Pliers are versatile and indispensable in any professional tool kit

Alongside screwdrivers, hammers and spirit levels, pliers are an indispensable part of any tool kit. Especially in professional trades such as electrics or electronics, various pliers are essential companions and are used for many routine tasks. Like the trade itself, pliers are very versatile and help with a wide variety of challenges. That's why the world of pliers is huge! Most people are certainly familiar with pliers or water pump pliers. But there are many other types of pliers and special pliers. 

The following information is intended to provide a useful overview of the different types of pliers. You will also find out which (professional) pliers Wiha has on offer and which pliers are suitable for which application. 

What pliers are available and how can they be differentiated?

The diversity of the pliers world can be overwhelming and, depending on your level of knowledge, it can be difficult to determine which are the right pliers for your requirements. The purchase decision is easier if you clarify the following two points for yourself and narrow down the huge range on offer:

• What is the main function of the pliers?
  
• Under what conditions are the pliers used?

Cutting and separating pliers

The category "cutting and separating pliers" includes all large and small pliers that are mainly used to cut through a material. The best-known representative is the diagonal cutters. These are often used for electrical installations or when working on sensitive electronic components. Other, less well-known subgroups of cutting pliers include diagonal cutters and end cutters. Both differ from diagonal cutters in the position of the cutting points on the jaws of the pliers. 

If you need to cut through structural steel or materials with a larger diameter, you can do this with bolt cutters. Pincers and concretors pincers also belong in the category of cutting and separating pliers. They are particularly indispensable in woodworking, e.g. when you need to remove nails. 

Stripping pliers and stripping toolscan also be categorised here because they also cut. Both types are used in electrical installations. You can find all information on this in the shop under Stripping and stripping tools.

Gripping and holding pliers

Gripping and holding pliers can be divided into the group of precision pliers, for fine motorised work, and gripping pliers for rougher tasks. Within these two groups, pliers are categorised into further sub-groups.

Gripping pliers for precision work

Whenever you need to grip, hold, fix, feed or bend fine materials with a small diameter, you need to use small, precise grippers with a high holding effect. You often have to deal with cramped working conditions for such tasks, which is why you can only work with narrow tools. The shape of the jaws in particular is varied. Although they always have a filigree design, they differ in their geometry. This results in the following important subgroups of precision pliers:

• Flat nose pliers:
  They have long jaws and the ends are right-angled (not pointed, round or half-round). Flat nose pliers are considered the standard variant among gripping pliers. They are therefore suitable as a universally applicable gripping tool with which you can hold or feed workpieces of different sizes and material properties.
  
  Typical areas of application are:  Cable processing in the context of electrical installations or Fixing components for soldering
  
  
• Flat round nose pliers:
  They have long jaws that are narrower at the front. In contrast to flat nose pliers, the outer ends of flat nose pliers are rounded. This makes it easier to get into tight spaces. This allows you to make better adjustments than is possible with flat nose pliers. You can also easily bend round eyelets.
  
  Typical areas of application: As part of the socket outlet installation or in model making for the insertion of partially installed components
  
  

• Round nose pliers:
  They have long jaws that are completely rounded at the front. Due to this geometry, the jaws taper strongly towards the front. The gripping surface is therefore much smaller than with the previously mentioned gripping pliers. Due to the round shape of the jaws, you can easily and precisely form eyelets and rings as well as cable connections with different diameters.
  
  Typical areas of application: All areas of electrics and electronics

The gripping jaws of all variants (flat, flat-round or round) can be smooth, serrated or toothed, depending on the material for which the pliers are mainly to be used. Textured surfaces can damage/deform sensitive materials. On the other hand, the holding function of textured surfaces is better than that of a smooth gripping surface. Depending on the intended use, all variants can be combined with a cutting surface. This is then generally located close to the joint of the pliers, as this is where the force transmission is highest. The advantage of these combined pliers is that you can cut through softer materials such as wire etc. in addition to the gripping function.

Gripping pliers for rough work

Water pump pliers, pipe spanners or pliers spanners are used in the installation and maintenance of pipework where pipes, valves or sockets with a larger diameter need to be gripped, twisted and tightened. At home, for example, to open union nuts on the sink drain when you want to clean the siphon. They differ from each other in terms of the jaw position and the lever mechanism.

• Water pump pliers:
  Their joint is adjustable. Thanks to the sliding mechanism, the water pump pliers can be adapted to the diameter of different pipe and connection parts. As a rule, it is NOT self-clamping, but must be held in the ideal position by manual force.
  
• Pipe wrenches:
  They are self-clamping, whereby the opening width of the gripping jaw must be adjusted to the diameter of the workpiece and fixed before use. They are also commonly referred to as Swedish pliers.
  
• Corner pipe wrench:
  Like the pipe wrench, it is self-clamping. Unlike the pipe wrench, the corner pipe wrench has a jaw that is angled at 45°. This makes it easier to reach components that are difficult to access.
  
  

Forming pliers (crimping, stripping, wire stripping)

These include, for example, special pliers that are used for electrical installations. These include, in particular, crimping pliers and wire strippers, which are used for cable installation. You can find all the information on crimping pliers, wire strippers and other tools designed for electrical cable processing in the following online shop categories. If you are looking for general information on cable processing activities, you will find everything you need in our guide: Cutting to length, stripping, wire stripping.

To cable processing

Combination and multifunction pliers

Multifunctional pliers are becoming more and more popular. They are traditionally called combination pliers. Combination pliers allow you to cut/pinch, grip and/or shape. On the one hand, combination or multifunction pliers save space in your tool case. On the other hand, you work more efficiently with them because you can complete several work steps with just one tool and do not have to replace it during your work. For electricians, we offer two special multifunction pliers for installation and cable processing work: the 8in1 multifunction pliers and the TriCut for cutting, stripping and wire stripping.

Special pliers

In particular, the following application-specific pliers should be mentioned here:

• Circlip pliers for fitting and removing circlips
• Installation pliers for all electrical installation work>
• Turret punch and eyelet pliers for pressing holes>

VDE pliers / electrician's pliers for all electrical installation work

Special requirements arise from work carried out in the vicinity of live components. In the vicinity of live components, you are always exposed to a particular risk of short circuits, electric arcs and electric shocks. There are binding safety rules and protective measures that minimise the risks. Nevertheless, there is always a residual risk when working in this environment, e.g. due to incorrect circuit diagrams or because systems cannot be completely de-energised. For this reason, electrical installation work may only be carried out using insulated tools. So-called VDE tools. This naturally also includes all pliers. If, despite all safety measures, you get into a live circuit with your VDE pliers, the insulation is your last life insurance, so to speak. It ensures that you have no direct contact with the live material of the pliers. Insulated pliers can be recognised worldwide by the independent and recognised test seal of the VDE (German Electrical Engineering Association) and the DIN IEC standard 60900. This seal confirms that the tool has undergone strict individual checks as part of the standardised VDE test procedure. It guarantees maximum safety for all work up to 1,000 V AC and 1,500 V DC.

Wiha specialises in VDE tools for electricians. In our online shop you will find a wide selection of VDE pliers for gripping, cutting, holding, shortening, crimping and stripping cables. We would like to emphasise our latest model, the 8in1 multifunction pliers, which combine 8 different applications in just one tool. As well as the TriCut installation pliers for cutting, stripping and stripping.

ESD pliers for all work on sensitive electronic devices

ESD pliers are crucial for the safe assembly, repair and maintenance of electronic components. This is because electronic components are very sensitive and therefore at risk from static discharges. These can lead to components being damaged, causing expensive breakdowns and repairs. Static charges occur when materials come into contact with each other and electrical charges build up. This often happens when tools and materials are moved, especially in dry environments. When working on electronic components, there is a risk of this charge being transferred to components, resulting in so-called electrostatic discharges (ESD). ESD pliers are specially developed to safely dissipate static charges in a controlled manner. They are made of conductive materials that dissipate the charge from the user's hands without jeopardising the sensitive components. This minimises the possibility of ESD damage and the electronic components remain intact.

All Wiha ESD pliers are manufactured in accordance with international standard IEC 61340-5-1. The surface resistance of the pliers handles is between 106 - 109 ohms.

Pliers for other precision mechanical work outside ESD and VDE

Narrow and pointed precision pliers are ideal for all precision work (gripping, holding, bending and adjusting) outside the electrical and electronics sectors, as fine materials have to be processed in confined working conditions. In contrast to the two previously mentioned trades, VDE and ESD versions are not required here. - Precision mechanics - Model making - Jewellery processing See also the previous chapter on gripping pliers.

Structure of pliers

Regardless of which main function a pair of pliers fulfils, in the manual sector they always consist of a head with the pliers jaws (also known as working points), a joint that opens and closes the jaws and two pliers legs that serve as handles. These move the joint. Depending on the main function of the pliers, the tool is designed differently.

Pliers head and jaws

If you open the pliers head, you have a clear view of the counter-rotating pliers jaws that act on a workpiece. These points on the jaws of the pliers are also known as working points. They are either sharply ground and hardened if necessary (cutting and separating pliers) or they have gripping surfaces that are flat, serrated or toothed, for example, to hold materials. Flat gripping surfaces are suitable for all materials that can be deformed by a corrugated or serrated surface. For nails or wires, gripping surfaces with structure are better suited because the holding force is more effective. Multifunctional pliers have a combination of gripping areas: Here there is an area for gripping and an area for cutting. 

Pliers joint

The joint transfers the user's force to the jaws of the pliers when closing the pliers handles. How much force you need to apply to hold or cut a material depends, among other things, on the "force ratio" of the pliers joint. The closer the joint is positioned to the effective points of the jaws, the less force you need to apply to the workpiece. There are different designs depending on the application and quality of the pliers. There are three main types: 

• Inserted joint:
  Here the pliers halves lie on top of each other, which means that the joint is integrated into the pliers jaws. These pliers are more compact and you can guide them more precisely and control and dose the force better. Special pliers such as circlip pliers or jewellery pliers therefore usually have inlaid joints.
• Overlay joint:
  here the pliers legs lie on top of each other and are connected with a groove. This is the classic joint, which is mainly used on pincers or side cutters. Compared to inserted joints, pliers with surface-mounted joints have an increased leverage effect. This means you can apply greater force to the workpiece with the same muscle power. When working on delicate workpieces, however, the risk of damaging them increases because it is more difficult to optimise the muscle force. Consequently, pliers with applied joints are designed more for coarser gripping and cutting functions.
• Push-through joint:
  Here the lower pliers handle is pushed through the upper one. This type of joint ensures particularly high force transmission. Pliers with a box joint are therefore ideal for heavy-duty work. For locksmith work, for example. A box joint can be self-clinching or non-self-clinching to improve the holding force.

Pliers handles