Pros and Cons of Chrome-Plated Pliers
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 19 พ.ย. 2024
- A subject that I haven't seen anyone else discuss in detail before - the differences between a chrome-plated and non chrome-plated finish on pliers.
Full review: www.germantool...
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A couple of KC Tool Links to some Felo-branded NWS Pliers:
Felo 63785 8" Chain Nose Radio Pliers 45 Degree Bent Nose: bit.ly/2h7PdCp
Felo 63783 8" Chain Nose Radio Pliers: bit.ly/2g0VjF2
Felo 63801 6.75" Chain Nose Radio Pliers 45 Degree Bent Nose VDE: bit.ly/2hG5CBT
Felo 63773 7" Combination Pliers: bit.ly/2hG3tGy
Felo 63793 7" Combination Pliers VDE: bit.ly/2yPH65D
I live in New Orleans and fish offshore and in the salt marshes, frequently using similar tools on my boats. So I can see the benefit of chrome on certain tools, despite the cons as stated in the video. Excellent topic and discussion!
No. In that environment you want a stainless steel tool, not anything that is merely chrome plated. The jaws won't have any chrome or it wears off right away, and the hinge won't. This is pretty much the only reason stainless pliers exist, for situations like yours.
Personally I like the chrome a lot better than the black oil finish. Oiling my tools is not my cup of tea. Nicely done Sir.
80% hawaiian humidity and you need coated tools. i have all chrome knipex but not every tool they make is offered in chrome finish.
for instance the cobolt cutter only comes blackened with machined uncoated sections and all those sections keep needing scrubbing to get the light rust off. nothing major, but you cant forget about it in the back of a toolbox for too long or the rust may start to pit.
George Costanza Pet peeve!
You ever try spray on cosmoline?
I spent a while dismantling car engines for scrap and my favorite pliers were cheap, unfinished, FELO ones. Due to the job, all tools were coated in oil from the engines so they never got rusty and when cleaned I used the 'oily rag' of lore and the tools remained in tip-top shape. In my experience the chromed tools also take longer to break in which is a nuisance when talking about pliers.
Yeah those Felo chrome pliers were a bit stiff when I first started using them.
normally nws stuff is a looser joint that the way knipex tend to start with
Break-in isn't really a thing with pliers. You should lube the pivot joint when new but any further "break in" is just the joint getting loose and introducing slop which as it progresses will just lead to misaligned cutters and jaws.
chrome adds thickness to the material so the edge of the cutters arent nearly as sharp or toothy.
every premium tool should come nitrided by now. it does not add to the thickness of the metal but it hardens the top layer and makes it very rust resistant. chrome doesnt deposit perfectly even and add a few thousandths. nws offers ptfe teflon "titan" which is close.
Best finish would be that black atomized finish, I forgot what it's called, best finish you can get
@@urjnlegend Bluing/ black oxide coating?
@@samnass I honestly had no idea what I meant tbh looking back. I have no idea what atomized means, I seem to have forgotten something lol
Right now I'm holding a pair of NWS chrome plated diagonal cutters I purchased in mid 90's over 20 years ago. I have used them extensively and the chrome plating on the edges came off long time ago, however they are still as sharp and functional as they were when I got them. Not a single rust spot on the exposed steel BTW.
Thanks for the information. One way to prevent corrosion on a tool is to constantly use it.
I've just got an answer from a Wiha rep.
They have some similar tools branded “Professional Electric” = Chrome plated and “Industrial Electric” = Polished.
Alex Christensen Don’t but their crap.
i was a machinist building special machines tool and die, advanced blueprint reading, and engineering and metalurgy ,all metal treating processes and coatings worked my way to QC Manager, knowing and doing any processes and engineering prints chrome flash coating and hard chroming are by far superior in everyway, i would never spend my money on anything knowing it was shortly look like hell and also be HIGH maintenance
So basically the black coating is like gun blueing. They’re heating up an oil and dipping the tools in it to bake a finish into the surface of the steel...and just like blued guns, the coating comes off eventually and thus requires frequent preventative oiling.
Those chrome pliers look nice but damn that chrome plating seems to have bulked up the cutting edges of the cutters, rendering them dull.
Doubtful, more likely it is electroplated or chemically etched. It is not an oxidized oil aka seasoned oil finish. However, it is not uncommon for a tool to be oiled AFTER that finish is applied, to prolong shelf life before rusting.
Regardless, yes the black finish will wear off, but it is not so important as a firearm to keep it pristine, merely to keep it in a usable condition.
The discoloring on the black oxide cutters is because it is very porous and traps copper from the cable. The purpose of porous oxide finish is to absorb oil. This will help with cutting, although with pliers this is negligible and oil mainly prevents corrosion.
Personally I can not decide which is better, but chrome is nice mostly because it easy to clean and does not leave oil residue (in your hands or parts).
I got a set of those NWS pliers and side cutter. Real nice tools.
Great review...where are you dear since long can't see your reviews..are you ok,healthy..?
I bought those exact black NWS pliers and every tooth except the biggest inner grip area are completely flat after 2 years.
I'm kinda surprised at the cutting ability. But the way you explained it makes sense. Do you think the chrome pair would be batter after say 5,000 cuts?
Maybe after the chrome wears away it would be on equal ground with the black/polished ones.
on harder materials it does chip off, not everyone only cuts copper wire , thy get used on steel split pins etc
@@GermanToolReviews i would agree. Nice review. I like a chrome finish just for cosmetics but a can wd 40 and no chroming will probably be my german tool option for now on.
You can always buy the acid dipped pliers, save money, maintenance them as usual, and just use wire cutters to cut wires instead of dulling/chipping the cutting edge of those pretty pliers
Meh, there is no substantial difference between the tool steel on those and on lineman's pliers that are used to cut wires millions of times a day by professionals. Heck even many "wire cutters" use the same steel and just don't have the plier jaws on them. Granted for specific, heavier (lower) gauge wires, there are wire cutters built to this larger stress. I do not mean to imply that any cutters that are too small for the job should be used, whether wire cutters or pliers with a wire cutter integrated.
Not quite related to this, but noticing you gripped a bolt: take a look on the Knipex Pliers Wrenches (like the 8602250). They come plated and not plated.
Chrome forms an oxide that is greyish white and not soluble in water. Chrome is what makes stainless steel "stainless" . A good chrome plating over steel requires an intermediate plating of another metal. If omitted the chrome will eventually peel and/or rust through. This is what happened when automakers tried to cost reduce "chrome plated" bumpers and to cheaply plated tools. For tools with intentionally sharp cutting edges, titanium is a better choice for plating than chrome, but the color is off-putting to some people, and the cost is higher.
Chrome may be what makes stainless steel work, but stainless refers to the chrome being alloyed in. It's very different from chrome plating as the chrome affects the steel structure
The crome won't keep all rust away but it does help. I have the universal pliers in crome and there's a few rust speckles here and there. Not anything that I would be concerned over. Just have to make sure I store them better.
A very neat trick is to get a couple gallons(3) of vinegar from the supermarket a 5 gallon bucket and throw your rustiest and smallest Tools in first and then your Hammers and pry bars in later sometimes I'll even make it to where I flip it around I don't like to do that but sometimes the tools are too big. It comes out with a wash off and scrub down with a clean cloth. They look brand-new and function as so. But you do have to put some kind of light oil on them to keep them from rusting if that are above 55% relative humidity. Your going to see some resting on your tools that you just cleaned off. It'll take years and years decades off of tools in a night. It's pretty incredible. If you can get the 26% acid white vinegar it's even better. that stuff's meant for cleaning and disinfecting. It's good in a thousand different ways removing rust from a frozen pool is just one of them like with your channel locks and stuff like that that don't spring open anymore soak them for a day or two and some white vinegar and then see how they work after that. you're welcome before you even try it.
I just do not use chrome-plated pliers, because I usually edit them later or loop around. Then I polish the pliers to a high polish, so they do not rust anymore. I have the experience that Chrome does not hold on pliers in the long run. I also do not like heavy handles on pliers. They disturb the sensibility.
No. Polishing pliers with the very very thin chrome as shown in the video, just strips away that (barely) protective layer. Polishing has the opposite effect of what you intended, leaving behind less chrome and more steel carbon at the surface to rust. However if they are ALREADY rusted too much for your liking, then polish away as it is too late to think about the plating then, unless it is much thicker chrome (which you will not find on any needle nose pliers, only cheap slip-joint pliers) then you don't want to polish at all beyond a very low abrasive metal cleaner product, or else the plating will flake off in razor-sharp pieces.
@@stinkycheese804 this
I've been looking at a pair of those Felo pliers for a while but liked the look of the black finish better. This might make me rethink that purchase.
I like the look of the black finish as well over the chrome. Garnett did a video on NWS pliers and he had a chrome pair that was starting to wear on the cutting edges, but this was after using it for a while.
German Tool Reviews I saw that one and it's what made start looking for the black finish. I don't cut heavy wire a lot though so chromed finish might work great for me.
I have the NWS 141-49-VDE-205 45° angled Chain Nose Radio Pliers with the Matte Chrome finish. They're holding up nicely so far and still look like new; unlike the Klein 203-8-EINS Heavy Duty Insulated 8-Inch Long Nose Side-Cutting Plier that they replaced in my service bag, which got surface rust fairly quickly. The climate is very humid hear by the coast where I do A/C work.
The KLEIN's feel much heavier and more substantial compared to the NWS, which feel oddly light.
In my chinese/taiwanese pliers the chrome plating starts to chip off after some medium use. I prefer polished pliers now, just with the eventual wd40 spraying to keep them clean and lubed .
Sounds like it would be interesting video to see how many cuts it would take to get the chrome to wear away on several different brands.
My hands hurt just watching this.
We could use an analysis of the "benefits" of multicolored handle grips and bodies on tools.
Cast iron skillets develop a non-stick surface when you season them with oil and high temperature, it also leaves a black finish which is quite resistant to rust, so maybe that's also helping a little bit when cutting as it reduces friction.
Leave a cast iron pan with any water in it for 20 minutes. It will get rusty.. nobody listen to this guy
Why prolong the service life of an inferior tool? Look, you make two identical knives from carbon steel: one you spray with Rustolium, one you don't. Which cuts best? Which resists rust? As in all trade offs, go with what works best and maintain. BTW: love those pliers!
For me it depends on use case. For an electrician your vibe maybe makes sense, for a householder who keeps their tools neat and uses pliers only sparingly, longevity, no rust and no maintenance is ideal... well, for me it’s preferred.
Because it's ridiculous to think in terms of "inferior tool", as long as it suits its purpose. Nobody and I mean nobody, needs the "best" tool. There are many acceptable quality levels at respective price points and it is senseless to let an acceptable quality tool go to waste because you have a mental block, because in fact, very few people have only the best quality tools, unless they have a VERY small tool collection, or just like wasting money and don't actually use tools rather than collect them, so they don't recognize what is important.
Also no, you don't make ANY knife then spray it with rustolium. Rustolium is for some ancient bare high carbon steel tool that you saved from a dumpster and cleaned massive rust off of.
Very good video
Can you do this for the cobra pump pliers?
One point that is nearly the most important to me is that the joint on chromed pliers are much more reliably smooth after some time in use (exposure to moisture). The cutting edge as specially on a pinching kind of cutter really doesn't matter much anymore if the joint is stuck in a way that it renders the tool unusable imho.
Matador also rebadge NWS pliers, i just bought large side cutters, but for half the price on amazon (and were chrome)
What needle nose pliers has the longest nose reach? Knipex , which or NwS?
The question is, what is better Chrome or Fosfated wrench 🔧
The wear you state on the black coating looks more like a copper coating taking place from the wire you are cutting ... could be wrong though .
Indeed! Copper will come off only the cutter blade, but also the coating will wear, one cut at a time if not a lot at a time if the wire is too big for the tool.
@2:41 what does he say to oil pliers with?
Seeing as one pliers is angle and one is straight, how do we know the cutting blade angle was the very same? Test again with same for same, to double check.
how come you didn't cut through that white cable ?
How come the black ones are more expensive though?
Because the outer coating has very little to do with tool cost, rather the other factors like the Brand price premium, the steel composition, purity, and hardening, the machining process, the grip type, marketing and distribution expenses, etc.
I wonder if chrome is more slippery?
Yes. And that's BAD.
So for DIYer the black/polished finished will enough?
Tools will bearly use weekly
itoosh lots of pros prefer a regular black finish
It depends what you are doing, a chrome finish requires less maintenance, basically any German tools other than wiha, you're getting a pro tool, no matter what the finish. If you don't use them that much, any Klein or tool would do. But if you want the best, get German made.
i was loking for more vids of this can tou comper the knipex brand to ?
Your voice its like Badger from breqk8ng Bad :)
Michael Cera is my doppelganger
Salut!!
Awesome
Some tools that appear chrome plated may actually be nickel plated.
I'm pretty sure those deburring tools are not made of carbide, just ordinary HSS steel
Interessante!
Don't you hate it when the tool you want is only offered with a chrome vanadium finish
Don't you hate it when you don't know WTF you're talking about? Chrome vanadium isn't a finish, it's the base metal which can then be brushed, or also polished, could be plated with chrome or black oxide/phosphate/etc.
No, one of the last considerations is which finish a tool has. The reviewer got it all wrong trying to suggest that the big difference between these two tools was which finish it had.
If your pliers are getting rusty why not just regularly oil them
On NWS its copper not wear or what ever the fuck you call it
So is Felo made by NWS?
These particular pliers are made by NWS for Felo.
no one seems to know about the non chrome tools? mechanics that work on airplanes or automotive racing use non chrome plated tools, reason why? chrome can chip, and you can figure out the rest (hint chips and engine don't go well)
I would like to say, it feels as if chrome plated tools in general are more prone to slip then normal tools.
Yes I would say this is true, as you can see with my test with the carbide deburring tool, it just slipped/skipped across the chrome.
The chrome is not just slippery, but also harder. This is why the duburring tool was not biting. Gun barrels that are chrome lined last longer not just because they don't corrode like unlined ones, but because the chrome provides a harder surface to mitigate wear. As an aside, are you sure that duburring tool is carbide and not HSS? I know carbide blades exist for those but more often than not they are HSS.
This has very little to do with whether it is chrome plated and is almost entirely a matter of how much finishing machining was done to the base metal, whether just cast, or ground, or wire brushed or buffed, etc. It is the base metal finish which determines the smoothness. Any plating just takes on the same finish profile.
@@moeszyslack4676 Not in this case. In this case the (barely there) chrome plating is not thick enough to have the average hardness, will readily indent based on the underlying metal hardness. It's barely even reasonable to call those pliers chrome "plated" because there is barely any chrome there at all, but the industry likes to use oversimplified terms that people have seen before.
Black oxide is just factory controlled rust.
Another thing is what you are working on.working on jets not aloud to use chrome will sometimes flake off. If you ever seen a old USA wrench. That is conducive and can destroy electronics.
True, a traditional chrome plating is MUCH thicker and will flake off, but what is on those pliers (arguably) doesn't even quality as a plating and will not chip off because there is too little there to form a cohesive plate. Literally, these are not what should be called chrome plated pliers, the video was very strange in trying to differentiate based on a plating that is too thin to offer any properties other than a slight corrosion resistance but mostly visual appeal.
12.10.21 ws c13 hood gls nk guerra
Chrome is harder, If you take 2 knipex Side cutters. Only the chrome ones will say piano wire resistant.
then why don't they make chrome bolt cutters?
I reckon the bottom line is don’t purchase chromed pliers used for cutting.
Crome or not that felo should not be compare with a professional tool like nws,knipex or wiha.felo its shit.
Buy chrome
ka nipex x(
Not a fan of chrome plated pliers. I don't work anywhere with a highly corrosive environment, and keep my pliers oiled. That chrome also doesn't protect inside the joint of course. The main reason I don't like chrome plated pliers is because I've had the chrome edges raise and cut the crap out of my fingers. Not worth it to me..
Yeah that would not be fun getting a piece of chrome under a fingernail.
indeed why old school tools , snap on industrial did and old williams etc were blackend wrenches, not chrome
Jusb1066 yep, all the adjustable spanners I have made in Australia any were from 1960-1980 are all blacked, no rust when I bought them, the chrome ones always chip off and rust.
poor steel rusts very fast, i have some 1940's british unplated pliers sitting next to some cheap 80's chinese, which rust at around 100x faster...their metal has improved as my modern unplated chinese is much better (chrome steel ?) (my goto rack in the garage, as an eclectic mix, old 40-50 british, chinese stuff i bought in the 80s and german stuff i bought later 80s, then chinese stuff i bought more recently)
yes but cheaper will rust far quicker, all steel will rust even the best
Jusb1066 I've realized that, I once left some Aussie manufactured mild steel out side for a week, and there was only surface rust, I had some European mild steel and that stuff rusted in my garage, thing is the Aussie one had more carbon then the other yet still didn't rust as bad even tho it was left out a week. \'-'/
Jusb1066 Not H1
dont diss european steel mate! :) i live here,good to know aussie make good steel though , gustavo, what is H1 ?
Jusb1066 www.zknives.com/knives/steels/steelgraph.php?nm=h1
Practically speaking a rust "proof" steel
Did I hear k nipex ?
You did. I've heard from more than one source that this is how the people in Germany pronounce the name of their company.