Hello readers! In this post, we’ll discuss the different types of pliers and their uses using illustrations.
One of those necessary tools that almost every DIYer and professional has in their toolbox is a pair of pliers.
Pliers are certainly one of the essential tools you should keep in your toolbox, but if you use the “wrong” pair of pliers, you might not succeed in finishing the job. When attempting to cut a wire, for example, it makes no sense to use pliers without a cutting function.
Every pair of pliers has a unique set of functions, so it’s important to have a set ready that fits the needs of the activity you’re doing. So without any more delay, let’s learn about the various types of pliers and their purposes.
Pliers and Types
Pliers are hand tools used for many tasks around the house and garage, including fixing a bicycle, making a craft, repairing a kitchen stool, and doing some wiring. They can be used to grip, position, tighten, loosen, and cut objects.
The size of a plier varies from 4” to 10” For different kinds of jobs. But not every pair of pliers is appropriate for every task, so most tool users keep a few different types of pliers in their toolbox.
Continue reading to find out the different types of pliers, including common ones like slip-joint, linesman, locking, and needle-nose pliers, as well as specialized ones like welding pliers, oil filter pliers, and fencing pliers. You’ll be better able to choose which kinds of pliers are best for your needs once you understand their differences.
Furthermore, screwdrivers are applied to tighten and loosen any given job or screw. Apart from that, check out the types of hammers, types of spanners, and types of wrenches used in the workshop. The following types of pliers are typically used in workshops.
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Types of Pliers
The followings are the different types of pliers and their uses:
- According to the standard types of pliers
- Hose clamp pliers
- Crimping pliers
- Long nose pliers
- Diagonal pliers
- Slip joint pliers
- Snap Ring Pliers
- Tongue and Groove pliers
- According to the special types of pliers
- Bent nose pliers
- Bail making pliers
- Brake spring pliers
- Battery pliers
- Canvas pliers
- Chain nose pliers
- Flat or Combination pliers
- Eyelet pliers
- Fencing pliers
- Grommet pliers
- Hose grip pliers
- Linesman pliers
- Nail puller pliers
- Locking pliers
- Piston ring pliers
- Running pliers
- Sheet metal pliers
- Spark plug pliers
- Welding pliers
- Split ring pliers
- Oil filter pliers
- Soft jaw pliers
- Gas pliers
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#1 Hose Clamp Plier
A Hose clamp plier is manufactured to compress the hose and spring clamp, tightening the joint. They come in a wide range of forms. It is also known as spring clamp pliers and radiator hose pliers. This plier has a peg-shaped tooth on each jaw, which pinches the clamp. Some models are used directly on the hose.
#2 Crimping Plier
A crimping plier consists of a fulcrum at the end and is used as a nutcracker. The wires are fed first into the jaw jack, and then to the connector. It is also known as a crimping tool.
Pressing the handle will damage the plastic coating and cause it to deform (or collapse) so that they stick together and provide the data to pass through. They are massively used in networking and telecommunications.
#3 Long Nose Plier
The Jaws of this type of pliers are tapered in length and are conical. These pliers do not have a cutting edge. These are used where there is no adequate space for a combination of the pliers. They are mainly used in the gold smithy, radio, and T.V. jobs for making hooks of wires bending wires. Bearing locks can also be opened with it.
#4 Diagonal Plier
The jaws of diagonal pliers have an angled edge that is made to cut through the thick wire. They are very strong and can also be used to cut nails. Hence they are useful in carpentry and also in electrical work. It is also known as a side-cutting plier, wire cutter, diagonal-cutting plier, and flush-cut plier.
#5 Slip Joint Pliers
As per their name, these are pilers that permit adjustment to a greater range of openings by slipping motion of the two halves about the pin or rivet that connects them. Their jaws are square so that they can hold only square jobs. They can not cut wires etc.
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#6 Snap Ring Plier
The Snap ring pliers have small or round jaws to help close snap plates. Rings are open-ended ends that fit into the grooves of a dowel or other round object. It is also known as C clip pliers, lock ring pliers, retaining ring pliers, and circlip pliers.
Once they are closed, the ring can turn easily, but it is inefficient to slide sideways. They are employed for gear on mountain bikes and similar vehicles.
#7 Tongue and Groove Pliers
The Tongue and groove pliers are adjustable types of pliers with a jagged groove with an upper handle, allowing the lower jaw to be closed in multiple positions. These jaws make this tool helpful for turning nuts and bolts. It is also known as channel locks.
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Special Types of Pliers
The previous pliers are all standard found in tool kits, there are many more specialized pliers that you can never make out of your old trades.
1. Bent Nose Pliers
This variation of needle nose pliers consists of a set of jaws that tilt at an angle at the midpoint (45 or 90 meters at most). This allows them to fasten surfaces when multiple pliers are needed. As a result of this, they are useful in jewelry making, electrical work, and other businesses that deal with shaping wire.
2. Bail-Making Pliers
The jaws of this plier consist of two dowels, one larger than the other. It is primarily used in jewelry making. The wire is wrapped around the jaw to form clasps, ear wires, and many other shaped loop components.
3. Brake Spring Pliers
A Brake spring plier is a multi-device specifically designed to deal with the springs found in drum brakes. The tip of one jaw is rounded to remove the springs, while the other is rotated to hold the springs back. One of the handles also consists of a rachet to separate the shoe hold-down pin.
4. Battery Pliers
They are designed to be used mainly in the automotive industry to maintain bolts on car batteries and jumper cables. These pliers are made of small angled jaws. The lower jaw is slightly shorter, and both jaws are thicker to make them more durable.
5. Canvas Pliers
The canvas plier is made of a wide jaw, which allows a person to do what usually takes two. The jaws are usually padded to avoid damaging the jaw surface while it extends over the frame. It is also known as canvas stretching pliers.
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6. Chain Nose Pliers
These chain nose pliers are tools used in wire shaping and jewelry making. The jaw form allows bending, crimping, and wire shaping. They mainly feature the stubborn triangular jaw.
7. Flat or Combination Pliers
This piler has flat jaws. One side of the jaw is sharp for cutting purposes. These pliers are useful in a large number of jobs like cutting wires, turning nails, and each small jobs. Pilers used in electrical jobs have insulated handles.
A combination of pliers should not be used for cutting a very hard metal, or else its edge would be spoiled. For the strong grip of jobs, parallel slots are made on the inner side of its jaws.
8. Eyelet Pliers
The eyelets plier allows the addition of laces and drawstrings to the fabric. These holes consist of a ring and a long hub, which should be dislodged. It is an important component in tailoring, cobbling, and other textile industries.
The modern eyelet pliers are made of interchangeable dies to provide for both piercing and spasms, even though some only have a wheel in the upper surface or upper jaw with different dye tips.
9. Fencing Pliers
This curious-looking multi-tool resembles a hammer with two handles. The positions in the fulcrum provide to cut the wires of various gauges, while the staples in the left jawbone have a hammer surface for driving.
The right jaw paws can be used to remove staples, and the jaw itself has a gripping surface and a round grip hole.
10. Grommet Pliers
They are like eyeglass pliers at work. Grommet pliers are used to make holes in tarps and other materials, as well as by gluing the grommets. Grommets have heavier-duty applications than eyelets, making the tool perfect for crafts with strong materials such as tent-making.
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11. Hose Grip Pliers
These special types of pliers are made for ease in or out of tight spaces. Their grab jaws are shaped in a way to protect the hoses from damage, such as vacuum lines, heater hoses, and fuel lines.
Just hold and turn the hose on or off. Hose grip pliers also work for clamps, spark plugs, and different small elements. They are also known as grabber pliers.
12. Linesman Pliers
Although the name may not sound familiar, you have likely seen or used it at some time. They consist of a small gripping surface towards the tip and a cutting surface in the middle. It is a multipurpose tool often used in electrical work.
Due to the multi-tool function and jaw strength, it can also be used for twists, turns, and curt metal, which can be very hard for other pliers. In some cases, insulated handles can protect the user from electric shock, even though most models do not evaluate against shock.
13. Nail Puller Pliers
The tips of its claws are taped so that they can be dug under the head of the nails and cast out. Some variations also have a claw behind the right jaw for extra advantage. It looks similar to tongs.
14. Locking Pliers
These pliers lock the jaws in place, making them engaging for snatching screws and bolts. There are a variety of jaw sizes available for this tool, which enables you to choose a design that best suits your needs. They are also known as Vise-Grips.
15. Piston Ring Pliers
There are two forms of piston ring pliers. Both are used in engines to remove and replace piston rings. The first has simple mounting tips that can stretch the piston ring for easy replacement. The other has a much larger curved set with multiple braces to support the ring and decrease the risk of warping.
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16. Running Pliers
These pliers make a clean break along the run lines in the glass. The wide jaws are adjusted to match the thickness of your glass and have a centerline to ensure precise alignment when moving with the score. They are used in creating stained glass crafts.
17. Sheet Metal Pliers
It is wide and rectangular. These types of pliers are used to bend and seam the sheet metal. They are commonly seen in metal shops and other industries where sheet metal is done.
18. Spark Plug Pliers
The narrow jaws of these types of pliers are combined with insulated tongs or cylindrical holders. The tips grip plug, as the name itself suggests, by boot or plug wire, helps in automotive repair.
19. Welding Pliers
The jaws of the welding pliers are similar to those of the combination pliers, the needle having the same tip as the jaw of the nose plier.
They can perform various tasks, including splatter removal, gripping wire, cutting, and hammer handling. As the name itself suggests, these types of pliers are heavily used in welding-based trades.
20. Split Ring Pliers
The split ring pliers have a bent tip on the lower jaw. This nozzle acts as a wedge, splitting individual coiled rings. They are used in the manufacture of fishing tackles and keyrings. It is also known as fishing pliers.
21. Oil Filter Pliers
They are asymmetrical-looking pliers consisting of a C-shaped pair of jaw teeth, each longer than the other. They are used in the automotive industry to eliminate oil filter coverings.
22. Soft Jaw Pliers
Soft jaw pliers involve many common types of pliers. The difference is that these pliers have padded jaws to prevent scratches on chrome and other soft metals or exposed surfaces. They are mainly used for plumbing and scuba diving equipment.
23. Gas Pliers
This type of pliers is used to open nuts fixed on gas and oil pipes. Its opening can be enlarged or closed as per requirement, like the slip joint pliers.
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Precautions for Using Pliers
- Pliers should not be used in place of a hammer, spanner, or wrench.
- For different types of jobs, different pliers should be used.
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Conclusion
As you know, a plier is used for small jobs, and articles can be made. It is also used to cut or bend wires. As it is a valuable tool, it may wonder how many different types of pliers can be.
If you still have doubts about the “Types of Pliers and Their Uses,” you can contact us or ask in the comments. Liked it? Share it with your friends. Have any questions about any topic, feel free to ask in the comment section.
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