"pliers"

[KineticDissent]

I work in the automotive, heavy duty & mobile crane side of the world. 90% of the time that I have pliers in my hand they are knipex, more specifically cobras.

Over the last 20 years I have tried my fair share of pliers and have found knipex to be a good fit for me. In both fit and function.

Each manufacturer has a different contour to their handles. You will have to see what fits you best.

 

[kctyphoon]

My vote goes to Knipex.. Channellocks are "good" but the quality is not the same, especially when it comes to cutters. The cutting edges on Knipex are far superior and despite what many people think, there is no difference in rating or hardness between ANY of the Channellocks. If you want some quality comparison with pump pliers, just goto Sears and buy the 10" Knipex alligators, and 10" or 9.5" channellock pump pliers or gr2s. Just hold them in your hands and compare the movement, size of the heads, jaw opening and slop in the joints..

 

[Brownsfan]

In my opinion no one pliers company does the best of everything. I mix and match from all different brands. Adjustable"pump" pliers I say knipex. Needle nose Klein or Snap on. Linesman Klein. Diagonals Klein 2000 series are hard to beat for the money. Knipex cutters are great as well. So are snap on. I actually liked the old style power edge cutters. Some here hated them. I loved them.

 

[bob from indiana]

My 430 Channel locks are my "rough and ready" get -ur -done pliers.
I have a pair of 7 inch Knipex alligators that are becoming a favorite at work. The Channel locks are a fantastic value and american made.
The alligators are a luxury tool, very high quality and second only to Vise grips in holding power.

 

[jn50308401]

In my opinion no one pliers company does the best of everything. I mix and match from all different brands. Adjustable"pump" pliers I say knipex. Needle nose Klein or Snap on. Linesman Klein. Diagonals Klein 2000 series are hard to beat for the money. Knipex cutters are great as well. So are snap on. I actually liked the old style power edge cutters. Some here hated them. I loved them.

I agree, no brand has the magic bullet in pliers/cutter etc... I consider pliers pretty much a consumable tool. If they get loose or the teeth wear out, they are pretty much done in my opinion. I've got some no name yard sale side cutters I filed an edge back on and they work as well as any new tools at .05% the price.

If the joint loosens up on them and they aren't worth messing with I am not sad to see them go.

My brands are all over the place, I have some Snap on, Craftsman, Channel Lock and lots of no name brands. When they are worn out, they are worn out regardless of the brand/ price. I say use what works, comfortable and affordable because none of them last forever.


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[stonesfan68]

Has anybody tried a German made pair of locking pliers (NWS, Knipex, etc.)?

Knipex makes them.

You should also check out Grip-On locking pliers. They are the OEM for Snap-On and Proto. The pliers are made in Spain and are very well made.



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[rodsnratfinks]

Garage sales are tough, I agree. They're not everyone's cup of tea.
There's a lot of crappy garage gales that you'll have to put some time/effort into to get to the good stuff.
(I'm re-posting this from last year):

Some examples of crappy garage sales-

1) me: "your Craigslist ad stated you have tools for sale"
Idiot: "um yeah, I shouldn't have said tools, there aren't any, hey, need some baby clothes or a toaster?"

2) me: "your Craigslist ad stated you have tools for sale"
Different garage sale idiot: "yup, they're right there", points to a shoebox full of used doorknobs and RCA patch cords.

3) drive 6 miles to garage sale, ad says "tons of hand tools"
No garage sale, nothing in driveway, no one home.

4) me: "how much for the effed-up, bent, rusty, worn-out, seized, pitted, hammered-on, detent-ball-missing Snap-on ratchet that has brown water coming out of it when you turn it upside down because it has spent more time outside than the statue of liberty?"
Cranky old man: "well my son checked eBay and those go for over $100, so I'll say $75 firm"

Bottom line: You gotta kiss a lot of frogs to get the good stuff.

Completely accurate. Numbers 3 and 4 all the time... What is up with that? 3 especially. Why does that happen so much?

For example Knipex Cobras are wonderful but their needlenose are garbage.

Really? What's wrong with their needlenose? Serious question.



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[kctyphoon]

Completely accurate. Numbers 3 and 4 all the time... What is up with that? 3 especially. Why does that happen so much?



Really? What's wrong with their needlenose? Serious question.



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Nothing, they are just designed differently and have some flex in the jaws. It's just a matter of personal taste and what your using them to do. Klien tools are nice, but many of them take a LONG time (year's sometimes) to break in and give you a smooth effortless action, where the Knipex do it right out of the package.. All the hand tools in my lineman pouch are Knipex, and I bought about 10 different brands of each hand tools to compare myself side by side. Knipex and NWS are the smoothest working tools on earth.

The Knipex in the video have the cushioned grips. They are available in standard grips like the Klien as well.. These are also not the only needle nose sold by Knipex.

Check out some Knipex stuff -

 

[Soslow]

Channel lock gets my vote based on price. I have some snap on and Mac pliers that are also very well built. I have a pair of knipex Cobras I bought new and I don't really ever use them.

 

[Tim37]

Another channellock fan here they are a great bang for your buck.

 

[neophyte]

Nothing, they are just designed differently and have some flex in the jaws. It's just a matter of personal taste and what your using them to do. Klien tools are nice, but many of them take a LONG time (year's sometimes) to break in and give you a smooth effortless action, where the Knipex do it right out of the package.. All the hand tools in my lineman pouch are Knipex, and I bought about 10 different brands of each hand tools to compare myself side by side. Knipex and NWS are the smoothest working tools on earth.

The Knipex in the video have the cushioned grips. They are available in standard grips like the Klien as well.. These are also not the only needle nose sold by Knipex.

Check out some Knipex stuff -

I really like knipex pliers, but they're not always completely broken in right out of the package. I have an assortment of chrome plated insulated pliers, and a number of them have to be open and closed a couple hundred times before the joint was worked loose. The knipex broke in quicker and more completely than the Channellock pliers I have, but it did take some work.

 

[Davefr]

Completely accurate. Numbers 3 and 4 all the time... What is up with that? 3 especially. Why does that happen so much?



Really? What's wrong with their needlenose? Serious question.



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1. Most of them have a serration pattern that only grips in one axis. (unlike SO, Klein and Channelock). That means they fail to grip if you twist and pull at the same time. (like removing a cotter pin).

2. The cutters close before the tip of the jaws make contact. That means they won't hold small items like fine wire of thin metal at the jaw tips.

 

[shawhite]

For automotive I use my snap on and some knipex. In my lineman belt I carry all Klein

http://www.kleintools.com/catalog/h...e-cutting-pliers-linemans-bolt-thread-holding.

http://www.kleintools.com/catalog/h...ge-diagonal-cutting-pliers-heavy-duty-cutting

I agree with everyone else there is no one brand that is best at everything.

 

[bigjeff94]

If you have 0 pliers right now I would recommend a 4 piece craftsman or channellock set. I know Home Dept has the Channellock set and that's what I would lean towards but I feel the black handled craftsmans and channellock's are fairly similar. That will get you going cheaper than buying individuals and then you can expand or upgrade from their. I personally haven't found the need to upgrade.

 

[SantaAna12]

The older black handled Cman needlenose are a great set.

Not what you will get today.

FWIW.....Channellock adjustable at a minimum (the Code Blue one), Klein yellow handled 5" needlenose at a minimum. Knipex 8" dykes at a minimum, Cman three pair Cobras on sale are the value choices.

This has been my experience.

 

[rusty_ratchet]

Channellock is awesome, but I like the old ones with the black oxide coating. The only downside to the new ones is that they get surface rust. Not a big deal, just something to keep in mind. Either way they are great because they are a quality tool at a great price. If money is not an issue then you may want Knipex.

 

[Coach James]

If I had to go with a single brand, it would be Channellock. Like most, mine are a mix of several brands. I have many pair of Wilde and they are fine, about like CL.

Surprisingly, some of my best pliers are the old Sears Companion I bought as a set many years ago.

Coach