Channellock Tongue and Groove Straight Jaw Plier, 12-Inch Length, Blue Handle

Excellent product. I am familiar with Channellock products which have never failed me. I purchased this as a second pair for a particular problem I had to manage. I love the range of opening and the sturdy nature of these tools.

12" Channel Locks Model 440

Growing up, we called these water pump pliers. I didn't understand it then and I don't understand it now. That said, these pliers are an indispensable addition to anyone's toolbox. They take the concept of regular slip joint pliers and multiply it by 6. There are a total of 7 different slip joint settings providing a clamping range from 0" to 2.25". The PermaLock® center pivot eliminates the nut & bolt system of lesser quality pliers that invariably loosens over time. The familiar blue Channel Lock handles are comfortable. The handles bevel out in thickness so as NOT to create a 'knife blade' effect when grabbing them tightly. This beveling should also prevent the blue coating from slipping off of the handles.Excellent clamping power, made in the U.S.A. by a brand ... MoreGrowing up, we called these water pump pliers. I didn't understand it then and I don't understand it now. That said, these pliers are an indispensable addition to anyone's toolbox. They take the concept of regular slip joint pliers and multiply it by 6. There are a total of 7 different slip joint settings providing a clamping range from 0" to 2.25". The PermaLock® center pivot eliminates the nut & bolt system of lesser quality pliers that invariably loosens over time. The familiar blue Channel Lock handles are comfortable. The handles bevel out in thickness so as NOT to create a 'knife blade' effect when grabbing them tightly. This beveling should also prevent the blue coating from slipping off of the handles.Excellent clamping power, made in the U.S.A. by a brand name company that's been around for over 100 years.

A must have for installing new garbage disposal

Very handy for gripping under-the-sink pipes where space around the pipe is tight. One thing you probably can't do without them: Install a new garbage disposal. They are perfect for squeezing together a couple of "ears" on the new disposal install, causing the disposal to slowly rotate along a tight "track" and lock into place. With a pair of these pliers you can save yourself a lot of money on an otherwise fairly easy DIY project.

CHANNELLOCK quality pliers

I will admit there are a few brands of tools I am partial to, and CHANNELLOCK is one of them. All of the CHANNELLOCK tools I have owned over the years have held up very well, and I see no reason why these pliers will be any different.Many (probably most) hand tools these days are made in China. "Fiercely made in Meadville, PA" is clearly on the packaging for these tools. Some of the quality features include being made out of high carbon C1080 steel, having an electronic coating for rust prevention, and having laser heat-treated right-angle teeth. The blue "comfort grip" rubber handles cover clear to the ends of the handles, which I like. (On many tools today, the grips stop short of the end of the handle.)In terms of usability, these pliers are a full 12" long, ... MoreI will admit there are a few brands of tools I am partial to, and CHANNELLOCK is one of them. All of the CHANNELLOCK tools I have owned over the years have held up very well, and I see no reason why these pliers will be any different.Many (probably most) hand tools these days are made in China. "Fiercely made in Meadville, PA" is clearly on the packaging for these tools. Some of the quality features include being made out of high carbon C1080 steel, having an electronic coating for rust prevention, and having laser heat-treated right-angle teeth. The blue "comfort grip" rubber handles cover clear to the ends of the handles, which I like. (On many tools today, the grips stop short of the end of the handle.)In terms of usability, these pliers are a full 12" long, and and it's widest setting the jaws are 2 1/4" when fully "closed".I will mention that on this particular pair of pliers, there were some imperfections on the surface of the back of the pliers. (I included a photo of this.) While I think this was just cosmetic, it did surprise me a little, as I haven't seen this on other CHANNELLOCK pliers I have owned. If I could do half-star ratings, I probably would have knocked the quality rating down to 4.5 stars for this particular pair.But other than the slight cosmetic issue above, I expect I will get many years of good use out of these, and would recommend them to anyone looking for quality tongue-and-groove pliers.

Great all around tool

I've had a set of these for over 20 years and they have worked great for so many jobs, things I never originally thought I'd use them for, such as... I needed to pull out carpet tackless & the thousands of staples used to hold down the carpet pad, using these with the tip of the pliers facing down as leverage, it got the tacks out easily. I used a scrap piece of wood to protect the oak floor below.....ya you read that right! Someone covered beautiful oak floors with carpet! I've used them for plumbing when installing a kitchen drain, the large nut that is used for the drain basket is hard to tighten just by hand. I also keep a 2nd set in my toolbox on my John Deere 2xxx tractor, & its come in handy many times pulling nails in fencing to tighten loose nut's & bolts ... MoreI've had a set of these for over 20 years and they have worked great for so many jobs, things I never originally thought I'd use them for, such as... I needed to pull out carpet tackless & the thousands of staples used to hold down the carpet pad, using these with the tip of the pliers facing down as leverage, it got the tacks out easily. I used a scrap piece of wood to protect the oak floor below.....ya you read that right! Someone covered beautiful oak floors with carpet! I've used them for plumbing when installing a kitchen drain, the large nut that is used for the drain basket is hard to tighten just by hand. I also keep a 2nd set in my toolbox on my John Deere 2xxx tractor, & its come in handy many times pulling nails in fencing to tighten loose nut's & bolts on the attachments. This is one of those tools that should be in every toolbox!If this review was helpful please click on the thumbs up below, thanks! MikeTheReviewer

Great tool. Well made!

I bought these specifically because they were MADE IN AMERICA. Channellock pliers are not needed every day, but when they are needed, one can't get by without them!I could have bought an imported product which would have come with a lower price but lesser quality. And my monthly Ace discount coupon helped with the price.

Have had a 440 for maybe 20 years. It's a great tool for working on cars when a regular spanner i...

Have had a 440 for maybe 20 years. It's a great tool for working on cars when a regular spanner is not appropriate. So, bought a new 440 to add to my tool box in australia (forth coming trip there) and... the new 440 has considerably more slop in the pivot that make the jaws misalign when closing. The old set (well used) has negligible slop and is still as tight as a nun's .... Sad to see other's complain about the pivot slop too. Can't imagine the slop is a production improvement and given the slop would be set by how hard the 'rivet' is set in manufacturing, maybe channellock workers need to check the seating depth of the press.

I don't usually write reviews, but this was too good to keep to myself. Today I did one of the st...

I don't usually write reviews, but this was too good to keep to myself. Today I did one of the stupidest things I've done. Ever. I was trying to loosen some hex head bolts, and for some reason I got mixed up and was tightening them. When they didn't budge (obviously) I got a cheater bar about 2' long and proceeded to tighten them more! After breaking my hex socket, I finally realized what I was doing. After calling myself an idiot, I started trying to unscrew them (the right way this time). Of course I immediately stripped the head. I tried vice grips on the head (and I put them on REALLY tight) but they just slipped on the bolt head. It was then I got my Channellocks. I figured I would probably break them, but I decided to use cheater bars on these. I put a 2' pipe ... MoreI don't usually write reviews, but this was too good to keep to myself. Today I did one of the stupidest things I've done. Ever. I was trying to loosen some hex head bolts, and for some reason I got mixed up and was tightening them. When they didn't budge (obviously) I got a cheater bar about 2' long and proceeded to tighten them more! After breaking my hex socket, I finally realized what I was doing. After calling myself an idiot, I started trying to unscrew them (the right way this time). Of course I immediately stripped the head. I tried vice grips on the head (and I put them on REALLY tight) but they just slipped on the bolt head. It was then I got my Channellocks. I figured I would probably break them, but I decided to use cheater bars on these. I put a 2' pipe on each side of the channellocks and squeezed them together until they crossed. I turned and the bolt loosened. I couldn't believe the tool held up! If these channellocks can hold up with the force of two 2' cheater bars, they can do anything! I am very pleased!

I use this for a variety of household tasks. I most recently used it to tighten a new shower head...

I use this for a variety of household tasks. I most recently used it to tighten a new shower head. To eliminate the possibility of scratching the chrome fixture I taped the jaws, using Gaffer Power tape. The tool is a good size for most home uses and works well for a wide variety of plumbing tasks. I can recommend this tool to anyone who needs a good Channellock pliers.

The gold standard

There's a reason certain brand names take over and become the de facto name for an entire product category. Do you ask for facial tissue or do you ask for Kleenex? Velcro, ChapStick, Band-Aid... And I'd put Channellock on the list. I looked at "tongue and groove pliers" from other brands and they were over-designed, silly, and festooned with style but not substance. The Channellock plier cost a bit more for a more plain appearance, but they're a simple, honest tool that's still made in the USA and get the job done. These are the pliers that will last decades and get handed down. Try to imagine how the handles on some other brands will age vs. these and the debate is over.