Best pliers you'll ever own and other wizardry

The prairie winds here are making it impossible to work. Today where we’re supposed to work it’s 30-40 mph.

So I found some time to spend some money.

The Cobras on the right are my new 2nd pair. They’re hands down the best pliers I’ve ever owned and I ran into a situation here recently where a 2nd set would’ve been dang handy.

Now the pliers on the left… I’m a huge huge huge Knipex (Kinipex, made in Germany. No silent K) fan, and truth be told I thought I had a solution to my adjustable wrench woes when I found locking adjustable pliers a few years ago.

If you haven’t heard of locking adjustable pliers they’re like a set of vise grips and a crescent wrench had a super baby. Good stuff.

But this wizardry on the left gave me goose bumps.

What hand tools can you not live without? There’s $80 worth of pliers here and these things will be around well after the zombie apocalypse hits the reset button. (No power tools, I’ll make another thread shortly for that because I have something up my sleeve for that)

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Best tool never to leave home without no matter what the ocassion is the Leatherman!

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My favorite tool, by far. Always have 2 in my toolbox.

SL500_AC_SS350

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I love a leatherman but can’t abide adjustable wrenches. Vice grips are good for holding stuff but not turning nuts and bolts. Actually the “leatherman” in my truck is a Gerber, but same concept. Never be afraid to customize your tools. I have plenty of bent combo wrenches or cut open box ends for 02 sensors and whatnot.

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Knipex are hands down the greatest hand tools ever. Of course, they also cost about the price of full hand or two lol. I think the flat tipped needle nose pliers were like $40.

I have 3 for electrical work, but the I’m pretty sure these Milwaukee strippers can’t be touched. I’d buy anything and everything Knipex if I had a money tree in my back yard lol.

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@AquaTeamPowerWash these are in my pocket without question. It feels like leaving the house naked without them. I’ve got a schrade and gerber I was issued in the Navy, but they feel like I’m carrying bricks in my pocket.

@tireshark I can’t buy vise grips unless they have a cranking option. lol I really like my milwaukees with the cranking end on them you can turn by putting a screwdriver in it, but definitely a necessity what ever your flavor of choice.

@Innocentbystander you got a set of these on the way now as a thank you for all the gear you’ve sent this way. Play with them and tell me what you think.

I’m definitely in the Milwaukee and Knipex cult. Love em!

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Thank you kindly

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The Leatherman Skeletool is on my hip every day. I did break the pliers once and they sent me a new one right away. I’m a fan.

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That’s what I posted above. Bought a handful of them for Christmas presents a couple years ago because my big brother said he lost his. Love it. I lost the little Philips screwdriver for it and just wish there was a better storage option for it.

When I lived in Michigan, I carried this on my hip everywhere I was except in the shower or bed. Then I moved to California in May and they don’t let people do that legally as easily here. Like @squidskc, it’s something I feel naked not having on me. And it’s the best tool a man or woman could ever carry daily in my opinion. :slight_smile:

My wife and I are applying for our cali ccw’s in a few months though, so hopefully I’m not naked much longer lol.

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I know you posted it, I was jumping on the band wagon:sunglasses:

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The XD series are my favorite. I may or may not own many firearms of many calibers. Allegedly.

I also may or may not have an M&P bodyguard as my CCW firearm. Allegedly.

I don’t talk guns much on the interwebs. Paranoia probably, but when folks put their firearms beyond a hunting rifle on Facebook it makes me itch on the inside. Lol

I agree with you though. It’s a life tool.

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XD’s are great. My wife is small and as blind as a bat so she carries the XD-S 9 with green laser Crimson Trace. It’s sweeeeet.

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I have an XD9 , 2 XDS 1 .45 and 1 9mm, XDM .40 and a 5” SA 1911 .45. So I have a few. Lol. This is my Springfield line up. My daily carry is a Sig 1911 ultra .45

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Which state do you live in? Here in cali, my wife and I will have to prove we have “just cause” to legally carry. Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on how you look at things) my wife was the victim of an attempted armed kidnapping a few years ago here in LA and the guy is in prison for life now. So hopefully those court documentations will be enough for us to have “just cause”. The whole concept here is some serious unconstitutional BS.

The best state. Texas


A good pic Cali folks lol. Black rifles matter. 2 aren’t rifles but it has a nice ring to it. And yes, i have tax stamps for the 2 SBRs

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I’ve been using channle locks since I was a kid. IDK if it’s a NE ohio thing, since we are so close to the plant, but it’s the go to here and has been my whole life.

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I’d be remissed if I didn’t throw these in the mix since they’ve fixed my dumb mistakes twice lately.