I was not terribly surprised when Stanley FatMax came out with simulated diamond-coated ball hex key sets. The diamond grit part has been done before, and the locking folding hex key design isn’t new either.
But simulated diamond-coated pliers jaws? That’s new to me.
Advertisement
I’m stressing the simulated diamond part because it’s unclear as to what material Stanley FatMax is using as the abrasive. DiamondGrip and simulated diamond are sort of at odds with each other.
Synthetic diamond is well, lab-grown diamonds. But simulated diamond? There are a number of things it could be. Don’t worry, though, there are a number of different materials that Stanley could use to provide near-diamond hardness. I wish they were clearer about this, but realistically it doesn’t really matter.
The industrial-grade simulated diamond-coated jaws are said to provide up to 40% greater grip against steel surfaces vs. an uncoated steel plate. They say it’s per ASTM G133, which Google tells me is a test method for simulating “sliding wear.”
5.1 This test method is designed to simulate the geometry and motions that are experienced in many types of rubbing components whose normal operation results in periodic reversals in the direction of relative sliding. The wear resulting from this mode of movement may differ from that experienced by the same materials sliding continuously in only one direction (unidirectional sliding) even for comparable durations of contact.
I’m hesitant to try to interpret how sliding wear testing can contribute to conclusions about grip. I guess you get greater sliding wear when pliers are slipping, and less wear when they hold stronger?
The new FatMax pliers set comes with 8″ linesman pliers, 8″ slip joint pliers, and 8″ long nose pliers.
Advertisement
Price: $29 for the 3pc set
Buy Now(via Amazon)
First Thoughts
Although it might be simplistic, I see these pliers as regular pliers with super-fine sandpaper abrasive bonded directly to their jaws. Maybe I’m wrong.
To be honest, these would catch my interest if I were a DIYer or homeowner shopping for my first set of pliers. The bimaterial handle grips do look pretty comfy.
But the critic in me is wondering about how much contact area there might need to be to see the improved gripping power benefits. Do the pliers have to be biting into your workmaterial deep enough to leave significant marks?
I’m intrigued and curious.
Part of me is thinking “ooh, I could use that!,” and the other part of me is crying “gimmick I don’t need!”
John
You know it’s a gimmick when they put most of the “grippy” stuff on the SIDE of the jaws. It seems like it’s more for marketing fluff to me. Having said that, the ball hex keys and screwdrivers do really work well with this type of coating. Pliers? Probably not so much.
Stuart
Not necessarily. I considered the same, but am guessing it probably adds negligibly to the cost, while adding visual indication of how these pliers are special or differentiated from others.
Toolfreak
Looks like the jaws are dipped in the simulated-whatever-it-is, so of course it just winds up on the outer part of the jaws as well.
Nathan L
I’m guessing it’s carborundum (SiC). Cheaper and easier to make than diamond and almost as hard (9.5 vs 10 iirc). Already widely used as a coating for blades and such, but the lumpiness is a twist.
Matt
40% greater than a steel plate. That’s a really low bar. Does any pliers from the last 40 years use a flat plate as a jaw? They’re all crosshatched or something to give grip. Add to it that it looks like some kinda drip and yuck.
Nathan L
BTW in its “simulated diamond” gemstone role it’s known as Moissanite. Only manmade SiC is used for this purpose, as naturally occuring gem quality silicon carbide is exceedingly rare, thought for a long time to only be found in extra-solar meteors.
The yeti
Nearly all fat max products are gimmicks . I have a few tape measures made by fat max . I hate them . Way too bulky and weigh a ton . The hammers are better made but still not my first choice. To me fat max means look for a different model made by someone else. For pliers I only buy channel lock .
Toolfreak
Coating the already textured/shaped jaws of pliers with something doesn’t seem like it’d make much difference to me. The teeth on all three plier types reduce the surface area that would be against any hard surface, so I’d guess the improvement in grip is marginal at best. It might make a difference, but even if it does, that’s going to go away as it wears off, and who wants diamond-like abrasive stuff getting who knows where when it comes off the pliers?
It might make a big difference in something with more contact area, like smooth-jaw pliers, or the Knipex pliers wrench – but the whole point of those is to not mar or damage the surface.
Seems like a gimmick, which is too bad. The pliers look great, there’s no need for the DiamondGrip BS. I’d rather they have saved all that money and instead been able to hit a lower price point,
fred
I’m sure their idea is to try to create some buzz, distinguish their offerings from others that are out there and sell more tools versus their competition. The mark of high quality pliers is a set of jaws that mate precisely and grip well. If you don’t want to invest in precise machining and excellent quality control – then maybe dipping your tips in a coating will help – but maybe that’s just the cynic in me talking.
Plenty of tweezers now have “diamond coated tips”. Some of these are aimed at plucking eyebrows – so maybe it helps with that task. Others are meant to clean electrical terminals:
https://www.amazon.com/Innovative-Products-8040-3-Piece-Terminal/dp/B0062Y599K
Toolfreak
Yeah, it does seem like a good way to cover imperfections at the critical points – the tips. I really don’t like pliers with jaws that don’t align, so I’m pretty much sticking with my old USA-made stuff and Knipex for new ones.
The coating likely would have enough gripping power on a smaller scale to allow you to pull hairs, if the diamond-like stuff is that fine.
Like I said, I could see the use of this kind of thing on some smooth pliers, just like those tweezers, I just don’t see it really helping as much for real-world tasks as they are probably hoping people think it does.
Jerry
1). Gimmick in my opinion. My pliers usually get grease and oil in the jaws when used and the rough surface will make them harder to clean. Might not be a problem for some.
2). Whats with all the super-fat plastic handles on everything???? It doesn’t take much real use for the handle to tear or split, and then you’re worse off than if you did t have anything. My favorite handle material is chrome, with just enough texture to not be slippery. Next would be a thin plastic dip like Channellock uses, although more of my Channellocks have lost them than not. However, the bare steel underneath is smooth enough to be comfortable, unlike most ‘comfort grip, pliers who seem to use the fat grips to mask roughness.
Raoul
I think those comfort handles are for the millenial’s delicate hands. I don’t like them either for the problems you listed plus they degrade easy with oils and chemicals and slip off easy. I prefer the thin plastic or whatever thin material they use on high quality tools. Think Klein, Knipex, etc.
Raoul
Also, the diamond coating is a gimmick. Put this tool next to a Klein or Knipex. Nothing good about this tool. These are to appeal to a sucker shopping at a box store where a real mechanic will look at it and laugh. I hope Stanley doesn’t go down that walmart road completely. The most inportant aspects of quality tools is origin (US, Germany, Japan, even other countries like CZ make solid steel), and the handle has to be durable.
George
Prolly best not to judge the pliers til you actually get hands on…
I have diamond coated jaws on my Albrect keyless chuck that I use in my Bridgeport and they are no joke. Grip many times better than standard hardened jaws.