Why does nobody talk about buying cheap safety wire pliers? I lost $120 on a bad set

I picked up a budget set of safety wire pliers off an online auction site (you know, the kind that claim to be 'just as good' for $30) and they stripped out after three uses on a Cessna 172 cowling. The wire kept slipping and I had to redo six hours of work. A coworker laughed and handed me a proper pair he's had for 15 years. Has anyone else wasted money on cheap tools and regretted it, or do you think budget gear has a place in the hangar?

2 comments

2 Comments

phoenix_adams605d ago

Yeah the "grip slipped" part is the killer. @robert_hayes I actually picked up a pair from a Snap-on truck once that had a similar issue, but it was user error. The cheap ones I bought had a plastic grip that cracked in cold weather. Couldn't even clamp down on the wire after that. Had a set from Sears years ago that did okay for a season before the spring gave out. You're right though, for weekly use it's a waste.

robert_hayes5d ago

Man I feel your pain. I grabbed a $25 set of wire twist pliers from a harbor freight type place and they were garbage by the end of the first job. The grip slipped and the wire just bunched up on me. Ended up borrowing my buddy's Milwaukee pair that were like $80 and they worked perfect for years until I finally bought my own. Cheap tools can be okay for stuff you use once a month, but for safety wire pliers you're using every week it's just not worth the headache.