Just learned the hard way about cheap safety wire pliers

Picked up a $15 pair of safety wire pliers off Amazon last week to save some cash, and they stripped out on the third lockwire job. Now I gotta redo a whole engine cowling because the twist tension was all wrong. Anyone else just stick with the $80 Milwaukee ones and skip the gamble?

2 comments

2 Comments

troy_gibson436d ago

Man, that sucks. I heard some guys swear by the cheap ones because they figure it's just twisting wire, but I wonder if the real trick is to just skip the pliers and use your fingers for anything under 10 inches.

barbara_sanchez886d ago

Fingers work ok for some stuff but you gotta watch your grip, especially if the wire's got sharp ends from the cut. Your mileage may vary, but I've snagged myself more times than I'd like to admit using just my hands on smaller wires. A decent pair of pliers gives you better control without crushing your fingertips, even under 10 inches.