Klein Tools 9 in. Insulated Heavy Duty Side Cutting Pliers

2 reviews for Klein Tools 9 in. Insulated Heavy Duty Side Cutting Pliers

1. Rated 4 out of 5

   Elody Tremblay (verified owner) – September 15, 2022

   Klein is a company I’ve been a fan of for a long time and one of their lineman’s pliers has been one of the tools I always wished I had. Long tradition of making quality tools in the USA that professionals tend to choose first. I remember way back in college helping out with some electrical work and a friend brought a pair his dad had. Using them made the work easier than switching between other tools. Since then I’ve borrowed a pair from time to time and always had a pleasure using them. For a professional electrician the cost isn’t a big issue because it’s one of the tools they use frequently and a good quality tool that is used so often saves time and money. For a DIY’er like me it seems like a big investment for something I might use a couple of times a year. Now that I have a pair and compare it to cheaper lineman’s pliers I have I should have splurged for a Klein.After breaking them in (more about that later) they work very well. There is absolutely no detectable wobble in the joint and the pliers operate very smoothly. They don’t close all the way so you don’t crush the wires. They’ve cut all the types of cables I work with from copper NMC, RG-6 quad shield coaxial, Cat5e and thermostat wire. I believe this model is harder than the other similar model and can cut very difficult to cut wire lice ACSR. It can even cut small screws and nails. This is a no-frills version other than having the 1000V insulated handles. All the appropriate certifications for that 1000V rating are present and Klein claims that each tool is individually tested. No crimper, no fish tape puller on these pliers. Just a basic lineman’s pliers. The grips are comfortable though a bit bulky compared to their other types of grips. It takes some getting used to. The outer insulation is orange and the inner insulation is white so you can see if the insulation is damaged. Large nubs at the top of the grips help prevent your hand from slipping onto the metal parts of the pliers.The reason they don’t get 5 stars from me is because straight out of the package they’re not easy to use. I don’t think it’s expecting a lot for a pair of pliers that cost this much to be usable right away. When I first tried to use them I was dissapointed at how stiff they were. After searching online and even contacting Klein support I found out it’s common to need to break them in. Either wait 2 months of normal use or try to break them in faster. I tried opening and closing them for about 30 minutes with no improvement. One suggestion was to spray and even soak it overnight in WD-40 which did nothing for me. Klein suggested the WD-40 as well as trying to operate them after sticking them in sand. Another good option I read was to get some lapping compound from an auto parts store. I didn’t have the lapping compound or sand. Finally I sat in front of the TV during an hour long show with pliers in hand, opening and closing them rapidly throughout the show. During commercial breaks I would rinse them out with WD-40 then go back to opening and closing them. Repeated this until the end of the hour long program and they were finally usable. I think it would benefit everyone of Klein sold the pliers ready to go.Once broken in though they were everything I was expecting from using already broken in pairs in the past. I had another pair that came straight out of the package ready to use but comparing them to the Klein’s it’s easy to see the difference in quality. The other pair has a significan’t amount of play between to the parts. Obviously given the choice I’d choose pliers that need to be broken in rather than having inferior pliers but why should we have to choose? Bottom line: Awsome pair of pliers if you’re looking for an insulated pair of side-cutting pliers but if they seem too stiff out of the package they might just need to be broken in.

2. Rated 5 out of 5

   Elvie Kuvalis (verified owner) – August 3, 2022

   The best 1000 volt rated sidecutters on the market.