Knipex

If you are a hobbyist or small business in desktop manufacturing you are basically forced to buy Chinese products. I have never owned a Prusa, but I have owned several Creality and Bambu Labs printers, because I could get the same utility at half the cost. The same goes for soldering irons, linear actuators, oscillscopes, etc. I still buy European hand tools (Knipex, Wera, etc) because I know they won't break in a year, so they are good value in the long run. Often the choice is whether to buy a used, last generation tool of eBay, or a brand new next-gen tool from China. The choice depends on how flawed the Chinese implementation is and the gap in utility between the generations. The main problem with Chinese products is the lack of accountability. The same product will be sold under multiple brands, or by dropshippers, and you have no idea who actually made it, there are some strong Chinese brands that buck this trend, i.e. Bambu Labs. When you buy western tools you are buying peace of mind, something I can't currently afford.

> You can more or less crank on them with as much strength as you can and they won't break or slip. This seems to be more or less a theme for knipex tools. I know I've put my full weight on a knipex combination plier before to cut something that I probably shouldn't be cutting with it. Worked fine, no damage to the pliers.

I’ve a set of Wera Joker adjustable wrenches, and for anything they can’t handle a couple of Kniper. Between them I don’t have much need for anything else.

I have found the Knipex adjustable pliers to be a much better alternative: https://www.knipex.com/products/pipe-wrenches-and-water-pump...

Yes, it's quite useful around the house. Anything that isn't cranked on tight or corroded typically is fine. This is my go-to for most chores involving a wrench. The XS is useful even as a small tool in a carry-on. I've busted mine (and it's Cobra XS equivalent which is probably more useful on a job site) out in a datacenter, etc. to get a small job done. You can more or less crank on them with as much strength as you can and they won't break or slip. I bought it as a laugh when I found one 50% off and ended up purchasing a dozen or so as Christmas gifts for my ops staff that year. Fits in the watch pocket of your jeans comfortably, so it's handy to just have on you all day especially if going up and down ladders. It won't replace a full toolset for a serious job - but as a "just in case" pair for little quick jobs they are unexpectedly useful. I then ended up with a collection of around 20 various Knipex tools over the years since they simply are so much better than anything else I've found. Their precision nippers are the bees knees for terminating cat5/6 into patch panels, for example. Definitely pick up a "baby wrench" if you have an excuse to!

My very limited experience with Knipex has me wanting to buy their stuff in the future.

The best quality traditional style adjustable wrenches I am aware of are made by Bahco. They are made with tighter tolerances than typical Home Depot grade stuff, which reduces slipping and damage caused by jaw movement. https://www.bahco.com/int_en/products/wrenches/adjustable-wr... However, I prefer the Knipex pliers wrenches mentioned by other commenters. They are also useful for many other gripping, pressing and bending tasks that the traditional adjustables cannot do. Edit: For vise grip type tools, Grip-On is the best value/quality. They have a slightly different release mechanism than the Vise-Grip branded tools that improves the ergonomics of the tool significantly. They are (or were last time I checked) relabeled by some high end tool brands like Snap-on. For the most part, I consider them an inherently destructive but sometimes necessary tool that will mess up a fastener. However there are a wide variety of jaw styles (and removable covers) available that can mitigate this, depending on the task.

I have 4 of these Knipex adjustable pliers. I do like them but find that getting them set just right for the task at hand is a bit fiddly. Seems like I am always setting it one setting too loose or too tight. The Knipex product that I love is their automatic wire stripper.

All my Knipex tools are incredible

you can snip off smd LEDs pretty easily if you have a set of flush cutters. I really like the knipex ones, they're high quality, truly flush, and very durable (this is just a random picture of them) https://cdn.bueromarkt-ag.de/product/1eb892022d09365e7dd2c7b... PS: foone knows what a chip on board is, right? I'm assuming they just used weird phrasing, but the fact that they called it a "blobbed over IC" kind of threw me off

FTA : The tool companies that are still good. Klein, Makita, Knipex, Channellock, Hilti, Bosch.

I (and apparently many others) came here to knipex plier wrenches. The have a spring-loaded indent that keeps the adjustment where you need it, tighten on the fastener in one direction, and open enough to act as a ratchet in the other direction. In certain cases they are actually less likely to round off a fastener than a non-adjustable wrench. This[1] video gives a good overview. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGb4WF4e8YQ

Knipex are awesome, a good example of quality resulting in a tool that lasts much longer than the cheap tools and causing much less damage to the nuts you are working on.

I follow this for things I truly will need occasionally, like most specialized car repair tools. But my exceptions are things I know I will use regularly. In addition to not replacing things as they wear out, my reasoning is that it's nice to have a set of each type of tool, with a storage case instead of ending up with a large mix of tools. Of course, someone else might have a different list of regularly used tools and some of the following list is from trial and error, I didn't get all of these right the first time. - Screwdrivers: I have 2 Wera sets with many bits (small and large). They come with nice fabric/velcro carrying cases that are perfect for throwing in a bag, car, or drawer. High quality and the packaging is worth it compared to something loose or in a plastic case. I also have one full set of non-configurable Vessel screwdrivers that stays in my work area. They are a wooden composite, feel professional but are not much more than crafstman prices.[2] - Wire strippers, side cutters, adjustable wrenches, pliers, etc: These really depend on material properties and tight tolerance, and it's worth buying quality. I like Knipex and engineer brands. - Sockets and non-adjustable wrenches: These tend to be sold in large sets at sale prices and at various qualities. Unless you're a mechanic you can probably go into any hardware store, do a quick google search for complaints, and buy the cheapest set of sockets and wrenches. Don't pay for "200 pieces" including crappy litt…

knipex makes a good one. And they’re the exception that proves the rule.

Klein Tools are definitely top notch, no question. But so are Knipex. And Wera. For thermal imagers, I prefer the FLIR brand.