Testing Channellock vs Knipex vs Klein Adjustable Pliers on Old Black Iron Fittings!

Great video. Thanks for putting it up. the Klein pliers are not designed for heavy water or gas pipes but only for conduit pipes that does not require much force to tighten or undo the fittings. I bought one too and was disappointed that it's not as powerful to assemble fittings together. But for the price it's a great tool. Almost ½ price of knipex. I found chanel lock to be a bit awkward to adjust the jaw. But it's cheaper than knipex.

I’m a plumber and electrician of 40 years experience and Ridgid pipe wrenches and the original Channel Locks are all a tradesman needs for pipe and fittings.

Knipex also makes 2 tiny versions of those you showed here (Cobra etc.), very useful when the space is small or when you need to carry them with you. Love those tools.

The knipex pliers-wrench can have plastic jaw attachments to ensure no marring. I would know, as I have some, lol.

Infinite bro? C'mon Benjamin, lol. Great video!

How do you pronounce “knife”? What about when you tie a “knot”, how do you pronounce that?
And lastly when you say “the Black Knight in Monty Python was funny” how do you pronounce “knight”?

Get a pipe wrench. That’s the right tool.

I'm the quality manager at a machine shop that makes a lot of pipe threads.
Black Iron Pipe has NPT threads (National Pipe, Tapered). Pipe threads, by design, are intended to deform the crest of the thread. NPT is a looser standard of pipe thread than an NPTF (National Pipe, Tapered, Fuel). Black pipe is not made to NPTF standards.
It is not acceptable to re-use an NPTF Thread.
It is not recommended to re-use an NPT Thread. NPT threads are intended to be assembled with pipe dope. NPTF threads, when made to spec, do not require pipe dope. They are produced / gaged to a tighter spec than NPT is.
I already know that many people re-use these threads. They apply dope, tape, and / or over-tighten the threads and, as long as it works, they then believe you can re-use them.
Just thought you should know depending on how you intend to re-use these pipes. Please be careful, apply dope, and find a way to test for leaks (pressurize and watch for pressure decay over 24 hours might be a thought).

I beleive the "classic" jaws are the flat ones. These adjustable pliers are use to be "water pump" pliers made to ajust the gland on the water pump for old car engine.

Use a fuckin pipe wrench

There is only two types of Adjustable Pliers.... Knipex Aligator and Cobra!:)

The Channy's are great beater pliers. Work in nud, use em next to a torch, loose em don't carr get em blue and yelloe from glues. Knipex and the clones are great for everyday jobs or for sservice calls mainly brass copper aluminum fittings. Pipe wrenches are for the torque use with iron cast galvanized pipe. Add a cheater for more unph. Those Kliens are EMT HVAC pipe and fittings oriented, not really a plumbing tool. But the greatest all use tool is hand and repetitive mucle memory. Not a brand. Or money.

Can you test how hard the teeth are? I would like to know which will last longer.

Great video and Comparison

The Klein flipable jaws are neet buT they don't seem to be practical or work

I like the flip able jaw on the kleins

Knipex are my favorite all day long and I'm a Mechanic

Yep everyone calls Tongue and groove Pliers as channel locks

The straight jaw channel locks absolutely work perfect for pipe. Pipe wrenches also have straight jaws. The curved jaws tend to slip instead of bite into the pipe. The knipex jaws work well for bolt heads but suck for pipe.

As a Steam pipe fitter 36 yrs I use a 14” ridgid aluminum standard Pipe wrench with an Offset 14” Ridgid aluminum Pipe wrench and they are by far the best combo on the 🌎 . The length 14” is perfect and the dimension of a fatter handle pipe wrench gives you more torque. Thanks Ben 🙏🏼

Pipe wrenches work great on pipes.

You were bouncing between not pronouncing the K and pronouncing it. It’s a German company so they do pronounce it. Technically Ka-née-pex is correct, but in US Ka-nip-ex also seems to work.

The job would be much easier using any old PIPE wrench

If it’s a pipe use a “pipe” wrench Now if your on an abandoned island and all you have is a water Pump” wrench go for it. It was hilarious watching you do this.

Pipe wrench has left the chat

TIP For pipe use a pipe wrench.. DoH

Theyre not Knipex you pronounce them ni-peks!!! Look it up!

When it comes to pipes ridgid wrenches and the cobra pliers are one of the best options. I also use the knipex pliers wrench on hex fittings. Another alternative to the Klein pliers are the Irega adjustable wrenches with reversible jaws to work on pipes, and they are very good.

I smoke the pipe then I play with my pipe for hours

Wylde tool makes channellock pliers with pipe wrench teeth on a "straight jaw". Very solid tool.

Great video. While it might be obvious to others, it is important to properly position the tool in the correct orientation when using these pliers just as you have done. It may seem strange that the pliers are in opposite directions of each other, but is necessary to get the correct “bite” on the pipe because of the tooth ridge configuration of the tool. Thanks for pointing out the flat jaw versus the curved jaw especially when working with pipe!

Knipex has a really clever patent, I like them. I own the Knipex Cobra and the Alligator, but there’s something really special about my Channellocks. The handles have a solid feel and it seems like more old school American steel is helping when you put them to work. Great video demonstration.

This klein looks terrible

I saw the kline ones and id use the pliers wrench in normal mode on the flats of the union but its also probably mostly for Electricians more than plumbers

The whole video I was just thinking "Why is he making it harder?" Every fitting you were trying to remove was with your weak hand. I don't mean left or right. It's MUCH easier to push the tool to turn it than it is to lift it. That second pliers should only be there to stabilize the fitting.

Those are water-pump pliers. So-called because they are shaped, in use, like an old-fashioned water pump. Others called them arc-joint pliers to differentiate them from slip-joint pliers.

Torch it.

Before all the Taiwanese tool companies ruined the American Tool Manufacturers Market every family household in America owned a pair of ChanneLock pliers and a Crescent Wrench !

I have pipe wrenches, some for over 40 years...

You need to try the Channellock 410 and the 414 they are designed for pipe and I think they bite as hard or harder than a pipe wrench plus you don't have to squeeze the hell out of them, they are directional but the harder you push or pull the harder they grip.

Been pipe fitting for 30 years...never used an adjustable plier for such that required an actual pipe wrench, whether Stillson or Ridgid, but I've most certainly used adjustable pliers for other instances that required them...

Knipex uber alles!

In your first case it looked like you were trying to turn the pipe CW rather than the cap CC. Seems not what you'd want to do and thus the slippage. Also, the cap has a flange which helps.
Why put two pliers side by side and lift up! Not very effective use of force it seems.

i have most of those wrenches. if you treat those klein clones of the knipex pliers wrenches as if they were only that, and ignore the goofy flip jaw, they are actually for me anyway... better in many ways than the knipex pliers wrench. i love how easily is free slides and the lower push button is super welcome. just my two cents, both are great tools.

I have a pair of Ridgid in the pouch

Anyone here try the knipex Swedish pipe wrench??? Now those bad boiiiz look like they mean business! Curious how they compare to pipe wrenches

Id just like to mention in case anyone is unaware, the second pair of channelocks he uses here w the "updated teeth" , are in fact a blatant stealing of the knipex cobras designs.

I would have liked to seen you do the og channelocks first, then the cobras considering they came before and are the tool channelock copied to update there jaw designs.

Channelocks have been chasing knipex ever since they released the cobras and alligators and you can see that in all there various newer models, if its not the teeth, its the push button design, or the switch from having each piece of the pliers screwed together to sandwiching on inside the other so theres no side to side flexing or chance of bending.

Nothing against channelocks, I support them making what tools they make in America and all that, but its obvious that they realize their tongue and groove design is antiquated and theres been huge advancements in the world of pliers.

And if they keep taking all these ideas from the same company, hell from the same tool, why would u go w an imitation and not the real deal?

(The only reason i have gotten any was because some were American made and regardless if theyre a copy of another tool or whatevs, i can support that..)