Klein Tools Are they worth the extra money

[Dustydazzler]

Klein tools are massively popular in Canada & America

Less so over here but I have seen a few sparks using them in recent years

I usually use ck , Stanley , knipex

But am interested to try some Klein items but are they worth the extra few quid

Thoughts ?

 

[Phil Thompson]

I have a mixture of brands in my tol bag, klein, ck, knipex, wiha, etc

Is say with the Klein stuff, watch for the promotions that CEF run monthly And get the klein tools that way when they are much more cost effective.

 

[Deleted member 26818]

Personally, I wouldn’t use overly expensive tools to take onto site, because they go missing.

 

[magnoliafan89]

I bought an Irwin set of snips and had comments made by loyal knipex users. They paid nearly £40 and i used a voucher at screwfix to get mine for £8...and guess what they both do the same job

 

[Pete999]

Yep Klein Tools are the Dog's do das, IMHO

 

[SparkySy]

I've got some Klein kit recently, the data crimpers a snazzy flip screwdriver for small terminals and a set of their vde drivers that were on offer in Cef for 30 quid! It is expensive but really nice to use and lifetime guarantee on it too!
Some of their pliers and cutters feel way too big and clumsy, still prefer knipex, wiha or ck for those items at the moment.

 

[Andy78]

Some of their pliers and cutters feel way too big and clumsy, still prefer knipex, wiha or ck for those items at the moment.

I have seen their pliers/cutters in shops and always thought they looked way oversized. That's what has put me off them.

 

[telectrix]

I have seen their pliers/cutters in shops and always thought they looked way oversized. That's what has put me off them.

that's because they are designed for obese americans who can't be surgically removed from their catcher's gloves.

 

[Dustydazzler]

Yes

I recently looked at a pair of Klein side cutters and the were ruddy enormous

I would say nearly a foot long

Great if you need lots of leverage to cut think cable but very clumsy just for making of sockets and switches

 

[DT1991]

To the older electricians out there (I'm mid 20s) what was the tool of choice back then ie knipex ck wiha are considered popular today.

 

[ruston]

There was a lot of high quality tools in my youth , but for pliers Elliot Lucas took some beating. I still have a set and they are still as sharp as the ' modern' brands I have now.

 

[Dustydazzler]

I sometimes grab my old mans to box and he has hand tools dating back to the 1960s/70s in it.
Ck side cutters , Stanley long nose pliers , Elliott Lucas Combi pliers , bahco spanners..
Some of these well known brands have been around far longer than you would think....

 

[ruston]

Yes , Stanley were famous for their screwdrivers , especially the ratchet ones. @Pete999 will tell you the name of the telescopic one, I forget the name.
It was a savage beast if you did not treat it with respect. Our forerunner to the cordless lol.

 

[telectrix]

Yes , Stanley were famous for their screwdrivers , especially the ratchet ones. @Pete999 will tell you the name of the telescopic one, I forget the name.
It was a savage beast if you did not treat it with respect. Our forerunner to the cordless lol.

you mean as in "yankee"?

 

[ruston]

you mean as in "yankee"?

Yes that's the one.

 

[Dustydazzler]

Stanley ‘yankee’ pump action screwdriver

 

[telectrix]

i still have my dad's one. it's about 16" in length. most of the chrome on the body has gone, exposing the brass

 

[DT1991]

I had a brief spell wiring modular buildings and a polish guy was using one of them. A few people laughed (proberly because it was a old tool) but I was actually impressed at the speed he was using it.

Next your going to tell me times before SDS drills Haha. Love it!

 

[telectrix]

and i still have his calipers from when he had a wood turning lathe, stamper with the War Dep. arrow & 1944.

 

[ruston]

I had a brief spell wiring modular buildings and a polish guy was using one of them. A few people laughed (proberly because it was a old tool) but I was actually impressed at the speed he was using it.
Next your going to tell me times before SDS drills Haha

. Love it!

The forerunner to the SDS was the Spit , then Sds came out and Spit's seemed to vanish as the bits were not interchangeable, unless you could be bothered to grind a grove in the shank . That is how I remember it anyway; I am probably wrong .
I see there are some on Ebay, I have not seen one for years.

 

[Dustydazzler]

One thing I do keep in my own tool box is my grandfathers military issue cable stripping knife..
Think it dates back to around 1940

It’s blunt as a spoon but very sentimental

 

[Midwest]

I thought Calvin Klein made underpants?

 

[Phil Thompson]

The klein sidecutters from 20 years ago were 6" total, the ones I see in CEF are all 8" tall and aren't great for ease of use,
The pliers are good for cutting screws, but I still prefer my knipex, I have a set of the £30 screwdrivers had them 3 years and still good tips on them except the terminal, but overall my favourite screwdriver is the Wiha range, find the grips much nicer and the tips are as good as the klein, in fact better as the terminal is stronger.

I only have the klein sidecutters and pliers as I wanted a voltstick and a couple extra screwdrivers and at the time it worked out at about £38 the pair when bought in the price marked blister packs.

 

[robd]

Knipex every time for me, have dabbled with others, ck were a nasty cast metal that actually snapped when I was prying a screw or something out of a bit of wood, a bit heavy handed but even so. Had a pair of bahco ones which I quite liked as they had a really narrow nose so quite nimble. Had a pair of Kewtec ones they were ok until I blew them up. Then every time I go back to knipex and the quality feels night and day they just feel right in your hand. So my cutters history in 13 years reads CK, Knipex, Bahco, Kewtec, Bahco, Knipex, Knipex. And I haven't blown the jaws up on a pair for 4 or 5 years now, since I started working on my own! Yay me

 

[telectrix]

bahco and NWS in my bag. knipex for insulated crimps as the jaws are very narrow so i can do each end of the crimp separately.

 

[Dustydazzler]

For side cutters I use NWS as the price to quality ratio is very good.
Knipex for pliers and long nose etc etc
Used to use ck screwdrivers but more recently use Stanley.
Have also tried bahco , Draper , irazola and wiha screwdrivers.
I tend to just buy what ever is on offer.

Have been tempted to purchase one of those fancy wera interchange vde jobbies. But will wait till my Stanleys have worn out..

 

[Squid]

Back in the day it was for me anyway Elliot Lucas pliers, I think I paid £18 for them back in the 80's and CK side cutters, gave my Yankee away last year with the set of 3 bits back in the day it was handy for attaching conduit boxes to the ceiling still had the jubilee clip on it to stop it rolling of scaffold towers.

 

[MJPD29]

I have a few klein tools too and still go back to knipex. Stil prefer them

 

[Squid]

As with any tool, you need to handle it to see how it lays in your hand weight wise and for use.

I do like my Knipex multi pliers but they do seem a tad "girly" fine for house bashers I suppose but not for the manly job of industrial work unless you are in the switch room connecting heating control wires up.........

 

[Dustydazzler]

Out of curiosity is there any reason why Klein side cutters and pliers are so ruddy massive ?

 

[Pete999]

Out of curiosity is there any reason why Klein side cutters and pliers are so ruddy massive ?

Cus they are aimed at the Lineman community

 

[Dustydazzler]

Cus they are aimed at the Lineman community

That would explain it ...

For residential I have seen them use little Klein strippers for cutting Romex and stripping etc

These are for more residential electricians ?

Quite nice actually

 

[Squid]

Out of curiosity is there any reason why Klein side cutters and pliers are so ruddy massive ?

For the men that have to regularly chomp through something larger then a 4mm cable.........

 

[Squid]

Cus they are aimed at the Lineman community

They also sell replacement handles so take a look for you tool refurb project, maybe try to blag a freebie ;o))))

 

[Pete999]

Out of curiosity is there any reason why Klein side cutters and pliers are so ruddy massive ?

Cus they are aimed at the Lineman community

They also sell replacement handles so take a look for you tool refurb project, maybe try to blag a freebie ;o))))

Thanks for the heads up Mate will look into it.

 

[Squid]

Here you go,
Plier Handles | Klein Tools - For Professionals since 1857 - https://www.kleintools.com/catalog/pliers/plier-handles

 

[Phil Thompson]

Tbh I don't rate wera screwdrivers at all, 2 sets and both sets pz1 & 2 wore the tips, in around 12-18 months.

The cheaper set that's regularly on offer kept their tips far longer than the more expensive set with the lasered tips.

 

[Deleted member 9648]

The Klein VDE screwdrivers are amongst the worst I've used for over hardened snapping tips. I use Bahco slim tips, The Best a Man Can Get....(and Sparkychick).
My CEF was recently knocking out the big clumsy cutters for a tenner, presumably they cant sell them. I bought a pair and found them pretty much unuseable, big and clumsy, I'll keep them for chopping live cables ……...

 

[w0z]

that's because they are designed for obese americans who can't be surgically removed from their catcher's gloves.

Or it could be because the CSA is higher due to higher current so the cables are thicker? Are they? I guessed that..never seen any USA cable..

 

[Pete999]

I believe you may find that Klein Tools were originally set up for the Distribution/Linemen community, their Pliers are called Linemen pliers, to which the Linemen refer to them as " were are my Klein's" meaning pliers.
They have in recent years started making insulated Tools to fit in with their incursion into the UK market, given time you may find they will introduce smaller pliers etc to fit our small hands.
I bought and still have some "Kleins" when I was last in the US, still in vey good condition, which shows how good they are made, so please don't knock them, something good to come out of the States in my opinion. Maybe you should subscribe to "Tradesman TV "for an insight inti the manufacturing methods.

 

[Deleted member 26818]

I have SnapOn Lineman’s pliers.
Don’t use them for electrical work, as they’re not insulated.

For electrical work, I have some CK insulated pliers, which were given to me at a factory I worked in.
Part of a set which included side cutters, needle nose pliers and 6 screwdrivers.
I very rarely use them, which probably explains why I still have them, as all the other tools have been replaced (lost or broken)

 

[SparkySy]

To be fair I have a pair of the milwaukee linesman pliers they are big old beasts but for first fix they are ace as they can be used to nock in clips cut ect, saves having a toolbelt with loads of kit in it up steps.

 

[telectrix]

it's the basis of US tools... if you can't use it as a hammer, don't buy it.

 

[EbolaSideRoom]

My local CEF showed me the full range of Klein hand tools and to be fair it was massive. They chose to introduce to the UK market the huge pliers first, which was probably a mistake as every CEF I’ve been in since has loads of them gathering dust. I found some small needle nose pliers and some small side cutters that I like so I got them, and a screwdriver set with a PH2 and a medium slot head that are pretty good too. I like the idea of having all the same brand, but the reality for me is that I just can’t find anything if I do that. So I have a mixture of Knipex VDE, Knipex S range VDE, Knipex uninsulated and Klein hand tools and Wera Lasertip & SS screw & terminal drivers, with the odd Klein (see above) thrown in.
Bahco make nice screw & terminal drivers. I’ve never rated CK kit at all, although they do make the odd useful thing.

 

[LightGEN]

The klein Tools Europe webpage is currently showing 6" VDE side cutters as a 'New Product'.

 

[chrisdungan]

Klein is great. I also have one of their rolling tool bags, f##King expensive but as durable as anything. A cute feature is the inside od the bag is orange so it makes it just that bit easier to find stuff