Klein Tools has quietly launched new long-reach pliers, with curved and straight needle nose tips.
Pliers like these come in handy when you need greater reach, especially when working in tight spaces.
Thanks to the double pivot design, you can open the pliers wide without having as much handle spread as with single-pivot pliers.
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Model numbers:
- 71400 – straight nose
- 71401 – angled nose
- 71402 – 2pc set
Price: $23 each or $36 for the 2pc set
Discussion
I have used similar pliers before, namely the Gearwrench Double-X.
Crescent Tools, part of the same company as Gearwrench, has similar pliers.
Sata, also part of the same company as Gearwrench and Crescent, has similar pliers with slightly different handles.
Looking around, there are now Double-X pliers by even more brands, such as Triplett, SK Tools, and online marketplace brands I’ve never heard of before.
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It’s unclear as to whether Apex Tool Group is making the same pliers for a greater number of brands, or if additional tool manufacturers are making similarly-styled pliers.
There’s a chance that Klein Tools is making these pliers for themselves, but that seems unlikely.
I really like this style of long-reach pliers – I’ve owned a couple for many years now. It’s good to see more options, although I don’t see anything different about the Klein-branded pliers.
CA
Which one of these would you guys buy? I’ve been looking to get a set.
JJ
I’d get the Milwaukee 48-22-6542 Long Reach Pliers Set instead. Unique design. If you like this design, there’s a Quinn clone at Harbor Freight.
Brad
I was going to ask how these stack up to the Milwaukee Long Reach there the best new pliers I’ve seen in along time.
It’s the needle nose I reach for most.
Stuart
The Milwaukee ones are excellent, but cost a lot more.
For “do I really need that?” types of users, the double-pivot style pliers are less expensive and thus less risky.
Wayne R.
There are more parts & more machining necessary for these dual pivot designs, so that means they cost more to make, right? Yet they’re half the cost of the Milwaukee version?
Brad
Home Depot is selling a two pack of the 48-22-6542 skew for $59.97 and a single in the 48-22-6540 skew for $39.97 (I’m not 100% sure that’s the same pier but it looks the same as my two pack).
Amazon is selling singles for between $60 to $99 but that’s all third party listings.
Acme is also selling the two pack for $70.
MM
These double-pivot style pliers are more complex like you mentioned, but at the same time I’ve never seen what I would consider a high quality pair. Every one that I have handled has been decent but clearly not at the level of premium pliers. Those Milwaukees are not as complex but they are made to a higher standard.
Speaking of quality long-reach pliers, Knipex has a few of the traditional design, there are also some excellent pistol-grip ones from Snap-On. I use the 612AEP a lot, there are also needle-nose versions and specialized ones for round things like hoses (HG410EP & HG416EP). But these are not so economical as the double pivot style….
Bonnie
More parts matters less as you get to scale and if each part is simple to make. There’s a ton of white-label/copy versions of this design, so the process is likely very streamlined.
fred
I bought a set of 2 (#17851 and #17852) from SK back in 2007. I find that I use them infrequently.
For a short while Zenith Industries was selling several styles that had pistol grip configurations. Like these:
https://www.amazon.sg/Zenith-Industries-ZN502655-Pistol-45-degree/dp/B06XXNP6M8
CMF
Using them infrequently would probably be the norm. These are for when just these type of pliers will work as all the others fail. Otherwise, under normal circumstances, regular or long nose pliers are less heavy, easier to use and hold for most tasks.
These are really for when nothing else works well. (at least for my user experience)
Joellikestools
I have the crescents. I would biy qhichever is least expensive. All thr apex ones are very similar.
Dave
” although I don’t see anything different about the Klein-branded pliers.”
Picked up a pair of these and the teeth on these ones are angled. Don’t think I’ve seen that on other similar styles. It does seem like it improves the grip, especially if twisting or pulling a little sideways at all.
Rx9
This class of tool is something I recommend wholeheartedly to anyone with a tool collection. You can use them for basic needle nose plier tasks to begin with, but they really shine in places where the sides are confined.
fred
For really tight spacers other styles of “grabbers” may be better. I have a batch of different length hemostat-style forceps that have been very useful when needed. They come in sizes starting at about 3.5-inches long (sometimes called mosquito forceps) to 24-inch long – with various tip styles – some straight, bent, or loop-ended. The ones that they call Ear Polypus or alligator forceps can work in some challenging spots (like ear canals I suppose)
https://www.amazon.com/G-S-HARTMAN-ALLIGATOR-FORCEPS-SERRATED/dp/B00YBUJ0J2
Gearwrench make some (straight and curved tip) that have compound joints like these pliers:
https://www.amazon.com/GearWrench-82034-Double-Hemostat-Straight/dp/B001M0O1KW
I have found them to not have as strong a “grab” as the normal forceps.
MM
There are several medical tools that are handy for grabbing parts in tight spots. The “crocodile action ear polypus” is well known but there are also larger more heavy-duty versions listed as “orthopedic grasper” or “cartilage grasper”. There are also smaller extra-long types: endoscopic grasper. Stieglitz forceps are handy.
Hemostats come in a variety of different versions, some are stiffer than others, some have more aggressive teeth or different degrees of curve to the jaws. I.e. Mixter forceps are handy for small work in delicate spots.
fred
The trading of tool ideas back and forth from the medical and mechanics or building trades tools goes on and on. The OMT first patented by Fein may have been inspired buy oscillating saws used to remove plaster casts for bone fractures. Slide hammer pullers used in autobody work may have inspired the medical ones:
*CAUTION: Medical procedure gore warning* https://www.innomed.net/hip_tools_rongeurs.htm#OrthoVise-LargeHipToolsRong
Rx9
Good point, Fred. Another one people might not know is that the chainsaw actually began as a surgical instrument:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chainsaw
fred
They still sell that sort of hand-powered chainsaw for cutting high limbs – without the need for climbing, ladders or a bucket truck:
https://www.amazon.com/CAMPNDOOR-High-Limb-Rope-Saw/dp/B0BSXSQ2CB
More basic cable saws are sold for use to cut plastic pipe in tight spaces. But IMO a Hackzall is a much better tool for this task – unless there is absolutely no clearance. They might, however, be useful to carry in a compact wilderness survival kit:
https://www.amazon.com/Lyka-Distribution-Wire-Survival-Backpacking/dp/B07ZQPZMBS
fred
I have a pair of Proto grabbers #4234 (17inch) and #4235(26inch) that are at least 50 years old and get used quite frequently. They are an older design – using 2 flat steel claw-jaws. The newer design uses spring steel wires, and I like them less as the open-grip width is less and heavier objects seem to fall out once gripped. The newer design is more flexible.
https://www.amazon.com/Proto-Flexible-Retrieving-Holding-J2344/dp/B001HWA8NO
https://www.amazon.com/Proto-Flexible-Retrieving-Holding-J2345/dp/B001HW6WFM
Stuart
I bought the Gearwrench hemostats years ago, but returned them – they were too stiff. https://14cyiuhvcgv.com/gearwrench-double-x-hemostat-review/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Maybe the design or engineering has been tweaked since then.
CMF
Too stiff kills whatever advantage these would give you. A definite no-no.
fred
I think that mine required many open/close cycles and lubricant – but after all that I still don’t like them much. The old trick with stiff pliers was to work the joints “in” using valve lapping compound or jeweler’s rouge. The double joint design makes that strategy more difficult. I’ve always noticed that Klein pliers seem to be stiff out of the box – but that’s better than the slop one sees in some cheap imports.
I have a batch of hemostats – one behind another hanging on a pegboard – the Gearwrench ones sit at the back.
MM
I think that might simply be the standard of the medical instrument market. From my experience there are basically two standards of quality for medical instruments. The high end stuff is made in places like the USA or Germany. These are expensive but the joints are always very smooth, the ratchets don’t stick, tip alignment is good, etc. The downside is that a single basic hemostat of this kind of grade can cost $40+ with larger or more complex instruments costing a few hundred bucks. The lower end instruments are often made in Pakistan or India. These are very often stiff, the tips don’t quite line up correctly, and they’re usually satin finish instead of high polish and the ratchet is often “sticky”. I’m guessing that Gearwrench just stuck their brand on some of those lower-grade hemostats; the excessive stiffness is par for the course with that grade of tool.
fred
The Gearwrench 82034 and 82035 ones that I bought in 2012 were made in China. With the exception of the first few USA-made Xcelite hemostats that I purchased in the 1970’s and 1980’s – most say Pakistan on them. For hobbyist work most seem good enough. I suspect a surgeon might have a different opinion.
fred
Zoro also lists the COO as China for the Gearwrench ones:
https://www.zoro.com/gearwrench-1-piece-double-x-hemostat-plier-loop-handle-82034/i/G3084785/?q=G3084785
JR Ramos
Fun fact, straight from the source (back in the day). Most of the implements from Pakistan were made from melted down Russian tanks and vehicles that were bombed out, and other military hardware left behind. Combined with their melting techniques and furnaces at the time, it made for some questionable but serviceable steel of varying quality (and is one reason why so many of them were pitted or had other flaws). It may still be the case today, wouldn’t surprise me, although steel from China is fairly inexpensive for them now.
Pete
Klein recently released a line of scissors that are now rolling out to Lowes. They look suspiciously similar to the updated shears/scissors that Crescent/Wiss released a couple of years ago. I’d be shocked if they did not come out of the same factory.
As an aside, Klein is really lacking in the ‘new product rollout’ department. So often, something will show up on store shelves with zero information on the Klein website for weeks or months (these new scissors included)… Or they’ll show up in Klein promotional materials or on the Klein website, and not materialize for ages. (Looking at the Model # 32561HDRT Knect Stubby Screwdriver specifically!)
Jason
I have the Quinn, it is nice. 30% of this weekend (with coupon of course), and lifetime warranty.
ElectroAtletico
Too late to the party for Klein.
I got the Milwaukee 48-22-6542 set and frankly, in light of some of the bad rep that Milwaukee hand tools have, these Milwaukee long needle nose pliers are FANTASTIC.
Stuart
“Too late to the party” is what a lot of critics said about Milwaukee’s entry into the hand tool market.
Wayne R.
I sure covet those cross handle pliers, and will eventually end up with some, but the price on those things is nuts.
Bruce Hoffman
I bought a 2 pack from NAPA 15 plus years ago. They are very handy in certain instances. The only tool that can do what they do. I seem to drop tools where these double x tools are the only way for me to retrieve the dropped tools.
Meng
I bought a pair of HF long nose recently to remove a piece of gasket material from my lawnmower gas tank. It was not great. I couldn’t get the jaws to open enough to a proper grip ratio (hopefully you understand what I’m talking about) to pull it out. Still in there now unfortunately. Doesn’t Knipex make a larger opening ratio to grip opening? I don’t remember if it was them or Milwaukee.
I think that has to be huge purchasing factor for me.
fred
For that sort of task, you might be better served with a long hemostat.
Wayne R.
Or long tweezers, good for fishing stuff out of that gas tank and useful to flip shrimp or chicken wings on the grill.
Meng
Thanks to the both of you!
J. Newell
I bought a pair of the Crescent version some years back. I use them infrequently but the double joint means they will go into spaces that a single joint (or a long hemostat) won’t fit. I would buy them again – I don’t need better quality for the few times I need them each year. On the other hand, when you need them, they’re very handy. I actually used them yesterday to fish a dropper cable out of a bike tube. I couldn’t have snagged it with my long hemostat and I’m pretty sure a single-joint couldn’t have done it, either.