pliers and grips recommendations

[newbie12]

Setting up a new toolbox and looking for recommendations on pliers and grips.

So far going to get the channelock adjustable/shifter wrenches 8" and 6"
Knipex cobra cushion grip - 3 pack (not sure if I require this quality)

What others should I be looking at is there any good priced sets around, is channellock good enough or is knipex worth the premium for a backyard mechanic

 

[Mr_B]

Knipex are nice but if not doing much work maybe wasted funds.
Have a look at tekton pliers and grips, usa made, one their better items, check it out at home depot or online .

 

[ARFLY]

I like the Channellock pliers. I have not had any issues with them except the 460 that I lost when I left it under the bumper of my truck. Ok that was not Channellocks fault. I wish the handles came in a color other than blue. The light blue shows grease really bad. Not good for OCD, but I still like them. The Knipex are really good quality. You won't really go wrong with either one. You just have to decide which one you like better and how much you are willing to spend.

 

[bob15]

you'll be fine with the Channellocks. Have had zero issues with them.

For slip joint pliers and needlenose, I would definitely look at the offerings by Snap On. The Snappy's have 3 adjustments and the teeth on the needlenose are awesome.

 

[Fedwrench]

Channellock will serve you well and won't break the bank if you shop around.

definitely pick up a pair of their classic 447G curved diagonal cutters if you do automotive work. Their 8 inch slip joints are outstanding too!!!

 

[jeffmoss26]

Klein, Channellock, NOS Peterson vise grips if you can find them.

 

[homec]

I never thought I'd get excited about pliers, but I got my first pair of Knipex the other day and since then I've been watching youtube videos of some of their others and i've decided to replace all my pliers with knipex.

Replacing crappy crescent wrenches with the knipex pliers wrenches (these are so so awesome), getting a set of extra long needle nose and angled needle nose, a set of cobras, end cutters and diagonal cutters, as well as regular length ones. Can't overstate how much better Knipex are to their competition (my existing ones are channelock, milwaukee, irwin, husky).

Btw, I don't know about the knipex ones, but I don't like comfort grips in general. The grips always seem to come off eventually. The plasticdip ones are easy to clean and never come off. I won't buy the comfort grips of any brand anymore.

 

[Zeus36]

...I never thought I'd get excited about pliers, but I got my first pair of Knipex the other day and since then I've been watching youtube videos of some of their others and i've decided to replace all my pliers with knipex...

Same here! I've been watching Knipex videos off and on today (Thanksgiving) and shopping for their 8" Cobolt mini bolt cutters. The Cobra pliers are awesome and the mini wrench pliers make for a nice addition to a motorcycle or auto tool kit. I am augmenting my pliers slowly due to the price of Knipex rather than replacing them outright.

I'll vote for Knipex.

 

[four.cycle]

funny that in any discussion thread about pliers, two names never come up:

Wilde
Proamerica

both grossly underrated.
way more bang for the buck.

 

[four.cycle]

^ Wilde supplies Tekton on several models.
Wilde was also a major supplier for Craftsman, as well as a few others.

Proamerica is a supplier for military/government contracts as well as Proto and some other brands.

It's difficult to ferret out who supplies what to who because manufacturers do not generally make that information available.

Wilde and Proamerica at MSRP can appear to be a bit spendy. Most of what I own of each was purchased on Ebay, primarily from sellers bowerstool or donvito-ny.

Some of the Proamerica I purchased in one lot during a "Black Friday" special a couple years ago: http://proamericatools.com/

Every now and then some Wilde will pop up on Ebay that's military/government surplus - new stock at fire sale prices:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Wilde-6-1-...767598?hash=item3d4fea69ae:g:nBgAAOSwqKNZnMvX
https://www.ebay.com/itm/8-Plier-Wi...460338?hash=item28471833f2:g:3CEAAOSwNdBZdLoN


* Searching for Proamerica on Ebay can be puzzling - many sellers have it listed as " Pro America " (two words) instead of " Proamerica ".

* btw: bowers tool just added Knipex to their offerings on Ebay. I have no clue whether or not the prices are high or low - it's not one of the brands I've delved into:
http://stores.ebay.com/bowerstool/?_dmd=2&_nkw=knipex

* After perusing Proamerica's web page I suppose I should note that there are some Proamerica models that are available only from Bowers Tool on Ebay.

 

[SuperCat]

I like Channellocks, never had a problem with them. My Dad's toolbox has Channellocks that are older than me. And they are still being used.

 

[Mr_B]

tekton are a better price over direct wilde branded although the flush fastener not available in tekton that I seen . CK do some good pliers/grips too .
Plenty good choice and all down to how much want spend and how much likely use them.
any high gripping pliers/grips wants be half decent as difference in use is massive, same with vise grips, use the old pre irwin vise grips or quality taiwan like toptul and tool can exceed your expectations when relying on it .
pliers and grips are one of best used buys at meets, yard sales etc, can pick up some real quality for next to nothing .

 

[homec]

Same here! I've been watching Knipex videos off and on today (Thanksgiving) and shopping for their 8" Cobolt mini bolt cutters. The Cobra pliers are awesome and the mini wrench pliers make for a nice addition to a motorcycle or auto tool kit. I am augmenting my pliers slowly due to the price of Knipex rather than replacing them outright.

I'll vote for Knipex.

Yes, the price difference is not just brand & finish in this case. I think a lot of people don't get how big the difference in metallurgy is. All sorts of companies have ripped off Knipex designs and produced pliers that look similar, but the metallurgy makes a huge difference. Knipex uses much better steel. Look at a set of Knipex pliers that have been used for a long time and then compare to the cheap immitations (Youtube if you're curious), and the imitations have rounded, broken teeth while the knipex will still be in very good condition.

 

[Zewnten]

Another vote for Channel lock for the groove joint and Snap On for needle nose, slip joint, and side cutters (they came as a set) and the slip joints kept me from having to buy hose clamp pliers (not the cable kind, the other ones) and the needle nose are stout. I haven't had any experience with Knipex, my dad has one pair and he likes them well enough just not the price.

 

[newbie12]

wow thanks everyone for the recommendations so far, can any one post up some links of sets that they think are good value?

Knipex seems to have heaps of versions of the cobras and I am a bit confused what to get

 

[gregpack]

I know they are popular but I never really liked the Knipex cobras. What- push a button to adjust? ain't nobody got time for dat......

I Love my knipex 10" alligators, which are slip groove, and can usually be found for $20/pair with online coupon from zoro. I can adjust these on the fly with one hand on a ladder just like channellocks. They don't slip when you use them and they don't pinch your hand, which I have heard common complaints about when using other brands.

https://www.zoro.com/knipex-tongue-and-groove-pliers-10-in-88-01-250/i/G9750291/

ETA: cushion grip for $25:http://https://www.zoro.com/knipex-tongue-and-groove-pliers-10-in-88-02-250/i/G9750361/

I wanted to like the pliers wrench, but they require room to move around and I found them clumsy to use in tight spaces.

My one pair of knipex locking pliers were disappointing. The jaw material is too soft.

Knipex's needle nose are GTG too.

 

[Fedwrench]

funny that in any discussion thread about pliers, two names never come up:

Wilde
Proamerica

both grossly underrated.
way more bang for the buck.

That's because we don't live in a cave searching the internet for american made tools

Proamerica aka Kal Tools had their heyday back in the early 1990s when almost every long pattern pliers you got from the MATCO, Cornwell, or MAC truck was made by them. Nice pliers but, not widely available or marketed these days unless you're close to a large military base.

Wilde makes some nice pliers but, they also make a lot of pliers that are just ok and usable. Their flush rivet pliers are pretty nice. However, Wilde needs to work on the hardness and durability of their teeth. To be honest, I am surprised that Proto rebadges some Wilde pliers. Making something for Craftsman isn't a sterling endorsement and has more to do with pennies on the piece pricing and profit margins, then about a tool's quality.

The amount and selection of pliers offered from German manufacturers can be overwhelming. However, consider what you'll be working and how you'll use the pliers when making a choice. As for Cobra/Alligator type pliers, think a small-medium-large size selection.

 

[four.cycle]

^ They're both readily available online, the same as any other brand, whether that's made domestically or imported.

Proamerica, as near as I have been able to ascertain, has historically been more concerned about their private label and government accounts than they have selling to the general public. They're far from being past any putative "heyday"; the expansion of the product line is a pretty clear indicator your statement isn't fact based.

 

[Fedwrench]

^ They're both readily available online, the same as any other brand, whether that's made domestically or imported.

Proamerica, as near as I have been able to ascertain, has historically been more concerned about their private label and government accounts than they have selling to the general public. They're far from being past any putative "heyday"; the expansion of the product line is a pretty clear indicator your statement isn't fact based.

Please enlighten me. I visited their website and only see a reduced offering of pliers. What happen to their sockets, ratchets, wrenches, combination & long reach hose grip pliers?

Is there a different web site other than this one?
http://www.proamericatools.com/

The best pliers Kal or Proamerica ever made are their model 5050 & 5051 long reach slip joint pliers but, that's just my opinion.

I still think Kal/proamerica's hey day has passed simply based on the fact that the tool trucks no longer sell their versions of long reach pliers but, again that's just my opinion.

 

[four.cycle]

Well.... I'm at a loss to understand your comment about "living in a cave searching the internet" - what brick-and-mortar store would one go to in order to find any brands other than Channellock or Knipex?

Neither Wilde or Proamerica have any retail distribution here in the Pacific Northwest (or at least they didn't the last time I asked them.)

As for Proamerica: that is their website, and I was just on it yesterday before I posted my comment above, and noticed that they have added several models of pliers to their product line.

The extra-long slip joints and the ring-nose pliers are available from Bowers Tool. The ring-nose pliers were made exclusively for Bowers :



There are a number of other Proamerica items that Bowers offers that are not shown on the Proamerica website. From what I understand, some of them have been relatively good sellers, others were duds. (But then, that's part of the game in the wholesale distribution business.) (Search Ebay for "pro America kal" or "pro America pliers" and you'll find the stuff Bowers carries in stock.)

Proamerica is still selling private label accounts that are probably not on your radar screen: Jensen Tool, Techni-Tool, and others.
They're still operating "KAL" as a separate brand that is exclusively military/government contract sales, so you wouldn't see the lion's share of their market unless you were on a military base.

Why Wilde doesn't have any market penetration out here at the retail level mystifies me, but then I suppose the big players (Home Depot, Lowes, and WalMart) may not be a primary concern for them, considering the amount of their product that's produced by them for other tool brands.

I have no clue what "tool trucks" have, because I'm living in a cave.

 

[rick carpenter]

So far going to get the channelock adjustable/shifter wrenches 8" and 6"
Knipex cobra cushion grip - 3 pack (not sure if I require this quality)

It's good you're looking at Channellock. Good value, found everywhere. As far as the adjustable pliers, I don't like Knipex's Cobra push-button system. It's bothersome, though I put up with it for my Pliers Wrench. I like regular old tongue-and-groove/groove-joint adjustables much better. Three or two piece sets are cheap enough. Get yourself a regular jaw set and a 10" and a 9.5" v-jaw. You'll find a need for two v-jaws for plumbing etc from time to time so why not have two close sizes.

 

[four.cycle]

Fedwrench:
I believe these are what you were asking about above, correct?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Pro-Americ...636892?hash=item210d0957dc:g:l8kAAOSwbwlXBtBf

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Pro-Americ...068774&hash=item1eae65a2eb:g:ST4AAOSwGYVXBtHW

Those, like the ring-nose pliers, are an exclusive Bowers deal, unless I'm mistaken - they're not available on the manufacturer's website.

 

[65k10]

FWIW, I think at least some of the US made pliers Williams sells are made by Pro America. I've compared several models I have of each and the handles, rivets, location of markings, and overall construction look pretty close.

 

[newbie12]

what's peoples thoughts on this set?
https://www.tekton.com/pliers-set-plr99001

 

[newbie12]

What should I be looking for:
I like the tekton set of long reach needle nose so will probably grab those
Linesman pliers
slip joint plier
diagonal cutter
knipex/channel lock cobra

anything i am missing?

 

[rick carpenter]

what's peoples thoughts on this set?
https://www.tekton.com/pliers-set-plr99001

I don't think you'll go wrong with this set. I have some of their slipjoints and I'm happy with them, USA made and sturdy. From what I've read about Tekton and heard from their rep Dave R here on GJ, they take care to get good quality tools from their suppliers/mfrs. If you order from them, you may want to think about their 8" end cutting pliers as well.

 

[four.cycle]

what's peoples thoughts on this set?

My thoughts?
I think the US-made items in that set look familiar, but my eyes might be playing tricks on me:

 

[jeffmoss26]

Yes - it's commonly known (at least on here) that Wilde makes some pliers for Tekton.

 

[crewchief888]

some of my channelocks are over 30 years old, and i still use them (pro use)

dykes got so dull they wouldnt cut anything, replaced them with knipex.


i dont think you can go wrong with channelock

 

[four.cycle]

"... it's commonly known (at least on here)..."

from previous comments in this (and other) threads, I do not believe that is actually the case.

 

[Tonyuk]

Tekton - USA
NWS
Knipex
Channellock
Facom
Irwin locking pliers

These are the brands that are in my box, all of them are nice and work well imo. Being in the UK the german brands are cheaper so i just buy them now. The Irwin vise-grips are still good and reasonably priced.

 

[Tallpilot]

I like Tekton tools in general but watch out for the Chinese pliers (needle nose and diagonal cutters) they work ok but get surface rust very quickly. Channellock are much better for a similar price. Knipex is the way to go for dykes though.

 

[Dingleburry]

You NEEED knipex pliers wrench!! 10inch and 7inch!

 

[newbie12]

I have managed to stumble upon a few sets so far. With regards to tekton yes I have heard the same the made in usa pliers are great the chinma ones not very good.


https://www.amazon.de/dp/B01N9819CX/

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001A3ZBCI/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[HanShotFirst]

I tend to buy SK and Channellock (which are probably one and the same). The reason I pay a couple bucks more for SK is because I know SK's customer service just can't be beat. And its generally only four or five bucks more (depending on the item).

 

[Zeus36]

You NEEED knipex pliers wrench!! 10inch and 7inch!

The Knipex 5" pliers wrench replaced most of my motorcycle tool kit's combo wrenches and pliers. My 10" Knipex pliers wrench is now used more than my tool box Crescent wrenches.

Try this set for Cobra pliers: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000X4KNTG?aaxitk=ky.K8bzqMyhZGxpiU1ecng&pd_rd_i=B000X4KNTG&hsa_cr_id=7557865210701

 

[M6erfan]

7" Knipex pliers wrench is one of the handiest tools out there

 

[Hytekrednek]

I agree. The pliers wrench tools are superbly useful. I am considering getting the 16'' version, I have all the smaller ones. Same for the push button cobras. Love them

 

[nbruno]

I'm a huge fan of the Knipex pliers-wrench, however only for accessible areas and repeat bolts/nuts of the same size. The pushbutton adjustment while very positive and convenient is also its downfall in my use. It's just not fast enough. Love the knipex slip joint pliers and the steel is better than the Channellocks. That being said, in a drawer full of about 40ish pliers I routinely grab the channellocks. Maybe it's the blue handles, maybe it's the history, I'm not sure. The teeth wear quicker than the knipex for sure but I can buy 2, sometimes 3 pairs of channellock for the price of a single knipex.
Here are a few recent additions to the ridiculous and unnecessary pliers drawer.
Matco 3pc- duckbill, needle nose
Knipex- 10" pliers-wrench
Mac- 3 pc Pistol grip
Sunnex- hose grip set.



Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[four.cycle]

just picked these up today at the post office. $14. bucks shipped:



close-out deal on discontinued models. these are zinc plated (as opposed to polished chrome.)

other models available. zinc plated and black oxide finish:

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=6889832#post6889832