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Malco Eagle Grips - Discontinued

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PlantItDeep

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Jun 16, 2021
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368
I saw this is discussed in General Tool Discussion, but not here.
Malco has discontinued their Eagle Grip production (https://www.eaglegripusa.com/faqs/)

So far they are still available though. Malco has a good list of retailers on their website under "Where to Buy"

Locking Pliers | Made in the USA | Eagle Grip

Forged from American steel, Eagle Grip is the strongest and best locking pliers in the world. Designed and built to withstand the toughest jobs!
www.eaglegripusa.com www.eaglegripusa.com

Amazon is already out of the curved jaw 10" pliers, though there are 79 as of writing on Harry J Epstein
www.harryepstein.com

10" Curved Jaw Eagle Grip Malco Locking Pliers (LP10WC)

10″ Curved Jaw Eagle Grip Malco Locking Pliers (LP10WC)
www.harryepstein.com


Maybe not a "hot deal" but I ordered a few more and will likely add another few this summer - these were well worth the cost to me compared with other options.
A sad day to see these go
 
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pitttrack

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While I have a few of their specialty tools and love the feel of them, I must claim ignorance as I didn't know that they made vise grips. That said, like many I love my American made tools and have most of my vise grips from the US mfg days. I've found a few new Us made pairs on the bay from time to time for less than what I see appearing here. I'm not intending to knock them in any way but am asking if anyone who has these and the older US made vise grips could provide some feedback of one vs the other.
 
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PlantItDeep

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pitttrack said:
While I have a few of their specialty tools and love the feel of them, I must claim ignorance as I didn't know that they made vise grips. That said, like many I love my American made tools and have most of my vise grips from the US mfg days. I've found a few new Us made pairs on the bay from time to time for less than what I see appearing here. I'm not intending to knock them in any way but am asking if anyone who has these and the older US made vise grips could provide some feedback of one vs the other.
Click to expand...
I have pretty much the entire selection (though mostly curved jaws, only have maybe two pairs of flat jaws) - from US made originals to no-name Chinesium knockoffs.

The original US models are great, but the Eagle Grip(Malcos) are certainly better in my experience.
A few years back I found some NOS USA made hex-jaw vise-grips in a hardware store - nicely made but the Eagle Grips are certainly of better quality. The best way I can describe it is that they are "tighter" - every connection/flex point has much tighter tolerances and the entire tool is rock solid. No slop side to side, no slippage, just rock solid.
 
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Indexmill

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Apr 12, 2013
Messages
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Location
Central NC
General Geoff said:
The new (and now discontinued) Malcos are second to none. Just used em today to extract a broken bolt from a battery tray. The teeth are very hard and very sharp; they bite in and don't let go.

20230126_160646.jpg
Click to expand...
What the hell are you doing actually using those beautiful Malcos?? Jezzus man; be freaking careful with those beauties!!
 
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bubinga

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12,744
Location
Bridgeport Ohio. (Across River From Wheeling WV)
PlantItDeep said:
I saw this is discussed in General Tool Discussion, but not here.
Malco has discontinued their Eagle Grip production (https://www.eaglegripusa.com/faqs/)

So far they are still available though. Malco has a good list of retailers on their website under "Where to Buy"

Locking Pliers | Made in the USA | Eagle Grip

Forged from American steel, Eagle Grip is the strongest and best locking pliers in the world. Designed and built to withstand the toughest jobs!
www.eaglegripusa.com www.eaglegripusa.com

Amazon is already out of the curved jaw 10" pliers, though there are 79 as of writing on Harry J Epstein
www.harryepstein.com

10" Curved Jaw Eagle Grip Malco Locking Pliers (LP10WC)

10″ Curved Jaw Eagle Grip Malco Locking Pliers (LP10WC)
www.harryepstein.com


Maybe not a "hot deal" but I ordered a few more and will likely add another few this summer - these were well worth the cost to me compared with other options.
A sad day to see these go
Click to expand...
$79.00 😱
I paid $44.29 at Amazon mid March.
Glad I got them when I did!
 
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lugnut71

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Location
Wyoming
i was told by a very reliable source that snap on accquired the malco eagle grip company / brand / plant?
 
F

Fatboy148!

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Mar 11, 2023
Messages
248
lugnut71 said:
i was told by a very reliable source that snap on accquired the malco eagle grip company / brand / plant?
Click to expand...
You/we all could hope BUT don't believe it. There was talk here of an auction of all the equipment. One might think that the new equipment that Malco had just purchased to make these tools would be very important to have in the plant to make the tools.
 
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bubinga

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Bridgeport Ohio. (Across River From Wheeling WV)
Can't find the post ATM, but to the fellow that asked me whats so great about the malco-eagle-grips, and l said, IDK I heard they were the Cats, so l thought i'd try them?
only used them a few times so far, but all my other vise grips went right into the welding cart!
I FEEL ALL OF MY WORK!!!!!! The whole time! But even if you don't (well you do! you just may not be aware of you doing it) Get you as many sets of these, as you can find! BIG TIME NICE!!!!!!!!!!!!! You can FEEL each tooth biting!
Well, maybe over-kill statement, but You know what I mean!
These things ARE THE CATS!
 
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bubinga

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Albeit becoming hard to find.
Member LNKMK8 is looking for a (IIRC Now) a 7" and A 10" THIN Jaw though, lf anyone is willing to part with any.
I almost traded my 7" for his regular jaw Snap On Branded vise grips, but decided l needed to hang on to these.
So calling all orphened thin jaw Malco 7 and 10" Vise Grips.
 
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Jeepster04

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Jun 25, 2013
Messages
3,097
Ive never been a fan of locking pliers, not exactly sure why... Kinda like how some people dont like adjustable wrenches but those are kinda my go to.

Ordered one of everything from HE. Hopefully they are good! Cats or whatever.
 
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PlantItDeep

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Jun 16, 2021
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368
AJHD said:
If you want to spend some money and give it to the "new owner" of EagleGrip...

Snap-on Store

shop.snapon.com shop.snapon.com
Click to expand...
And we complained initially that the Malco ones were too expensive.....
At least they're still some USA made
But the slim jaws are GRIP versions it looks like
 
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AJHD

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Jan 4, 2020
Messages
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Location
AZ
PlantItDeep said:
And we complained initially that the Malco ones were too expensive.....
At least they're still some USA made
But the slim jaws are GRIP versions it looks like
Click to expand...

All the fully polished chrome models are Eagle Grip/new Snap On made version(s).

The rest of them I'm sure are GRIP as I would highly doubt they are/were actually made in house. I'm also sure there is a thread on that topic elsewhere.
 
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Ton ton

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Oct 16, 2019
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Location
Page County,VA
Keystone Air Power still has the 7" and 10" malco eagle grips available in their catalog. Still not convinced they're being discontinued.
 
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hudstr

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Oct 31, 2021
Messages
26
Well all of the contents of the facility were auctioned off
www.prestigeequipment.com

Complete Plant Closure – 500,000 Sq. Ft. Former Vise-Grip Manufacturing Facility at Prestige Equipment

Complete Plant Closure – 500,000 Sq. Ft. Former Vise-Grip Manufacturing Facility
www.prestigeequipment.com www.prestigeequipment.com
www.bidspotter.com

Prestige Equipment Auctions / Holland Industrial Group | Assets of Former Vise-Grip Manufacturing Facility lots

Bid Live at Prestige Equipment Auctions / Holland Industrial Group's Assets of Former Vise-Grip Manufacturing Facility auction
www.bidspotter.com www.bidspotter.com

I guess its possible whoever is making them now for snapon has the dies Malco was using. They'd still have to invest the time and money on proving the process to manufacture them at lower volume than what Malco was doing so I doubt they'll ever come out even.
 
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moemc

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Mar 12, 2025
Messages
356
I ordered a set on Amazon for $38 on Sunday. 2 days later they just canceled it. Oh well. I only hesitated so long because I never use locking pliers. But after years of rave reviews I finally was sold… and just in time to never get them :X
 
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wire

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Jul 12, 2016
Messages
1,213
I got 10" & 7" curved and 7" slim curved. And yeah they're bragging rights tools. I'll probably never use them but I keep thinking I really should :ROFLMAO:
 
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PlantItDeep

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I have a dozen various ones - they get used regularly

Extremely disappointed that I will not be able to buy more in the future. So I stocked up when I could
 
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Jgaz

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Dec 16, 2016
Messages
1,657
Location
AZ
I smile every time I use my 7” C-clamp style to lock down a stop block on my router table fence.
Such a beautiful tool!

Thank you HJE for the chance to own pair of these.
I wouldn’t pay Snap-on price though

Edit: wouldn’t not would
 
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