Other Pliers & Cutters

Specialty Pliers and Cutters

Beyond the everyday combination, long-nose, and side-cutter pliers, there's a range of specialty pliers each designed for a specific job — locking pliers for clamping, snap-ring pliers for circlips, crimping pliers for cable terminals, parallel jaw pliers for clean grip on finished surfaces. AIMS Industrial stocks the specialty pliers that trade and industrial customers reach for when standard pliers aren't the right tool.

The specialty pliers in our range

• Locking pliers (vice-grip style) — clamp pliers that lock onto the work, leaving the operator's hands free
• Snap ring (circlip) pliers — for installing and removing internal and external retaining rings
• Crimping pliers — for cable terminals, connectors, and electrical lugs
• Parallel jaw pliers — jaws stay parallel through the grip range, leaving cleaner marks on finished surfaces
• Sheet metal and seaming pliers — long flat jaws for folding and seaming sheet work
• Bolt cutters and rebar cutters — heavy-duty cutters for hardened steel, rebar, and large-diameter wire
• Pipe pliers and tube benders — for plumbing, refrigeration, and tube work
• Hose clamp pliers — for compressing spring-band hose clamps in automotive and plumbing
• End cutters — for cutting flush with a surface — nail removal, wire cropping

Locking pliers — the workshop favourite

Locking pliers (originally Vise-Grip, now made by many brands) clamp onto the work with adjustable jaw pressure, then lock in position by an over-centre toggle. They're the right tool when you need a third hand — holding a workpiece while you weld, gripping a damaged fastener, clamping repair work. The trade-off is jaw marks on the work; for finished surfaces, parallel jaw pliers or grip-protecting jaw covers are the better choice.

Snap ring pliers — internal and external

Snap rings (circlips) come in two types: internal (sits inside a bore) and external (sits in a groove on a shaft). The pliers are different for each — internal pliers spread the ring apart to fit it into the bore; external pliers compress the ring together to slide it onto the shaft. Some pliers are convertible (rotating the tip changes between internal and external); others are dedicated to one type. Get the right tool for the ring you're working with — using the wrong type damages the ring and the workpiece.

Crimping pliers — match to terminal type

Crimping pliers are specific to terminal type. Insulated terminals (red, blue, yellow) use one die profile; uninsulated terminals use another; ferrules use yet another; coaxial cable connectors are different again. For mixed work, ratcheting crimping pliers with interchangeable dies cover the range; for production work, dedicated pliers per terminal type give the cleanest crimps.

Brands stocked at AIMS

Wiha, Bahco, Stahlwille, and Channellock cover the specialty pliers range, with each brand having strengths in particular applications. We'll match brand to application — contact our team for advice on a specific need.