Pliers

Long nose pliers have a long, slender head which allows access into hard to reach places, they also feature a cutting section. Combination and long nose pliers are available with standard grips or approved VDE handles which are insulated for live line working. Selflocking pliers are akin to a mini vice as once they have gripped the material or component they are able to be locked in place without the handles being squeezed. The jaw opening of locking pliers is adjustable using a screw at the back of the tool, once set to achieve the best possible grip the pliers are squeezed together and locked in place using a lever which is located inside of the main handles. When the jaws have been firmly secured, locking pliers are capable of tremendous amounts of grip making them ideal for removing stubborn fixings with damaged heads, clamping workpieces and crimping. The self locking mechanism is replicated across a range of head styles to include, straight jaw, curved jaw, long nose, c-clamp and sheet metal grips. Waterpump pliers as the name would suggest are commonly used by plumbers and heating engineers as they are designed to grip pipes, nuts and irregular shaped fittings. Some water pump pliers have specially shaped jaws to grip hexagonal nuts and others may even feature soft grip jaws to prevent damage to polished fittings which would easily be damaged by traditional, hardened steel jaws. Water pump pliers typically use a slip-joint or ratchet system to adjust the opening size of the jaws allowing them to accomodate many sizes of pipes and fittings. Regardless of the plier type, more grip and clamping force is achieved by using longer handles which increases leverage. Protrade stock a comprehensive range of pliers from leading brands such as Milwaukee, Knipex, Irwin and Draper.