Ring Nose/Hose Pliers

[mrvm]

FYi: Last time I was in HF the ring nose/hose pliers were down to $9.99 before the 20% off coupon

 

[90zcar]

Yeah they were 9.99 today if you were in the inside track club thing


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[methomas70]

So I decided it's finally time for me to add a pair of these to my arsenal.
Between tinkering on old motorcycles and an upcoming fuel pump replacement on my Tundra, it should be money well spent. So which ones to get?

I can get the 3pc HF set for $15-ish, $12 with coupon. Funny thing is, they're like a muscle car with an older restoration, they're 10-footers. Meaning they look good from 10 feet away. Up close, they're not so good. Maybe you like them, and that's ok. But I'm gonna look elsewhere.

Home Depot, Lowe's, Blaine's Farm & Fleet, Menards, Autozone, Advance Auto Parts, O'Reillys, Ace, True Value, & Sears all DO NOT stock them.

Napa has Carlyles on sale for $42.30, marked down from $46.99.
http://m.napaonline.com/Tablet/parts/PartDetails.aspx?Id=CHQHGP11H16_0150900455
That seems a little steep for Taiwan-made pliers.

I ran into a Matco truck that was pulling into a car dealership.
I asked if he sold them and he said yes, but didn't have an individual plier, just the 3pc set. He was willing to open a set and sell me just one. The price? $70.
The set was $210. I thanked him for his time and went on my way.
I understand tool trucks. I used to buy from them 25 years ago (I'm 46).
I get it, they provide a service. But I came to him, I'm not gonna make weekly payments, it's extremely unlikely that I'll have to warranty them through him, AND I'm paying cash. Today, they're just not worth $70, not to me at least.

So I found a pair at Pepboys. They have them in stock. It's their Gearhead brand for $13.99. A quick search on garagejournal says that they're of "ok" quality and made in Taiwan.
So I go there and have a looksie. Hmmm made in China, and it shows. It looks like the two pieces of the plier were made in different factories, on different days, by two different people working off two different blueprints. They're ****.

What we need is a mid-price level. Channellock for some reason doesn't make these. And Craftsman doesn't have a version (and it would likely be China if they did).

But Knipex does.
They have 2 versions, the difference being the grips.
A Google search shows these (38 91 200) coming in at UNDER $30:
http://www.knipex.com/index.php?id=1216&L=1&page=art_detail&parentID=&groupID=1340&artID=1540

And these have the comfort grips(38 95 200) for $30-something:
http://www.knipex.com/index.php?id=1216&L=1&page=art_detail&parentID=&groupID=1340&artID=1545

 

[back2class]

Methomas...just get the HF ones. I have some by Sunex and some by Cornwell. Both work fine. Sure, the Cornwell will likely hold up a bit better when abused.....but for a hobby guy who is not planning to abuse them and not use them every day. Gotta say I would take the HF set for $15, Pretty low tech tool not exposed to critical stresses. That is where HF stuff really shines in the bang for buck department.

 

[oldldh]

The Tekton #34435 3/4" Long Reach Hose pliers...

I have them, and for an old DIY'er, like me, they'll do...

Available from Amazon for $ 12.50...

Worth it, me thinks...

 

[four.cycle]

KAL (US made)
(two pair)
used
$36 including shipping "buy now"
http://www.ebay.com/itm/KAL-TOOLS-L...:g:67cAAOSwpzdWtnGr&item=301866850974&vxp=mtr


a guy could do worse.

doesn't look like Wilde or Proamerica make them. perhaps a bit too specialized?

 

[theoldwizard1]

Methomas...just get the HF ones. I have some by Sunex and some by Cornwell. Both work fine. Sure, the Cornwell will likely hold up a bit better when abused.....but for a hobby guy who is not planning to abuse them and not use them every day. Gotta say I would take the HF set for $15, Pretty low tech tool not exposed to critical stresses. That is where HF stuff really shines in the bang for buck department.

Agree 100 %

I will only say, the HF do rust fast and the joints get stiff. Keep them oiled.

 

[Greg85mcss]

X2. They aren't a tool that requires much precision or strength. Work great for me.


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[jgreen-fsi]

Where do u all find this "fluid film" locally at?

I get it from Lowes

 

[zakmartin]

I bought the HF orange set when I was changing out a bunch of coolant lines and the pliers felt like they were made of Play-Doh (they flexed like crazy). I tossed them in the bucket of forgotten tools and bought a set of the Gearwrench Double-X hose pliers and was very happy with them. Like others, I tried to go with a nice set of Matcos and my jaw dropped at the price given that their COO was the same as the Gearwrench set. The Gearwrench set is great for what it does, and you don't need a lot of room to get them to work due to the two joints.

 

[90zcar]

Well since its been a little while now since I bought my black handled harbor freight set I thought I'd just chime in and say I don't regret buying these for the $12 I spent. They have done all the small coolant and transmission lines that I have used them on. Even ripped off 2 spark plug boots I was able to grab with them


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[four.cycle]

as requested:

Proamerica 3-pc. ring-nose (hose grip) pliers set
5047 5/16", 5048 1/2", 5049 3/4"
new item
$111.75 incl. shipping "buy now"
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pro-America...627532?hash=item210d09334c:g:j8sAAOSwsN9XBssg

==

Proamerica 5046 11-inch 6.5mm ring-nose (hose grip) pliers
new item
$39.98 incl. shipping "buy now"
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pro-America...404692?hash=item25b9d30694:g:epUAAOSwbwlXBs9V

==

Proamerica 5047 11-inch 5/16" ring-nose (hose grip) pliers
new item
$39.98 incl. shipping "buy now"
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pro-America...631889?hash=item210d094451:g:o1YAAOSwiylXBs8T

==

Proamerica 5048 11-inch 1/2" ring-nose (hose grip) pliers
new item
$39.98 incl. shipping "buy now"
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pro-America...894375?hash=item1eae655127:g:Z~0AAOSwbwlXBs6y

==

Proamerica 5049 11-inch 3/4" ring-nose (hose grip) pliers
new item
$39.98 incl. shipping "buy now"
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pro-America...893704?hash=item1eae654e88:g:OYYAAOSw0QFXBs2y

* these show better detail on the jaws than the images in the Ebay ads:





(* photos courtesy Bowers Tool *)

 

[DemoFly]

I bought the harbor freight ones, sharpened the tips and now I use them for pesky safety electrical connectors.

When you squeeze the tips behind the tang they lift it up and then you just pull the connector off.

Great for electrical connectors in hard to reach areas like transmission tunnels, etc.

 

[four.cycle]

just got a note from Bowers on those ring-nose pliers - the prices will be a bit lower than what I've got posted above - he just listed them and hasn't plugged in the discounts yet. BK 04/07 15:50 PDT

 

[four.cycle]

* prices on the Proamerica items listed below were reduced 15% since previous posting *

Proamerica 3-pc. ring-nose (hose grip) pliers set
5047 5/16", 5048 1/2", 5049 3/4"
new item
$94.99 incl. shipping "buy now"
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pro-America...627532?hash=item210d09334c:g:j8sAAOSwsN9XBssg

==

Proamerica 5046 11-inch 6.5mm ring-nose (hose grip) pliers
new item
$33.98 incl. shipping "buy now"
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pro-America...404692?hash=item25b9d30694:g:epUAAOSwbwlXBs9V

==

Proamerica 5047 11-inch 5/16" ring-nose (hose grip) pliers
new item
$33.98 incl. shipping "buy now"
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pro-America...631889?hash=item210d094451:g:o1YAAOSwiylXBs8T

==

Proamerica 5048 11-inch 1/2" ring-nose (hose grip) pliers
new item
$33.98 incl. shipping "buy now"
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pro-America...894375?hash=item1eae655127:g:Z~0AAOSwbwlXBs6y

==

Proamerica 5049 11-inch 3/4" ring-nose (hose grip) pliers
new item
$33.98 incl. shipping "buy now"
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pro-America...893704?hash=item1eae654e88:g:OYYAAOSw0QFXBs2y

==

 

[four.cycle]

^ prices above.

Proamerica 5047 11 inch x 5/16 inch ring-nose pliers 01 by four.cycle, on Flickr

Proamerica 5047 11 inch x 5/16 inch ring-nose pliers 02 by four.cycle, on Flickr

Proamerica 5047 11 inch x 5/16 inch ring-nose pliers 03 by four.cycle, on Flickr

Proamerica 5048 11 inch x 1/2 inch ring-nose pliers 01 by four.cycle, on Flickr

Proamerica 5048 11 inch x 1/2 inch ring-nose pliers 02 by four.cycle, on Flickr

Proamerica 5048 11 inch x 1/2 inch ring-nose pliers 03 by four.cycle, on Flickr

Proamerica 5049 11 inch x 3/4 inch ring-nose pliers 01 by four.cycle, on Flickr

Proamerica 5049 11 inch x 3/4 inch ring-nose pliers 02 by four.cycle, on Flickr

Proamerica 5049 11 inch x 3/4 inch ring-nose pliers 03 by four.cycle, on Flickr

 

[Finky198]

We have the Mac set as above... made in China same **** quality as HF. I'd look else where there are better ways to spend you money. Pliers are one of those tools worth the extra money for top quality.

 

[four.cycle]

^ the items I posted above were not made in China.

 

[Finky198]

^ the items I posted above were not made in China.

not yours the MAC 0nes that were talked about before

 

[pendragon1998]

So are these mainly used when the hose is going to be replaced? They seem like they will chew up a hose getting it off.

 

[four.cycle]

^ I don't imagine they'd do any more damage than grabbing them with a pair of Vise-Grips or water-pump pliers.
The knurling on the inside of the jaws is pretty aggressive, but my best guess is that you'd have to make an effort to "damage" the hose.

 

[Finky198]

when a ruber heater hose is shot and rusted to the heater core inlet and outlet these pliers allow you to grip and trun the hose usually breaking the bond. With a bit of skill and the appropriate size it can usually be done with out damage if need be...

I've also used them removing and replacing Fuel filler Neck/hoses...

but look for a better quality pair.

 

[stage20]

i find pro america goodies from time to time at sales, but ive never seen anything except regular pliers. were they the OE or did someone make their tools? their wrenches sure are beefy

 

[four.cycle]

Proamerica - formerly known as "KAL" - is/was a primary manufacturer based in the US.

For a time, "KAL" was outsourcing product from both Japan and Taiwan. The stigma of "foreign made" still clings to the "KAL" name, despite their US-made product actually being pretty good stuff.

Currently Proamerica is headquartered in Baldwin Park, California.
In another thread here somewhere a member mentioned that Proamerica was producing forgings at a plant in Pennsylvania. I have not seen anything else anywhere to support that statement.

Proamerica (and formerly KAL) is/was a contract supplier for US Government/Military contracts as well as supplying other major tool manufacturers, among them Armstrong and Proto.

The ring-nose pliers above were effectively "made to order" because of this thread and other mentions in other threads here bemoaning the lack of availability of a reasonably priced, US-made ring-nose pliers set other than Snap-on (or other "truck" brands.)

 

[camd64]

I have the Sunex #3703 set and have been really happy with them. They have thick beams and ends so no twisting or flexing and the finish machining is good too.

 

[Vigo]

I've had the old black-handle HF set for years. In my opinion this is one of those things you'll wonder how you lived without and never knew about. I use them for all the things already mentioned: removing/installing vacuum/fuel/heater hoses, disconnecting electrical connectors, removing/installing plug wires, and maybe a few specific tasks i can't bring to mind.

I tend to hate pliers where the handles behind the hinge (where you grip) don't really 'close' and touch each other, because you then feel the flexibility of the handles and to me it makes tools feel crappy. I'd rather have the pliers close on both sides of the hinge simultaneously if only to make me feel better while using it. Thus, to me the orange handled HF ones look crappier than the black handled ones.

I have used a coworker's Matco set on occasion and aside from a difference in the angle of the tips there is no functional difference to the 'higher quality' set.

 

[kctyphoon]

I just got the sunex slip joints.. Have not used them but they are decent for the money.. Not "omg" quality, but pretty nice. I liked the idea of the slip joint and the pipe grip on both sets. So basically your getting 3 different uses out of each wrench. You can see in the pic that the jaws are not precisely bent like you would imagine. The quality of the Tekton's actually look nicer if you go on their site, but for what these are used to do I'm sure they are fine.. Also, having only 2 pliers basically do 4 sizes and still have the pipe grip saves space in the drawers of the tool cart I'm outfitting.

 

[four.cycle]

^ that's an interesting twist on the design there.

* only one of the 3-piece Proamerica sets left! *

 

[four.cycle]

^ well.... I suppose we'll have to wait and see if the other sets that were sold went to GJ members here and wait for their feedback on them.

Bowers says he'll probably make up more of the 3-piece sets from open stock, since the 3-piece set is the only one selling so far.

sorry to hear you had such an experience. I was quite impressed with workmanship, fit and finish on the first couple pairs of the Proamerica miniature pliers I purchased several months ago and have since acquired several more pairs, all of which are nicely finished.

 

[four.cycle]

I can't really answer your question because I haven't really put them to use.
I think my girlfriend may have used a couple pairs to work on jewelry and "crafty" stuff, but that's probably not a fair way to make an assessment.

I've had a lot of different kinds of pliers in my hands over the years; from salesman samples of cheap Taiwan stuff to the Indestro Super stuff I've owned over 40 years and quite a few in between.
Again, I was pretty impressed with overall workmanship, fit and finish on them, or I wouldn't still be buying them.

That said, it is my humble opinion that some users have unrealistic expectations of tools - any tools - in general; tools are only designed to do what they're designed to do. I don't expect a hell of a lot out of a pair of pliers that's smaller than the palm of my hand.

And again, if it's something "normal" sized, I'd grab a pair of my full-size Indestro or Wilde pliers for heavier work. I got the Proamerica miniature stuff primarily for my girlfriend to use on her "crafty" stuff so she'll stay the hell out of my tool box.

After looking at the post I don't think those are all of them that I purchased so far. I thought I got some other models too... not sure now.
:

 

[Silver_11]

^ well.... I suppose we'll have to wait and see if the other sets that were sold went to GJ members here and wait for their feedback on them.

Bowers says he'll probably make up more of the 3-piece sets from open stock, since the 3-piece set is the only one selling so far.

sorry to hear you had such an experience. I was quite impressed with workmanship, fit and finish on the first couple pairs of the Proamerica miniature pliers I purchased several months ago and have since acquired several more pairs, all of which are nicely finished.

First post, long time lurker.

I'm a Tech at a Toyota dealer, many of my coworkers have various "Import" versions of this style of plier; Mac, bluepoint, sunex, gearwrench. I've been holding off buying any because I really don't like the feel of them. I've been searching for a long time for a quality set to no avail. They are really useful but every time I talk myself into caving and buying an import set, I borrow a pair from another tech and immediately change my mind. They always feel really cheap and brittle. I've had pliers break on me before, and these always feel like it's just around the corner. Anyway, long story short, I just ordered that set of Proamerica linked above. I'll take some comparison pictures with a few of the imports and give you my impressions on them when they arrive.

 

[four.cycle]

Silver_11 - welcome to the site.

I greatly look forward to feedback on the product from a man who uses tools on a daily basis on "real" machines.
I'm probably not the best person to ask for an honest assessment of them in "real world" use, as almost all of my "wrenching" now is on Briggs & Stratton or Tecumseh lawnmower engines. (I really hate working on cars; I always manage bang up my hands and pinch my fingers.)

 

[Silver_11]

Wanted to up date this as they finally arrived. (Continually unimpressed by USPS; 2 day priority mail took 5 days...)

I haven't had the chance to use these yet, they were delivered after work on the start of my three day weekend so this is going to be my first impressions without any real comparison to other brands or use.

First things first, they feel alright. About as good as the imports, certainly not any worse but not incredibly impressive either. There's definitely a few quality control issues with the set I got. What ever coating that was applied to the inner portion of the pliers was done so very poorly, there are hardened air bubbles on all three pliers as well as a huge dribble of bubbles on the largest plier. Another strange observation I only noticed when putting them in a pliers rack; The middle size plier has the smallest grip of the three which seems very odd to me. Looking at the ring portion closely there's quite a bit of asymmetry to each side of the ring, none of the rings are quite centered and the jaw's themselves are a bit inconsistent in manufacturing. To their credit, the tops of the jaws actually line up correctly, unlike many of the cheap imports (bugs the hell out me).

Anyway, these are my first impressions, I'll take some photos comparing to bluepoint/mac, and some smaller knipex ones when I get a chance. Overall, I would say they are okay at best, nothing to write home about. I'm not terribly disappointed, but I'm not impressed either. I don't regret buying them and being a bit of guinea pig but given the chance to redo it, I may have held off.

 

[mrvm]

Overall, I would say they are okay at best, nothing to write home about. I'm not terribly disappointed, but I'm not impressed either. I don't regret buying them and being a bit of guinea pig but given the chance to redo it, I may have held off

Searched through 6 or 8 packages of the HF ring nose pliers before I found an acceptable set. Must be challenging for tool makers to bend them into ring-nose shape. I just picked the best set that had even closing tips. My Knipex ring-nose was not super perfect in ring-nose shape but closed well.

 

[kctyphoon]

I had this set posted in the hot deals forum a while ago. I think they were $29 or $39 at the time, and people were saying they are identical to the set from MAC Tools.. This are listed for $49 now - but as $89 under another name as well.. It's a 9 piece long reach plier set, with 3 ring nose pliers.. It also has the matching long reach diagonal cutter to my sunex set..

XtremepowerUS 9pc 11" inch Long Reach Plier Mechanics Electricians Craft & Hobby Tool Set https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015YOWVZI/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Here is my original hot deals thread.. Someone posted pics, people thought it was a great deal..

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=320986

 

[jeremy v]

I had this set posted in the hot deals forum a while ago. I think they were $29 or $39 at the time, and people were saying they are identical to the set from MAC Tools.. This are listed for $49 now - but as $89 under another name as well.. It's a 9 piece long reach plier set, with 3 ring nose pliers.. It also has the matching long reach diagonal cutter to my sunex set..

XtremepowerUS 9pc 11" inch Long Reach Plier Mechanics Electricians Craft & Hobby Tool Set https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015YOWVZI/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Here is my original hot deals thread.. Someone posted pics, people thought it was a great deal..

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=320986

I don't know, those look pretty bad to me. Of course you are getting more than twice the pliers for half the price with that set. Their own stock photo shows very uneven hose tip shapes, and the straight needle nose pliers have an obvious bend where the handles attach to the body. The whole head angles up from the background surface. I remember people getting the MAC closeout pliers a while ago and receiving pliers with the same angled bend in the handles so maybe they are all from the same supplier. That set might work okay, but those are the sorts of QC issues that would drive me up the wall and fill me with regret every time I used them.

Maybe we need to start importing hose pliers from Pakistan. Pakistan can make surgical grade forceps, pliers, etc. with nice box joints, even shaping, good strength, proper heat treatment and "spring feel", etc. all for several dollars a pair and yet basically every company that currently makes hose pliers has trouble getting the loop shape and/or the heat treatment right.

 

[kctyphoon]

I don't know, those look pretty bad to me. Of course you are getting more than twice the pliers for half the price with that set. Their own stock photo shows very uneven hose tip shapes, and the straight needle nose pliers have an obvious bend where the handles attach to the body. The whole head angles up from the background surface. I remember people getting the MAC closeout pliers a while ago and receiving pliers with the same angled bend in the handles so maybe they are all from the same supplier. That set might work okay, but those are the sorts of QC issues that would drive me up the wall and fill me with regret every time I used them.

Maybe we need to start importing hose pliers from Pakistan. Pakistan can make surgical grade forceps, pliers, etc. with nice box joints, even shaping, good strength, proper heat treatment and "spring feel", etc. all for several dollars a pair and yet basically every company that currently makes hose pliers has trouble getting the loop shape and/or the heat treatment right.

Most of the ring nose pliers are like that. My sunex set is too.. Read the thread - people said its the same set they bought from Mac tools that were made in China also..

I'm curious how the double hinged gearwrench set is.. I just bought the double X crescent long reach pliers, and they are pretty nice. If you look at Tekton's set it also looks like the ring nose is not perfect. Obviously the tips are being heated up and bent into shape.. You gotta remember, it's meant for a rubber hose, it's not like it's going on a bolt.

Anyway - people that bought the set I posted were happy enough with them for the money..

 

[jeremy v]

Most of the ring nose pliers are like that. My sunex set is too.. Read the thread - people said its the said its the same set they bought from Mac tools that were made in China also..

I realize the MACs are made in China, I have their 5/16" and 1/2" hose pliers and I use them quite often. I went with Cornwell instead (also China) for my largest 3/4" hose pliers because for larger hoses I preferred their thicker and beefier handle shafts that were way less springy.

I'm not sure, but we could both be speaking the truth. MAC might have changed Chinese suppliers in the last couple years. I say that because I see two different sets of part numbers for the same pliers when looking on Ebay at used listings.

I don't torque on them heavily, but my MACs are quite well made and they also have handle return leaf springs. I find it to be a very helpful feature (especially on the 5/16" pliers) that the Xtremepower pliers don't come with. I waited around on Ebay for well formed used pairs at good prices before purchasing mine, so they are shaped perfectly. I don't know how bad the average pair from MAC is.

I also own the shorter Knipex spark plug boot/hose plier and they arrived perfectly shaped sight unseen from an internet retailer. I might have just lucked out though.

 

[jeremy v]

I'm curious how the double hinged gearwrench set is.. I just bought the double X crescent long reach pliers, and they are pretty nice. If you look at Tekton's set it also looks like the ring nose is not perfect. Obviously the tips are being heated up and bent into shape.. You gotta remember, it's meant for a rubber hose, it's not like it's going on a bolt.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=312250&highlight=gearwrench+double

The newest GW double X sets are hit or miss. Read the thread and you'ss see what I mean. There are some perfect sets out there and there are some terribly finished sets. The older sets had noticeably better QC than the newer ones, so you might have better luck if you can find NOS on Ebay etc. I received a terribly finished set from Sears during that sale. I still returned them even though they were only $25 for all 3. They were that bad. If you get a good set you should be happy, but they are probably something you want to look at in person before purchasing instead of ordering online. Their quality seems to depend heavily on which individual performed the assembly and finishing work at the factory GW uses.

I don't have any experience with Tekton hose pliers, but I have a couple other Tekton items (Taiwan made) I have been happy with.

Anyway - people that bought the set I posted were happy enough with them for the money..

Please don't think I was ridiculing you for posting that deal, because that's not what I intended. The scale of good and bad always adjusts in accordance with the price paid.

 

[90zcar]

I didn't read every post to understand whTs going on here but I get the consensus that they are all made in China? So what's the big deal then just get the hf ones. I have them and they work fine. 2 of the 3 were a little stiff but none of them broke yet


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