Are Channellock pliers still popular? You know the kind – the brand’s iconic tongue and groove pliers with blue-dipped handles.
When is the last time you used Channellock or any other brand’s tongue and groove pliers?
I’m never giving mine up, but I also cannot recall the last time I used them. Have they become a relic?
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My Channellock pliers are strong, adjustable, and well-made. But other styles of adjustable pliers are much easier to adjust.
I’d sooner reach for Knipex Cobra pliers, or my older Knipex-made Craftsman Pro’s. Other brands make decent push button-adjustable water pump-style pliers as well.
Channellock’s iconic pliers are available with straight and v-jaws. They all have serrations, except for a non-marring version of the straight jaw pliers.
You can find these at Amazon, and almost everywhere tools are sold, they’re that ubiquitous.
In my opinion, Channellock pliers are absolutely worth buying. They’re well made – in the USA – and can handle a lot of abuse.
I have my grandfather’s Channellock pliers in a tool box, waiting for me to restore them. They’re very well-worn, but still functional.
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I bought my Channellock pliers a long time ago, and then a value brand of button-lock adjustable pliers, and then more premium button-lock adjustable pliers. I got rid of the value brand pliers, but will never part with my Channellocks. While not as quick to use or convenient, they are reliable.
Plus, they’re more affordable than other styles of adjustable pliers. You can get Channellock 6-1/2″ v-jaw pliers for $14 at Amazon right now. Knipex Cobra pliers are nearly double the price at just over $27 at Amazon.
Still, I wonder if I would buy them again today, now that there are so many different mid and high quality push button pliers out there now.
Would you buy these today?
They also have a newer style of SpeedGrip adjustable pliers, but I’m not as fond as them as I am of traditional Channellock pliers.
Bruce
I carry two 10″ channel locks in my kit at all times. Anything up to 1″ pipe can be handled with two channel locks. I’ve got the fancy ones, they end up staying the tool cabinet. Channel locks might be harder to adjust, but they stay adjusted and that’s what you actually need for pipe work.
Raycr
Use my old C.L On sump pump and waste lines but use my Knipex on everything else.
J. Newell
Most of my Channellock pliers are old enough to have children old enough not just to vote, serve and drink but to have children that could vote, serve and drink (metaphorically speaking). The blue dip covers on most are a sort of washed-out aqua green with gray and faded rust-colored blotches.
I seldom reach for them these days, but it’s not because of the adjustment mechanism. I generally prefer the jaws on other brands. But…
One thing I’ve wondered: are those large tongue and groove adjustments stronger than the little teeth on, say, Knipex Cobra and Pliers Wrench pliers? I have never broken either. I’ve never even heard of anyone who broke one, so apparently it’s not a concern.
Has anyone here ever broken a Cobra or Pliers Wrecnch?
Coach James
I use mine several times a month. Used them today to remove staples from a bench I was recovering. I used them last week putting together a Harbor Freight 5 drawer cart and to repair a urinal.
dust
“repair a urinal” hope they were the smooth jaw set
Dave P
Tiny ones (maybe 4″ long or so) and monstrous ones (a couple of feet long) are about all that I use anymore, but I have lots of vehicles/machinery and I have a moderate-sized pair in everything as a sort of Jack-of-all trades” wrench to help me get by in a pinch if broken down. I guess we do use the more normal-sized ones (with a rag over the jaws) instead of a pipe wrench on chrome plumbing fittings.
They are definitely worth having!
Andy Ringsmuth
When is the last time I used one? About an hour ago at work.
Dave
Still worthwhile but I just buy them when I see them at garage sales these days.
Jared
Are we talking about the brand or the plier style?
I don’t use my “groove lock” Channellocks very often – e.g. the pliers the brand is most associated with. I have a pair of the 10″ “speed grips” I bought to try instead, but I’m not sure if I will fill out my collection with the other sizes.
I’m a big fan of the Channellock brand. Their pliers are good value.
I use pliers from Knipex, Wiha, Felo and NWS more often than my Channellocks these days, but the blue handled-pliers still see a fair amount of use, at leat in certain patterns.
I still use my 909, 326cb, 758, e346cb and my adjustable wrenches regularly.
Stuart
Tongue and groove style specifically.
Travis
I still use mine. Have about three different sizes. For whatever reason, I use them for most plumbing inside the house and out around the pool. They are tough, last forever and just get the job done. Usually use Knipex for car work and again, I have no idea why. Habit?
Liam
check out the channellock griplock pliers: they really lock on to nuts & all-thread. Also robust enough to be used as an impactful adjuster, in stead of the usual Klein lineman pliers.
Fritz Gorbach
Happened to use mine yesterday as I was running some service calls on my personal vehicle while my truck was stationary on a jobsite.
For preference, Knipex Cobras most of the time, with occasional exceptions.
I still have my giant 20 inch Channellocks in my service truck that see action every couple of weeks, while the 16 and 22″ Knipex I bought a year ago live in my big toolbox unscathed yet.
I also have a set of 3 sizes(don’t have the numbers offhand) of Channellocks that have the head angled more towards 90° stashed in my big box. For some reason I find these particularly comfortable, and in some circumstances they just provide better access.
Lastly, the Channellocks, as you mentioned, are certainly more economical for less used applications, so they live in my personal truck, wife’s truck, kitchen junk drawer, in our scout camping trailer, etc.
DRT42
Speaking of the groove-joints, like in the picture – pretty much never get used anymore. I do have a very large pair that get pulled out once every year or two, for oddball projects. But that’s it. No need to buy more.
Scott F
I only have a big set (235?) And use it for brake calipers. For regular plier use I’m 99% cobra/plier wrench/needle nose. Don’t own any other channel locks – purpose bought the ones I have at tractor supply when doing a brake job, and was happy they had channel lock.
They work well enough and still have plenty of utility, but if I hadn’t inherited my father’s surplus tools I probably would not own many (of any brand). Those all sit in the tool box – my within reach tools that see most of the work are Knipex.
Mark M.
I’d never give mine up either, but I reach for my 5”, 7” or 10” Cobras 98% of the time. And of those, I grab the 5” 99” of the time. They are light, handy and have a perfect range for around the house/yard stuff. In their defense, the bigger Channellocks are still worth their weight in gold in certain applications.
NoDak Farming
I plan on buying Channellock Nutbuster 14 In. Curved Jaw Groove Joint Pliers this spring. Being a little longer than a 12 inch plier will be nice to have on occasion. And I like the parrot jaw design. I’m hoping it will work ok, on round stock material.
My handiest plier by far is my 6 3/4” Wilde angle nose plier. It’s slip joint with three positions. It’s in my pocket all summer.
After that, it’s a Channellock 10 in, and Irwin push button 12 inch that get used most often. All good products for what I need. But Harbor Freights Doyle brand has some push button offerings that I’ll probably end up with too. That Doyle line has served me very well, for what I have of it.
fred
In our plumbing business we used the Channellock brand T&G pliers (pump pliers) almost exclusively up until 2001. Perhaps In earlier years the older style slip joint pump pliers might have held sway – but I don’t recall seeing them on the job – but the business predated my arrival. The Channellock T&G design were a step up IMO.
In 2001 we bought a batch of Knipex plier wrenches and Cobras to try out. I can’t swear to it – but more and more of the older Channellock’s seemed to go missing and no one was clamoring for replacements. Soon it seemed that Knipex had replaced Channellock. So, looking at a 2010 inventory the switch was almost complete.
The question about value or cost/benefit is more complex. The work we used them for had always gotten done with Channellock T&G. Was it done any better or faster when we switched over to Knipex? Perhaps a scootch.
Were the guys happier? Perhaps a scootch.
Did any of the crews complain about made in Germany versus made in USA? Not that I ever heard.
Did the switchover cost us more (Channellock vs Knipex)? Perhaps a double scootch.
J. Newell
Great capsule history there, and I bet a lot of businesses and individuals have similar stories. I would guess that maybe you’re being a little optimistic on the double-scootch, though. Cobras aren’t too bad, but the Pliers Wrenches are $$$.
I am about to buy another pair for a bag that “lost” the pair (Cobra and Pliers Wrench) the were in it and it’s a lot more than a pair of equivalent Channellock pliers (432 and 415), though I think you can only pair up smooth and curved jaws in the 10″ size. The two CL pliers are roughly $40 compared to roughly $95-95 for a pair of unplated 250mm Knipex Cobra and PW pliers.
On the other hand, everything is “better-featured” today than when I was a kid. My kids and grandkids don’t really believe that I remember when an AM pushbutton radio and carpeting in vehicles were extra-cost options and you had to use a crank to raise and lower windows. 😀
fred
When someone (like a traffic cop) made a sort of vertical rotating motion they were signaling you to crank the car window down. A similar sort of repetitive rotating motion with your forefinger was mimicking the dialing of a phone. When I was a little kid the expression: “I’ll get you on the Ameche” was a way of saying that I’ll call you on the telephone (Don Ameche having portrayed Alender Graham Bell in the movies). The pushbutton I can clearly remember was on the left side floor of the car – tapped with your foot to turn on the “high-bright” headlights. My first car – a ’55 Chevy Bel Air – had one – plus a powerglide automatic transmission – which was a fairly new thing back then.
Franco
The best is trying to explain that little triangular window to let air in without opening the main window. Without a picture to help explain, my grandkids think I am ready for the “home”.
Aaron Rhodes
Use mine daily,. Have tried other brands and keep going back to channel lock branded. Lost a pair 5 years ago quickly replaced them with the exact same ones
Mr.X
Coke, Kleenex, Google, Tupperware, Thermos, Xerox, Sharpie, Q-Tip, Velcro, Photoshop, are all brand names that defined the product they are known for.
And Channellock.
Useful, well made, durable, and versatile. The Channellock tongue and groove pliers are it. Sure, self sizing, quick adjust models are great, but none will beat the longevity and reliability of the Channellock.
I have quite a few tongue and groove pliers, my Channellocks are my favorite.
Chris
Jerry
Yup. Use them regularly. The standard tongue and groove ChannelLocks are good all around pliers, and a good value for the money. However, the ‘nut buster’ style of jaws are without a doubt the strongest gripping tongue and groove style pliers I have ever used. They have high leverage and very aggressive teeth so can chew things up like nobody’s business but the jaw geometry is such that they will grab and turn a rusted nut/bolt unbelievably well, but will chew it up in the process. IMO they will grab and turn things that Cobra pliers won’t at least as far as nuts/bolts go.
JoeM
I think this is conditional, Stuart. I don’t think “Popularity” has anything to do with it. I think anyone that deals with Plumbing will honestly keep a set of these, whether it’s just in case, or because it’s mission-critical every day.
There are alternatives, yes. But Channelock has produced so many sizes and uses for these, they’re default buys for some trades. I trained in Computers. #1 and 2 Philips and #1 and 2 Slot drivers are considered required equipment. A drill or electric screwdriver can very easily replace all of these at once… but if you don’t have the basics as well, other techs may expect to work with you on a large project, where the drill or electric screwdriver might not be safe, in case of stripping screws and creating iron filings that cause problems later.
Same goes for the channellock pliers. Some random jobs may be less common these days, but they still have the need for the traditional favourites.
Colin
Channel lock is the best bang for your buck in the plier world. Jaws that legitimately grip, but a price tag in line with a blue collar budget.
Can’t see them going anywhere.
Franco
Yup. There are Knipex and the other various German brands. Then there are dozens, or hundreds of CL or Cobra copies. But for top quality AND an affordable price, tough to fins anything that beats CL.
Al
While not a pipe fitter, I use threaded galvanized pipe as an electrician. Channellocks shine even compared to knipex. Only the primary monkey wrench can rival channellocks for installing threaded pipe.
JoeM
…Which… Last I checked… Was the actual designed purpose of the Monkey Wrench, so I do believe that’s spot on ideal use case. It tracks!
Adam
I’m an industrial electrician. Ten years ago pretty much everyone I knew used Channellocks. Now I rarely see anyone past their first year apprenticeship carry them.
Munklepunk
I have the set pictured, everytime I use them I wish I had spent more money on a better pair. They are loose, they are a pain to use and don’t stay where I want. The handles are skinny and feel cheap. I have a set of channel lock side cutters and a set of Klein, the Klein are far and away better.
John
Hells yes! I just bought my first (last?) knipex adjustable pliers and my faucet screen plugged up, thought it would be the perfect tool for that job. Nope! It started to round the edges, then compressed the screen but couldn’t grab it enough to loosen it (it had 2 flats). Broke out my channel locks… Took it right off. It’s ruined and needs replacement but the knipex was not going to take that baby off. Maybe if I had the cobra…
Blocky
I’ve sheared off seized 1/2” threaded bolts by hand w 10” cobras. The tooth hardness is comparable to many diagonal cutters. They also lock into their bite w pressure on the back handle, and I’ve pushed on them w a foot before. Shy of vise grips, if you want to crank on some round stock with no regard for the fitting, I can’t think of anything more capable— I’m not knocking Channellock — it sounds like you had right tool for the job!
Steve
Those Knipex Cobras are not very useful to me. A couple pair of tongue and groove pliers and I can break just about anything apart. I can’t get the same leverage with the Cobra’s. The manual adjustment seems more solid as well than the push button, which at times is in the way. However, I do use another brands t&g pliers and not Channellocks. The only Channellock tool I have is a 6″ wide jaw adjustable wrench, which has been fantastic and I use it all the time. Milwaukee has an 8″ version, but the shorter 6″ one is much better for the plumbing, electrical and oddball work I do…
HushHouse254
I have a 1995 Craftsman 10″ T & G pliers which are great. I decided to “upgrade ” and purchased a set from Gearwrench, not impressed. After using them a few times, feeling buyers remorse and frustration, I purchased a pair of Knipex Cobras. What a game changer! I wish I had these 30 years ago. On the job we had Blue Points… awful. The stupid nut would come loose all the time and of course, at the most inopportune time. Replaced all the pliers in the box with Channellock brand…best decision.
Cristobal+Figueroa
The craftsmen push button pliers I am familiar with are rebadged knipex. If those are the ones you own as well it is no surprise that they out performed the gearwrench.
HushHouse254
Actually I miss dated them, they are from 1993 and no, they are standard T & G pliers. Came in a four set, needle nose, side cutters and slip joint pliers.
Dominic S
Love my channel locks, they get used all the time, especially for plumbing tasks! I do have knipex locking parallel jaws also but I don’t use them as frequently.
Randy S
I think it’s a matter of taste.
Most of the techs I work with have either Channellocks or Knipex in their kit. Ask them which one they prefer and they’ll say the one in their bag.
I personally prefer the Channellocks because they seem to hold up to the often wet/muddy conditions I work in and my wallet hurts less when they finally do give out.
MM
I only have one pair, they haven’t been made in years–they have curved jaws with both sides concave, not to be confused with the nutbusters. I very rarely use them, Cobras and Pliers Wrenches are my go-tos. But I have not gotten rid of them because every once in a while I come across something which those curved jaw Channellocks are better for: for example, removing old bushings from auto leaf springs, but most of the time they stay in my toolbox as I find the Cobras grip harder, are less likely to get misadjusted, and don’t mar the pipe/fitting as badly.
I’ve got no gripes with Channellock as a brand, I’ve always found their tools to be good quality for a reasonable price, but I feel that there are superior water pump pliers on the market these days.
frobo
I remember the curved jaw Channellocks and wish they still made them. I have a half dozen or so different pliers like this (mostly Channellock) and I use them all fairly often. The one I use the most is the larger-than-life Model 460 (I think they called them “Big Azz” ), which are perfect for loosening the oil filter on my Subaru. I recently bought a set of Model 415 smooth jaw Channellocks for when I need to turn something big with wrench flats (I also have a Knipex Plier Wrench, which I sort of like but find it to be too fiddly to adjust).
The thing about Channellock is that they tick a lot of boxes for me. They’re super strong, made domestically, easy to adjust, and are a ridiculously good value. I hope they’re around for a long time and continue to innovate (and bring back the curved jaw, please!)
MM
I remember the “Big Azz”, but I haven’t seen one with curved jaws. Did they ever make a curved jaw version? If so I will probably track down a pair.
fred
I think they made a #480-G that was a tad over 20 inches long.
Their #483 alos 20 inches long – had what they called a V-Jaw
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/cnl-483
MM
Thank you fred. I’ve seen that 483 before but I’d rather it have the bottom jaw be either V or concave rather than flat.
fred
Knipex makes some with curved jaws both top and bottom – but I think that the largest are only 10 inch long:
https://www.amazon.com/Tools-81-01-250-Connector/dp/B01I3H6RBC
fred
BTW – that style seems to be more for connectors and cannon plugs thanfor gripping pipe
fred
Here’s the #40 for comparison:
https://www.amazon.com/Channellock-480-2-Inch-Capacity-20-Inch/dp/B00004SBCX
Justin S
I would say they’re still relevant. As an electrician, my first go to is a small pair of Knipex cobra pliers. But after that I use pretty much the whole line of channel lock from a 426 to a 460. I’ve got some other knipex alligator pliers that I use less frequently. I carried a medium size of Channellock “Griplock” for years until I wore them out and gave them to a coworker that is too cheap to buy anything new and he is still using them occasionally. At home I have a mix of everything. I do residential to industrial. Channellock is priced fairly and they get the job done, but I like other brands as well.
M
Call me crazy, but with the basic set of slip joint pliers I can’t tell much of a difference between the brands. Some are harder, some are softer, and sometimes you need the softer ones vs the harder one depending on if the work is visible. a quick wrap or two of tape negates that need to have both on hand though.
Me I just grab whatever one is closest since these aren’t finesse type tools no matter what way you slice it. And I hate all of them with dipped handles now. I prefer the ergo handles if I can get them since I can apply more pressure with less discomfort since it seems like my hand pain is getting worse every year.
Wayne R.
Can’t call it a tool set without these things. I have a variety in each kit and in the big tool box. Like others, I always grab these things at garage sales/flea markets. They always clean up nicely, always reliable.
On the other hand, if any version of these are available versus a Knipex Cobra, the Cobra gets grabbed first.
skfarmer
channellock…
every basic tool set should have these four items in the pliers column.
1. groove joint, 2 needle nose, 3 side cutter and 4 slip joint. for most jobs you don’t need, the fanciest, shiniest top of the line full feature tool. you need the one that works when greasy or dropped in the mud, dirt or snow and doesn’t jam up.
channellock fits the bill. simple, durable, economical and us made. my main plier drawer is mostly blue and i don’t feel as i am missing a thing. i have some knipex scattered here and there but when they get used it is mostly because they are there or what i feel like using that day, not because i like them better or they work that much better.
i have a real soft spot for any of the green dipped chrome plated diamond stuff but sadly they are harder and harder to come by.
Bonnie
I’ve got a big old pair of Irwin/Vise-Grip groovelocks that I use and have never felt a real need to replace (they’ve been abused and neglected and still work great). I’m sure the cobras and other new styles are nice, but for whatever reason I find myself using the groovelocks most often on large square or rectangular fittings where I like the jaw to contact all along the length rather than just the corners.
Franco
I bought a set of 2 pairs, when they came out at Sears. They are great. Some people knocked them because the teeth on the jaws would lose their edge and get rounded, but I never had that issue.
DC
They’re my go to first. I always grab the Channellocks first before the Knipex. I guess because I don’t have to fiddle with that lock.
Jay
There are some posts that point out that the writer of the post clearly does not work for a living.
This post is clearly one of them!
Simply put, the pliers you use are a matter of choice, with one exception…
The most difficult jobs always require the best and strongest tools, and when you hit that job that breaks all your fancy new fangled pliers, then you reach for your channellocks, simply because they’re the best tool when all others fail!
Stuart
I’m not a tradesman, and try to remind everyone of the fact on occasion. Water pump style pliers aren’t exclusively used by plumbers.
As for the strongest pliers being the best, other factors matter, such as the ability to adjust or re-adjust pliers quickly with minimal hassle. Although Channellock’s tend to be better than others, tongue and groove pliers tend to be finnicky.
Tool preferences and trends can change depending on the application, industry, trade, and even by region, and so it seemed worthwhile to ask.
fred
In the many years I was a partner medium-sized plumbing business I never heard about any of the plumbers breaking a pair of Channellocks. In the nearly 10 years since we switched over to Knipex – up to the time I sold my interest in the business – I never heard that anyone broke a Knipex pliers. Neither bit of hearsay could be called proof-positive – but probably with 100 or so of each brand in use over the years – it sounds like they are both robust enough to keep on working. The switchover from Channellock to Knipex was because the guys liked them better and requested that we buy them when we were buying new tools. In both cases – I’d sometimes joke that like other tool brands they must be using inferior steel – because the tools seemed to evaporate when left out in the light. The rate of evaporation seemed to increase dramatically when we were a subcontractor on larger jobs – so maybe body-heat for other contractors helped in the evaporation process.
BTW – when I left – Channellock (made by Irrega) adjustable wrenches seemed to be what was in use for applications where a Knipex plier wrench was less suited.
Jim Felt
fred. “Evaporation” seems like a fairly common tool centric occurrence.
Kind of amazing given that steel itself is a common component of so many of these evaporation events. Who woulda thought?
fred
It may actually be sublimation – with no liquid phase at all.
And – you are correct that it is common to many tools. We noticed that ones having a combination of plastic, copper, and steel – as in small power tools – seemed to sublimate even faster.
Franco
I have never really heard of CL’s or others breaking….BUT.
The Knipex are a very hardened steel, high Carbon and a higher RC number, more so than CL’s and most others. What this means is their teeth are less likely to get rounded with continued use.
However, I can’t state this to be true, but I had heard of someone breaking a pair of Cobras…using them as a hammer! This would make sense, being that the higher hardness, would also make them more brittle.
Again, I can’t recall if I actually read this on Knipex website or their packaging, but I heard that Knipex explicitly mentions, that abuse, like hammering with a wrench voids their warranty.
Or like many things, maybe it was all hearsay and rumors. But for sure, they do have a higher RC number than most other wrenches.
MM
No doubt that Knipex has harder teeth than the majority of pliers and pipe wrenches on the market. They also do an excellent job with the tooth geometry. You can really count on the teeth to bite when you need them to.
Other pliers that have unusually good teeth are some of the ‘Talon-Grip’ models from Snap-On
Ralph lewis
I have a pair of channel lock wire cutters that belonged to my grandfather probably at least 50 years old I have channellocks that I purchased 30 years ago was a industrial maintenance person for 35 years all still work as new
TomD
These are in my plumbing kit next to my pipe wrenches. Any attempt to use them on non-pipes is almost entirely gone now, I have better and more appropriate tools for that.
James
A retired high voltage lineman for 22 years our crew used them every single day. We called them a lineman’s ratchet used for 5/8″ and 3/4″ square head bolts and nuts. Great tool to own and use.
Armando Gonzalez
The best have had mine for over 25 years can’t beat em in my opinion still made in USA not l8ke the other sell outs who went to shitty China Buy American Tradesmen you can’t go wrong
Brendan
Channellock USE to be great now they are pretty meh and they are acceptable for the price. If you are a DIYer they will get the job done, if you’re a pro there fine and I wouldn’t poo poo on someone for having them in their bag but they’re not great either there are definitely better pliers at a similar price (Irwin for 1) or if you have a bit more to spend knipex is the be all end all of pliers nothing else even comes close, if you need a death grip on hardened tool steel knipex can actually bite into it but your going to pay for it.
Michael
I have multiple Channellocks but none of them are channel locks. All my channel locks are Knipex.
KokoTheTalkingApe
I have a pair of groovelock pliers (Craftsman, from maybe 30 years ago.) They’re nice, but my Cobras are nicer. Sure, they’re durable, but so are the garbage slip-joints that hardware stores sell at the counter. They live in my junk drawer in my kitchen.
Jack D
I use them for pulling nails through trim on room demos. Love em! They might be my second most used tool in the shop as well because of their versatility.
Bob
I have Knipex alligators and love them for automotive repair.
When it’s time to do outdoor dirty work like farm fixing or plumbing the Channellock 430s go to work. I have 424s, 420s, multiple 430s, 440s and 460s. They are tough and capable.
I look at my Knipex like precision instruments and keep them nice. The Channellocks can ride in the ATV tool bucket or tractor and do the tough dirty jobs.
When I worked for an electric contractor I carried two sets of 430s daily. One had bare handles for reaming EMT conduit.
Neighbor Joe
In short the answer is YES. The penultimate made in USA tool brand for the best price. Unlike some other huge toolmakers trying to create pop up high tech factories run by minimum wage workers riding on the back of a bought brand, only to fail; Channellock has generations of tool making experience led by skilled craftsman. The results show in the product.
ITCD
Not one mention of Wilde yet so I’ll toss them into the ring. Also US-made, superior tooth design IMO.
Chip
No,I have 5 pairs… that haven’t been used in 10 years.
Plierswrench first,followed by auto-adjust,then raptors ..all from Knipex.
Using 2 channelocks while juggling what is being assembled,meanwhile at least one pair losing it’s “channellock.
I do not miss cussing and starting over 4 times.
blocky
Stuart, on the homepage, sub-header reads: “What’s your stands on Channellock tongue and groove style pliers?”
One might stan them or not be able to stand them, if you stand what i’m saying. That’s just my position.
Stuart
Thanks! *fixed*
Supposed to be stance, I’m not sure what happened there.
Stephen KENNETT
I use mine all the time. They are great for having in the shop, truck and at home for when nothing else works. I don’t carry an inch and half socket every day but the channels work in a pinch. Paired with a GOOD set of vice grips you can turn or hold just about anything.
Tuck
Being a retired steamfitter. I can tell you from first hand experience that this country was built with channel locks.
Stuart
Absolutely! But what about today? Are today’s apprentices and younger workers reaching for tongue and groove pliers, or something else?
Richard
I have some Kobalt branded ones that I have for messy work, but for my professional use (scientific equipment) I only use my Knipex.
Ball_bearing
I love their linesman, and long nose pliers. They are inexpensive, the anvil style cutters have been really good. The “XLT” high leverage variants really reduce the effort required to cut stuff. The grip lock pliers are not as good as the cobras, so they stay in my tool chest. The standard tongue and groove pliers with straight jaws, are great for working with clean out plugs on sewage pipes. No switch mechanisms, or box joints for dirt to get stuck in, really easy to clean, and fast to adjust. They are still worth buying.
Scott
Used mine 2 hours ago to try and unstick a hose connection left out during the winter. Yes, still worth it but not as good as easy / convenient as knipex, wiha.
Kent Skinner
I have a selection of “Chanellock” pliers. Some are high quality, CL brand and a somehow ended up with a few low quality imports.
I reach for the Knipex every time. Nothing wrong with Channellock, but I prefer the Knipex.
Blocky
I don’t own any Knipex past 10”, but I do have a 12” Channellock that I modified the Jaw to slot into bicycle track-cog lock rings, and I keep a Stanley 16” tongue and groove pipe wrench for the very rare occasions I need that span or leverage. Knipex in those xxl sizes are prohibitive for people who don’t use them regularly.
Mike Pennington
The real fun question is: Who remembers the name of Channellock before they changed to Channellock? Hint…they made a lot of hammers… and do you own any tools with that company trademark on them?
Walter Bordett
I have three sizes of Channellock groove joint pliers. Two sizes are in my tool bucket for household repairs. I made non marring jaw covers from copper tubing for my 12 inch pliers for chrome plumbing work. I use them regularly as I have for forty years or so. I have not yet bought any Cobra pliers as I have not found a job my groove joint pliers could not do.
I would but them again if needed. I just bought a pair for my daughter, who just bought a house and had none.
Rx9
I’ve bought a bunch of their rescue tools for my fireman brother, and he appreciated them. I like the quality of channellock tools, but I wish they had:
1. Better grips ( comfort grips)
2. A knipex cobra like model
JR Ramos
Late to the party but a few thoughts. First, I guess I don’t understand the “problem” with TG pliers being fiddly to adjust – to me that suggests that someone simply doesn’t use them often because it’s pretty simple and becomes second nature in a short time, just need to remember the angle that lets them slide on the track (assuming they are decently made of course). Some of the “less fiddly” ones end up being poor in strength or tend to slip under pressure (and that last part would include some of the earliest versions of the Knipex Cobra and Alligator pliers…we had a number of returns on those in the first months after we began stocking them).
Second, I think it just depends on what kind of work or “work” you do. In real life gp tools like channellocks often see some terrible abuse, getting used as hammers and pry bars or applied to things that they probably have no business doing. The better tools can handle this and Channellock has proven itself over decades and still does even though it seems some quality aspects have dropped a tad in the last decade or so (mostly finish/QC aspects). We sold a lot of Klein models as well and saw a moderate amount of broken tools (handles mostly, but channels and sometimes teeth or the lower jaw, too). Our Channellock returns were exceedingly low. The Kleins (whoever was making those) were excellent tools when used normally.
I think the gap in the field narrowed somewhat as the cheap tools embraced induction hardening, although most then and now are still made with “inferior” steel (whether it evaporates or sublimates or not…heh), so even if they have sharp or sharp-ish jaw teeth and they are surface hardened, they still tend to fail or underperform in more demanding use. There are some Knipex models that are kind of in this category, too (or were, not sure if they may have upped those or dropped those).
Other than a couple innovations in the track/adjustment, one thing Knipex brought to the table that many people appreciated immediately was a more ergonomic grip and handles that were a bit closer together/easier to hold when adjusted to larger spans.
I think, like many old and successful companies that “built this country” (and they did) like Channellock, they got so comfortable that they failed to innovate or explore ideas very much – that’s still somewhat true today. Some of those things other companies introduced are great, many are just superfluous or only matter to light-duty-non-duty types of folks. These are such a simple and basic tool that the plain original, made well, maybe doesn’t benefit a ton beyond being made well with high quality materials and methods so that it stands up over time. There are some parallels here with ViseGrip, I think, although they did branch out a lot more and saw successes there.
I love Knipex tools, generally, but they are not always my first choice – for me that generally includes their pliers where I pick others, but the three I have from them I like a lot. I like their cutting pliers more than many brands. Over the years I’ve come to appreciate many Japanese designs where they are different and high quality (pliers being a great example, several different types including TG…jaws mostly). I don’t know if I love Channellock but I always check them out and have repurchased two of theirs a few times (lost and stolen items) without a second thought. I do like to support USA manufacturing and human jobs…not a deal breaker but if I can and everything else lines up, hey, it’s smart. I hope Channellock continues on for many years to come…also hope they will consider a little updating here and there where it would improve the tools.
fred
Thanks for a very thoughtful analysis. Like you – I hope that Channellock (now a 5th.-generation family business) will continue to prosper. I also hope that they might try to look at their high-quality competitors (mostly Germany and Japan) and see where they might try to improve their own line or better yet out-innovate the competition. Their 1935 patented T&G design has served them well – but you cannot rest on your laurels forever.
JR Ramos
At times I have worried about them, especially with so many companies and factories going under (again). And with a reduction in industrial work coupled with a different market these days (and different attitudes in users and company purchasers) it makes the competition more fierce (or the justification more difficult, for some). Sometimes Channellock’s marketing makes me chuckle when they sort of throwback to the words or approaches in the post-WWII heyday and the nuttiness of the 60s. The “big azz” being a fun example. I think when we first saw that engraving, what mid 90s?, every employee and customer got a good laugh out of that.
Fred, like probably everyone here, I greatly appreciate your knowledge and insights, too. So much has changed and so rapidly, and it’s been enough years now, that the “good old information” is great to share and remember, especially since some of it isn’t so much common knowledge anymore. Like paper blotters on bench grinding wheels… 🙂
CMK
Made in USA! Family company for generations. Reliable, versatile. No reason to drift to another product. Born and raised in western PA, it’s like family.