knipex are leaps and bounds beyond milwaukee in hand tools.....
yea i was playing with a few in sears , really nice, expensive - but nice.. i figured id just sell out and try them too.. its not a huge investement, cause its only 3 tools i need AND the slimmer handles and grips will make it easier getting them in and out of YET ANOTHER Klein tool pouch i just bought, that has slimmer pockets designed for lineman.
for the sake of being fair - i really like the Mikwaukee stuff. if i my job was new installation instead of "transfering and removing" existing plant, they would be fine and probably be singing a different tune. the Diaginal cutters not having an actual tip is the real issue for me. obviously that was an issue for Milwaukee too since they completely changed the design of their "core" hand tools while the others just got a new grip, and still others didnt change at all. the new ones are more traditional and professional looking - a "safer" choice for them while trying to market them to trade professionals. i would have just bought those and tried them out too (which i still might) but the handles on the new dykes seem kinda wide, which might be a problem for me when trying to fit them into small pouches.
just an afterthought - i think Milwaukee makes a mistake by packaging these basic hand tools in a way that wont allow propesctive buyers to open and close the handles, to actually get a feel for how they operate, and see how wide they open. not many people who grew up on crescent and channellock will drop $30 on a "new to market" pair of pliers just to find out how wide they open. lastly im betting they new models will "correct" any issues people were having, and will cater to more professional use.
i think the the dykes (im NOT typing "diagonal cutters" anymore just to be P.C.) are really the only things that needed a major tweak..
