ugh, vice grips

[pedro1990]

Ok, sorry to start another china-USA debate its alittle deeper than that. I recently was in an "emergency" situtation (aka out of the shop lol) and tried to use a new pair of 10in curved jaw vice grips (china?). Anyway, the 3/8 bolt wouldnt budge but it managed to strip the teeth off the plier. Honestly, the small amount of torque i applied shouldnt have done that considering the jaws of my rigid pipe wrench are much stronger with even greater torque. My question to all is, since i never had petersen/american tool vise grips before, are the irwin ones just poor quality? Like i said, I have nothing to compare to except rigid pipe wrenches.

 

[KraftwerkMk1Jetta]

Ok, sorry to start another china-USA debate its alittle deeper than that. I recently was in an "emergency" situtation (aka out of the shop lol) and tried to use a new pair of 10in curved jaw vice grips (china?). Anyway, the 3/8 bolt wouldnt budge but it managed to strip the teeth off the plier. Honestly, the small amount of torque i applied shouldnt have done that considering the jaws of my rigid pipe wrench are much stronger with even greater torque. My question to all is, since i never had petersen/american tool vise grips before, are the irwin ones just poor quality? Like i said, I have nothing to compare to except rigid pipe wrenches.

i wouldnt doubt the quality is poor. the other day i used a pair of original vicegrips on a stuck 02 sensor on a buddys truck. Clamped down on it, stuck a two foot piece of pipe over the handle, and turned it loose like it was in butter. I love the old style Vice Grips, and will continue to buy them at any flea market and garage sale I go to.

 

[MarkH]

Where nothing else would work we regularly removed rusted bolts off field cultivators with old style vise grips with 2-4 foot pipes and they survived.

Comment, you can make an item, but it has to be made to the demands it faces. Something lost on many companies now producing tool shaped objects.

 

[sk farmer]

search out vice grips with 2 rivets and a roll pin in the lever. the newer imports with a rivet rather than a roll pin are junk. new ones can still be found amongst the imports at some places.

 

[pedro1990]

ok, well, i was afraid so. the new grips are worse than the old. the thing that bothers me the most is that you cant even buy the best anymore: you have to settle. price is no longer a guide in buying the best tools unfortunately.

 

[woody 73]

Keep looking around and soon enough you will find those old vise grips. From what I have been hearing the new ones are not up to the job!

 

[Skyline]

You might check the "Tools From The Old World" thread if you can't find some older USA vice grips. There are a lot of respected European tool manufacturers that make locking pliers.

Or check my eBay auctions, I have a few used USA ones I will be putting up for auction probably starting tomorrow.

 

[Monte]

different locking pliers are discussed here:
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=48722