Gedore’s 137 Grip Wrench is a special style of locking pliers that’s designed for use in tight spaces and on worn fasteners. Gedore calls this a problem-solver for vehicles and industrial purposes. These pliers are available in a range of sizes, from 10mm to 27mm.
This looks like a cross between Irwin’s Vise Grip wrench and a line wrench.
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While the Gedore wrench does look compelling, I wonder as to its real-world usefulness. Then again, Gedore wouldn’t make this in 15 sizes if there wasn’t a market for them.
I’ve owned a 7″ Irwin Vise Grip wrench, model 7LW for over 7 years now. 7-1/2 years, and I cannot remember one time when it was the only tool that could get a job done. I’ve used it a number of times – none in recent years – but those times I was thinking that I really should just use this tool for something.
Gedore’s wrench looks to have more tight-space-friendly jaws, and the line wrench style jaw profile could be handier. But, when the GAS (gear acquisition goggles) are off, it looks like another tool that’s better suited for very specific specialty applications rather than general purpose needs. Especially when you consider that the jaws aren’t very adjustable and that you need a different size for different sized metric fasteners.
File this tool in the back of your memory, for when you come across mangled or hard-to-remove fasteners of the same size over and over.
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These pliers aren’t cheap – they start at about $100 each.
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NCD
Only $100 each?
jesse
A complete set of 15 at >$100 each?? Probably close to $2K with shipping.
Allen
I use my Vise-Grips like that a lot. They are good for gripping round bars, hex shafts as well as flat stock and bolt heads.
Does a locking adjustable wrench exist ?
Stuart
Stanley makes one. (Stanley 10″ MaxGrip).
Jerry
I have both and they each have their place. What they are most useful for is holding the head of a fastener on the backside of something big enough that you can’t reach around it. Clamp the Vise Grips or locking adjustable wrench to the head, figure out some way to keep it from turning by letting it wedge against something, or even attaching a wire or para cord to the end if you have to. This works better than one may think, as the wire or cord will catch the wrench, still holding onto the nut.
The Vise Grips grab buggered fasteners better, and the locking adjustable wrench fits in tighter places.
B.Baxter Matheny
Sears makes another in the Craftsman brand.
Steve
where has that been all my life!? and CHEAP too!
CT
Craftsman offers a locking adjustable wrench under their Extreme Grip line.
MR.ED
Yep…have had two, before they grew legs. Got At WalMart, Atlanta…not seen lately…never used them.
Barry
We used to use Gedore’s replacing antennas on towers. Really lessens the chance of dropping things. Gedore on a tether, nuts n bolts in a linemans bag. Clamp the Gedore around the nut before it comes out of the bag and there’s very little chance of dropping the nut. Even if you did drop the tool to be caught on the tether, the nut would stay in the locked jaws. That doesn’t happen with pretty much anything else.
fred
A bit less but still way too pricey (IMO) at KC Tools:
http://www.kctoolco.com/Pliers-Wiha-Knipex-s/3362.htm?Search=&brand=Gedore%20Tools
Chad
cool tool never seen them before!
really neat !!
Dan
sorry, way too much!!!!!
Toolfreak
I like the Vise-Grip version better since it fits more sizes, and you can still find the USA-made ones in stores that have them, but as you said, they don’t really get used much since other options are usually in the toolbox.
They ARE fantastic for jobs where you don’t have the right wrench size, or you want to remove a really stuck fastener or hold a nut but don’t want to risk rounding it off with a 12-point wrench or an open end, or, as also mentioned above, situations where you want to retain the bolt/nut in the wrench so it doesn’t fall. Most people just don’t do any jobs where these criteria come into play.
That said, the Gedore versions look like they are size-specific and 6-point like a flare nut wrench for use on soft alloy/copper fasteners, where the Vise-Grip version or any other pliers would likely crush and mangle. The tools are expensive, but so is time and materials having to replace everything because you mangled a fitting and twisted a line.
Dan
Yeah they look like they would make good flare nut wrenches if the clearance was not too tight. They are expensive though.
Those bolt grabbing style of vise grips, I have never seen one of those anywhere here in the UK, Vise grips were themselves not that common before Irwin branding. Most of our old grips were Mole grips, now part of Stanley.
Monte
Hazet has similar pliers …maybe cheaper ? Hazet 756-13… Hazet 756-15….
T
Yum. But with tool OCD, the need to have a complete matching set of anything, itll get expensive quick. Absolutely needed sized would prob be 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22… The most common under carriage sizes I see.
bob rusk
these Irwin 7LW pliers are perfect when assembling small plumbing connections on site .. by holding the ,say, stopcock with the pliers that fit perfectly on the hex shape,you can now begin to assemble all the threaded fittings. This can be moved progressively up as the components are tightened. If you have ever tried to do this with 2 shifting spanners you will understand how awkward this can be . I lost these pliers many years ago but I’m sure the where larger (9”) and where called “wire cutters “. These are perfect on all the small hex ends of plumbing fittings.