Harbor Freight has come out with new Doyle fast adjust water pump pliers.
The new Harbor Freight Doyle adjustable pliers features v-groove jaws for gripping pipes and round stock, and are adjusted via button press.
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This is the 10″ size, which has a max jaw capacity of 2″. 8″ and 12″ sizes of these pliers are also available.
Harbor Freight describes the jaws as being right angle, induction hardened, for stronger grip and longer life.
They also have a self-locking mechanism, with Harbor Freight also claiming easy one-hand operation.
With these 10″ pliers, there are 21 adjustable positions, allowing for a comfortable fit around all sizes and shapes of fasteners and materials.
The pliers receive “rust protection” via some manner of coating, and the handles are vinyl-dipped.
These are seemingly inspired by Knipex Cobra adjustable pliers ($29 via Amazon).
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Price: $20
Buy Now via Harbor Freight
Compare: Knipex Cobra via Amazon
Compare: Vise-Grip via Amazon
Compare: Channellock via Amazon
Discussion
If you’re considering this, it’s probably a buy-in-person type of tool, especially with a 20% coupon.
I have found Harbor Freight Doyle pliers to be of decent quality, but the last time I checked, there was some variation among the pliers on the shelf.
These Doyle adjustable pliers are at an interesting price level, where you have many options. You can get USA-made tongue and groove pliers for less, entry-level adjustable pliers for less, or more premium European brands of adjustable pliers for just a bit more.
Compared to the $20 for these Harbor Freight Doyle pliers, you can get Knipex Alligator for ~$21 (180mm size), or 10″ Cobras for ~$29.
Although $29 is quite a bit more than $20, once you hit that $20 price point, it can be relatively easy to justify bumping up your spending to upgrade from $20 Harbor Freight Doyle to $29 Knipex Cobra pliers.
Store brands’ adjustable pliers are usually priced lower, although you typically have to wait until November and December winter holiday value-priced tool displays to pop up.
Harbor Freight is expanding their hand tool selection, and upwards towards more premium and featured offerings. Time will tell whether they’ll be considered with the same revere as brands such as Knipex, or even as upgrades compared to more entry-level offerings.
RCWard
I’ll take the pair of Vice grips or the Channel lock . Much better deal.
Matt J.
The Irwin set is $20 at Lowes for two (8″ and 10″) quick adjust pliers. I’ve had mine for years and they’ve been great (mine were a promotional 4 pack for black Friday I believe…can’t remember the price, but it included the straight jaw versions as well). I’ve used Knipex a few times and like them better, but not by much and not enough to justify the upgrade. Not sure what would make me pick these Doyles over the Irwins and I certainly would spend the slight upcharge for Knipex if I were buying a new set. Seems like they’ve overpriced these for the market.
Jim Felt
I had an odd (for me at least) HF “need” the other day. I was asked to help a building maintenance guy repair a tenant’s broken solid core door. He’d been laid off and kicked the lockset part of the door in.
It was wood and I’ve repairEd these before. So I decided to create a little Kicked In Door repair kit. Titebond lll, some spacer sticks and 6 Pony-like adjustable clamps.
I had a new squirt bottle of TB and the sticks so I decided to see what HB had. 6 3-4” wide screw clamps with pads for maybe $15. A third the price of Bessey etc.
I used them to glue and clamp the exterior door and simply left them for the building guy.
They were not pretty but, of course, they worked perfectly.
However, I would not trade a $9 savings for the HB knockoff for the Knipex. Never.
Just a thought.
fred
Frankly _ can see the appeal. With a 20% off coupon the HF-Doyle pliers comes to $17.37 with sales tax in my neck of the woods. The Knipex from Amazon – would cost me $32.57 or 1.9 times as much. I will not be buying either -as I own quite enough Channellock and Knipex pliers to meet any foreseeable need that I might have – but I can see why a HF shopper might bite.
blocky
These would have to be a need-right-now for me not to spring for the Knipex. I paid just under $20 for 7″ Cobras and just over $20 for the 10″, purchased from amazon.de last year.
Dustin Teemsma
Amazon.de won’t ship knipex to me anymore. Not sure why.
Joatman
You can buy Knipex through Menards online. Every once in a while you’ll catch them on sale.
Gordon
KC Tool has them on sale, though rarely. They did just have a deal where you buy a 10in pliers wrench and get a free 10in cobra.
TheTool
KC Tool is a rip off when you can buy the same cheaper on Chad’s or Amazon Germany
Patrick T
The coupon makes it pretty good. I don’t have a HF that is super close to me. I do have a pretty close Menards though. You can get 10” Cobras for just under $24 with their 11% rebate. They always seem to have plenty in stock.
Jim Felt
I wish we had Menards on the west coast. We’ve only got the big two. B o r i n g .
fred
The same goes for the east coast – my 3 hunting-grounds – with nary a Menards in sight. Their nearest stores are probably an 8 hour drive from our houses and, worse yet 17 hours from our winter condo – so all impractical. I guess they are profitable staying in the upper Midwest – but some completion for HD an Lowes would be nice.
Just a Medic
Back when I was shopping for a new job in a new town, local presence of a Menards weighed heavily in my decision. What does that say about my character?
Nathan
does the 20% coupon still work? Last time I was there I noticed the 20% coupon isn’t allowed a quite a large number of items. MOst of them ‘named tool mark” systems. IT doesn’t apply to ICON, or the Bauer or the hecurles.
So I would wonder about this. Failing that I doubt I would buy one.
with the coupon it would be a consideration if I needed to get one.
aerodawg
20% doesn’t work for most stuff anymore. I recently needed a bench buffer for a one off project only to find out central machinery was excluded…
Jaycob P.
Yes, I used a 20% off on them. Doyle, Bremen and Quinn pliers are not excluded.
DC
Pass on these Knipes knockoffs. I have enough Petersen Vise-Grips, Channellocks and Knipex for a lifetime.
DC
Ooops, fat finger syndrome. I meant Knipex knockoffs.
Wayne R.
While these look like Knipex knock-offs, to my mind these are trying to break into the Channellock level of tools.
I’ve been using Channellocks for, well, ever, and have little gripe with them, but I’ve also got a couple of Knipex Alligators and a couple of Cobras.
Those Knipex Cobras are the creme de la creme of such pliers, to me. And a new person needs to use others for a few years before they’ll fully appreciate the Cobras.
mattd
harbor freight’s prices are definitely on the rise. The problem is that they built their reputation on being cheap, so when you see these pliers at that price it is a real head scratcher. Like you said I can get some made in USA chanellocks for that price, or if you want the push button you can get the Irwin’s grovelocks in a 2 pack for like $25, or you can get the workpro ones for $10. I just don’t see why anyone would pay that much for something from harbor freight. Though I am in a similar boat when it comes to ICON stuff. I don;t know why a PRO would buy from HF and I don’t know why a DIYer would spend those prices.
Ray
Couldn’t agree more…I’m a homeowner DIYer and I buy stuff I need for one or two tasks at HF. If I need something to last for the next 5 years plus, It’s off to Home Depot. I’d never pay mid or upper tier pricing at Harbor Frieght. If I’m going to pay that much it’s only gonna be once…
Mac
Knipex Cobras…you sold me on them a while back. I have plenty of crappy pliers for the neighbors to borrow.
Price point for me would be $12 to $15.
Kizzle
LMFAO harbor freight thinking they’re able to justify these prices just like that? I don’t trust that harbor freight won’t replace this model with another one in 6 months. They don’t have the track record to be breaking into the one-step-above-shit market overnight. Tool companies that charge higher prices like Knipex and channellock have built and cultivated trust in their products and services for years and years. They didn’t just go from selling tools that you couldn’t wash the stank off of to uber primo with a new model launch. Harbor freight needs to earn trust at the low end for much much longer before trying to pull the ol switcheroo. It’s like someone on a board of something is like, “Bro. Look at this here German company selling pliers for more money. Why don’t we do that too! DOYLE RULES!” Reminiscent of GM trying to take on Mercedes with the Cadillac lol. At least GM is the manufacturer. Harbor freight is just an import company.
TheTool
Are you a teenager? Grow up. Who comments and can’t even spell “LMAO” properly. And just so you know there are other brands that aren’t Knipex that have good water pump pliers.
Joatman
I have a set of the Irwin and also one Knipex. Really like all of them. This article has reminded me of one of my most used tools in my shop…….the Craftsman Robo Grip pliers. Two sizes. I grab for one of these most every time I need pliers. These things are so under- rated. I’ve had them for probably 20 years. Still going strong.
Richard Schneeman
Thanks for reminding me these exist. My dad has a pair and I used them a ton growing up but I’ve since forgotten about them somehow.
me
I have a (4″?) pair of the Knipex cobras. Really nice. Found them online for about $35. Buuut, thought I’d be community oriented and buy them local-had the auto parts place order a pair(didn’t ask the price…) $49.62 later, I will be looking at these HF pliers.
Mike (the other one)
I don’t see the point in Doyle or Quinn pliers when you can get USA or German-made pliers for the same price or just a few dollars more. The US/German ones are better designed, made of superior metal, will last longer, and those companies stand behind their product.
Sure, HF has a warranty, but what good is it if the Doyle brand is replaced with another meaningless brand in a year or two? Quinn and Doyle are not named after anyone. No one founded those companies, because they don’t exist. These, along with every other HF brand are store brands, and are there to give the impression of selection.
GML
I have a similar set of the Husky brand from Home Depot (lifetime warranty). Obviously not as good as something from Knipex but they were a great price. Of course I can not find them on the website now…
Kyle
I’ll spend the extra $9 to get a quality product. These would have to be half or less the price of knipex to get my attention.
Coach James
I’m curious, how often do any of you break pliers and try to use a warranty? Unless I was using needle nose tips as a pry bar or some other misuse, I have never broken any.
John
These look just like the old Craftsman version of the Knipex Cobra, of course those were made in Germany (by knipex I believe)
Leonard A Daneman
Mine broke.
The quick adjust button loosened up and while you can adjust, the pliers can’t open or close.
Driving to HF right now to see if they honor any warrantee.