Good quality pliers/snips

[Tangledfeet]

@500e That's them! I'm glad you're in the know too...

 

[ronan]

the irwin ones aint bad either!

I normally swerve Irwin stuff, i heard their bench vices were rubbish, so thought all their stuff was.

 

[Maker]

I have a pair like that @brightspark sharpen the divot makes a nice set of strippers
Knipex

ace for Up to 1mm ss aerial wire half the price of SO
@Tangledfeet
Do you mean these "a Great tool"
For fine stuff lindstrom although expensive

Yet another vote for Knipex from me. Got both the pairs pictured plus a handful more, the extra-long long nose pliers are great to have about.

I think I've got a pair of Lindström somewhere, also very nice pliers but very pricey to buy new.

 

[Richard.]

Got lots of knipex and snap on pliers/cutters. Can’t find fault with either personally.
Knipex cutters tend to be better for the sparky side of things by having very sharp edges for clean cuts on wires and even tie raps.
Snap on cutters are pretty rubbish for this being more flat edged and designed with a tiny gap on closure but they are a lot better than knipex when cutting solid stuff like pins, nails, etc.
I like the snap on stuff a lot. All be it most of mine is 15 years old or more mind. Snap on circlip pliers with the twist over knob are brilliant. gedore 200 mm bolt cutters are just amazing in every way. I’d never be without those.
Linesman pliers.... well I’ve not found a pair that will touch snap on personally.

 

[Brad93]

Richard showed me his Gedore mini bolt cutters and I decided to try the Knipex ones called the Co-bolt.

They are very good but the gedore are a nicer tool (albeit a tad more expensive)

They do cut anything though!

 

[bwservices]

knipex 225mm pliers are fairly untouchable for price quality relationship.
was stuck on a high street job lately without it and local tool shop only had Irwin.its only a toy in comparison

 

[Richard.]

Richard showed me his Gedore mini bolt cutters and I decided to try the Knipex ones called the Co-bolt.

They are very good but the gedore are a nicer tool (albeit a tad more expensive)

They do cut anything though!

That newer pair you bought for the PC were even better with those groves in the back edge.
4mm stainless sub arc wire was just a one handed squeeze. They were awesome

 

[Richard.]

I think you’ve got to be a bit careful comparing the Snap on cutters to the knipex as they are completely different tools.
If I take my knipex 6inch cutters and hold them up to the light you can see they are completely closed no gap and the cutting edge is still very sharp.
They are excellent for soft wires and clean cuts but something harder or solid will soon see that edge marked.

Snap on in the light same size 6 inch and 4 inch have a gap of about 1/4 mm all the way down and the edges as standard are as blunt as a ducks ass. Different tool and all the snap on USA cutters are the same. They won’t cut a cable tie or tiny soft wire clean but they will bash through hard pins, thick welding wires,nails etc and because the edges are flat as well as hard they don’t leave dents or groves.
I use both for different jobs and really could not compare them because they are not the same tools

 

[dobbslc]

Knipex for me too, I've had 2 pairs of the 250mm long cutters now for over 30 years! They are well worn out but I have abused them well by cutting anything that'll fit in the jaws.....

I get about a year out of snips before the edge is slightly off them and that's being used 7 days a week unless I blow them up

You wanna take a day off mate!

 

[123hotchef]

Looks like i need a new set of snips

 

[aguycalledsteve]

Something else I didn't realise I needed.

Xmas list 2019 has begun.

 

[brightspark]

Knipex for me too, I've had 2 pairs of the 250mm long cutters now for over 30 years! They are well worn out but I have abused them well by cutting anything that'll fit in the jaws.....

You wanna take a day off mate!

might be exaggerating a bit nearly 7 days a week or if im on holiday night time callouts make up the extra hours

 

[Johnrob]

Hmm.... I used to use cheap Eagle sidecutters (only about £3-4 a pair) for electronics work. and I thought they were pretty good, so I thought if these are good - Knipex will be stellar.

So, I bought the Knipex equivalent. One of the cutting jaws broke off the first day I used them. Back to Eagle.

 

[Richard.]

Hmm.... I used to use cheap Eagle sidecutters (only about £3-4 a pair) for electronics work. and I thought they were pretty good, so I thought if these are good - Knipex will be stellar.

So, I bought the Knipex equivalent. One of the cutting jaws broke off the first day I used them. Back to Eagle.

You got a bad pair. It happens.
Knipex cutters are widely used by the full time traders and not much will touch them on edge retaining quality.

 

[Rocketman]

Basically any of the top line European tool brands make decent pliers and snips (or made in the same factory as other top-line ones) - pretty well made from similar steel and similar heat treatment. So the reality is it doesn't really matter which of those brands you get.

 

[brightspark]

just looked in shed I have 18 pairs of snips and 6 sets of pliers got them all real cheap from autojumble over a year . just as well because they have dried up and never see them now

 

[armalites]

I've got a pair of twin cutting edge Knipex cable shears. They are superb for any cable work and super sharp, the only issue for a sparky is if you do manage to cut a live cable the arc burns the edge. They are also fantastic for trimming the dogs claws, our 16 year old terrier doesn't run around enough to wear hers down anymore. These things cut so easy and clean there is very little stress for the dog.

It's always useful to see stuff like @Richard. posted as it clearly shows that depending on the job you doing you could be unfairly judging a tool purely because you are using the wrong tool.

 

[Robotstar5]

I use Knipex or CK for most things, but another one to consider is the Bahco Ergo range, I have a couple of the smaller ones and the very fine sharp narrow tips can get in tight spaces.

 

[Muckmagnet]

I was feeling a bit left out until Bahco got a mention I use/abuse the small ones daily for auto electrical work, can't fault them.

 

[500e]

The Snap on side cutters I have had were expensive failures & the rep always said they had been abused strange that the Knipex don't seem to worry,& I don't abuse cutters
These are the lever type SO lasted about 18 months had 2 sets of blades still have them in the box I think

The Knipex are going strong 15 years & still cutting 2.5mm SS aerial whips not as effortlessly as new but still cutting