those that I can find at any price. I hate their needle nose. My plier collection is diverse and i just buy what works best for me. Locking pliers are a mix of old USA Peterson vise grips and new Milwaukee. Give the new Milwaukee locking pliers a shot. They are fantastic for the money and dare i say better than the USA vise grips.

 

[jetdawg]

Thing is I have purchased and used Knipex tools extensively and they are not as good as advertised compared to Channel Locks, especially when the higher price is calculated.

Well this would be the first time I've ever heard someone say something like this, channellock is pretty much at the low end of the quality made stuff.

 

[kctyphoon]

i suggest taking a look at some of the Milwaukee versions.. they have staright jawed models that dont come with the overmold handles - which are the round jaw versions. they all come with their torque lock design, where you can tighten/losen the grips with a screwdriver and get some crazy leverage.

 

[kctyphoon]

 

[Loscaldazar]

What were you using your cobras on? Mine eat steel.

Curious also. My the teeth on many of my knipex pliers have gone through things that I swear would cause the teeth to come out deformed or rounded. All still there just as sharp as new.

Only other pliers I've used that have had teeth as durable as the Knipex cobras have been my grip-on locking pliers.

 

[Wizzard]

Well this would be the first time I've ever heard someone say something like this, channellock is pretty much at the low end of the quality made stuff.

I must agree. I have CL and Knipex. I like CL tongue-groove pliers for the price and versatility. But their quality isn't what I would consider 'top-notch'...how can it be when you are trying to meet a price point with high volume box stores.

 

[Monte]

mine aren´t too bad

 

[Brownsfan]

i suggest taking a look at some of the Milwaukee versions.. they have staright jawed models that dont come with the overmold handles - which are the round jaw versions. they all come with their torque lock design, where you can tighten/losen the grips with a screwdriver and get some crazy leverage.

I agree. I said it earlier too. But I have a couple different ones and i think they may even be better than my old Peterson Vise Grips.

 

[Strouty]

I agree. I said it earlier too. But I have a couple different ones and i think they may even be better than my old Peterson Vise Grips.

Blasphemy!

 

[MagnumForce]

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=4314528

Comparison I made between my Cobras and my GL10's. The Cobras look even worse now and the Grip Locks still look brand new and they are about a year older and get more use.

I use them mostly on black iron pipe and fittings and brass valves.

 

[Strouty]

I wonder if the craftsman branded ones don't have the same construction? I know I do not use mine as much as you do, but everything I have ever used them on gets teeth marks left behind. I actually have to think about what I use them on, some of the things I need to grab are threaded and the cobras will eat the threads until it is a nice round surface, then they grab like a pit bull.

 

[rick carpenter]

For these Knipex, if you want to do a little judicious vise or press work, you might tighten them up by concentrating some squeeze on the "belly" below & a little left of the top hand grip pivot, and some more squeeze love between the "Made in Germany" and the last pivot on the finger grip. Hold the grip jaws flush with a clamp while doing so.

Agreed that the factory slop is too much, but then again these aren't precision instruments.

 

[Fcvapor05]

I wonder if the craftsman branded ones don't have the same construction? I know I do not use mine as much as you do, but everything I have ever used them on gets teeth marks left behind. I actually have to think about what I use them on, some of the things I need to grab are threaded and the cobras will eat the threads until it is a nice round surface, then they grab like a pit bull.

The Craftsman branded Knipex stuff is made from a lower grade steel with a different heat treatment process- cheaper to make, and the end result is much softer teeth.

The Craftsman stuff is not comparable to the version that says Knipex on the handle.

 

[jetdawg]

Wait so the knipex vs channellock comparison and subsequent conclusion had to do with craftsman branded versions?

edit - nm, I guess so just saw the link

 

[MagnumForce]

Then I won't show you these. Everyone here swore up and down the Craftsman ones were identical and made on the same line, only a different stamping.

Regardless, my knipex branded alligators have done it too

 

[Wizzard]

The Craftsman branded Knipex stuff is made from a lower grade steel with a different heat treatment process- cheaper to make, and the end result is much softer teeth.

The Craftsman stuff is not comparable to the version that says Knipex on the handle.

I cannot confirm this with concrete written proof, but this was my informal observation as well. Maybe it has to do with the heat treatment process...maybe the Craftsman's get stacked deeper/taller due to high volume during heat treat and some don't get hardened as well. Maybe lower grade steel as mentioned

 

[Fcvapor05]

Then I won't show you these. Everyone here swore up and down the Craftsman ones were identical and made on the same line, only a different stamping.

Regardless, my knipex branded alligators have done it too

I didn't say that Knipex Cobra teeth will last forever and are impervious to wear. All I said was that they're better than the Craftsman re-brand.

Either way, the Knipex jaws look to be in significantly better shape than the Craftsman jaws are in the pics you've posted, at least to my eye.

 

[Fcvapor05]

I cannot confirm this with concrete written proof, but this was my informal observation as well. Maybe it has to do with the heat treatment process...maybe the Craftsman's get stacked deeper/taller due to high volume during heat treat and some don't get hardened as well. Maybe lower grade steel as mentioned

It's obvious if you compare them side by side. The Craftsman version is significantly softer. Take a file to one and then the other and the difference is pretty easy to see. They also flex differently despite the forgings being very nearly identical.

I use pliers a lot, and as a result go through them a lot, so when Sears started selling Craftsman 'cobra' pliers I was very interested. I bought a pair and compared them side by side with the equivalent Knipex piece.

The fact that Sears sells them for so cheap is telling. They're an ok set of pliers, but just not as nice or as durable as the Knipex branded version.

 

[MagnumForce]

I only got the Craftsman variety for ease of warranty. Regardless of all this the Grip Locks have held up better than either of the Knipex flavors.

 

[jetdawg]

It's obvious if you compare them side by side. The Craftsman version is significantly softer. Take a file to one and then the other and the difference is pretty easy to see. They also flex differently despite the forgings being very nearly identical.

I use pliers a lot, and as a result go through them a lot, so when Sears started selling Craftsman 'cobra' pliers I was very interested. I bought a pair and compared them side by side with the equivalent Knipex piece.

The fact that Sears sells them for so cheap is telling. They're an ok set of pliers, but just not as nice or as durable as the Knipex branded version.

This in bold, clearly they are not made to the same spec as the craftsman. Also the channellock isn't made of some special material that none of their other pliers are made of and the fact is that channellocks are softer than kleins.

 

[Fcvapor05]

I only got the Craftsman variety for ease of warranty. Regardless of all this the Grip Locks have held up better than either of the Knipex flavors.

Whatever works for you is what you should buy. You're just the first person I've heard of to not prefer Knipex Cobra or Alligator to brand *** because of durability. A lot of people (me included) aren't crazy about some of their other offerings. In particular, I don't like their needle nose pliers at all, and I think their linesman pliers are so-so. But I've beat the hell out of Cobra and Alligator pliers for quite some time and they always come back for more.

 

[jetdawg]

My post was in agreement with yours fwiw.

 

[Fcvapor05]

My post was in agreement with yours fwiw.

I quoted the wrong post. Oops.

 

[winlinmac]

Milwaukee for the Win. I received my Knipex Locking Pliers today and was appalled by the poor welding near the threaded area. I mean seriously, my Made in China Stanley and 3-Pc Tekton Set are far better in finish. I've had to handle my Petersen Vise Grips with care, managed to restore them to life.

I'm not sure what to do with the Knipex Locking Pliers. I should return it as well.

I think today, my senses came to reality with COO. Doesn't matter where the tools come from, what does matter is proper craftsmanship

i suggest taking a look at some of the Milwaukee versions.. they have staright jawed models that dont come with the overmold handles - which are the round jaw versions. they all come with their torque lock design, where you can tighten/losen the grips with a screwdriver and get some crazy leverage.

 

[sberry]

Vise grip ha trouble out doing itself. Some of the problem with these others seems to be round jaws. I need 1 curved jaw vise grip and 6 straight, the straight is the original I bet. Some of the newer Channels are like that, not really good at everything as the original.
I can see plain as day that despite any hype about any of this stuff I aint missing much by sticking with the prove models I could expect to find in a professionally outfitted gang box.
Vise Grip has always been priced far even at retail. I will still take 2 pairs of common 10 R for one fancy smancy the best of what anyone else can dream up no matter what the price people think its worth. I don't care whats the name on it those look like vise grip some smart azz engineer pushed by a marketing type is going to convince is better and worth 35 a pair,,, not.

 

[winlinmac]

I knew I should have resorted to Harry Epstein.

Vise grip ha trouble out doing itself. Some of the problem with these others seems to be round jaws. I need 1 curved jaw vise grip and 6 straight, the straight is the original I bet. Some of the newer Channels are like that, not really good at everything as the original.
I can see plain as day that despite any hype about any of this stuff I aint missing much by sticking with the prove models I could expect to find in a professionally outfitted gang box.
Vise Grip has always been priced far even at retail. I will still take 2 pairs of common 10 R for one fancy smancy the best of what anyone else can dream up no matter what the price people think its worth. I don't care whats the name on it those look like vise grip some smart azz engineer pushed by a marketing type is going to convince is better and worth 35 a pair,,, not.