Best Combination Pliers for 2024
26th May 2023
Traditional pliers are a toolbox essential, but what if one pair of pliers could do more than one job?
That's where combination pliers come in, and in this post we'll look into the best options on the market today.
Best Combination Pliers by Type
Combination pliers can both grip and cut using the same tool. Below, we've categorised the best tool depending on the job you want it to do:
Combination Side Cutting Pliers - Best All-round DIY Tool
If you want a pair of pliers with a strong cutting mechanism and a solid grip, then the Side Cutter Parallel Pliers by Maun are perfect.
There are so many reasons why this powerful tool is better than traditional combination pliers, including:
- The tool’s compound-lever action multiplies the user’s hand force at the cutting edges by 25 times. That is DOUBLE the force of traditional scissor-action combination pliers of the same length, so you can generate much more cutting force with a smaller tool.
- The side cutter edges are hardened for durability, to HRC 57 for smaller tools and to class-leading HRC 62-65 for the 200 mm pliers. You won’t find more durable cutting pliers.
- Utilising its parallel jaws, this tool grips evenly along the whole length of its jaws (as opposed to scissor-action pliers, which only have a small, single point of contact). When gripping hexagonal fastenings, it’s like having an instantly adjustable wrench. The parallel jaws can also be used for straightening and removing kinks in wire.
- The tool’s parallel jaws are serrated, making their grip second to none on a wide range of surfaces.
- The v-slot in one of the tool’s jaws gives you better purchase on wire (due to the increased area of contact with the wire).
- An open throat permits you to the feed wire down the full length of the jaws. This means you can grip wire using the entire surface of the jaws. And you can do this at any point along the wire and not just at the end, as with regular combination pliers.
- A return spring option makes the tool self-opening, speeding up repetitive cutting and removing the need for that awkward "little finger" motion to push the pliers open again.
These pliers are available in a range of sizes from 125 mm to 200 mm, so you can choose a tool that fits your particular task or hand size. You can view the different options here.
Learn more about Parallel Pliers here.
Combination Electricians Pliers - Best for Electrical Work
When cutting and manipulating wire all day long, you need a tool that's reliable, and saves you from picking up and putting down multiple tools during one task.
That's where the Side Cutter Parallel Pliers For Hard Wire 160 mm, with a range of features designed to make your life easier.
The parallel jaws are v-slotted, so you can feed wire down the entire length of the jaws for better grip. The integrated side cutter is capable of cutting through even the hardest of wire, with hardened cutting edges to HRC 57 for durability and sharpness during repeated cutting over a long period of time.
Combination Dental Pliers - Best for Cutting and Bending Orthodontic Wire
If you need a set of pliers to both cut and bend dental wire, then the Side Cutter Parallel Pliers Autoclave Safe 140 mm are ideal.
They can be fully sterilised for a healthcare setting, and are capable of cutting through hard dental wire with ease. The side cutter multiplies your hand force by 25, so repetitive cutting doesn't tire out your hand.
Combination Fencing Pliers - Best For Installing and Maintaining High Tensile Wire Fencing
Installing and maintaining livestock fencing requires a whole range of tools, so any set of pliers that can reduce the weight you have to carry around the farm is a must.
These Fencing Pliers by Maun have been specifically designed to deal with the problems faced by those installing electrical wire fencing.
A very rugged tool, they're designed for gripping and cutting through high tensile electric fencing wire. It contains unique features such as the v-slotted jaw so the full length of the pliers jaws grip onto the wire, as well as an open throat to feed wire and therefore grip along any part of the full length (as opposed to only the ends with conventional pliers).
The cutter is hardened to HRC 62-65 for durability and long lasting cutting sharpness.
Learn more about fencing pliers here.
Watch our Side Cutting Parallel Pliers in action here.
Why use combination pliers?
The main reason to use combination pliers is to save yourself time. As the tool can cut and grip, you don't have to switch between different tools when you're having to both bend and cut through something. It also saves you having to carry two different tools with you, useful for electricians who are squeezing into tight areas, or farmers who don't want to carry more than one tool when going about their land.
Do combination pliers cut wire?
Yes combination pliers are usually wire cutters, which will allow you to cut through a range of wire types (including hard metal wire and electrical wire). Just ensure any electrical wires are not live before cutting.
Conclusion
We hope you found our comparison of the best combination pliers useful.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact us.
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