Tool Review: KNIPEX Tools 8" Angled Long Nose Pliers with Cutter and 7-1/2" Combination Pliers
Tools in the Knipex Tools Angled Pliers Series, made by Orbis, offer a 25-degree comfort angle to help wrists work the way they were naturally designed to work. The angled product line includes the following products: 8” long nose pliers (No. 9O 21-150 SBA), 7” diagonal cutter (No. 9O 21-180 SBA), 7-1/2” combination pliers (No. 9O 21-410 SBA) and an 8-3/4” cable cutter (No. 9O 47-220 SBA) .
The angled long nose pliers feature three pulling grooves which will grab tightly when holding and pulling any round objects. It also features a round-pipe gripping area and induction-hardened cutting edges for cutting any hard wire. The angled high-leverage diagonal cutters will cut any copper, aluminum, hard wire and ACSR. The combination pliers have greater gripping surfaces for pipes and connections. When cutting cable, the angled cable cutter will cut soft copper up to 2/0 AWG and aluminum cables. The cable cutter is not suitable for cutting steel wire or ACSR.
The review
Lou Fort, Lead technician at K.A.R.S. Inc. in Huntingburg, IN, tested out some of the tools from the Knipex Angled Pliers Series. He says the Knipex 8" Angled Long Nose Pliers with Cutter is a nice addition to his toolbox as they grip “quite well,” and the Angled High Leverage Combination Pliers has become his new favorite pliers for removing small spring-type hose clamps. “At one point I caught myself thinking back a number of years and wishing I had them back then,” he says.
Fort has found multiple uses for both pliers. “Over time, I have been using the Angled Long Nose Pliers with Cutter, more and more,” he says.
Fort finds the long nose pliers are useful when holding onto small screws or bolts that are difficult to get into position and also when repositioning spring clamps used on various hoses for easier removal with a real pair of hose clamp pliers. “A perfect example would be the clamp used on Ford 6L and 6.4L radiator de-gas hose located in the upper left-hand corner.”
He has also used the long nose pliers to straighten out cotter pins in hard-to-access applications, such as the lower ball joints on several different GM models.
He says, “The Angled High Leverage Combination Pliers are seeing a fair bit of action over at the wire wheel on our grinder.”
Fort appreciates that the combination pliers provide a strong grip, yet they allow him a good visual while still keeping his fingers at a cool and safe distance.
“The combination pliers are holding up extremely well,” even after holding short pieces of brazing rod. He says he would have otherwise tossed the pieces of rod if not for the 25-degree offset, giving him a clear line of sight. And “they are also still my go-to pliers when dealing with most small- to medium-sized spring clamps.”
Fort has used previous versions of these tools and he appreciates the new 25-degree offset feature. The offset allows technicians to better view their work without affecting the holding power of the tool. He adds, “The 25-degree offset handles the pliers may have saved a small amount of time in a few situations.”
Although there wasn’t anything that Fort didn’t like about these tools, he does have a suggestion for improvement. He says, “If I could, I would love to make them several inches longer and have a wider head on the combination pliers.”
