Pliers & Cutters

AIMS Industrial stocks one of the broadest ranges of pliers and cutters available from a single Australian industrial supplier — 217 products spanning combination pliers, long nose and needle nose pliers, locking pliers (vice-grips), diagonal side cutters, circlip and snap ring pliers, tongue-and-groove multi-grips, aviation snips, cable cutters and wire rope cutters. The range is built around genuine trade brands including Channellock, Stahlwille, Wiha, Trax, Sterling, Lang Tools, Strong Hand Tools, Maun, Lockjaw, Bahco, Maverick Tools, Hansa, Garrick Herbert and P&N, so whether you're stocking a maintenance van, fitting out a fabrication shop or replacing a worn set on the tool board, there's a genuine specification to match the job rather than a generic all-rounder. We've put together a Types of Pliers Guide: Types, Sizes & Selection if you'd like more detail before you buy.

Pliers & Cutters — Quick Reference

Buying tip: match the plier to the task and the material, not the other way around. A combination plier pushed into constant cutting duty will lose its edge fast; a general-purpose diagonal cutter used on hardened wire or spring steel will chip. Never use pliers as a hammer or a pry bar — it's the single most common cause of a cracked jaw or a snapped handle we see come back under warranty.

Pliers by Brand

Every brand in this range earns its place for a specific reason — we don't stock a brand just to pad the catalogue.

• Stahlwille is the deepest plier range we stock — combination, side and end cutters, snipe nose, circlip/snap ring, connector, wire-twisting and waterpump pliers, in dip-coated, multi-component and VDE-insulated handle options. German-engineered and built for repeat professional use rather than occasional DIY duty.
• Channellock is the trade standard for tongue-and-groove (multi-grip) pliers, and also supplies our aviation snip, tinner snip, linesman, long nose, wire-stripping and insulated plier lines. If a tradesperson asks for "channellocks" by name, they mean tongue-and-groove pliers — the brand name has become the generic term in plumbing and automotive trades.
• Wiha supplies precision electrical and electronics pliers — diagonal cutters (including ESD-safe versions), combination pliers, circlip pliers and stripping pliers — for panel builders, electricians and instrumentation techs who need a fine, repeatable cutting edge.
• Trax covers a wide practical spread: long nose, diagonal cutting, locking, circlip, linesman and safety wire-twisting pliers, plus wire rope cutters and a chain wrench — a solid general workshop and automotive line.
• Sterling is our snips and shears specialist — Black Panther and Ultimax Pro aviation snips, tin snips, cable cutters and swivel-base mitre shears, with spare blades and anvils stocked separately for the tools that take the heaviest use.
• Lang Tools is a dedicated snap ring and circlip plier specialist, including combination internal/external sets and a range of replacement tips — useful where a single plier needs to service multiple circlip sizes.
• Strong Hand Tools and Lockjaw supply the locking pliers, C-clamp and welding-clamp end of the range — sheet metal, pipe and chain-style locking pliers built for fabrication and welding bench work.
• Maun supplies precision parallel-action pliers — the jaws stay parallel through the full range of motion rather than pivoting, which gives a more even grip and a cleaner cut on fine wire work.
• Also in this range: Bahco, Maverick Tools (MVRK), Hansa, Garrick Herbert, P&N and Maxigear.

Plier & Cutter Types Explained

Combination Pliers

The general-purpose plier for every toolbox: flat gripping jaws, a serrated centre section for round stock, and a cutting edge behind the pivot for light wire work. Stahlwille's SW6501 range and Wiha's 200mm high-leverage combination pliers are built for repeat trade use — chrome-finished steel with a hardened cutting edge, rather than the soft cutting edge typical of cheap import combination pliers that rolls over after a handful of cuts on anything harder than copper wire.

Long Nose, Needle Nose and Snipe Nose Pliers

Extended, tapered jaws for reaching into confined spaces — behind a switchboard, inside an enclosure, or into a wiring harness — and for precise bending and holding of small components. Stahlwille's snipe nose pliers (SW6529/SW6530) add a cutting edge at the base of the jaw so you can form and trim in one tool; Trax's ARX-NP8 and Channellock's 317 cover straight general-purpose long nose work. The narrower and longer the jaw, the less side-load it can take — match the jaw length to the reach you actually need rather than buying the longest one "just in case."

Diagonal Side Cutters

Angled cutting jaws for flush wire, cable-tie and component-lead cutting — the most common plier in any electrical or electronics kit. This collection carries the full mixed range from Stahlwille, Wiha, Trax, Bahco, Maun and Excision, but if diagonal cutters are specifically what you're after — sizing, wire-gauge capacity, ESD-safe and VDE-insulated options side by side — our dedicated side cutting pliers collection is the faster way to compare them directly rather than filtering through the whole plier range.

End Cutting Pliers (Nippers)

Jaws set parallel to the handles for a true flush cut close to a surface — nail extraction, cutting off protruding hard wire, and (in Channellock's 35-250) biting through set concrete for chasing and demolition work. Where a diagonal cutter leaves an angled stub, an end cutter leaves a flat one, which matters when the cut end needs to sit flush against another surface.

Tongue & Groove, Multi-Grip and Water Pump Pliers

Adjustable-jaw pliers with a series of pivot grooves so the jaw opening can be stepped out to grip anything from a small nut to large-diameter pipe. Channellock invented the category and remains the trade benchmark — the 480 "BigAzz" at 514mm is built for large-diameter pipe and fitting work, while the GS-series sets pair a multi-grip with cutting pliers for a compact general kit. Maxigear's water pump pliers cover the same job at a lower price point for less demanding use.

Locking Pliers (Vice-Grips)

A screw-adjustable jaw with an over-centre locking action that clamps onto a workpiece and holds it without continued hand pressure — used to hold parts for welding, grinding and assembly, and as a last-resort substitute wrench on a fastener with a rounded head. Lockjaw's curved-jaw, straight-jaw and needle-nose locking pliers cover general workshop use; Strong Hand Tools' range goes further into fabrication-specific designs — C-jaw, sheet metal, pipe, chain and big-mouth locking pliers built to hold awkward or large-section work for welding. Excision's GripLox pliers are a heavier locking design aimed specifically at welding and fabrication holding tasks. A locking plier is not a substitute for a properly sized spanner in routine use — the jaws mark soft fastener plating and a mis-set clamping pressure can slip under load.

Circlip and Snap Ring (Retaining Ring) Pliers

Fixed-tip pliers for compressing external circlips or expanding internal circlips during fitting and removal — used constantly in automotive, hydraulic and gearbox work. Stahlwille's SW6543–SW6546 range and Lang Tools' combination internal/external sets (including replaceable-tip designs) are both stocked here, but our dedicated retaining ring pliers collection is the better starting point if circlip work is your main job — it's organised by internal/external and by tip angle (straight, 45° and 90°) so you can match the plier to the bore or shaft you're working on without wading through the rest of the plier range.

Aviation Snips, Tinner Snips and Shears

Compound-leverage cutting shears for sheet metal, duct and flashing work. Aviation snips are colour-coded by cutting direction — the convention used across the trade (and followed by the Sterling and Channellock ranges we stock) is green for right-hand curves, red for left-hand curves and yellow or black for straight cuts — so you can grab the right pair without reading the stamped part number. Sterling's Black Panther and Ultimax Pro lines cover straight, offset, duckbill and swivel-base mitre shears, with spare blades and anvils stocked separately; Channellock's 610-series aviation snips and 608 tinner snips round out the straight and offset options.

Wire-Stripping and Crimping Pliers

Combination stripping/cutting pliers (Channellock's 908 and 959) and dedicated ratchet crimp tools (Hansa) for cable preparation and terminal fitting. For a wider dedicated range of strippers, crimpers and cable cutters, see our wire strippers & cable cutters collection; for loose terminals and lugs to go with them, see terminals.

Wire Rope and Heavy Cable Cutters

Purpose-built cutters for steel wire rope and heavy-gauge electrical cable, where a standard diagonal cutter will simply deform rather than cut. Trax's ARX-WC712 covers wire rope and spring wire up to the manufacturer's rated diameter, and Sterling's Ultimax Pro cable cutter range is built for heavier electrical cable than a standard side cutter is rated for.

VDE-Insulated Pliers for Electrical Work

Where pliers are used on or near live conductors, an insulated-handle plier rated and tested to the VDE/IEC 60900 standard for hand tools for live working is the correct tool — not a plier with a moulded plastic grip that offers no tested insulation rating. Stahlwille's VDE range (including the SW6501 combination plier and SW6600/SW6602 side cutters with VDE multi-component handles) is stocked here specifically for that reason. If you're specifying insulated tools for a live-work procedure, check the current test certificate and re-test interval that applies to your site — VDE-rated tools require periodic re-testing, not a one-off check at purchase.

Choosing the Right Pliers for the Job

A few practical rules that save more warranty claims than any spec sheet:

• Match the tool to the material. A plier rated for soft copper wire will chip or roll its cutting edge on spring steel, stainless wire or hardened fasteners. If you're cutting anything other than standard copper or aluminium conductor, check the manufacturer's cutting capacity before buying.
• Don't use pliers as a hammer, pry bar or breaker bar. It's the most common cause of a cracked jaw casting or a bent pivot pin we see, and it isn't covered under most manufacturer warranties.
• Replace pliers with a worn cutting edge or damaged jaw. A dull cutter that "still sort of cuts" tends to slip and strip the conductor insulation instead of cutting cleanly through it — a genuine hand-injury risk, not just an inconvenience.
• Use VDE-insulated pliers for any work on or near live conductors, and keep them re-tested to your site's electrical safety procedure.
• Buy the size that fits the job, not the biggest one in the rack. A longer-handled plier gives more leverage but less control in confined spaces — oversizing a plier for delicate work is as much a mistake as undersizing one for heavy-duty cutting.

Companion Ranges

Pliers and cutters rarely work in isolation. Depending on the job, you may also need:

• Side Cutting Pliers — our dedicated diagonal cutting pliers range, organised by size and insulation rating.
• Retaining Ring Pliers — the full circlip/snap ring range, organised by internal/external and tip angle.
• Hand Tools — our full general hand tool range, from spanners and sockets to screwdrivers and hammers.
• Wire Strippers & Cable Cutters — dedicated stripping and crimping tools for cable preparation.
• Locking Pliers and Combination Pliers — filtered views of those two categories on their own.

Order Pliers & Cutters from AIMS Industrial

With 217 products across every major plier and cutter category, picking the right one for a specific job or a large maintenance stocklist isn't always straightforward — that's exactly what our team is here for. Call us on (02) 9773 0122, get in touch via our contact page, or request a quote for volume or account pricing. We supply trade, maintenance and procurement teams across Australia, and we're happy to help you match the right plier to the application rather than just the closest match on a spec sheet.

People Also Ask

What's the difference between combination pliers and long nose pliers?

Combination pliers have short, flat-and-serrated jaws built for general gripping, bending and light cutting close to the pivot. Long nose (needle nose) pliers have longer, tapered jaws designed to reach into confined spaces and make fine bends, at the cost of grip strength and side-load capacity — a long nose plier will flex or bend under a load a combination plier would shrug off.

What pliers do I need for cutting steel wire rope versus electrical cable?

Standard diagonal side cutters are designed for copper and aluminium conductor and soft wire — pushing them through steel wire rope will chip the cutting edge. For wire rope and spring wire, use a dedicated wire rope cutter (like the Trax ARX-WC712); for heavy-gauge electrical cable beyond what a standard side cutter is rated for, use a dedicated cable cutter such as Sterling's Ultimax Pro range.

Are VDE-insulated pliers required for electrical work in Australia?

Insulated-handle tools rated to the VDE/IEC 60900 standard are the correct specification wherever pliers are used on or near live conductors, and are typically required by site electrical safety procedures for live work. A plier with a plastic-coated grip that isn't tested and rated to that standard should not be treated as insulated for live work — check the manufacturer's rating and your site's re-test schedule.

What's the difference between circlip pliers and standard pliers?

Circlip (snap ring) pliers have fixed, often pointed tips shaped to engage the holes in a retaining ring rather than flat gripping jaws. They come in internal (expanding) and external (compressing) versions, and in fixed or convertible tip designs — a standard plier can't safely compress or expand a circlip and risks the ring pinging off under load.

Can locking pliers (vice-grips) be used instead of a wrench?

Only as a last resort. Locking pliers can grip and turn a fastener with a rounded or damaged head, but the serrated jaws mark plated or finished fasteners, and a mis-adjusted clamping screw can slip under load. For routine fastening work, a correctly sized spanner or socket is the right tool.

What size pliers do I need for general workshop use?

A 160–200mm combination plier and a 150–180mm diagonal side cutter cover the majority of general workshop tasks. Go longer (200–250mm+) for extra leverage on larger-diameter stock, and shorter (110–140mm) for confined-space electrical or electronics work.

Do you sell replacement blades and jaws for pliers and snips?

Yes — a number of the aviation snips and shears in this range (Sterling's Black Panther and Ultimax Pro lines, for example) have replaceable blades and anvils stocked separately, and some locking plier and circlip plier ranges have replacement jaw or tip kits available. Contact our team with your model number and we'll confirm what's available.

Why are aviation snips colour-coded?

The colour coding tells you the cutting direction without reading the stamped part number: green handles cut right-hand curves, red handles cut left-hand curves, and yellow or black handles cut straight. It's a genuine time-saver on a job site where you need to grab the right pair quickly.