One thing I like about Kobalt Tools is that they try new things every year. Sometimes this doesn’t work out very well, as with some of their past years’ fourth quarter hand tool releases, but I like that they keep trying.
Kobalt recently came out with flip-jaw pliers, and also a master screwdriver bit set. They also have some new Xtreme Access socket sets coming out this here – here’s my review of the Kobalt Xtreme Access pass-thru ratchet and sockets from when they first came out.
Advertisement
Over at Lowes’ website, I also caught a peek at their new self-adjusting pliers. These pliers are rather plainly described right now, as simply “Kobalt pliers,” but the design looks to be worthy of a distinct name.
Lowes and Kobalt came out with self-adjusting Magnum Grip pliers and Magnum Grip locking pliers in the past. I had mixed feelings about the regular pliers, and a really bad impression of the locking pliers, but these new Kobalt pliers look good enough for me to give a chance.
These new Kobalt pliers have 3 things going for them:
- Self-adjusting design for quick adjustments and gripping action of different sized objects
- Compound leverage design delivers greater gripping power with less hand strain
- Parallel jaws for gripping flats of hex fasteners without (or with less) rounding
Essentially, these look to be a self-adjusting and more economical version of the Knipex Pliers Wrench. Additionally, the Knipex Pliers Wrench has smooth jaws, these look to have finely serrated ones.
The product details aren’t very clear right now, but the Lowes page says that the handle length is 10-inches. If true, it looks like you get 8″ and 10″ pliers with this 2-piece set. If not true, then you might get 6″ and 8″ pliers, although 8″ and 10″ seems more likely.
Price: $25 for the set
Advertisement
Buy Now(via Lowes)
Compare(via Amazon)
First Thoughts
You can be sure that I’ll be hunting for these pliers at the nearest Lowes stores as soon as I can. While they don’t look as refined as Knipex Pliers Wrenches, they’re far less expensive. If they work half as good at a quarter the price, they might be solid buys.
This set of 2 is priced at $25. You would be hard pressed to find a single Pliers Wrench of either size for $50.
Self-adjusting? I suppose that could come in handy, if well designed.
Compound leverage? This is a very useful feature, and one of the reasons I will never ever give up my Pliers Wrenches. Compound leverage does wonders for improving the gripping power of smooth pliers jaws, and so they should work as well or even better with grooved jaws.
Parallel jaws? As Lowes and Kobalt say, the parallel jaws do help improve the grip of hex fasteners. Since you grip such fasteners on their flats, there’s less a chance that you’ll round off the corners. And when combined with the compound leverage mechanism, it will probably take a lot of effort for these pliers to slip off a fastener.
I have my reservations, but also a great deal of optimism. So you share in that optimism? And if you’ve seen these at your Lowes, what do you think about them?
Brandon
Sorry, Stuart, I don’t share your optimism. Those pliers from a few years ago were so bad, I have no interest in these.
Doc
These appeared at my local Lowes this past weekend. They’re made of stamped & laminated metal, and are a bit sloppy on the tolerances. The entire thing feels loose. The parallel slide channel is lubricated, too. However, it did work as intended and tightened up when used. The jaws opened wider than expected and the self adjusting mechanism engaged consistently and confidently on the various things I grabbed onto with the demo units. Personally I’d still go with a Pliers Wrench over these any day, but unlike past years I think this one is a solid holiday offering rather than a gimmick to be avoided. Obviously not a professional level tool, but I think Harry Homeowner wouldn’t be disappointed to have or receive one.
Tom
These look nice, but I wonder why nobody ever bothers with smooth-jaw design. Getting the Knipex Pliers Wrench was partially a revelation because the smooth jaws don’t chew up everything that they touch. It’s really nice to be able to not mar your work surfaces.
Stuart
It takes a lot of force to grip something with smooth jaw parallel jaw pliers without slippage.
And if the jaws aren’t parallel, smooth jaws don’t have any means by which to stop slipping.
I have smooth jawed Channellock tongue and groove pliers, but it’s really meant for use on delicate and finished plumbing fixtures.
Mike
I have those same Channellock pliers. While one side of the fastener stays unmarked, one corner on the opposite side always gets mangled. There aren’t enough adjustment points to keep the jaws parallel and one side always puts the force directly into the corner. It would help if they would release more than the one size.
But I think Kobalt missed out on an opportunity to make a poor man’s Pliers Wrench here. It could easily be done, there’s already plenty of adjustments, parallel jaw track, and compound leverage present.
Tom
Very interesting. So you are saying that serrated jaws allow for less precise machining. Makes sense, I just never thought of it that way.
Stuart
Not really, maybe more engineering considerations, but only for certain pliers types.
Mark S.
I had a pair of the locking pliers (MagnumGrip) and they were absolutely the worst tool I have ever used or owned. These new pliers though look more promising – I’ll have to try them in store to see if they are worth the money (I didn’t try the locking pliers’ demo because I got them on a deep discount long after the demo was disassembled).
Stuart
I’m pretty sure I threw my Magnum Grip locking pliers in the garbage.
Blythe M
How are these better/different than the robo grip pliers? I guess I can’t remember if they are a true parallel jaw
Stuart
For one, compound leverage means more gripping power with less user effort.
Toolfreak
The compound leverage idea looks promising, but I really can’t stand any cheap gimmick tool made of the stamped and laminated metal.
I don’t like self-adjusting pliers all that much, it seems to waste a lot of effort working against the mechanism that is trying to push the jaws apart compared to manual pliers. I suppose they have their place in assembly work and other repetitive jobs, much like other spring-loaded pliers.
This is just another in a long line of aisle filler one-shot holiday tools, so about the only big plus is that you might get these for a few bucks on clearance after the holidays are done, and if they suck, you can trade them in with the lifetime warranty for some other Kobalt pliers you do want.
Really, the Irwin Groovelock pliers are a much better choice at a similar (if not lower) price point, unless you really want the self-adjusting feature.
Anton
@Stuart You mention that theres new Xtreme Access set coming out this year, do you know anything about those? I’m about to pick up some of the old ones on sale. Is it worth waiting for the new ones? I don’t really see much improvement they can make unless they tighten up the sizing or move to six point sockets. I am worried about getting replacement sockets if I pick up the old sets because they seem to be clearencing the individual sockets too. So much for “Sockets for Life” huh?
Recommendation? Just for something to keep in the truck? The only other comprehensive set I see is http://www.sears.com/craftsman-cm-131pc/p-00940131000P?prdNo=41&blockNo=41&blockType=G41 But thats much more expensive and has open ended wrenches. I don’t know of any other set that has the 1/2 driver.
PS theres a little typo in that paragraph as well.
Toolfreak
If there are any of the discounted Xtreme Access sets left at your store, I would pick those up if you think you want them, even just to try. I’m not sure if the clearance prices are still active, but ALL of the Xtreme Access sets, sockets, and ratchets were something like 75-90% off a few weeks ago. My local store has been cleared out of the sets for weeks, but still has some sockets, extensions, and accessories for a few cents each.
I don’t think the “new” Xtreme Access sets will be much different, just new numbers and different numbers of pieces in the sets. Lowe’s does this all the time – clear out old tools, replace with new tools that are pretty much the same thing. They did it when they got rid of their “Task Force” tool line, and replaced them with the same exact tools, in the same color scheme, rebranded under the “Tool Source” name.
The Craftsman Max Axess tools are okay, I like them more than the Xtreme Access tools at least. If you want the large 131pc set you better buy it if you can get it locally. It’s not available for shipping anymore and has been sold out for months, probably even discontinued. The smaller 51-pc set can be had for $40 with sale prices and coupons and is a decent compact set in a case if you don’t need the larger sizes with the 1/2″ ratchet.
Anton
I already have on of the 49 pieces sets http://www.lowes.com/pd_379758-22328-86235_?productId=3694342 and gave one to my parents when they were $69. Haven’t gotten to use it much though. Right now a lot of my local stores have the 49pc set at $39 and they even seem to be shipping more in still. I’m in 92647 area code if anyone is looking for them.
I was thinking about picking up 3 more (one for each vehicle). I don’t think theres any cheaper way to get a set that covers from 3/16 up to 1″ with regular/deep and extensions. I’ll probably add some regular sockets for the sizes where theres a larger difference between the metric and standard.
Benjamen
I stopped by Lowes yesterday and checked out these pliers. While they aren’t Knipex quality or finish, I liked the way these pliers worked over the Knipex Plier wrenches.
I have no idea how well the mechanism would hold up to use and abuse. Like people have noted, the construction seems a bit cheap and there were noticeable ridges in the metal where the mechanism slides. The teeth that the cam grabs onto when the wrench reaches the correct size to change the mechanism from size adjust to squeezing force seemed a little small too.
One thing I didn’t like was the lock. It didn’t seem intuitive and it didn’t seem to work every time.
Ed
Do you think Kobalt’s Compound Leverage pliers are better than Robo Grips?
Stuart, did you try these Kobalt pliers in the end? What further thoughts on them?