How to choose hand pliers: nose, length and insulation

The right pliers depend on the movement you make most often. For everyday gripping and cutting, a 180-200 mm universal (or combination) pair is enough. If you work in tight spaces you need long-nose pliers, for cutting wires and cables diagonal cutting pliers, and for holding a part while you work locking pliers. If you work on electrical installations, the pliers must be insulated and carry the EN 60900 / VDE marking.

The types

• Universal or combination pliers: flat jaw with serrated grip for gripping, side cutter for wires. This is the toolbox standard: it is used for gripping, bending and cutting thin wires. Example: the FatMax VDE combination pliers, 160 mm.
• Long-nose pliers: they reach where a hand cannot, for gripping small screws, wires and connectors in switchboards and wiring. Bent-nose and half-round-nose versions also exist, useful for forming loops and curves.
• Diagonal cutting pliers: they have an angled cutting edge and are only for cutting, flush with the workpiece. One example is the FatMax diagonal cutting pliers, 160 mm.
• Wire strippers: they remove the sheath from the conductor without cutting the copper. For an electrician who strips cables every day, they are worth more than a general-purpose pair of pliers.
• Locking pliers: adjusted with the screw, they close and stay locked on the workpiece, leaving your hands free. They come with long, curved or long-nose jaws, such as the LockGrip long-nose, 170 mm.
• Adjustable pliers: the jaw opening adapts to the diameter of the workpiece, useful on pipes, nuts and fittings of different sizes.
• Pincers: for tie wire, rebar and nails, where more force than ordinary pliers is needed.

How to choose by job

For occasional use at home or in a business, a set of 3 pliers (universal, long-nose, diagonal) is fine: it covers almost everything.

The features to look at

• Length: in the collection it ranges from 120 to 300 mm. Mostly 160-200 mm are used. Longer pliers give more leverage but are heavier and do not fit into tight spaces; short ones (120-150 mm) are for fine work.
• Material: chrome-vanadium steel or hardened steel are the basis for professional use. Handles are made of resin or thermoplastic rubber, which are more comfortable for the hands.
• Insulation: insulated pliers carry EN 60900, IEC 900 or VDE 0680: these are the ones for electrical work, up to 1,000 V AC. Pliers that merely have plastic handles are not insulated pliers.
• Construction standards: DIN, ISO and ASME B107.500 appear in the data sheets: they indicate that shape and performance follow recognised standards.
• Weight: single pliers weigh between about 0.18 and 0.35 kg. If you use them for long periods, weight and handle matter more than you might think.

Common mistakes

• Using ordinary pliers on live installations: you need VDE pliers with intact insulation. If it is chipped, replace them.
• Cutting wires that are too hard or too thick for the cutting capacity: the cutting edge chips and the pliers no longer cut cleanly. For hard wires choose cutters designed for that purpose.
• Using the pliers as a hammer or as a spanner on nuts and bolts: the jaws get damaged and the nut gets rounded.
• Extending the handle with a pipe to get more force: the joint breaks. A longer pair of pliers is better.
• Gripping the workpiece with the tip of the jaw: work close to the pivot, where the force is greatest.

Frequently asked questions

Which pliers do I need to cut electrical cables?

Diagonal cutting pliers for cutting and wire strippers for removing the sheath. If you work near live parts, they must be VDE-insulated.

What is the difference between universal and combination pliers?

In practice they are the same pliers: flat jaw for gripping and side cutter for wires. Only the name the manufacturer gives them changes.

When is a pair of locking pliers worth it?

When you need to hold a part still without squeezing it by hand: for welding, drilling, unscrewing a damaged screw. It is adjusted with the screw before closing it.

160 mm or 200 mm pliers?

The 160 mm is handier and fine for electronics and switchboards; the 200 mm gives more force and is better in the workshop and on site.

If you want to see the available models, you will find all the pliers in the pliers collection: ask the AMES technicians for a quote or advice.