Husky’s indexing pliers set features 3 styles of pliers, all with a flex-handle design. Flex-handles are not too common, but can be useful for reaching around obstructions or into tight-access enclosures.
The set comes with 8″ Channellock-style tongue and groove pliers, 6″ linesman’s-style combination pliers with wire cutters, and 7″ long nose pliers with wire cutters. The pivoting handles lock into multiple positions for better control.
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A black nickel finish helps prevent rust or corrosion, and the handles are double-dipped for greater comfort.
Buy Now(via Home Depot)
Price: $10 for the 3-piece set. Shipping is free on $45+ orders, and there’s also a free ship-to-store option.
User reviews describe these pliers as being loose and a little wobbly. At this price, that’s probably to be expected. If you want something a little more robust, SK also makes pivoting-handle pliers, with pricing at around $20 each.
The SK pliers have spring-action jaws, but I don’t believe that they have locking hinges. The SK 3-piece set (SKT89103) is $50 via Amazon, and the separate pliers (SKT89117 combination, SKT89126 cutters, SKT89137 needle nose) can be found via Advance Auto Parts and other retailers.
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First thought, probably more at home in a tool belt while up a pole then in a garage tool box. Second thought, I would really like nice ratcheting pivots that could hold position against gravity (in any orientation) as opposed to “loose and a little wobbly”.
Stan
Stuart: I am trying to find these SK brand pivoting-handle pliers you have mentioned, but I am not really having any tried and true luck. Could you please, if you have a chance, provide a model number to one of these products and or maybe an Amazon link or so please?
As I know a person that would find these SK pliers very useful.
Stuart
I added links and model numbers at the bottom of the post. The SK pliers don’t have locking handles, but that might also make them a bit stiffer.
The scarce availability of the SK pliers might be because they’ve been discontinued, or because SK has not quite recovered from their bankruptcy and purchase by Ideal.
skfarmer
or maybe they were garbage. i have handled the sk version. they just never felt right and only got worse the more angle you put on them. i have angled cutters, pliers, needle nose and vice grip that i use rather frequently. as a dedicated sk fan and tool junkie i just could never pull the pin even when i had the chance to buy them at a highly reduced price.
i doubt the locking feature will change my mind.
Stuart
Thanks for the feedback! I wonder if anyone makes a good-performing version of this pliers style. I really would have thought the SK version would be sturdier.
If I’m going to give this style a try, the Husky 3 pliers set for $10 seems a lot less of a risk than 1 for $20. Plus, if disappointed, the Husky set can be easily returned to a local Home Depot.
skfarmer
i think they may have been sturdy enough but the handle had a weird curve to it and then throw in how the angle of the handle changed as you bent. it just felt wrong. like completely wrong ergonomic department
Stan
Just to see if anyone online knew anything about this product, I did some research on this product. Apparently, there is very little information on this product and it’s guesses where this product is made. I’ve read this is made in Taiwan, but also USA on other sites.
I’ve called SK and they don’t have any information at all.
But it’s likely that they were gimmicky garbage anyway. Despite being from the SK manufacturer. Although, all SK Tool products these are all American made though.
Stan
Stuart, thank you for posting that information. Didn’t know that SK was purchased by Ideal, yet because seemingly most of their products are still made in USA, I just figured that they weren’t bought out yet.
None the less, thanks for the model number information as well.
fred
Back in 2008 – one of my guys picked up (at HD) a set of these to try. At that time – they seem to have been a bit pricier – and the set bore the part Number 899-524 ( UPC 891876001570 ) which suggests that they were sourced from Iron Bridge Tools. I don’t recall that anyone much liked them – and if my old inventory is correct – we never bought any more.
Stuart
Thanks for the info! I’m not a fan of Iron Bridge Tools, or their products. Had I known these were possibly made by Iron Bridge, I would have steered clear.
lucid
Correct UPC number 891876001570 and the COO is China. PN 899 524. They are poorly constructed at the indexing hinge. All three now fail to lock in a ser position. Only good for warranty which still gets you more Husky trash.
LORDDiESEL (GJ Forum)
10 bucks for the set?
I’m in!
Stan
Speaking about this Husky set, I imagine this goes without saying given this is from Husky, but is the country of origin of these pliers from where most Husky products are from? I’ve seen some items made in Taiwan under the Husky name, but if I had to guess I would say these are made in China.
By the way I called Harry J Epstein about those SK flexible pliers and Steve told me these were 100% made in Taiwan and sold out of them a long time ago. Turns out though, that SK did make these in America at one point, but they have since been discontinued since Ideal Industries bought them out.
fred
If they are the same as the Husky set that I talked about above – then you are correct about China being the COO
Stan
Yes, that is the set I was referring to. I figured these were made in China, especially since they were sourced from the Iron Bridge as well.
Heh, I wonder if anyone from Home Depot/Husky is reading these comments, as I wonder what they would have to say about this product. Albeit, I doubt we are the target market for this set of “tools”.
Stuart
The last time Iron Bridge and Husky associates left comments about their tools here on ToolGuyd was in late 2010 when I caught them shilling. One comment had glowing feedback for the Husky rotary ratcheting wrench, and a couple of back-and-forth comments from the same person but with different names talked up some of the company’s other products in a gift guide post.
Associates are always welcome to leave comments about their brand’s products, as long as they properly identify themselves as a brand associate.