Opinions on some budget vice grips

[TT_Vert]

I have gone through sets throughout the last 25 years and nothing seems to last. The teeth are just junk. Of course last time I went w/ the cheapy harbor freight 3 piece set and of course they are junk for anything other than light duty use. Was fighting some swap bar end links today and not one set I had would grip for anything so it's time to get something better. I am not a tool snob and I'm not going to spend $50 for a set of vice grips. If you guys are aware of some type a decently priced kit of 3 sizes or such that's somewhat budget friendly I'd appreciate the recommendations.

Thanks much guys

Dave

 

[Stuart in MN]

Any swap meets in your area? Watch them or garage sales for good used ones. I have a bunch of old original Petersen brand Vise Grips, and have never paid more than $5 for a pair.

 

[TT_Vert]

On occasion we do but many of them are now just selling new chinese junk that'll fall apart as quickly as what I have now has. If I had the knowledge of what was good as far as vice grips go I'd be all over swap meets but I'd more than likely just be back to square one once I got home unless I got lucky. I've been fortunately to amass most of my tools over the last 25 years when craftsman tools were good tools and that's pretty much how i started. Going to swap meets and getting craftsman tools. Of course over that period I've amassed a ton of tools and most are great but vice grips have done me wrong way too many times LOL. Penny wise, pound foolish I've been.

Dave

 

[PugetDude]

Budget and ViseGrips should never be used in the same sentence
(unless you picked up the real deal for a couple of bucks at a garage sale.)

 

[TT_Vert]

Well I won't spend $50 for one pair of vice grips. Surely there are vice grips that are decent but not that expensive. I don't need or want to pay for a name.

Dave

 

[matthew]

Used ViseGrips aren't so hard to judge - if they don't look too beat up, and are stamped Petersen on the right side, it's good.

The new build Irwin Vise Grips might not be as good as the old Petersens, but will probably be noticably better than the bargain brand ones. And Milwaukee seems to get some good reviews. Either of those can be had for under $15 a pair. Buy one set and try them out.

 

[TT_Vert]

I did see irwin had a few that were within my price range. I saw these on amazon but my experience w/ ones that have that plastic/rubber overmold are a pain to use and the grips come off anyway. Or these How do the Kobalt vice grips measure up?

Dave

 

[PFSard]

I have Petersen brand Vise Grips that I bought 40 years ago, still in good shape. I pick more up at garage sales, estate sales when they are cheap ($2.00 a pair or under). I'm sure there are other decent quality brands worth buying.

What brands have you been using whose teeth are not lasting?

 

[Jeremy77]

The Milwaukee branded ones at Home Depot are good quality and won’t break the bank. I prefer them over my German made Knipex (Bohlman?) ones.

 

[TT_Vert]

Yeah I did see they have good reviews and a 5 pc kit is only $50. Sadly they are not at any of my local stores and ship to store does not give me the military discount offers. I think I may go that route as their M18 line of tools has served me very well.

Aside from the HF pittsburg vice grips that were just junk I don't recall what the others were.

Dave

 

[CJM8515]

I have the milwaukee stuff and love it.



I also extensively used stanley branded ones for 10 years almost daily, They never failed.

 

[d.mcfarland]

I hate these threads.

I'm not a tool snob but my tools better be the best, cause the junk isn't cutting it.

I don't want to spend $50 on a set.

Good luck.

The only budget locking pliers are Irwin, Harbor Freight, and Milwaukee. The rest are either way worse or made in first world countries. They might be more expensive (really they aren't that much more) or they are slightly more difficult to obtain (can't walk in Lowe's and buy them).

 

[Mr_B]

Used peterson or usa made visegrips best you can do for cheap money.
I accumulated a lot of US visegrips over the years for cheap money.
If buying new don't touch current irwin vise grips as waste of money, Toptul not bad and Milwaukee get talked about favourably, no cheap ones going be that good as one of those tools if want perform well got be best design, materials and manufacture .
HF bremen probably better than some cheap ones but still wouldn't expect much from them, life warranty on those so when loose jaw teeth can simply swap them out .
Any time I struggling grip something with lesser pliers my best usa made ones make world of difference .

 

[Tonyuk]

My Milwaukee ones get used pretty much daily and work very well, the teeth are sharp and bite in, the large adjuster makes it easy to increase the amount of force if needed.

Grips-on's aren't bad, but i don't think the teeth are as sharp as some of the others, Knipex are decent, facom's auto-adjust are pretty good but expensive.

Standard irwin's are fine in my experience.

 

[Parrothead]

First, the sets of locking pliers at HF are junk.

Secondly, don’t worry about buying sets

And finally, for cheap but good locking pliers, go back to Harbor Freight and get their Bremen locking pliers. Are they USA Peterson Vise Grips? Nope, and I have about a dozen pairs of those for reference. Are they good in comparison to what else is out there? Yes. Of note, they’re made in Taiwan not China.

https://m.harborfreight.com/7-in-curved-jaw-locking-pliers-63868.html

https://m.harborfreight.com/10-in-straight-jaw-locking-pliers-63872.html

https://m.harborfreight.com/5-in-curved-jaw-locking-pliers-63867.html

 

[emeraldcoupe]

the new HF breeman branded made in tiawan are pretty nice. I have a couple pairs of the locking c clamp ones and they are nice

 

[bwringer]

First, the sets of locking pliers at HF are junk.

Secondly, don’t worry about buying sets

And finally, for cheap but good locking pliers, go back to Harbor Freight and get their Bremen locking pliers. Are they USA Peterson Vise Grips? Nope, and I have about a dozen pairs of those for reference. Are they good in comparison to what else is out there? Yes. Of note, they’re made in Taiwan not China.

https://m.harborfreight.com/7-in-curved-jaw-locking-pliers-63868.html

https://m.harborfreight.com/10-in-straight-jaw-locking-pliers-63872.html

https://m.harborfreight.com/5-in-curved-jaw-locking-pliers-63867.html

Agreed -- the HF Bremen are pretty damn nice for the money, and miles better than the cheap Chinese pliers sold nearby in the bins and sets.

And the Milwaukee at Home Despot are great too.

Both are made in Taiwan, not China.


Avoid locking pliers made in China, with plastic overmolding, and/or without a release lever; these are worse than useless.

That said, a collection of cheapie Chinese junk pliers can be handy for low-stress work as welding clamps. You can throw them out with zero guilt if they get damaged or accumulate too much spatter from stick welding.

 

[dsgreen3]

I like the Milwaukee ones too

 

[KnurledNut]

Tekton.

https://www.tekton.com/about-our-locking-pliers

 

[Mr_B]

Agreed -- the HF Bremen are pretty damn nice for the money, and miles better than the cheap Chinese pliers sold nearby in the bins and sets.

And the Milwaukee at Home Despot are great too.

Both are made in Taiwan, not China.


Avoid locking pliers made in China, with plastic overmolding, and/or without a release lever; these are worse than useless.

That said, a collection of cheapie Chinese junk pliers can be handy for low-stress work as welding clamps. You can throw them out with zero guilt if they get damaged or accumulate too much spatter from stick welding.

+1
I have few couple bucks each china visegrip copies that great for rough welding use, left out in field as tempory handle on something or made into special tool like pinch off pliers.

If you want teeth that grip you need good ones.

Forgot about tekton so that another good option ...

 

[dacan23]

Being a Milwaukee addict I have mostly theirs now and really like them, a few other brands. Had HF ones before with the others.

I tossed all the HF ones a few years ago. Needed to hold a special small rivet type bolt to secure a nut. The HF ones kept slipping off, grabbed one of the new Milwaukees I got and it held and got the job done the first time. HF's went in the junk donation bucket immediately after.

 

[ChrisLS8]

I have the Bremen at work in construction field and they are holding up great. Use them daily the last 4-5 months

That being said I would get those for the interim then come spring I would look into the Eagle Grips that will be getting released soon