My pliers collection is a sorry looking hodge podge. I've been looking at Channelock, Klein, and Knipex as replacement brands, but they all look pretty good right out of the gate. I already have Channellock water pumps, but I need diagonals, needle nose, end nippers, hose clamp, and a couple others. All three companies make most or all of these. I know the pricing goes from Channelock to Klein to Knipex, but I'm not shopping for price unless it really doesn't matter for one or more types.

Which brands do you prefer ?

I prefer Channellock, they are fantastic.

Most of their line is made in the USA, with one exception being their adjustable wrenches, which are made by Irega in Spain. Irega is insanely high quality as well, some of the smoothest tools you will ever use - from Spain's traditional gunmaking region (Bergara is close by).

Other than Vice-grips and specialty pliers the majority of mine are Knipex.
All it took was one set of small pliers and I was done for.
Not cheap but they are worth it.

I just bought the Knipex 1000 volts set not long back after making due and getting by for so long. I'm so darned happy. The worst part was watching them get dirty:-). But lots of joy in taking apart the back porch light fixture and not worrying over getting shocked. https://smile.amazon.com/98983...knipex+1000+volt+set


I waited till the kids moved out which I'd recommend. (one of them moved back in with PTSD but she's pretty competent with tools and good about putting things back)

As an aside, I'd had a pair of Knipex pliers for plumbing I'd used for years on rental homes, but I find that the Ridged Robogrips flexible pliers work so much better. My first pair were made in the US, the Chinese versions of today are still good, not quite as good, but very nice. No tool comes close to the Robogrips. I've tryed a lot.

surprised when introduced to Knipex Cobra, a seemingly oh-so-small little tool... over the past few years it has made most of my channel locks/other pliers/most crescent wrenches very unnecessary. My 'homeowners/estate repair chores' tool bag volume has decreased considerably.

Vice grips now lounging about nearly unemployed.
Between a splitting maul, the larger Leatherman & the Knipex my basic tool needs have dwindled considerably.

Argghh SigForum!
Couldn't pass up that Kneipex 1000-volt set after looking it up on Amazon!
Oh well Merry Christmas sj.

the knipex is great i have used them professionally for 20 years i only broke one abusing the hell out of it

Channelock and Knipex. No complaints about either.

Channelock.

I just bought two pair of Vampliers and like them. Between personal and work use I’ve used Snap On, Crescent, Channellock, Knipex, Vise-Grip and a couple others. I prefer the Knipex and the Vampliers have their place too. I specifically bought a small pair of Vampliers to remove stripped screws when rebuilding carbs and they work well.

Channelock

Irwin vice grip (brand) are good for the money & available locally (menards/lowes/HD etc). I have 3 or 4 sets between home & work. their version of 'channellock' with the button adjust is very handy & better than the slot-adjust of the namesake brand.

Knipex are a step up. I have their plier-wrenches in my truck so I don't have to carry wrenches in the off-chance I need to fix something. makes the bag much smaller & I'm confident I could do anything I could do with a small combo set (8-15mm)

Never found anything to complain about with any Klein tool. Also have some nice small plier sets with the brand "Proto" and one set with "Pro America" that are very nice. They all were given to me so I'm not sure where you get those.

quote:

Originally posted by DonDraper:
Never found anything to complain about with any Klein tool. Also have some nice small plier sets with the brand "Proto" and one set with "Pro America" that are very nice. They all were given to me so I'm not sure where you get those.

Klein here too. Tools of the former trade so to speak.

I have a shitload of all types of pliers and could not tell you the brand name of any of them. But, they all do their job just fine.

All the brands cited are very good. Knipex are outstanding pliers. One of their plier types that I use more than any other are their plier-wrenches; they're like channel locks, more refined with less play and better leverage (and easier to adjust, with finer adjustments), but the jaws are smooth and flat. What that means is that they can be used on the flats of a nut or fitting without marring or damaging the surface, and will fit to it precisely.

I use them a lot on hydraulic fittings, which are soft and easily deformed alloy pieces; I prefer the plier wrench over a typical open end wrench because the plier wrench allows additional leverage without harming the part. They have a lot of uses, and I use them a lot.

I have a number of channel lock pliers in my boxes, of different types, and they get used a lot, too. They're relatively inexpensive.

Klein tools are expensive and worth it.

I like Snap-on. Of the tools mentioned, snap-on are more likely to rust or corrode, but they have a wide range of tools suited to almost everything in size, and function and I have a lot of snap-on pliers from slip-joint to diagonal cutters to various needle-nose, etc. Probably not the best for plumbing or wet use, but for most other work, excellent.

My diagonal cutters only cut plastic and safety wire, which is steel up to .041" diameter. Beyond that, I don't use them as they dull. If you're planning to cut other stuff, you may want the channel locks as you can replace them at a lower cost. I'm more interested in the ergonomics, cutting edge, and utility, such as dykes that can get into narrow spaces and still open wide enough to grip or cut...so the job makes a difference.

wrightd, you double-posted this. No one has responded in your other post, so you can go back into it and delete it.
Thanks.

I just responded in the other one, will delete if needed.

No love for Wiha?

Channelock, Knipex, Vice-grip, Klein, Crescent, based on the use.