Knipex Pliers Wrench

40-years ago I was given my first pair of Knipex water pump pliers by one of our suppliers. They were proudly made in West-Germany. I had never heard of them. But, they would soon become the best slip-joint type pliers I would ever use. The best feature is that once you fit them to your work and apply pressure you can actually release your grip while still applying pressure and they continue to hold. I have never owned this "new" model, which has been around some time, but there is a tremendous advantage to being able to "one-hand" the jaw width adjustment. My attitude had always been, "Why do I need to be able to do that? The old style works just fine." I should have at least tried them. The design makes for very easy adjustment. I, also, never owned a nickel -or ... More40-years ago I was given my first pair of Knipex water pump pliers by one of our suppliers. They were proudly made in West-Germany. I had never heard of them. But, they would soon become the best slip-joint type pliers I would ever use. The best feature is that once you fit them to your work and apply pressure you can actually release your grip while still applying pressure and they continue to hold. I have never owned this "new" model, which has been around some time, but there is a tremendous advantage to being able to "one-hand" the jaw width adjustment. My attitude had always been, "Why do I need to be able to do that? The old style works just fine." I should have at least tried them. The design makes for very easy adjustment. I, also, never owned a nickel -or chrome-plated set. I guess there is a place for them...maybe on display because they sure are pretty. But, I found the original finish to be pretty much impervious to corrosion in even the harshest environments. The nickel finish can only be better. This particular pair would take the place of an adjustable wrench of the same size with the ease of a push-button adjustment and a whopping 2 3/8" jaw opening. The jaws remain perfectly parallel throughout the nearly infinite range of the tool. Once you get set to the size you want, a slight squeeze of your grip and the jaws lock onto the work surface.This insures that slip and subsequent damage to the work surface is minimized. To their quality, my original pair is worn, but still functional. I did manage to break a pair, way back when, that was immediately replaced by the vendor; no receipt and no questions asked (I have had trouble in the past getting the Home Depot to replace a broken "life-time warranty" tool without a sales receipt, however.). Buy any Knipex tools and your biggest concern would be losing them!

The knipex pliers wrench is a really useful tool. I'd been eyeing them for years but never bought them due to their exorbitant cost. This year I received them as a birthday gift. The Knipex Pliers Wrench are very much better than a conventional adjustable wrench in that they grip the fastener tighter as more torque is applied to the handle in one direction, exhibit a ratcheting action in the other, have a larger jaw capacity than a conventional adjustable wrench of the same length, and are lighter than similarly sized adjustable wrenches. The Knipex pliers wrench are also a decent pair of pliers. The smooth jaws grip surprisingly well thanks to the 10:1 compound leverage although this does make adjustments a bit fussy. They're also slightly more ergonomic than the ... MoreThe knipex pliers wrench is a really useful tool. I'd been eyeing them for years but never bought them due to their exorbitant cost. This year I received them as a birthday gift. The Knipex Pliers Wrench are very much better than a conventional adjustable wrench in that they grip the fastener tighter as more torque is applied to the handle in one direction, exhibit a ratcheting action in the other, have a larger jaw capacity than a conventional adjustable wrench of the same length, and are lighter than similarly sized adjustable wrenches. The Knipex pliers wrench are also a decent pair of pliers. The smooth jaws grip surprisingly well thanks to the 10:1 compound leverage although this does make adjustments a bit fussy. They're also slightly more ergonomic than the much cheaper Knipex Cobra pliers I already own. Their only negative is their cost and that was a deal breaker for me. This was made even worse by the availability of the much cheaper and similarly useful Knipex Cobra Pliers.The Cobra pliers are also better than a regular adjustable wrench. They have the same adjustment mechanism, range of adjustment, and also grip tighter with increasing torque one way and ratchet in the other. They WILL engrave aggressive teeth marks in whatever they're used on, although they can be used and adjusted so that this is minimised by making sure the toothed sections of the Cobra plier's jaws are close to parallel and engage opposite flats of a fastener.I still think the use of an adjustable wrench, pliers, or pliers wrench on a fastener is only acceptable due to the necessity of a task combined with the lack of a better option.I see the Knipex Pliers Wrench as a small incremental improvement of the Knipex Cobra Pliers. I would've bought them myself long ago had they only been a small increment more expensive. If you NEED a lightweight adjustable wrench that doesn't slip or mar fasteners then I'd say they're worth it. If not, the Cobra Pliers are less expensive and more versatile.

I have the larger 10'' version of these wrench pliers and they’re fantastic. The 7'' (actually 7.087'') version is probably the smallest anyone should consider for serious duty/work use. The smaller versions are good for EDC, mechanical, or precision work - with the 5'' actually being offered in a small kit by Knipex.My experience with the 5''; however, was not excellent. A small portion of chrome plating flaked off a jaw after light pressure was applied. It might not seem like much, but it’s an indicator the overall coating might be of poor quality.Unfortunately for me, the item is far past the return date. I’ve notified Knipex customer service and eagerly await their response.Small openings in a tool coating are easily taken advantage of by corrosion; ... MoreI have the larger 10'' version of these wrench pliers and they’re fantastic. The 7'' (actually 7.087'') version is probably the smallest anyone should consider for serious duty/work use. The smaller versions are good for EDC, mechanical, or precision work - with the 5'' actually being offered in a small kit by Knipex.My experience with the 5''; however, was not excellent. A small portion of chrome plating flaked off a jaw after light pressure was applied. It might not seem like much, but it’s an indicator the overall coating might be of poor quality.Unfortunately for me, the item is far past the return date. I’ve notified Knipex customer service and eagerly await their response.Small openings in a tool coating are easily taken advantage of by corrosion; especially where I live, an environment which is humid nearly year round. Of course, the quality of Knipex steel is great. The flaw may have been caused by a contaminate in the dipping mixture, beyond the control of the manufacture, but it’s a flaw nonetheless.