How to Choose the Right Pliers

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By eHow Contributing Writer

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Pliers come in a wide range of shapes and sizes. For your safety and comfort, use the right tool for the job.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Step 1

Use adjustable pliers to tighten or loosen nuts and bolts, pinch snap-rings, and other jobs that require a good grip. The slip-joint style adjusts to two positions for large or small objects. Groove-joint pliers are sometimes called tongue-and-groove or Channellocks. They adjust to many possible sizes. The jaw is at an almost-90-degree angle and the handles are long to allow better leverage.
Step 2

Bend and twist wires, grip small objects, and work in confined spaces with gripping pliers. Some come with a wire cutter near the pivot point. Lineman's pliers are great for pulling and twisting wires; long-nose and their smaller cousin needle-nose pliers are ideal for working in confined spaces, jewelry making, and electrical work.
Step 3

Cut and strip wire with diagonal cutters or wire stripper/cutting pliers.
Step 4

Chip, trim and shape tile with tile nippers.
Step 5

Cut out sheet metal with tin snips.
Step 6

Choose locking-type pliers, sometimes called Vise-Grips, for pipe work. There is a long-nose version that is useful for those hard-to-reach places. This type of pliers provides excellent holding power with adjustable degrees of tension.

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