AnthonyH only for amateurs- they're fine if used in the right situation and the original crescent spanner was much higher quality than the shit around now..
I love my knipex. I was shown the water pump pliers on the tool truck. They clamped them on some pipe and stood on them with no movement. I was sold. Since then I've replaced all my pliers with them. Great video Eric!
I got the Knipex snap ring pliers set No. 00 19 56 after reading engineers discussing which ones to buy at a German forum and they are SOLID, like Eric says. Also followed their advise on screw drivers and got the laser hardened Wera set for electricians, also very solid.
Knipex water pump pliers are one of those where have you been all my life kind of tools. The hardening of the serrated jaws is like no other and the gripping power is superior to anything I've ever tried. The head profile can really snake into some unusual situations.
I'm currently switching to knipex. Only pliers staying in my kit other then knipex is my American made tekton pliers and locking pliers. If knipex made more locking pliers then the tekton ones would get donated to friends too.
I agree with Eric on these tools. You can not beat their quality. We have sold Klein, Ideal, SW. and more and still these are our top sellers. The only time a customer comes in to replace a tool is because they either lost them or they got stolen or someone "borrowed" them
I'm an electrician and i switched to pretty much all Knipex a couple years ago. I love these tools! The mini "channel locks" are the most used tool in my pouch. I know Knipex makes all kinds of stuff, but I wish they made more.
Miele installed my new dishwasher. In their tool kit was a 10" Knipex pliers wrench. I immediately knew I needed a set of these. I ordered 7", 10", & 12" pliers that day. These will replace my current adjustable wrenches. Their opening range is superior. Their pliers function makes them work as wrenches. I highly recommend them to everyone.
Colin Mottershead No need to have shares. The simple fact that those things do not break speaks for itself. Of course, there are others as well, but you won't go wrong with Knipex. German Engineering :)
I purchased the 7" Pliers/wrench and it is superb! Used them just last weekend when doing a brake job on my '12 VW Passat / B-7. Thanks Eric from Chuck in Avon Lake, OH
Water pump pliers are named that because that was whet they were initially designed for. On many early pumps they used adjustable packing to seal the pump or piston shafts. The adjustable parallel jaws on these tools were made to grab those packing nuts and adjust them.
My first knipex tool was the 7" pliers. I gave away every crescent wrench I had shortly after. I misplaced my 7" pliers for a few days once, and it left a void in my heart. When I found them finally, everything was right again. I now have the 10" version along with the needle nose, the bi-cut power, the cobras, and the little electronics cutters. Every tool worth every penny.
I'm a maintenance mechanic at an industrial water treatment plant, what's great about the knipex tools also is they don't seem to rust up like the other brands. The water (waste water) that gets on my tools eats them up pretty quick. Also you can get the water pump pliers at Sears, made by knipex with craftsman name on them, for about half the cost. They are exactly the same, say made in Germany on them and all.
These are really good indeed, my grandfather passed away last year. So my dad and I took his tools home. Including a few Metabo’s in their steel green powdercoated cases. Along with a lot of hand tools, including a Knipex Alligator pliers. Basically your Cobra’s grandpa, but still manufactured today! It had spent 10y on the floor in a wet garage, some sandpaper and WD-40 restored them nicely, added some ballistol and now its real smooth! It says “Made in W.-Germany” on them, says enough about their age. They still work great and are often used as welding pliers to pick stuff up. We only use Knipex, they are quite affordable here (right next to the source 🇩🇪} I bought a full allround use set a while ago. Has performed perfectly! The Pliers wrench is awesome indeed, and their needlenose is real good too. We have a chrome older pair (also West-German made) of needlenose pliers, they have seen some abuse, but the ends still line up perfectly!
this may not be the standard reason for calling that one type of pliers "water pump" pliers but many years ago when my dad was a mechanic, he referred to that name because the old fords and maybe others had a nut on the front of the water pump that had packing behind it, and that type of pliers was used to give a few turns on that nut to stop water from leaking out of the front of the water pump due to the packing becoming worn.
MissouriOldTimer It actually doesn;t have anything to do with the automotive industry, these were designed long before the first functioning automobile was. It is a plumber's plier from back in the day when waterpumps were used to pump up water from a wel. They are pretty versatile though and hence have been adopted by many mechanics in all sorts of fields.
AcidStyle79 i believe that they were designed for turning pipes and tubes. You would slap a leather strap around the pipe and grip it with the plier so you could twist the pipe into a threaded nut/socket whatever.
You are absolutely right about these Knipex pliers Eric! Even more right when you talk about good quality metal. These pliers are made of high carbon steel and hit the rockwell scale at 62 HRC (rockwell measure is a metal hardness value) and let's say that 66 HRC steel brake like glass when dropped on the ground! So these pliers doesn't bend or get dull rapidly. The best pliers money can buy in my opinion
They have another variety called the "raptor pliers." I use those for alignments, pretty amazing tool. They look similar to the water pump pliers but the jaws are smooth and wrap around.
I too really like my knipex "pliers wrench". Get the 10", you get fantastic leverage on fasteners, as well as great crimping ability! When I need something pinched, bent, or crimped, they are my go to. The cobras (water pump pliers) are so versatile in 7" too. They usually ride in my back pocket when I'm working.
Eric, my advice to you is to take these old tools that you are replacing, and probably not using anymore, engrave your name on them, and give them away to listeners in various contests. Maybe a 'new subscription giveaway' contes. Maybe a 100th Q&A giveaway during your other show. I think a lot of your fans would like to own your old tools. It would be like getting an autographed trucker hat from Larry the cable guy.
the inside of the bold cutters are used to tie or twist wires that's what i use it for like working on a fence great review i love these tools i am on a mission to own them all i have mostly all already
8 inch knipex water pump plyers are awesome for Heavy-duty trucks applications use them every day and they don't wear out for about a year or two being abused also with heavy use
Hey Eric. Thanks for posting the prices. Trying to figure out wether something is inflated or not, right now, is a PITA! Just saw these plier wrenches and was blown away. I could do damn near 90% of what I need to with a pair of them, Allen packs, and cobras at work lol.
EricTheCarGuy The German word for that last kind of pliers literally translates into "waterpump pliers", but sometimes they're also called what would literally translate into "tubing pliers". How do you call them in the English speaking world?
THE SO CALLED ADJUSTABLE PIPE PLIERS I USE ONE SINCE 2009 AND IT SIMPLY DOES NOT SHOW ANY WEAR IN THE GRIP SIDE, THE HANDLE HAS SOME WEAR (LESS THAN EXPECTED!) BUT THE GRIP AND ADJUST PART ARE SIMPLY UNWEARABLE, THEY LOOK NEW! GREAT TOOLS
Those 10" water pump pliers were also being sold by Matco as "cobra head pliers" made by Knipex. They are amazing, I used them for adjusting tie rods on alignments that were seized. They simply will not slip off once you have it on a fastener. You can do a pull up with them and they refuse to slip. I've literally done pull-ups using them trying to break free rusted parts under cars and they don't even flex, quality metal!!
I've got some Knipex 6 inch "baby channel locks" with the push button lock- forgot which tool truck I got em off... But those are my go-to channel locks for anything! Knipex makes great tools for sure!
I have been using the water pump pliers on pipe fitting for years, and they are excellent. I have the adjustable bolt pliers in 12" which works great as well. With the work I do everyday. the water pump pliers will last around three years before the teeth in the jaws loose their bite. That is with everyday use and putting it to 1/2" and 3/4" pipe and their fittings everyday.
Something that you missed that is actually designed into the water pump pliers is that when you have them fully widespread then close the handles there is still a gap between the handles. The channellock brand bottoms out the handles together. Knipex is designed to not have a pinch point there if you slip off a fastener or a pipe. I've done that plenty off times with the channellocks and it always seems to catch the tip of my ring finger and of course squeezing super hard when it happens.
I have the adjustable wrench, auctually, 2 of em. big size and small. I don't even carry a crescent wrench -electrician at a bottling plant. I'm also on my second set of side cutters. best I've ever found. worth every penny!
On the flight line, we all had a set of the smooth jaw Knipex pliers in our pockets. They were great for clearing a number of minor write ups without carrying the line bag around from gate to gate, (and they don't damage fasteners.)
The German technicians at work had a fit when I pronounced Knipex wrong lol. Apparently it's a 3 syllable word......Learn something everyday. On a second note, I own several Knipex tools in my kit and I love them all. I mostly have insulated tools for electrical service and they are top notch. The snap ring pliers are awesome too. Really enjoy the videos. Keep up the good work.
They're called "Water Punp Pliers" because all german plumbers are using these to work on pipes and of course waterpumps in heating systems. They're also sometimes called "Rohrzange" which translates to "Pipe Wrench".
I have the bolt cutter, use it to cut out old brake line. They are by far the best tool i have found for that job. A friend has a pair for cutting fish hooks and he says also they are the best he found for that task.
Whenever you said that you could cut nails with the Diagonal Cutters, I thought you meant *fingernails* until you showed the little picture on the packaging haha
I have the side cutters pliers and two sizes in the waterpump pliers. They are way better than snap-on as they don't loose their edge on the cutters and they don't loose their edge on the teeth of the w.pump pliers either. I've had them for 5 years and they aren't getting loose in the joint either. they are good. they get used daily.
That vice thing you were talking about you can use it for things like you were trying to pull the nail out of the tire. You just grab the nail and pull it with both hands, one hand on the hand grips the other hand on the head of the tool. It give you twice the power to pull, wire, nail, spring etc.
Water pump pliers were designed to specifically grip and turn the shaft of a water pump. Once you get a good grip on the shaft they try to self tighten so it is easier not to slip when turning.
We have a set of knipex pliers at work and those things grip like hell. Their light comfortable and they grip better than our vise grips in the locked position. Their expensive but well worth it. I don't know what model they are but the have blue on the handle and I think they have directional teeth.
I have been using Knipex products for many years. The "wrench pliers" are great because the jaws close parallel to each other, and have smooth jaws that do not damage your fasteners. FYI the "water pump pliers" is just a direct translation from German. Wasserpumpesanger ;-)
The reason why they are called water pump pliers is because in Germany mechanics used to use this type of wrench to tighten up stuffing boxes (packing seals) in engine water pumps.
the multi groove plyers as you call them . I have been using for probably a good 30 years. I have always called them aligator plyers. Between those and my leatherman wave. Their my most go to tools.
Every plier i have is a Knipex and i LOVE them. I only have models with the comfort grip and comfort grip VDE. I think that i have about 9 or 10 pliers from knipex. The chrome vanadium finish on the vde models is excellent, they shine like a mirror after years without rusty spots. I once read an article about how enthusiastic people were about Klein pliers, and that when they got them out of the packaging they threw them on the concrete floor because the hinges were stiff. Makes me wonder how "good" these Kleins are compared to knipex, since every knipex plier i have opens from closed all the way to open in one smooth movement. As far as i can remember i have the multistrip 10 (awesome stripping plier), linesman pliers, Twinforce diagonal cutter, Cobra VDE, VDE electrical installation pliers, side cutter for plastic (awesome because it cuts zip ties without leaving sharp edges). VDE stripping pliers, comfort grip pliers wrench, double length VDE cable shears, VDE needlenose pliers, VDE round nose pliers, electricians shears and one of their VDE dismantling knifes with wire guide.
That last set of pliers are the best and I could use them instead of a pair of channel locks pliers to work on my automobiles as well as working with appliances where I have to cut the wire in places to either have to cut it or diagnose the problem.
I own three sizes of the Knipex Pliers Wrench, several sizes of the water pump wrenches and a Parrot Jaw Wrench. These tools are expensive, but they are of the highest quality. The Pliers wrench seem get tighter faster than the pull force, and so will not round off hex nut the way an adjustable wrench will or even an opened end wrench for that matter. Another thing that the Pliers Wrenches are good for is straightening or bending things. The pump pliers dig into what ever your turning and work very well. I just wish I could one or two of every thing Knipex sells.
Knipex makes a Cobra in a very short 125mm (4.9 inch) that tends to be very handy under the hood. Problem with most pliers is not the leverage, it's the handle length, butting up against something you can't move out of the way. I like the longer length ones too, but in tight spots the short Cobra can really help, like for removing a spring clamp on a transmission fluid line.
the inside of the mini bolt cutters are finger smashers. been using them for 5 years. lots of blood blisters until i got in the habit of keeping my bits out of the way.
I have a full set of the cobra pliers. don't know how I would have gotten by with out them. I also have the diagonal cutters and the mini bolt cutters. I love knipex products . they are built to last. they definitely have me as a customer for life.
The 250mm water pump pliers are a great solution for frozen inner tie rods that wont move, they grab hard enough to break them free without rounding them. They work better than inner tie rod pliers that are made for breaking loose frozen tie rods.
The smooth jaw locking pliers are an aircraft mechanics best friend. They are perfect for working on various fuel and hydraulic lines. I've had 3 sizes of them for 15 years and never wrecked one fitting.......
Scotty Kilmer had a pair of these brand pliers with fine teeth in the end made for gripping stripped fasteners etc... looked great, and he was as impressed with them as you seem to be... I'll start saving for them now! They are expensive on Amazon.com... ugh. I'm tool poor, and never have what I need! lol.. Great tool review Eric!
+dannymaciejewski 1 inch diameter tungsten carbide with the mini bolt cutters? Can you post a video of that process? I wouldn't have expected the metal of the cutters to hold up to that.
Just one tip for the Pliers Wrench and the Water Pump Pliers. When you use them allways pull on them like you try to rotate it towards the smaller jaw, cause this way the grip gets tighter not looser. Espacily when you look at the small teeth of the water pump pliers you will see that they are angled in on dircetion which tells you how to rotate/pull with the plier
I have about 15 Knipex tools now, most have seen ALOT of work over the 7 years I started buying their stuff. If I need a hand tool and Knipex makes it, that's the one I get. Own several Greenlee, Milwaukee and Kobalt tools but man those barely get touched anymore, give some to friends so I have an excuse to replace with the Knipex. That pliers wrench, Cobra and mini Cobolt have been awesome
Those mini bolt cutters are pure gold.. I use them for wire cutters. Cut through everything like butter. Also I think that bit behind the cutter is a wire stripper.. although I'm not 100% sure. I never use it.
It's a well known fact throughout the educated world, i.e. Europe, that Knipex are the industry standard of pliers. Wera are the industry standard screwdriver. And if you need a shifter (adjustable spanner) it has to be Bahco.
Hazet is another German tool mfg known for high-quality tools. I wish Eric could visit Japan, as there are many innovative tools that they don't export.
The Mini bolt cutters are my favorite! I found them 5-6 years ago when I started Pike and Musky fishing; I needed something that could cut through the hardened fishing hooks quickly & easily.
HulkSmash86 I hope you see this HS86. I realize it's been a couple of years since your post! I've heard that muskie and pike fishermen use the mini-bolt cutters but I've always wondered why. I fly fish and have almost never had to cut a hook. Happy fishing!
Knipex adjustable pliers the best the adjustment is great but mostly the jaw blades the don't slip got a rounded nut -put a little heat on it , get your impact on one side, and the knipex on the other and off it comes- they also make a bigger size not shown , great for taking of oil filters .
I'm an electrician in a bottling plant. I've been using Knipix for many years. The adjustable wrench pliers are a must. I've had the same tool for years, and it just doesn't wear out. the side cutters - dikes- are the absolute best I have ever used. good stuff there.
I agree %100 about the being able to tell the quality of the metal... I can tell just by looking sometimes... That German steel is often among the finest, and it shows in Knipex tools. Snap on plier metal is orgasmic
Here in Australia, we call a Crescent wrench a nut fucker or nut lathe. Their main use is just completely rounding off a fastener.
AnthonyH only for amateurs- they're fine if used in the right situation and the original crescent spanner was much higher quality than the shit around now..
hapeta24 not aimed at crescrnt brand just generic shit copies
hapeta24
Here in the UK we call them Irish spanners!
Here in the US we call adjustable wrenches Mexican socket sets.
I love my knipex. I was shown the water pump pliers on the tool truck. They clamped them on some pipe and stood on them with no movement. I was sold. Since then I've replaced all my pliers with them. Great video Eric!
knipex cobra the best tool ever
I got the Knipex snap ring pliers set No. 00 19 56 after reading engineers discussing which ones to buy at a German forum and they are SOLID, like Eric says. Also followed their advise on screw drivers and got the laser hardened Wera set for electricians, also very solid.
Knipex water pump pliers are one of those where have you been all my life kind of tools. The hardening of the serrated jaws is like no other and the gripping power is superior to anything I've ever tried. The head profile can really snake into some unusual situations.
ALL my plieers are knipex. Best piers in the world!
All my pliers are kNIPEX now also , threw out the crap i"d accumalated over the years :]
They literally are
I'm currently switching to knipex. Only pliers staying in my kit other then knipex is my American made tekton pliers and locking pliers. If knipex made more locking pliers then the tekton ones would get donated to friends too.
I have a pair of channel locks in case i need to beat on something... But yea can confirm
I agree with Eric on these tools. You can not beat their quality. We have sold Klein, Ideal, SW. and more and still these are our top sellers. The only time a customer comes in to replace a tool is because they either lost them or they got stolen or someone "borrowed" them
I'm an electrician and i switched to pretty much all Knipex a couple years ago. I love these tools! The mini "channel locks" are the most used tool in my pouch. I know Knipex makes all kinds of stuff, but I wish they made more.
Bought an old Saab 9000 for $50 and found a $27 Knipex cutter in it - still uses it to this day, best cutter I own.
Miele installed my new dishwasher. In their tool kit was a 10" Knipex pliers wrench. I immediately knew I needed a set of these. I ordered 7", 10", & 12" pliers that day. These will replace my current adjustable wrenches. Their opening range is superior. Their pliers function makes them work as wrenches. I highly recommend them to everyone.
Those "water pump pliers" are absolutely essential in my box. Excellent stuff knipex is one of the best around. Thank you eric
Real talk ...the grip of those things is amazing....
As an EDC i use the mini-cobra 125 , invaluable :]
Knipex are extremely high quality. Amazing tools.
David G u got shares in the company?
David G I agree, too bad they went up in price so much now
Colin Mottershead No need to have shares. The simple fact that those things do not break speaks for itself. Of course, there are others as well, but you won't go wrong with Knipex. German Engineering :)
Colin Mottershead
no I don't have shares, but i've owned their tools. I'm not trying to sell anything lol.
I purchased the 7" Pliers/wrench and it is superb! Used them just last weekend when doing a brake job on my '12 VW Passat / B-7. Thanks Eric from Chuck in Avon Lake, OH
Water pump pliers are named that because that was whet they were initially designed for. On many early pumps they used adjustable packing to seal the pump or piston shafts. The adjustable parallel jaws on these tools were made to grab those packing nuts and adjust them.
The side cutters are amazing I've had them for about 4 years of daily hvac use with no issue.
I purchased a diagonal cutter in June 1980 while in Munich. It has been a great tool the past 35 years.
Side note! Knipex doesn't have a silent K
Typey1 Thank you for pointing this out. I was wondering how many people knew this.
It does when I say it.
He told us in this video that “Nippex” is from “grrr-meny”, so I’m guessing he was just foolin’ around.
@@bryand6051
You had me rolling on the floor bud
Nipex all the way
Every one I know says nipex. Even the sales reps around here do.
Saw the wrench pliers about a year ago from a buddy at my aircraft mechanic school. Those things are badass.
My first knipex tool was the 7" pliers. I gave away every crescent wrench I had shortly after. I misplaced my 7" pliers for a few days once, and it left a void in my heart. When I found them finally, everything was right again. I now have the 10" version along with the needle nose, the bi-cut power, the cobras, and the little electronics cutters. Every tool worth every penny.
The so called "water Pump" pliers are my favorite pair of pliers i have in my tool box, i use them every day for a multitude of reasons.
I'm a maintenance mechanic at an industrial water treatment plant, what's great about the knipex tools also is they don't seem to rust up like the other brands. The water (waste water) that gets on my tools eats them up pretty quick. Also you can get the water pump pliers at Sears, made by knipex with craftsman name on them, for about half the cost. They are exactly the same, say made in Germany on them and all.
Knipex is becoming the German Snap-On in my collection. Knipex and Wiha, actually. Great tools.
These are really good indeed, my grandfather passed away last year. So my dad and I took his tools home. Including a few Metabo’s in their steel green powdercoated cases. Along with a lot of hand tools, including a Knipex Alligator pliers. Basically your Cobra’s grandpa, but still manufactured today!
It had spent 10y on the floor in a wet garage, some sandpaper and WD-40 restored them nicely, added some ballistol and now its real smooth!
It says “Made in W.-Germany” on them, says enough about their age. They still work great and are often used as welding pliers to pick stuff up.
We only use Knipex, they are quite affordable here (right next to the source 🇩🇪} I bought a full allround use set a while ago. Has performed perfectly! The Pliers wrench is awesome indeed, and their needlenose is real good too.
We have a chrome older pair (also West-German made) of needlenose pliers, they have seen some abuse, but the ends still line up perfectly!
this may not be the standard reason for calling that one type of pliers "water pump" pliers but many years ago when my dad was a mechanic, he referred to that name because the old fords and maybe others had a nut on the front of the water pump that had packing behind it, and that type of pliers was used to give a few turns on that nut to stop water from leaking out of the front of the water pump due to the packing becoming worn.
MissouriOldTimer It actually doesn;t have anything to do with the automotive industry, these were designed long before the first functioning automobile was. It is a plumber's plier from back in the day when waterpumps were used to pump up water from a wel.
They are pretty versatile though and hence have been adopted by many mechanics in all sorts of fields.
AcidStyle79 i believe that they were designed for turning pipes and tubes. You would slap a leather strap around the pipe and grip it with the plier so you could twist the pipe into a threaded nut/socket whatever.
My dad and his dad called them water pump pliers as well.
In the UK we do generally refer to them as waterpump pliers :]
You are absolutely right about these Knipex pliers Eric! Even more right when you talk about good quality metal. These pliers are made of high carbon steel and hit the rockwell scale at 62 HRC (rockwell measure is a metal hardness value) and let's say that 66 HRC steel brake like glass when dropped on the ground! So these pliers doesn't bend or get dull rapidly. The best pliers money can buy in my opinion
They have another variety called the "raptor pliers." I use those for alignments, pretty amazing tool. They look similar to the water pump pliers but the jaws are smooth and wrap around.
I too really like my knipex "pliers wrench". Get the 10", you get fantastic leverage on fasteners, as well as great crimping ability! When I need something pinched, bent, or crimped, they are my go to.
The cobras (water pump pliers) are so versatile in 7" too. They usually ride in my back pocket when I'm working.
I sometimes go out of my way to look for uses for my knipex tools because they are so amazing. Knipex is my go to brand for pliers.
"Maybe I'll steal very small bicycles, I don't know" 😂😂😂
I LOVE my Knipex tools! So nice to use high quality tools!
Eric, my advice to you is to take these old tools that you are replacing, and probably not using anymore, engrave your name on them, and give them away to listeners in various contests. Maybe a 'new subscription giveaway' contes. Maybe a 100th Q&A giveaway during your other show. I think a lot of your fans would like to own your old tools. It would be like getting an autographed trucker hat from Larry the cable guy.
lineartechbd1600 I'm actually working on something very similar to that suggestion. Thanks for your input.
Superman 😂😂😂
I love the knipex "water pump plier". I have had for about 5 years and it still works as good as the day I bought it.
You need to try the Knipex Raptos they are unreal well worth the price.
I'm a electrical/controls tech at a large manufacturing facility and can tell you Knipex at awesome. My 10" pliers go everywhere with me.
the inside of the bold cutters are used to tie or twist wires that's what i use it for like working on a fence great review i love these tools i am on a mission to own them all i have mostly all already
i bought the 10" water pump pliers from a yard sale and they are very good ive had them for over 10 years now
8 inch knipex water pump plyers are awesome for Heavy-duty trucks applications use them every day and they don't wear out for about a year or two being abused also with heavy use
Hey Eric. Thanks for posting the prices. Trying to figure out wether something is inflated or not, right now, is a PITA!
Just saw these plier wrenches and was blown away. I could do damn near 90% of what I need to with a pair of them, Allen packs, and cobras at work lol.
I bought some Knipex pliers recently I have 6 all together two of them are the pliers wrenches.
Today's review comes with a give away from J&B Tools. See the next post for details. th-cam.com/video/upT7q-NRenM/w-d-xo.html
EricTheCarGuy The German word for that last kind of pliers literally translates into "waterpump pliers", but sometimes they're also called what would literally translate into "tubing pliers". How do you call them in the English speaking world?
Steven Akn1 Thanks!
Hi Eric, do the tool companies send you all their stuff free, or what's the story?
Jimmy W Either that, or he buys whatever he needs and makes a review (like that transmission jack). Jealous? ;-)
very good tools just by looking at them
THE SO CALLED ADJUSTABLE PIPE PLIERS I USE ONE SINCE 2009 AND IT SIMPLY DOES NOT SHOW ANY WEAR IN THE GRIP SIDE, THE HANDLE HAS SOME WEAR (LESS THAN EXPECTED!) BUT THE GRIP AND ADJUST PART ARE SIMPLY UNWEARABLE, THEY LOOK NEW! GREAT TOOLS
Hey Eric a great presentation for those terrific Knipex tools. I really like your tool reviews, much appreciated from Canada 🇨🇦.
Those 10" water pump pliers were also being sold by Matco as "cobra head pliers" made by Knipex. They are amazing, I used them for adjusting tie rods on alignments that were seized. They simply will not slip off once you have it on a fastener. You can do a pull up with them and they refuse to slip. I've literally done pull-ups using them trying to break free rusted parts under cars and they don't even flex, quality metal!!
I've got some Knipex 6 inch "baby channel locks" with the push button lock- forgot which tool truck I got em off... But those are my go-to channel locks for anything! Knipex makes great tools for sure!
I have been using the water pump pliers on pipe fitting for years, and they are excellent. I have the adjustable bolt pliers in 12" which works great as well. With the work I do everyday. the water pump pliers will last around three years before the teeth in the jaws loose their bite. That is with everyday use and putting it to 1/2" and 3/4" pipe and their fittings everyday.
German made tools are good , I have had a Bosch impact drill for years very good quality .
Shut up dude
***** u shut up too
Antwan Mclendon
why ??
Bosch and good quality in the same sentence... Hahaha
Thats pretty rare for a bosch, i'm guessing light domestic use?
I have cut 1/4" steel rod with the Bolt Cutters. Also removed a rounded off Caliper Bolt with the Water Pump Pliers. They are Great Tools...
I was able to score a gently used pair of the compound cutters and larger cutters for $42, free shipping and they have become my favorites.
Something that you missed that is actually designed into the water pump pliers is that when you have them fully widespread then close the handles there is still a gap between the handles. The channellock brand bottoms out the handles together. Knipex is designed to not have a pinch point there if you slip off a fastener or a pipe. I've done that plenty off times with the channellocks and it always seems to catch the tip of my ring finger and of course squeezing super hard when it happens.
I have the adjustable wrench, auctually, 2 of em. big size and small. I don't even carry a crescent wrench -electrician at a bottling plant. I'm also on my second set of side cutters. best I've ever found. worth every penny!
On the flight line, we all had a set of the smooth jaw Knipex pliers in our pockets. They were great for clearing a number of minor write ups without carrying the line bag around from gate to gate, (and they don't damage fasteners.)
great for general aviation axle nuts!
pliers wrench
The German technicians at work had a fit when I pronounced Knipex wrong lol. Apparently it's a 3 syllable word......Learn something everyday. On a second note, I own several Knipex tools in my kit and I love them all. I mostly have insulated tools for electrical service and they are top notch. The snap ring pliers are awesome too. Really enjoy the videos. Keep up the good work.
They're called "Water Punp Pliers" because all german plumbers are using these to work on pipes and of course waterpumps in heating systems. They're also sometimes called "Rohrzange" which translates to "Pipe Wrench".
I've had the same pair of knipex side cutters for 20 years. They are well worth the money.
I make piston rings and I've cut probably over 100,000 oil control rings with those 10" cutters. They are awesome.
in ireland we call the waterpump pliers. a pipe grips. every trade uses them, so handy.
I have the bolt cutter, use it to cut out old brake line. They are by far the best tool i have found for that job. A friend has a pair for cutting fish hooks and he says also they are the best he found for that task.
Wicked humour as usual - don't you dare stop.
Whenever you said that you could cut nails with the Diagonal Cutters, I thought you meant *fingernails* until you showed the little picture on the packaging haha
I have the side cutters pliers and two sizes in the waterpump pliers. They are way better than snap-on as they don't loose their edge on the cutters and they don't loose their edge on the teeth of the w.pump pliers either. I've had them for 5 years and they aren't getting loose in the joint either. they are good. they get used daily.
That vice thing you were talking about you can use it for things like you were trying to pull the nail out of the tire. You just grab the nail and pull it with both hands, one hand on the hand grips the other hand on the head of the tool. It give you twice the power to pull, wire, nail, spring etc.
Water pump pliers were designed to specifically grip and turn the shaft of a water pump. Once you get a good grip on the shaft they try to self tighten so it is easier not to slip when turning.
We have a set of knipex pliers at work and those things grip like hell. Their light comfortable and they grip better than our vise grips in the locked position. Their expensive but well worth it. I don't know what model they are but the have blue on the handle and I think they have directional teeth.
I have been using Knipex products for many years. The "wrench pliers" are great because the jaws close parallel to each other, and have smooth jaws that do not damage your fasteners. FYI the "water pump pliers" is just a direct translation from German. Wasserpumpesanger ;-)
The reason why they are called water pump pliers is because in Germany mechanics used to use this type of wrench to tighten up stuffing boxes (packing seals) in engine water pumps.
the multi groove plyers as you call them . I have been using for probably a good 30 years. I have always called them aligator plyers. Between those and my leatherman wave. Their my most go to tools.
Every plier i have is a Knipex and i LOVE them. I only have models with the comfort grip and comfort grip VDE. I think that i have about 9 or 10 pliers from knipex. The chrome vanadium finish on the vde models is excellent, they shine like a mirror after years without rusty spots. I once read an article about how enthusiastic people were about Klein pliers, and that when they got them out of the packaging they threw them on the concrete floor because the hinges were stiff. Makes me wonder how "good" these Kleins are compared to knipex, since every knipex plier i have opens from closed all the way to open in one smooth movement. As far as i can remember i have the multistrip 10 (awesome stripping plier), linesman pliers, Twinforce diagonal cutter, Cobra VDE, VDE electrical installation pliers, side cutter for plastic (awesome because it cuts zip ties without leaving sharp edges). VDE stripping pliers, comfort grip pliers wrench, double length VDE cable shears, VDE needlenose pliers, VDE round nose pliers, electricians shears and one of their VDE dismantling knifes with wire guide.
That last set of pliers are the best and I could use them instead of a pair of channel locks pliers to work on my automobiles as well as working with appliances where I have to cut the wire in places to either have to cut it or diagnose the problem.
I own three sizes of the Knipex Pliers Wrench, several sizes of the water pump wrenches and a Parrot Jaw Wrench. These tools are expensive, but they are of the highest quality. The Pliers wrench seem get tighter faster than the pull force, and so will not round off hex nut the way an adjustable wrench will or even an opened end wrench for that matter. Another thing that the Pliers Wrenches are good for is straightening or bending things. The pump pliers dig into what ever your turning and work very well. I just wish I could one or two of every thing Knipex sells.
Knipex makes a Cobra in a very short 125mm (4.9 inch) that tends to be very handy under the hood. Problem with most pliers is not the leverage, it's the handle length, butting up against something you can't move out of the way. I like the longer length ones too, but in tight spots the short Cobra can really help, like for removing a spring clamp on a transmission fluid line.
the inside of the mini bolt cutters are finger smashers. been using them for 5 years. lots of blood blisters until i got in the habit of keeping my bits out of the way.
I have the diagonal cutters and the "water pump pliers" they're awesome, they're one of the best purchases I've made. them and my gearwrenches.
I have a few pairs of their "water pump" pliers. The 6" model lives in my back pocket at work and gets some serious abuse and have never let me down.
Knipex, great tools from this company. Awesome. Hazet is another excellent tool maker. Wera and Wiha too!
I have a full set of the cobra pliers. don't know how I would have gotten by with out them. I also have the diagonal cutters and the mini bolt cutters. I love knipex products . they are built to last. they definitely have me as a customer for life.
love my knipex pliers, and the the fact my snap-on dealer carries them is awesome
The 250mm water pump pliers are a great solution for frozen inner tie rods that wont move, they grab hard enough to break them free without rounding them. They work better than inner tie rod pliers that are made for breaking loose frozen tie rods.
The smooth jaw locking pliers are an aircraft mechanics best friend. They are perfect for working on various fuel and hydraulic lines. I've had 3 sizes of them for 15 years and never wrecked one fitting.......
A friend of mine put me up on Knipex years ago. Really nice tools.
Scotty Kilmer had a pair of these brand pliers with fine teeth in the end made for gripping stripped fasteners etc... looked great, and he was as impressed with them as you seem to be... I'll start saving for them now! They are expensive on Amazon.com... ugh. I'm tool poor, and never have what I need! lol.. Great tool review Eric!
I can see those mini bolt-cutters being handy for steel cable and crimping ferules on them.
I have three pairs of the long nose pliers, one is sterilized for use for ingrown nails. It's that good.
I've cut through 25mm tungsten carbide rod with those mini bolt cutters. They are just flipping awesome!
+dannymaciejewski 1 inch diameter tungsten carbide with the mini bolt cutters? Can you post a video of that process? I wouldn't have expected the metal of the cutters to hold up to that.
+DTR RTD hey, I'm not sure if you're serious or not.... I wont be posting a demo on that....
+dannymaciejewski it was a sarcastic post because everyone was posting what they can cut with them...
Just one tip for the Pliers Wrench and the Water Pump Pliers. When you use them allways pull on them like you try to rotate it towards the smaller jaw, cause this way the grip gets tighter not looser.
Espacily when you look at the small teeth of the water pump pliers you will see that they are angled in on dircetion which tells you how to rotate/pull with the plier
I have about 15 Knipex tools now, most have seen ALOT of work over the 7 years I started buying their stuff. If I need a hand tool and Knipex makes it, that's the one I get. Own several Greenlee, Milwaukee and Kobalt tools but man those barely get touched anymore, give some to friends so I have an excuse to replace with the Knipex. That pliers wrench, Cobra and mini Cobolt have been awesome
Those mini bolt cutters are pure gold.. I use them for wire cutters. Cut through everything like butter. Also I think that bit behind the cutter is a wire stripper.. although I'm not 100% sure. I never use it.
You should look at Knipex hose clamp pliers. They're based on the Cobras you have there. Brilliant tool.
What makes the bolt cutters even more impressive is that they can cut through braided steel cable with ease.
It's a well known fact throughout the educated world, i.e. Europe, that Knipex are the industry standard of pliers. Wera are the industry standard screwdriver. And if you need a shifter (adjustable spanner) it has to be Bahco.
Hazet is another German tool mfg known for high-quality tools.
I wish Eric could visit Japan, as there are many innovative tools that they don't export.
ebay
I have a set of the Cobra adjustable pliers. And they are fantastic!
probably one of the best channel locks on the market
The Mini bolt cutters are my favorite! I found them 5-6 years ago when I started Pike and Musky fishing; I needed something that could cut through the hardened fishing hooks quickly & easily.
HulkSmash86 I hope you see this HS86. I realize it's been a couple of years since your post! I've heard that muskie and pike fishermen use the mini-bolt cutters but I've always wondered why. I fly fish and have almost never had to cut a hook. Happy fishing!
Knipex adjustable pliers the best the adjustment is great but mostly the jaw blades the don't slip got a rounded nut -put a little heat on it , get your impact on one side, and the knipex on the other and off it comes- they also make a bigger size not shown , great for taking of oil filters .
One other thing about the cutters you didn't see, they have a curl on one side to index your hand.
I'm an electrician in a bottling plant. I've been using Knipix for many years. The adjustable wrench pliers are a must. I've had the same tool for years, and it just doesn't wear out. the side cutters - dikes- are the absolute best I have ever used. good stuff there.
I actually have a pair of the side cutters. Great for cutting 3/16 braid steel cable. And still working fine. Found them at a local Lowe's.
I like new tools too Eric. I have a passion to use em and maintain em well. Nice tools by Knipex.
I agree %100 about the being able to tell the quality of the metal... I can tell just by looking sometimes... That German steel is often among the finest, and it shows in Knipex tools.
Snap on plier metal is orgasmic
I use the cobalt bolt cutters for cutting tungsten Electrodes. Excellent