When I started out as an electrician's helper, I needed good quality tools. I purchased some Klein tools at the recomendation of co workers and have used them exclusively for my electrical jobs ever since.
This tool is about 9 inches long and has a very sturdy feel to it. It will take whatever abuse you can dish out. Like most Klein pliers, I have found it helpful to keep the tool clean with a light coating of wd-40 to keep the handles nice and loose as well as keep the rust down. It is also helpful in keeping the nice plastic coating on the handles from drying and cracking. The cutter on this tool is very strong, and can cut wire, as well as small electrical bolts and cutting and/or closing loops on light duty chain.(such as you might find on a hanging light fixture.)
A side cutting plier, or linesmans pliers as they are called in the trade are exremely handy for twisting and untwisting wire braids. This practice is a must for making wire pigtails, and this tool does it with ease. Even heavier 12 gauge wire is no challenge for this tool. I have even seen electricians use this tool as a tight spot hammer to drive home wire staples that are in inaccesable spots that a hammer could not swing.
Kleins might cost more than some other brands but once you use them, you never want to go back. Klein Tools D213-9NE 9-Inch High Leverage Side Cutting Plier
If you want quality linesmans pliers, look no further. These Klein pliers are backed by the best name in electric tools. You can get up close when you cut the cable and these pliers are good at bending the wire too.
I am a mechanic who used to be an electrician. As a mechanic, I used my Klein Linesman Side Cutters (bought in 1987 as an electrician) often, but I used them to cut bolts, steel hangers and such. Their cutters still were sharp enough to cut and strip wire (the half of the cutter closest to the pivot was dull due to over a decade of abuse mentioned above, but the far side half was still sharp enough to cut 18 gauge strand in one easy squeeze). I lost them in December 08 and replaced them with a $65 pair of Snap-On side cutters.
I LOVE Snap-On hand tools, but their side cutters are not as good as Klein's. Although they are the same size, Snap-Ons' don't have as much cutting power and the handles flex more when cutting hard objects.
Klein side cutters (and diagonal cutters) are the best I've used, and for the money, I'd bet they're the best available.
Klein has long been the standard in the electrician's tool industry. These are pretty darn good pliers.HOWEVER, personally, I've switched to Bahco pliers. Unfortunately (or not, depending on how you feel about them), Bahco has been bought out by Snap-On. Still, they have retained their unique designs. Bahco's handles are MUCH more comfortable, and the tool just stays in your hand better. Everybody is making the high-leverage joint now, that's standard. But Bahco's teeth are cut better, the hardening is better, and the handle is so many miles ahead of the Kleins it's not really even a comparison.Still, the Kleins are easy to find, and can be had relatively cheaply. For the money, they're pretty darn good, but for the best, I'd get a set of Bahcos. They may not be on your company's approved list, and that's about the only downsided to them. Klein is approved by everyone, and used by very large companies, like Qwest.
If you are a new electrician, don't show up on the jobsite without this tool in your pouch.
I have tried other brands more expensive and less and this is the sidecutter that I have found to be of the highest quality.
The way to determine how good a pair of sidecutters are going to be is the distance measurement from the hinge to the start of the cutting blade. Klein has managed to cut this distance down to a minimum, while still maintaining the tool's strength. The closer that distance, the less force needed to cut thicker wire.
The blade stays sharp for a long time, and once your set of Kleins are broken in, you will not be able to live without them.
Consider moving up to the next level of Kleins with the fishtape pulling grip located at the top, inside of the handles. You will use it often.
I think Klein invented this tool. My Dad had a pair when I was a kid - and now I'm an old man. They would easily be a 'lifetime' tool except for one thing: construction workers know they are the best but don't want to pay the premium to have the best. So they steal them. I finally had to quit buying $60 Klein spud wrenches because I could not lay one down and turn around without it disappearing. But I will always have at least one pair of Klein lineman pliers.
I purchased these from Home Depot (an impulse buy, as so often happens!), and like all the other Klein pliers I've used I've had good results with them. I haven't used the fish tape pulling aspect of it, but along with a good pair of diagonal cutters they're a necessity for a complete toolbox.
This is by far the most exspensive but the best pair of linesman pliers tha you can buy! These pliers are incredibly solid. I use them as both pliers and the side of the pliers as a hammer for tacking in electrical staples. These are industry stand pliers for electrictrians.
Great pliers buy it once it will last you for life.
Highly recommend bunting these. You won't be disappointed
Another tool that I've used for years on the job with great results. They've withstood drops and even a lift rolling over top. My only very minor complaint is that they came out of the package stiff(which is what you want) but took a little while to break in. These are a must have for any electrician and should among the first tools that you buy for your field kit. They are high quality.'
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