expiredGimmeYoTots posted Mar 16, 2025 05:08 PM
Item 1 of 7
Item 1 of 7
expiredGimmeYoTots posted Mar 16, 2025 05:08 PM
KNIPEX Tools 13 72 8 Forged Wire Stripper, Integrated Spring, 8-Inch ($49 w/ Free Prime Ship) at Amazon
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The (best) old stuff is comprable to current Snap-On/Mac/Blue Point. Check out Project Farm and Torque Test Channel on Youtube for comparisons.
My Yellow handled Kleins from the 80's and 1960's Channellock have seen more work than a..... well, we'll just say alot.
PB Swiss for screwdrivers, Nepros and Koken for ratchets and sockets. Nepros for ratchets. Snap-on quality but overpriced hand tool mention. Starrett and Mitutoyo for measuring tools. Wera, Wiha are also really nice brands. Vessel/ sunflag for screwdrivers, Fujiya / Engineer/ Keiba for pliers. KTC for scrapers/ other automotive tools. KC Tool is a great place to browse german made tools. Knipex for side cutters and most any kind of pliers. Stabila for levels, Gedore Rot Band hammers are better or tied for Picard for hammers. Martinez for Framing Hammers, Engineer (japan) Solder suckers and Screw pullers, Gransfors Bruks for Swedish pattern axes and hatchets. Blue Spruce for hand chisels Hotley for a hand plane. York Lux for a bench vice. As for locking pliers, Eagle Grips
Go to any electrician shop or on the field and most of the guys wont have one Knipex on them. Maybe 1-2 out of 13 guys do. Thats how you can tell value vs price, even with the motto BUY ONCE CRY ONCE. Overhyped doesnt mean low quality btw, it just means overhyped.
I can compare them to Osprey which has a strong "marketing team" that "seems" to be grassroots. Many of their products are OK some outright trash but gets a huge following due to their fake "grassroots" type marketing pushed on reddit. But yeah, all tool companies have a tool that outshines in a specific niche, as noted above. Most of the time its always VALUE vs PRICE. Sure a $110 Linemans pliers are probably top quality and great but a $21 plier that does just the same thing with the same features and is made of the same material and almost the same sharpness out of the box but might be missing the crimp feature might just be a much better value.
EDIT: Butthurt Knipex fans enraged. Very rarely do you need to spend $80 on a single hand tool, and as a Knipex cobra plier owner myself, I don't get offended when someone talks objectively and I don't need to be offended when someone doesnt like a tool I use. Knipex makes good tools, but most are overpriced, Surprisingly Milwuakee (A brand I dont really find that high quality except the FUEL) 9 in 7 Wirecutter beats these Knipex in terms of price and utility but not quality and sharpness.
Kleins went downhill and seem to now be designed by non engineers. No spring on K12065CR crimper versions, no locking feature on K12035s,
Learn to stay objective. If youre an avid tool collector and user; with hundreds of tools from dozens of brands including Knipex, youll realize that most of the people pushing certain brands only use the tools as a hobbyist. Go to any shop and see how many Knipex they have. Certain brands make good tools for a certain use, not one brand makes the best everything.
List of all the best handtools and their niche, probably the most helpful post in this entire thread yet the most hated on.
Stay hating Anons that have been here 10 years and have 40 Reps and posted Zero deals.
Datasheet on the best pound for pound value and quality tools:
Screwdrivers
PB Swiss for screwdrivers, most comfortable.
Wera, Wiha are also really nice brands for Insulated screw/slotted drivers. Dont bother with their Electric screwdriver, although Wiha makes a real fine one, with an amazing design, theyll go bad fast due to its beautiful yet easily broken Pop-Up/PocketMax , their HEX keys are better as well as their insulated and Magnetic Nut Setter.
Vessel / sunflag for Screwdrivers, I prefer Vessel 3speed, vessel ball drivers, japanese quality made for an electric, amazing quality and comfort.
Measuring Tools / Calipers
Starrett and Mitutoyo for measuring tools. Mitutoyo is the standard for precision measuring calipers and the like.
Starrett combination squares (best)
Mitutoyo calipers and micrometers.
Ratchets
Nepros and Koken for ratchets and sockets.
Nepros are better for ratchets.
Koken for low tooth count ratchets.
Snap-on quality but overpriced hand tool mention.
Tone for impact sockets.
Multi-meters
FLUKE
Unless you're in HVAC, then go FieldPiece, Fieldpiece has an amazing BIFL warranty.
Laser measurement
Leica for laser measurement (Disto line)
Tape Measure: FAT MAX
Hammers
Gedore - Engineer
Martinez - Framer
Misc hammer - Picard
Cable Cutters
Tsunoda WC-150, Wire Rope Cutter
Solder
Best Solder Sucker - Engineer brand
Vise grips
Three Peaks DS-200T
Side cutters - Victor+ ZM80-200, Tsunoda w flush cut - it can catch lead.
hand chisels
Blue Spruce
Wire Stripper
Value and better features: milwaukee 7-in-1 electrician pliers
Quality and sharpness: Knipex wire stripper, head too small to wrap wires reliably compared to a linemans.
Best automatic: is the PTS4 (Europe/Italy) and one of the cheapest not knipex which struggles at AWG10 and cant even do under AWG10 or get Pressmaster Embla 16
PLIERS:
BEST: Knipex Cobras 10in (size is good all around), dont ever bother with Knipex 16in
Screw Pulling Pliers: Engineer Japanese Brand for and smaller ergonomic pliers.
Fujiya / Engineer / Keiba for pliers. They lack insulated pliers.
Locking Pliers: Best - Eagle Grips
VALUE:
Tsunoda makes really great quality and no frills pliers, can compete with Knipex and only cost $19.
Channellock 16 in pliers
Knife(tool):
Olaf
Lennox Gold
TOOLBAG:
VETO PRO PAC TECH-MCT (Blackout)
Light:
Olight Baton 4 premium
Notice how I don't have any Klein tools listed and not more than 2 sections for Knipex?
Hard to deny results from this test, they are impressive: https://youtu.be/cUklhL1cGqY
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