KNIPEXAlligator® Water Pump Pliers black atramentized, with non-slip plastic coating 250 mm (self-service card/blister) 88 01 250 SB

A fantastic purchase! Easy to adjust, easy to use, great at gripping. Once they are locked at the size I need the locking feature doesn't slip.

I have bought a lot of these over the years, I will not use any other brand of grips, feels great in the hand and functions well

Unless you are a tradesman you don't often need this type of tool,but as a DIYer when you do need one you really know when you don't have one handy. My old slip joints (fromToolstation) were awful. They were true slip joints in as much as the joint slipped as soon as you tried to grip anything!I thought that I'd upgrade to Knippex as they are amongst the best. I couldn't justify the expense of Cobras (I don't use them enough) so I bought the Aligator version. I was initially disappointed when I saw how narrow the head was...I expected something more substantial. However this is actually a very good thing....the tool has a really good grip, is well engineered and really strong. The narrow head means that you can get into tighter spaces with poor access. Quality tools stand out when you use them.....these fall into that category. As a DIY'er these are ideal but if I was a tradesman I think I'd have gone for the Cobras as they seem to be a little more adjustable. I couldn't justify the expense but a plumber or sparky could. I'll put what what I saved towards another quality tool!

I got these for a particular job, knowing that they would be useful in other ways in future. There are cheaper options, but these are actually German-made, and Knipex are a dependable brand. There is a version with shaped grips rather than dipped, but I balked at the extra £10 for some plastic. Were they used regularly, it would make more sense. The design is unremarkable, and in truth it takes a little care to adjust the jaws by moving the part-circular pin to another hole. They seem solid enough, with only a little play and a tiny misalignment of the jaws. They are probably better than most, and should last much longer.

High tool quality as expected from knipex

Don’t bother with imitations, these simply give a really good grip and do the job.

I bought these for a plumbing project and after much research decided this was the brand I wanted. Problem with this particular one was that the slider mechanism didn't allow for fine enough adjustment. I returned it and bought the Cobra version in 300mm which has a different way of altering the head size and opens wider. They are certainly well made and the price is justified.

Good grips second pair added to my tool box