We tested all kinds of locking pliers, in all kinds of ways. After all of our research, we chose our test candidates based on company reputation as well as customer feedback at retailers such as Amazon and Home Depot. As for the specifics of our testing, I enlisted the aid of two other carpenters: Aaron Goff, then with 12 years of experience in high-end remodeling, and Mark Piersma, then with 14 years experience. Each of us handled all of the pliers, spending time clamping, locking, unlocking, and adjusting. Once we had a consensus as to which model was the best—and really, after we examined the whole test group, the winner was clear—we did a second round of testing in which I exclusively used our top pick for eight months as I wrapped up the full gut and remodel of my 100-year-old farmhouse. Since then, I’ve continued using our picks as needed, on probably a weekly basis as I’m now in the process of renovating a 250-year-old colonial saltbox.
