Knipex vs Snap-On

[JacksoNRolyaT]

Hey guys. Long time lurker who rarely posts but lately I got a new box (KRL1163) and realized my plier drawer is severely lacking. And by severely lacking I mean I have a sum total of four pliers... the four that came in my student kit (Needle Nose, Slip Joint, Side Cutters and one other I forget) and they are okay but I constantly see guys on here and other tool related places say how Knipex is the absolute best and better than snap on.

Why are they better than snap on? What makes them so much better? Are they worth it over snap on? Are the knipex grippier than the snap on?

Basically sell me on Knipex.

Been thinking about getting a couple knipex pliers to try out and see if I want to convert. Maybe a needle nose since I use those the most and maybe their universal hose clamp plier to try it as well. Maybe their snap ring plier set as well.

Also while we're on the subject I've heard and read on here that the absolute best locking pliers/vice grips are made by a company called Grip-On who makes orange ones. Somewhere I read that the ones that snap on sells as their own brand in a greyish color is simply Grip-On rebranded... is that true? Is so I might invest in the 4 piece kit Snap On sells as well.

 

[170-3tree]

I don't know much of knipex but I have their cobra pliers. They're amazing. I use them more than almost any other tool. And they've held up whereas my coworker has the vise grip brand of the same thing and he's on his 4th pair in 3 years because the ridges wear down.

Sounds like others have just had better luck with them overall, quality, longevity, effectiveness... The last one I saw was a fellow who kept having side cutters go out of alignment.. apparently the knipex don't do that near as much.

 

[Murphy4570]

I have both, and prefer Knipex. Their pliers, especially dikes, are superior in quality IMO. You will not be disappointed. Snappy's pliers are very good too, so don't get rid of them or anything.

 

[dsimatt]

My snap on dealer recommends knipex over snap on most of the time, granted he sells both so he wins either way.

 

[Hagatronics]

I had some SO but moved to Knipex. Here in Australia

- cheaper than SO.
- you can buy them from tool trucks, online and many specialist tool shops.
- my SO side cutters, linesman and electronic pliers all have damaged blades. None of my Knipex plier cutters have any signs of wear or damage.
- i had a drawer full of Knipex and SnapOn pliers in storage near a coastal town for 2 years (think salty air). All the Snap On pliers are discolored/oxidized. Knipex still look new.
- specialist pliers company with huge range

...and I'm a die hard SO fanboy.

 

[T45]

Snap on makes a bunch of the best pliers and same with KNipex. There is no one best brand. Buy once cry once tools are snap on talong-grip needle nose and knipex diag cutters (74 series). Not the other way a round. Unique knipex tools are plumbing pliers (the smooth jaw pliers wrench and the toothy-jawed cobra), and the bolt cutters. Knipex makes wire rope cutters, circlip pliers, and some other task pliers that are worth looking at as wel if you need them. Snap on general-use pliers that are condsidered the best are duckbills and slip-jaws. Knipex has chrom finish options and comfort gip options which are useful on certain pliers. They can be prohibitively expensive in thee US but only cost 2-3 euros more if you import them.

 

[M6erfan]

Knipex

 

[MikeD47]

My Knipex pliers are thinner than my others so the seem to fit tight spaces better. Excellent grip. I once broke a MAC branded Knipex plier but I admit that I was using them incorrectly.

 

[PugetDude]

Knipex pliers are great...... except for needle-nose.

 

[oldtools]

Knipex. If you want small cutting plier, there are Erem, Lindstrom, and some other I forgot. They are much better than SO.

 

[cludwin]

For me I use both but I favor one brand over another for certain pliers...

Knipex:
Side cutters
Cobras
Pliers Wrench

Snap on:
Slip Joints
needle nose
Long reach pliers

I love the talon grip snap on needle nose pliers and their slip joints they are absolutely the best. Knipex wins on side cutters and cobras.

 

[JJThrasher]

I have several brands of pliers. Probably close to a dozen if I bothered to count. Find ones that are solid and do the job and buy them. Brand doesn't mean **** if they don't do the job.

 

[anndel]

Knipex, but that's not a fair comparison. Harbor Freight vs Snap On, now were talking.

 

[thor80]

Knipex needlenose **** imho, they're soft,,they're great for pliers wrenches, otherwise nws seem to be harder in my experience, I have the basic snap on 3 set and I like them too.

 

[shockwave]

Like mentioned before

Knipex are superior most of the time
Cobra
Plier wrench
Diagonal cutters
Circlip

Snap on
Crimpers
Slip joint
Long needle nose
Mini plier

Just my opinion but quality is there on both sides

 

[Roobaix]

I have both and use both. I prefer:

SO slip joint and needle nose
Knipex linesman, cutters, pliers wrench, cobras

I basically use the Snap On stuff for when I'm working on a vehicle or gas powered engine type thing, and the Knipex for electrician type work.

 

[rshadd]

I've been buying Knipex lately. You can't go wrong with either brand.

 

[amorrow]

I use both, and while most Knipex do tend to be lower profile when comparing comparable pliers and do appear to have a slight edge in quality (finish, machining, joints, etc), I do much prefer the Snap On grips and enjoy using both.

 

[anurag1990]

Knipex !
You have a brand that makes nothing else but pliers, for over 125 years. What more do you want?

 

[shawhite]

Snap-on for the warranty. If I damage my snap on pliers my driver will replace them no questions asked.

 

[Adam.C]

I don't know what you guys are smoking. Maybe you don't have both. I have both brands. The Snap On are FAR superior in just about every way. Fit and finish is superb. Joints are super tight. Duck bill and long nose jaws are harder and don't flex like KNIPEX. The Snap On talon grip teeth really do work better.

And it's not just manufacturing. The designs are better. Like the Talon Grip long nose. The Jaws don't meet at the joint. There's a pretty big gap there. So if you are gripping something .10" thick say, the jaws are parallel and grab like nobodies business. Same for the duck bills. Just plain better.

The only KNIPEX pliers I can recommend having owned both are those models Snap On doesn't make. Chiefly: Plier Wrench. That's a fantastic tool. Cobras are nice only because they adjust fast. Otherwise, their jaws are narrow and a bit sloppy if you ask me. The Snap On channel locks are nicer. But side by side I reach for Cobras because they are fast. And 9 times out of 10, when I reach for a channel lock, I'm not looking for precision bolt turning.

Gotta say one more thing - I don't own breakers because my Snap On long ratchets are just as strong. And I don't own adjustable wrenches anymore because that KNIPEX Plier wrench is just so far superior to even the best adjustables.

 

[Adam.C]

For automotive work, ...and...everybody has their preferences when it comes to pliers,....I like duck bills, needle nose and the OLD Snap On 46ACP regular slip joint pliers more than any angled jaw tool. Usually, for automotive work I do, I'm reaching into an area, grabbing, pulling and twisting. I don't prefer tools like Cobras for that.

The old Snap On 46ACP are beautifully made tools (<$20 on ebay). They are everything you always wanted a simple pair of pliers to be. Mine move freely but have no discernible play or slop. The jaws meet perfectly. Even the teeth are ground to meet each other perfectly. But what I love most about them is that their heads are narrow, kinda pointy, more like a duck bill than the new Talon grip 47ACP, which are pretty fat.

If you were interested in a plier upgrade I would strongly recommend the talon grip needle nose (97CF), followed by an old pair of the black 46ACP. Cutters I would take advise on. I've never compared my Snap On cutters to KNIPEX chiefly because KNIPEX make so many, I couldn't be sure it would be a fair comparison. Then add cobras, and a couple plier wrenches. Only other must have plier is a duck bill in my opinion. The Snap Ons are the best I've used but they sure are pricey. The KNIPEX alternative are "assembly pliers" and they just aren't that nice. I think I prefer my old (but now worn out) black Craftsman pros made in France.

I have a couple long handled Snap On duck bills and needle nose and to tell the truth, they are just heavy duty tweezers to me. I think HF would suffice. Never needed them to yank on anything with any force.

sorry I wrote so much. Hope this helps

 

[Scotland Offshore ABZ]

Knipex I think are better to use, having recently bought a set. From speaking to other guys, maybe just here but warranty replacement is hopeless. They wont honour it unless you deal with the OEM.

Snap-On no warranty problems. If you are going to abuse them SO, but I prefer Knipex.

 

[PugetDude]

Knipex !
You have a brand that makes nothing else but pliers, for over 125 years. What more do you want?

Uh... how about needle nose jaws that don't deflect like something HF would offer "free with any purchase"?

I love my Knipex Side cutters and Cobras but am really disappointed with their needle nose pliers- jaws are very soft.

 

[Olafur]

Bit difficult to compare Knipex "needle nose" to something else since they make so many versions of pliers that could be referred to as "needle nose"

Click away and see the selection:

http://www.knipex.com/index.php?id=1216&L=1&page=groups&parentID=1298&groupID=1336

Same is true for Snap On...

 

[Olafur]

When saying Knipex needle nose pliers are soft and flex much you could be comparing them to this one from Snap On.

It's a bit unique and really different tool than conventional "needle nose" Perhaps it would make sense to compare them with this one from Knipex?

And this one from Snap On

With this one from Knipex?

Rather than this one..

My point is comparing somewhat different tools doesn't say much in general about the quality of each brand.

 

[T45]

Olafur-- The issue is that the flat nose / assembly pliers from knipex are also rated below similar pleirs from Snap on. The Talon grip as you point out is really a unique plier and maybe a hybrid design not comparable. I would suggest most people just simply buy them, and not bother with other designs. In the same way, I would suggest people just buy Cobras and Pliers wrench and not really bother with other designs from snap on.

The exception would be if you are fielding large collections of pliers and having the subtle variety is useful. But this is like saying maybe 10+ pairs of channel locks, 1/3 in cobra, 1/3 in channel lock, 1/3 in smooth jaws...etc . Most basic toolkits don't need that-- i'd instead be looking at 1-2 sizes in toothy cobra and 1-2 sizes in smooth jaw PW as enough to get the job done. More than that is really a more specialized kit (eg, plumber/household/industrial maintenance) not specifc not just tech or multipurpose work, or heaven forbid just for show.

btw, IMHO this is knipex response to the talon grip needle nose, its the "Needle-Nose Combination Pliers". Has a stronger/stiffer but still needle nose-shaped jaw, plus a pin holder, bolt-griper, and a integrated cutter (like the 196ANCF).

The issues is they are short--145 vs 165 to 200mm for the talong grips.95/96/97

 

[Adam.C]

FWIW, I spent about $200 on KNIPEX pliers replacing my 20 yr old worn out craftsman based on glowing reviews here. Of the 8 or so pliers I bought, 2 had severely poorly ground jaws that were out of spec and had to be returned.

Out of the box, I found the fit and finish of my cobras disappointing. Just my opinion.

 

[Adam.C]

When saying Knipex needle nose pliers are soft and flex much you could be comparing them to this one from Snap On.

It's a bit unique and really different tool than conventional "needle nose" Perhaps it would make sense to compare them with this one from Knipex?

And this one from Snap On

With this one from Knipex?

Rather than this one..

My point is comparing somewhat different tools doesn't say much in general about the quality of each brand.

What? So you don't want to compare Snap On needle nose to KNIPEX needle nose because the Snap On's are stiffer? Instead you want to compare Snap On needle nose to KNIPEX duck bills?

Snap On's 96Cf are "needle nose" pliers. They are only unique because they are better than everyone else's.

Sorry. I must have understood. This post makes no sense to me.

The KNIPEX needle nose pliers are soft in my experience. They make a shed load of tools that look like duck bills but have really heavy jaws. Only thing that looks like a proper duck bill is the assembly plier (28 01 200). They are just not as nice as the Snap On 61ACP. I own both pairs. Snap On have thinner stronger jaws.

 

[d.mcfarland]

Snap On across the board is better, but Knipex has good stuff too. The Snap On get my vote because of the ingenuity used by backwards engineering. They think of what the tool will be used for before creating it, at least it seems that way. Kind of like the Knipex pliers wrench.

 

[Olafur]

What? So you don't want to compare Snap On needle nose to KNIPEX needle nose because the Snap On's are stiffer? Instead you want to compare Snap On needle nose to KNIPEX duck bills?

Snap On's 96Cf are "needle nose" pliers. They are only unique because they are better than everyone else's.

Sorry. I must have understood. This post makes no sense to me.

The KNIPEX needle nose pliers are soft in my experience. They make a shed load of tools that look like duck bills but have really heavy jaws. Only thing that looks like a proper duck bill is the assembly plier (28 01 200). They are just not as nice as the Snap On 61ACP. I own both pairs. Snap On have thinner stronger jaws.

Just because Snap On makes unique needle nose pliers that are better for some tasks than random needle nose pliers from Knipex doesn't say anything about the brand in general. And quite probably someone in electronics might like the knipex version better because of the slim jaws. My point is; avoid comparing apples to oranges.

Snap On calls these electronic needle nose pliers:

I bet they work very similar as the same size Knipex needle nose.

And BTW only the shape and size of the jaws in decent pliers dictates the flex. The steel used is almost 100% identical in this regard.

Ps
Just this morning I handled several Snap On pliers for the first time in my life. I agree with you - they are very nice tools and well made.

 

[d.mcfarland]

So all of your comments about how Knipex is better was based solely on opinion without anything to back it up other than your thought?

Hell, in the pictures they are all nice! Doesn't mean one is better than the other. Let's be honest.

 

[Olafur]

So all of your comments about how Knipex is better was based solely on opinion without anything to back it up other than your thought?

Hell, in the pictures they are all nice! Doesn't mean one is better than the other. Let's be honest.

All of my comments about how Knipex is better?

WTF?

I never said anything of the sort!!

I am just trying to get people to compare the same tool or identical tools before making broad statements about the quality of each brand.

 

[d.mcfarland]

The OP asked if Snap On or Knipex was better. Some said Snap On and you say Knipex. That's you're argument. You're saying that they are better. That's your logic behind your statements.

 

[Olafur]

The OP asked if Snap On or Knipex was better. Some said Snap On and you say Knipex. That's you're argument. You're saying that they are better. That's your logic behind your statements.

Read my posts again.

 

[Bighead38]

I know my knipex mini bolt cutters kick ***. I use them more than the old cutters now except for when they don't fit. I wish they had a bigger opening. I got a pair of mini bolt cutters from lowes and the kobalt cutters are no comparison to the knipex.

 

[seber]

Thirty years with a wire company. Every single cutter including those owned by the company were Knipex. Nuff said. By the way, company wrenches were always Williams.

 

[bobcatdan]

It's hard to argue against knipex cobras and plierwrenches. Not impressed with their side cutters at all. Fine pliers, but do nothing channelock's side cutters won't. SO's "channelock" are the suckest thing to ever *****. Otherwise I feel their pliers are pretty good. The 3 position slip joints will rock your face.

 

[T45]

I think the bigger point of this thread is to use tools suited to your job. Knipex and Snap on both are a cut above other pliers outhere. They have good desigsn tailored to modern work. Its up to the OP buy the right SKUs to make a useful tool kit.

 

[Olafur]

I think the bigger point of this thread is to use tools suited to your job. Knipex and Snap on both are a cut above other pliers outhere. They have good desigsn tailored to modern work. Its up to the OP buy the right SKUs to make a useful tool kit.

While I agree I would not limit my self to these brands only. There dozens of brands that make very good pliers out there.