Needle nose plier upgrade

[Hammell]

I want to upgrade my needle nose pliers. Im looking at Snap on and wondering if the price tag is worth it? I already have side cutters that Im happy with so I don't need the built in cutter design.

Considering the SO 597CF or 96CF or would a less expensive channelock needle nose serve me just as well?

 

[Adam.C]

Not sure about Channel lock, but I prefer SO to KNIPEX. Knipex are flexible and I like the gap in the jaws of the Snap On 96CF. That talon grip thing really works too. 597s are pin gripping models. Nice to have, but I don't think I would find them as useful.

 

[atwageman]

It depends on how picky you are with aesthetics. I like SO and Knipex. Also have a lot of Channellock too.

 

[cheechi]

I don't think CL to SO is a fair comparison. I think Klien is closer, Knipex maybe. One for one, I would say I prefer my Klien > Knipex > SO > CL > other/specialty when I reach for needle nose. Part of this is the comfort grip too though, keep that in mind.

The SO are great, just that the ones I have don't fit everywhere the Kliens do. and mine are Talon Grip (97CF I think), or whatever the ebay hot deal a few months back was.

 

[Davefr]

I want to upgrade my needle nose pliers. Im looking at Snap on and wondering if the price tag is worth it?

Yes!!! IMHO this is one of the few examples where SO really is superior to everything else. (and I'm not a SO "kool aid" drinker)

Get the 196NCF:
http://image.snapon.com/international/pdf/196NCF.pdf

I also love the SO electronic pliers series.

Klein comes in a close second but Knipex needle nose really aren't very good. (average at best)

 

[MG44]

I have snap on needle nose. I paid $40-45 a piece. They are okay but at the end of the day are needle nose and I have broken them many times trying to squeeze and turn things. Not any stronger than CL

 

[JBradley500]

What about Bahco? Their needle nose any good?

 

[zer0cell]

I like Channellocks and Klein Needle Nose. I bought the Journeyman version of the klein with the 12ga wire stripper built in and its great. It appears to be very robust and designed more for strength and stiffness than ease of access. For what I use it for I like it.

Also, Klein has a new model which could be useful to some:

http://www.kleintools.com/catalog/all-purpose-pliers/all-purpose-pliers

 

[bareass172]

I just went through this same dilemma myself, seen here:
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=246762

I can tell you that I'm hotly in the market for a set of the 196NCF's mentioned above after snagging a set of SO 96CF's on Ebay for $20. The 96CF put to shame all the others I mentioned having in that thread above. With that said, I'm still in the market for more but doing my homework and looking around before I jump on brand new stuff at ~$50/per set. The Klein D314-8 came up a lot in past discussions here, they're supposed to be the bees knees but out of production so hard to find.

 

[gagreen]

Hard to beat snap on pliers. Channellock needle nose pliers are pretty sloppy which gets frustrating. They have their place tho (holding things dangerously close to hot or spinning things, grabbing something out of goop etc...)

I like the knipex nn that have the crazy bends in them, but the straights are nothing spectacular.

 

[92integra]

the SO talon grip needle nose are worth there price.... buy snap on, buy once, forget about it.

 

[GSMotorrad]

NWS needle nose are my favorite ever.

 

[Travisnd]

Channellock has my vote!

 

[SRD9Boss]

Snap-On Talon Grip all the way. You will never reach for another pair.

 

[Chuck122]

I have a pair of snap on and a pair of channellock. The channellock are a lot narrower and fit better in tight places. The snap on are much more rigid and feel stouter. Both have a kind of cross-hatch grip pattern on the jaws but just a bit of heavy use and it will dull. None of the two really tolerate twisting motion very well. They flex quite a bit. The cl pair was abused by someone at some point and the tips no longer touch. I would advise to get a pair without cutters. For the cutters to work they have to touch and on needle noses that can keep the tips from gripping really thin stuff.

 

[Westly]

For needle noses, better to buy the cheapest possible in a large variety of sizes than the same money in a single one of a luxury (quality?) brand. Cheap needle nose isn't going to break no matter what, and you will have the right size for every job.

 

[NoahG]

. The Klein D314-8 came up a lot in past discussions here, they're supposed to be the bees knees but out of production so hard to find.

Both Craftsman (Western Forge) and Channellock have versions of the sadly discontinued D314-8. I have the Craftsmans and love em.


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[Hpozzuoli]

I must say the 97CF are pretty good. Long thin fingers and a nice tapered end. Almost like big tweezers. The SK 17817 are more beefy and shorter. My opinion is you need a long set and a short set.

 

[Westly]

I have these Proto ones. But like I said variety is king here... These are similar to my old Radio Shack "Archer" made in Japan pliers from the 1980s which are also good. Good for small to medium work.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Stanley-Pro...P-/310787416795?pt=Pliers&hash=item485c5fa2db

 

[rick carpenter]

Depends on the handles you want too. For most of my pliers, I like the regular dipped handles. They seem to me to offer better control, which is what you want with needlenose. For my end nippers, I like fat handles because I really bear down on them. But, for my linesmans, I like the dipped handles. They'd be too big for comfort with fat handles, plus sometimes I'm in gloves when using them.

 

[jmscollinsiii]

I have two pairs of SO needle nose. They are worth every penny. I had craftsman and Klein before and there is just no comparison.

 

[d.mcfarland]

My vote is NWS for looks, Snap-On for function. The NWS jaws are the same parallel lines that almost anyone has, but the Snap-On has the talon grip which is pretty darn grippy.

 

[franzdom]

That pretty much nails it. I love the NWS, they work great, feel great, and look good too.
The SO are awesome as well, especially the Talon grips.

 

[90zcar]

These are my snap on ones. I love em! I also have the bent nose long ones and straight long ones aswell



Not gonna lie tho I did have to have the long straight ones warrantied because the tips didn't stay straight and kinda snapped together when u would close em. I had a Nissan frontier I was trying to bust off the hose clamp in an enclosed area and I was putting some immense twisting pressure on them.
My snap on rep had no problem warranting them because he said they are meant to be twisted and come back straight and that shouldn't have happened


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[Adam.C]

For needle noses, better to buy the cheapest possible in a large variety of sizes than the same money in a single one of a luxury (quality?) brand. Cheap needle nose isn't going to break no matter what, and you will have the right size for every job.

Really depends on what you are doing, right? If you are trying to grab something and pull it free- springs in a drum brake for example, it's possible a cheap pair won't work and a good pair will just due to the serrations in the jaws, jaw flex etc etc.

Some folks use NN as tweezors- to pick up stuff and hold small stuff. For these tasks I agree with Westly, buy several cheap pairs. Only condition is that cheap NN have soft jaws that wear or bend, making pick up of very thin items like wires, next to impossible.

Clearly no easy answer. But I tend to go for one good item opposed to a drawer full of Chinese junk.

 

[Davefr]

Only condition is that cheap NN have soft jaws that wear or bend, making pick up of very thin items like wires, next to impossible.

Clearly no easy answer. But I tend to go for one good item opposed to a drawer full of Chinese junk.

You're right. These SO's can still pick up a human hair despite years of use.

The extra bevel at the very tip makes them strong so the tips don't open up.

 

[RCStocker]

What about Bahco? Their needle nose any good?

Bahco is a sub company of Snap-on. They have been made in the US, Mexico, Brazil, Spain and other companies. I have some of their sockets sets sitting around. They work well and have good steal. They are not as well chromed but are much cheaper then Snap-on. Bacho tools sell at very low prices and are very hard to resell. Much of the new Blue Point and Williams tools are now made in Taiwan. Prices are very low on the items. I don't think they are the same quality but they must be made better than we think or Snap-on would not be selling them.

Anyone have Bacho pliers? We would like to hear form you.

 

[ArcStyles]

Here is a few needle nose examples for you. As you can see there are a lot of options when it comes to selecting needle nose pliers, and these examples are just scratching the surface. Define your need/needs and pick one or 2 of them that will best fill the desired effect. You won't go wrong with any of the options in the photo or the many suggestion from our fellow members.

 

[dede2897234]

ArcStyles,

Have you put the Orbis angled needle nose pliers to much use?

If yes, what does it excel in versus its straight nose cousin?


Thanks,

Dave

 

[Westly]

Really depends on what you are doing, right? If you are trying to grab something and pull it free- springs in a drum brake for example, it's possible a cheap pair won't work and a good pair will just due to the serrations in the jaws, jaw flex etc etc.
... But I tend to go for one good item opposed to a drawer full of Chinese junk.

I guess my point was it's not possible for needle noses to be that bad. At least I don't think so. My own drawer is full of stuff that just works. I have some emotional or collector stuff but not much.

 

[Brownsfan]

The best needle nose pliers I have ever used are the Snap On talon grips. Close second is my set of Klein journeyman. Both have the best gripping power I have ever used.

 

[ArcStyles]

ArcStyles,

Have you put the Orbis angled needle nose pliers to much use?

If yes, what does it excel in versus its straight nose cousin?


Thanks,

Dave

Yeah Dave, I have used them, but not extensively. I try to use them for electrical application for which they are designed. The main advantage is comfort, especially with repetitive work applications.

Wouldn't have a problem using them more if they were my only pair. Very strong jawed, with precise tips for working in congested delicate areas. The design and balance of the handles give you a very confident grip.

Strength, finesse and comfort are all at work with this Orbis design. If you own Orbis then you know the quality. I know of one major US company aware of their value and have added them to their product catalog.

These are available without the VDE handles and would make a great addition to any toolbox, but beware, these are very expensive and scarcely available except through one major US tool company for a premium. This needle nose example is part of the Orbis Will higher end Evo line. They are as practical as they are unique and the German quality is evident through and through. However if you need something with greater US availability, similar higher end quality features and reasonably priced, you couldn't go wrong with the NWS offering that is also in the photo.

Here is a link to the EVo-Orbis/Wills site.

http://www.orbis-werk.de/EvoL-ne.96.0.html?&L=/proc/self/environ

 

[90zcar]

Does anyone have any of the miniature snap on needle nose pliers? I think I'm gonna get a pair next time I'm on the truck


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[Davefr]

Does anyone have any of the miniature snap on needle nose pliers? I think I'm gonna get a pair next time I'm on the truck


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I have a pair of these and like them. However when it comes to small electronic pliers there are many other quality brands other then SO. (Tronex, Xcelite, Swanstrom, Lindstrom, Erem, etc, etc).

The difference between the larger SO Talon Grips and others is pretty dramatic and worth the price.

IMHO that difference goes away once you get into the smaller pliers like E703BCG:

 

[90zcar]

I wanna get a pair for releasing the tabs that hold harnesses on the back of door panels and what not where u can't always get a normal needle nose in


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[Monte]

Matco

 

[90zcar]

Knipex^^^^???


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[Monte]

Knipex^^^^???


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Orbis
http://www.orbis-werk.de/EvoL-ne.96.0.html?&L=/proc/self/environ

 

[nicksnothereman]

I want to upgrade my needle nose pliers. Im looking at Snap on and wondering if the price tag is worth it? I already have side cutters that Im happy with so I don't need the built in cutter design.

Considering the SO 597CF or 96CF or would a less expensive channelock needle nose serve me just as well?

Low end should be fine if you're not doing anything stupid with them. I mostly use needlenose for electronics, if you're the same you probably could get by with worse than channellock but won't necessarily want to. I don't know snap on prices but if either of those are under 35 bucks you might just want to bite the bullet on them if you've got a good relationship with the guy and care about the warranty. Electronics work you really won't have any damage over a long term with the cheap stuff but might want to go with something with a warranty just in case.

It depends on how you work and what you're doing with them.

 

[dede2897234]

Orbis
http://www.orbis-werk.de/EvoL-ne.96.0.html?&L=/proc/self/environ

Monte,

Do you own any of the Orbis angled pliers?

If yes, what is your opinion of them?

If no, do you have a shop buddy or friend that owns one and has commented to you about these pliers?


Thanks,

Dave