The 12 Best Locking joint Pliers (2023 reviews)

We know from years of feedback from readers, customers and amazon sellers, what most people want in a plier. The malco locking joint plier is exactly that - it's a simple plier that hits all the right notes. Malco makes these exact same locking pliers for Snap-On. They grab as good or better than the original Vise Grips. The ferrule that the adjustment screw runs through is formed from the sheet metal of the handle on the bollmann pliers, and on the eagle grips, a beefier system is comprised of a separate ferrule joined to the handle, which they call the " power ring. It is made of a soft metal and cannot be used in demanding situations or they slip.

The reinforcement around where the tightening screw goes into pliers is another improvement. The wire cutter on the Eagle Grips is also sharper. Malco's screw is beefy and the area around the screw is reinforced. They have a solid feel, a good grip and are reinforced in the necessary places.

Why We Like This:

Good quality compared to snap on tools
Super heavy duty with a beautiful, shiny nickel finish
High quality locking pliers with jaws that will cut into grade 8 bolt

Best For general maintenance Tool box: WORKPRO Locking joint Plier

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The workpro locking joint plier should be able to handle its purpose and duties with ease. If you are in need of locking pliers, these are the ones to get. It features an integral wire cutter. It is made of heavy cast metal that's well-machined. It won't cut your fingers or anything. The varying sizes and nose shapes add greatly to what you can do with these. It is great for the general maintenance tool box. It is packaged in a sturdy box and protective bubble inside. They perform just as good as higher end pliers.

Why We Like This:

Heavy/strong tools that would last for many many years
Saves the wallet from spending big name prices
Delivers what they promise

Best For young adult: Amazon Basics Locking joint Plier

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The amazon basics locking joint plier might be a relatively new release, but it's still nothing short of impressive this year, thanks to multiple price cuts and added new features over the past few months. This set of locking pliers (vise grips) should work fine around the house for various projects. These are the standard slip-sized pliers with strong steel construction and comfortable rubber coated handles. The quick-release button is easy to manage and the jaws lock at your desired opening width. They also are made out of some very substantial metal.

The pliers are heavy duty, grip well and very comfortable to hold. The locking mechanism is no-nonsense, and the adjustability is smooth. The case they come in is a bonus, and nicely holds all five pliers at your desired opening width. It is easy to clean oil and grease stains.

Why We Like This:

A great set of vice-grip style locking pliers
Nice groove joint pliers for basic household and garage tasks
Super easy to adjust jaw opening
Good grip and easy to adjust

Best For removing rivets: Irwin Locking joint Plier

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The irwin locking joint plier should be able to handle its purpose and duties with ease. This item is indispensable when replacing your own heel tips. It is great for people with big hands to hold small nuts, bolts, or screws in place. It has very sharp, and well designed teeth on the long nose for a good grip on the part. It is great for removing rivets after drilling them.

The locking action of the new tool is smooth and solid. It is good as a clamp for gluing stuff. The small size, this is a real tool that can be used and counted on for quality. It is easy to operate and unlock function easy to open.

Why We Like This:

Maximum effective grip range is around 1-inch
Release lever is good with no play and no hesitation on release
Very small vicegrips for tight places
Eliminates frustration, doesn't slip when slowly working out the old heel tips

Best For stripped screws: engineer Locking joint Plier

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Next on the list, we've got yet another plier that manages to win our hearts. It's the engineer locking joint plier and it's widely considered as plier that has the most suitable features. Rubber handles provide you with a comfortable grip and unique jaw serration arrangement allows a firm grip on screw heads without slippage. These are the locking versions of the screw extractor pliers. Each fits better in certain situations, but if you have a bit more space, it's nice having the locking feature to grip harder and lock on to break a screw loose.

The jaw looks like brand-new and really locks in without slippage. They can function as normal gripping pliers but the jaws are a bit aggressive for many applications. These are well made and easy to use.

Why We Like This:

You can hold and lock the screw
Really does a great job of grabbing screw heads that have been rounded out
Worked on a round head screw

Best For mechanic: FASTPRO Locking joint Plier

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We would, of course, be remiss if we didn't mention fastpro locking joint plier for regular usage. These are decent locking pliers and they are like Vise grip and so far so good. The Anti-pinch and non-slip FASTPRO grip provides comfort and leverage while reducing vibration and hand fatigue.

Why We Like This:

Inexpensive set to handle any need for vice grips
Good investment for long term

Best For tight places: Dowell Locking joint Plier

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The dowell locking joint plier is suitable and reliable and fits well with your daily purpose. It is easy to use and can cover a mass of jobs from simple jobs to major. The tools are ergonomic and they come in a roll-up pouch to store them which is nice to put away or take out. The tips of the screwdrivers are magnetic to help hold your screws. They come in a nice pouch with pockets for convenient storage.

There’s also a 8 inch adjustable wrench, 6 inch long nose pliers, regular needle nose pliers, wire cutters and two screwdrivers with a flathead and Phillips heads. The shape of the rubber is good, keeping your hands from getting too close. These are durable and well balanced which makes them comfortable to use.

Why We Like This:

Affordable well made tools in a handy roll up pouch case
Ease, and fine polishing for corrosion resistance
Edges can be sharp or have slight burrs

Best With wire cutter: crescent Locking joint Plier

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The crescent locking joint plier's material feels more premium than its price would suggest. The unique angled teeth of the Crescent locking pliers provide more torque with less effort. The Deep-ribbed knurl pattern is easier to grip and turn. It features an integral wire cutter and also it is used to loosen or tighten the adjuster knob. The head and body also have a narrow profile necessary for work in tight and confined spaces.

All Crescent locking pliers have a plastisol grip trigger release for easier opening and large hex key recess when additional leverage is needed for tightening. It has design for greater comfort and performance.

When it is set, pliers can be tightened further by turning the adjusting screw with a hex key. They meet stringent ASME B107.24 and B107.36 standards as applicable, including proven strength and maximum jaw opening capacity.

Why We Like This:

Versatile curved jaw also features integral wire cutter
Angled tooth pattern for a better grip
Compound action for powerful non-slip locking grip

Best For bare metal: Knipex Locking joint Plier

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Next on the list, we've got yet another plier that manages to win our hearts. It's the knipex locking joint plier and it's widely considered as one of the best convenient plier you can buy. The griping jaws are pretty hard and grip extremely well. It is good grip for bare metal, tight lock-up, and effective jaw geometry. It features an adjustment screw and release lever and is perfect for one-handed operation. The functionality of the action is smooth yet strong. They work perfectly gripping the rim tightly and holding the bead down.

The tooth design is amazing. It is proven and tested for durability and function in real world use and conditions. They have a very strong grip even when at light torque and are almost impossible to rip off when latched onto anything.

Why We Like This:

Very well built, operate smoothly and will probably last forever
Very nice, smooth, and rust free
Great tool that will satisfy you

Best For about any Tool box: Duratech Locking joint Plier

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The duratech locking joint plier's superior materials makes sure that it ages well with use. This locking plier set is made from high. It provides improved dexterity when you're using it. The clasp with the rubber on it provides improved dexterity when you're using it. It can be used as well as a vice grip. The quality of this set is very good and it should have no problem holding up to years of use if taken care of properly.

With the great quality and variety no doubt this is definitely a great set of pliers that would make an excellent addition to any toolbox. This set also comes with a rolling storage pouch that not only keeps the pliers organized but also helps with saving space when stored.

Why We Like This:

Perfect trigger design and ergonomic handle design
Provide maximum locking force and comfort, non-slip hand grip
Good brand reputation

Best For Hose Clamp: Hpbbkd Locking joint Plier

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Next on the list, we've got yet another plier that manages to win our hearts. It's the hpbbkd locking joint plier and it's widely considered as plier that has the most suitable features. This is a handy tool for spring type clamps and a must have. It is made of high-quality carbon steel with rust-resistant finish for high hardness and durability. They have a spring loaded lever on the side that is notched so that as you clamp down it captures the progress. The lock feature is awesome for being able to manipulate the clamp without worry of it slipping off like regular pliers.

They don’t slip and they hold the clamp open until you manually release the clamp. It is easy to use in difficult and limited areas. If you spend any amount of time working on cars, these are totally worth it.

Why We Like This:

Locking and holding is great feature of this tool
Lot of satisfied buyers

Best Set: OEMTOOLS Locking joint Plier

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This curved and long nose locking pliers set has every kind of plier you could need for your next job. This pliers set for mechanics is constructed with unique alloy steel that is heat. It wastes a tiny bit of space in a drawer compared to just tossing them in, but it looks very aerospace and will keep them organized.

This kit offers a variety of angled pliers so you can reach almost anywhere and handle numerous jobs around the shop. It is great value and on the plus side the holder is really nice as well. It is for the most strength and longevity in your pliers tool set, this set is crafted from unique alloy steel that is heat-treated. You can use these pliers as coolant hose pinch-off pliers, or for holding two pieces of metal together.

Why We Like This: