Our pick
The thick jaws of the Kleins make them the perfect tool for grabbing, twisting, and snipping wires (or reaching for a toy behind the couch). They’re pricy, but we feel they’re worth it.
They’re not cheap, usually costing more than $30, but our test crew unanimously chose the Klein J203-8 pliers because they were a success at every yardstick. The Kleins have very comfortable handles, a perfectly parallel wire cutting edge, a solid pivot point, and strong and stable jaws. Lesser pliers might have one or two of these features, but the Kleins were the only ones we found to successfully combine all of them. They were excellent in our tests, whether grabbing hardware or yanking wire, or performing many of the tool’s other common tasks. These pliers are also made in the US and backed by Klein’s stellar reputation for quality hand tools. The price may seem high, but unless you lose this tool, you’ll likely be handing it down to your kids someday.
Also great
If your tool budget can’t handle the $35 Kleins, the Stanleys are the next best option.
If the cost of the Kleins is simply too high to handle, we also like the Stanley 89-870 FatMax Long Nose Pliers. These pliers work fine, but at less than half the price, it’s no surprise that they’re lacking the finer touches of the Kleins. The rubbery padding on the handles is slightly loose, the handles themselves are less comfortable, the jaws are fatter, and the pivot point isn’t as smooth. They’ll work, but they don’t have the high-quality feel of the Kleins.
