Review on 🔧 Grip-On - 10-Inch Long Nose Locking Pliers with Orange Epoxy Coating by Jason Man

Good: - Firm connections - Jaws meet right at the tip Sponges come off less easily than a nickel plating - Orange painted buttons are bright and easy to spot - You won't Made in China, in case that matters Bad: - They're also not made in the US, in case it matters. They are made in Spain. The orange color will wear off over time. In fact, right out of the box, there were a few scratches on the paintwork. However, epoxy paint is strong and is said to be splash proof (if you use it for welding). - Black color is not an oxide coating, just a glossy black color. - Not as well made as I expected for the price. Those are little pliers. For $25 I might not expect a flawless fit and finish, but I certainly would expect very good quality. More on that below. The first pair I bought opened and closed smoothly and the fit was great. But the jaw tips have been shifted slightly from left to right, maybe not enough to really affect how they work, but still noticeable. I giggled and giggled and finally decided that I would never really be happy with them. So I returned them. The second pair is better, the FRONT jaws are slightly shifted, as if the instrument has a slight underbite. If I ever try to pick up small nails, an overbite can get in the way. So not huge, but again remarkable. And I'm haunted by memories of my original vise, where the jaws were machined after assembly so that the faces of the jaws matched perfectly. But unlike left-right misalignment, this type of defect can be fixed in seconds on a bench grinder or even a Dremel tool. Also, the second pair's joints were slightly sticky, just enough to keep the jaws closed. spring force. I've machined the joints vigorously and applied some Teflon oil and they seem to have loosened up a bit. Finally, the glossy black-orange color brings out all the little imperfections of forging and grinding. The jaws have many tiny nicks and scratches as if the bare metal parts were thrown together without regard to the finish. Keep in mind that none of these disadvantages will affect their use (except maybe a SMALL jaw misalignment). But they influence how I think about the instrument. Perhaps I am wrongly comparing them to some of the Victorinox, Knipex and Mora tools I have recently purchased. People will enjoy it but won't buy it for themselves. The Knipex hybrid pliers/spanners are such a tool. I won't do it with grip-ons I guess. They are good enough for me but not for my friends. :-)