IRWIN VISE-GRIP Lineman's Pliers with Fish Tape Puller , 9.5", (1902415)

Bought in 2016, in light use for electrical work since then, much preferred over straight needle nosed pliers for almost all situations. This is the "Made in Germany" version for any future readers, in case Irwin degrades and move production to ... somewhere else.These pliers work particularly well for 1 and up ganged electrical boxes where the straight needle nosed type pliers cause your hands to get in the way of seeing what is going on; also these Irwin Ergomulti pliers work as well as or better than straight for most other work, excepting the rare case where the ergo handles get in the way due to other obstructions.The yellow closure lock works well and is very easy to use (the pliers are spring loaded, so having a closure lock is necessary), however the plastic lock seems to loosen/wear over time and thousands of uses letting the jaws gap more when locked closed. Not a major issue for my use, gap increase is nowhere near enough to prevent easily putting tool back into a tool pocket, only a few mm more gap.Hinge has held up very well, handles show only normal wear and tear and don't come loose, most importantly the tool alloy has also held up very well when used with copper. I don't use the strippers very much preferring dedicated Klein for stripping so neutral on the stripping quality. The head weight and tool shape is such that the pliers have a good tendency to stay in a tool pocket even with the handles sticking out at an angle-- you don't notice a feature like this until you have a poorly designed tool where the tool constantly tries to fall out due to poor weighting.I like these so much that I am on the lookout for a replacement spare pair in case I lose mine. Not too many tools reach the "I need a spare pair on hand just in case I lose mine" stage.

The high quality of these pliers you can feel from the moment you hold them because they are heavy and in no way feel cheap. They actually are heavier then they look (I was about surprised by that honestly) but with the density of the German steel it's understandable. They are smooth hinging and cut amazingly. Great grip on pulling nails. I also love the socket grip that is perfect for setting any through nuts or bolts. The fish tape pull is great and the leverage you get with the nail/ fish tape puller is fantastic. Also works great as a small screw setting hammer because of the weight. My advice is use white lithium grease on them instantly to avoid any rust issues in the future. I don't know if they rust since I do this to all my tools but I was surprised how fast the Milwaukee tools rust so I didn't want to face that with these NWS made Irwin's. By the way- Europeans don't typically use this style of pliers so this is a uniquely German made tool for and available only in the American market. In short- I'm actually happy I had my other pliers stolen as it lead to my finding these- my last set I'll ever buy. (Unless they also get stolen and then I'll buy the same pair again)

There appears to be some confusion in these reviews!!!These pliers along with all the German production in Irwins product line are Superbly made and designed pliers. They are clearly some of the best pilers I've ever owned. Sharp enough to cut hard piano wire yet Precise enough to cut small gauge Stranded wire. They bear a strong resemblance and Performance characteristics to NWS produced pliers. All pliers in this line I have Encountered so far have been of remarkable quality Hardness and Utility in workmanship!The angled Electricians pliers take a bit of getting use to but have many advantages over conventional Linesmans and needlenose pliers. The angle allows for a fatigue free grip and operation and allows a better view of the work area. Similar to a pistol grip. These are highly recommend!

I gave this to my little brother as a gift a few years back to add to his tool collection. Recently he was helping me with some work on an old truck I own and this tool came in handy. Still very useful with very little wear. My brother has always taken good care of his tools and stores them properly which probably contributed to the excellent condition it remains in. My only gripe would be the handle. Just feels a little strange but still has excellent grip.

These really do seem very high quality. Cutting surfaces seem to be hardened to a level equal to other top-tier pliers like klein and knipex. Went to the orange big box store today and browsed their in-stock pliers. You can guess where every set was made and I'm sorry to say it wasn't taiwan. The cutting edges didn't line up on a single pair and they're all painted with black paint to obscure the poor quality just as is often done with circular saw blades. These approximate well enough to cut the cardboard of a cereal box if not paper. Excellent tool -- as far as amazon goes either these, knipex or klein are the way to go with pliers.p.s. do yourself a favor and get a pair of knipex pliers wrench. Yes, they are as good as everyone says...

I would highly recommend these if you're looking for a solid tool that will (probably) last. There are probably cheaper things that cut and pull well but these are worthwhile. I have owned and used these pliers(9.5") semi-regularly for ~6 months as general cutters/pliers. They seem to be excellent build quality, solid weight and balance--they truly feel great in my hands. To gush poetic, of all the tools I own, these are probably my favorite.I have probably abused these to cut rusty/old nails, screws, and even as a hammer sometimes, but they get through it well with no noticeable damage or dulling so far.