Types of Pliers and Their Uses: Complete Guide With Knipex Picks

If you have ever rounded off a nut with the wrong pliers, cut a wire that was too hard for your cutters, or reached for “just any pliers” and made the job harder, you already know that the types of pliers are not interchangeable. 

Each design exists to solve a specific problem: gripping, cutting, bending, holding under pressure, or working safely near live current.

This guide explains the main types of pliers, what each is used for, what it should not be used for, and how to choose the right pair. 

Where it matters, we also explain the Knipex designs that mechanics, electricians and plumbers across the UAE ask for by name. 

Nabil Tools has supplied hand tools in the UAE since 1985, and the advice below follows what trade customers actually need on the job.

14 Most Common Types of Pliers Used By Electricians & Auto Mechanics

The most common types of pliers are combination pliers, long nose (needle nose) pliers, diagonal cutters, slip joint pliers, water pump pliers, and locking pliers. Beyond these, trade-specific designs include lineman’s pliers, insulated electrician’s pliers, circlip pliers, crimping pliers, wire strippers, and Knipex’s patented Cobra, Pliers Wrench and TwinGrip.

Pliers type	Main job	Typical user
Combination pliers	Gripping, bending, cutting wire	Everyone
Long nose / needle nose	Reaching and holding in tight spaces	Electricians, mechanics, technicians
Bent nose	Reaching around obstacles	Electronics, automotive
Diagonal cutters	Cutting wire, cable ties, small pins	Electricians, installers
End cutting nippers	Cutting flush to a surface, nails, wire	Carpenters, fitters, reinforcement workers
Slip joint pliers	Adjustable general gripping	Home and general use
Water pump / groove joint (incl. Cobra)	Gripping pipes and large nuts	Plumbers, mechanics
Locking pliers	Clamping and holding under pressure	Mechanics, welders, fabricators
Pliers Wrench	Gripping fasteners without marring	Plumbers, MEP, maintenance
TwinGrip	Gripping round parts and worn screws	Maintenance, automotive
Lineman’s pliers	Heavy cutting, gripping, twisting	Electricians, line workers
Insulated (VDE) pliers	Working near live circuits up to 1000 V AC	Licensed electricians
Circlip pliers	Fitting and removing retaining rings	Mechanics, engine builders
Crimping pliers	Fixing terminals and lugs	Electricians, panel builders
Wire strippers	Removing cable insulation	Electricians

What are pliers and how do they work?

Pliers are hand tools that multiply the force of your grip through a pivot (joint) and two jaws. The handles are the long lever arms, the joint is the fulcrum, and the jaws apply force to the workpiece. Three design choices decide what a pair of pliers can do:

1. Jaw shape: flat, round, long, curved or serrated jaws decide what the pliers can hold or form.
2. Joint type: a fixed joint is strongest. A slip joint or groove joint lets the jaws open wider. Push-button and parallel designs add speed and precision.
3. Cutting edge position: cutters set into the jaws (combination) are convenient. Dedicated cutters (diagonals, nippers) cut cleaner and with less effort.

Better pliers are normally drop-forged from alloy steel (often chrome vanadium), then hardened. Cheap pliers are often stamped or poorly heat-treated, which is why their cutting edges chip and their jaws slip.

Types of pliers and their uses

1. Combination pliers

What they look like: flat, serrated jaws with a short cutting edge near the joint. Best for: gripping, bending and twisting wire, and cutting soft wire. These are the “first pair” in almost every toolbox. Avoid: cutting hardened wire (use dedicated cutters) or turning hex nuts (use a spanner or socket). Knipex reference: the Knipex 03 series is the combination pliers family.

2. Long nose (needle nose) pliers

What they look like: long, tapered jaws, usually with a side cutter. Best for: reaching into tight spaces, holding small parts, shaping small loops in wire, and retrieving dropped screws or clips. Needle nose vs long nose: in everyday use the names overlap. “Needle nose” usually means a finer, more pointed tip, while “long nose” is somewhat sturdier. For workshop use, pick the sturdier one. Avoid: heavy twisting. The thin tips bend or snap. Knipex reference: the Knipex 26 and 30 series cover snipe-nose and long-nose designs.

3. Bent nose pliers

What they look like: long jaws with a 40° to 90° bend at the tip. Best for: working around obstacles and seeing your work while you hold it. Useful in electronics and automotive wiring. Avoid: forceful gripping. They are precision tools.

4. Diagonal cutters (side cutters)

What they look like: short jaws with angled cutting edges, and no gripping surface. Best for: cutting copper wire, cable ties, and trimming component leads. The angled edge lets you cut close to a surface. Avoid: cutting hardened steel wire or nails, which will nick the edge. Use cutters rated for hard wire. Knipex reference: the Knipex 70 series is the classic diagonal cutter line.

5. End cutting nippers

What they look like: a cutting edge at the very front of the head, with the cutting edge perpendicular to the handles. Best for: cutting nails, wire and rods flush against a surface, and removing nail heads. Carpenters, fitters and reinforcement workers use these a lot. Avoid: twisting or prying with the cutting edge. Knipex reference: the Knipex End Cutter Nipper 68 01 180 is available at Nabil Tools. Its specifications list a cutting capacity of Ø 4.0 mm for soft wire, and a cutting edge hardness of approximately 61 HRC on certain models. [Link: Knipex End Cutter Nipper product page]

6. Slip joint pliers

What they look like: two pivot positions, so the jaws open to two widths. Best for: general-purpose gripping on varied sizes in home repair and light maintenance. Avoid: high-torque pipe work. The two-position joint can slip under load, and you lose grip strength.

7. Water pump pliers (groove joint / tongue and groove), including Knipex Cobra

What they look like: a slotted joint with multiple adjustment positions, and long handles. Best for: gripping pipes, large nuts, fittings and round stock in plumbing and mechanical work. Avoid: using them in place of a spanner on finished hex fasteners. Knipex Cobra: introduced in 1984, the Cobra adjusts quickly at the push of a button, and its jaws lock onto the workpiece. The Cobra is now a full family, including the compact Cobra XS at roughly 100 mm.

8. Locking pliers

What they look like: an over-center toggle lock that clamps and holds without you maintaining pressure. Best for: clamping parts during welding, holding rounded fasteners, acting as a third hand, and emergency repairs. Avoid: repeated use on good fasteners, since the teeth will mark and round them.

9. Pliers wrench

What it looks like: parallel, smooth jaws that close flat and stay parallel. Best for: gripping hex nuts and fittings like a wrench, while protecting chrome or soft finishes. Knipex introduced its Pliers Wrench in 1994. Avoid: heavy impact use or using it as a hammer.

10. TwinGrip pliers

What they look like: a five-way adjustable sliding joint with sharp front jaws and side jaws. Best for: gripping small round parts and worn screws from the front, and for maintenance jobs where access is tight. Knipex launched TwinGrip in 2021. Avoid: replacing a proper screwdriver on screws that are still in good condition.

11. Lineman’s pliers

What they look like: a heavy head with wide gripping jaws and a strong cutter built in at the joint. Best for: twisting, cutting and gripping heavy wire and cable on electrical work. They cut thicker material than combination pliers. Avoid: working on live circuits unless they are VDE-rated insulated versions. Knipex reference: the Knipex 09 series is the lineman’s design.

12. Insulated (VDE) electrician’s pliers

What they look like: pliers with thick, multi-layer insulating handles marked “1000V” and the double-triangle symbol. Best for: work on or near live circuits at low voltage, by qualified electricians. See the safety section below for what the rating really means. Avoid: assuming that a plain plastic-dipped handle is insulating. It is not. Knipex reference: Knipex installation pliers (13 series) are widely used by electricians.

13. Circlip (snap ring) pliers

What they look like: pointed tips that fit into the holes of retaining rings, available as internal and external versions. Best for: fitting and removing circlips in gearboxes, pumps, and engines. Avoid: forcing the wrong type onto a ring. Internal and external circlips need different pliers. Knipex marks external pliers “A” and internal “J” in its codes.

14. Crimping pliers and wire strippers

What they look like: crimpers have shaped dies for terminals and lugs. Strippers have graduated cutting holes. Best for: securing terminals to cables and removing insulation without nicking the conductor. Avoid: using ordinary combination pliers to crimp lugs. The joint will be weak and unsafe.

Other specialty pliers you may meet: hose clamp pliers (automotive), fencing pliers (agriculture), tin clip pliers (upholstery), brake spring pliers, battery terminal pliers, and nail puller pliers.

Pliers vs pliers wrench vs adjustable wrench

This is one of the most common points of confusion, and the answer is practical.

	Standard pliers	Pliers Wrench	Adjustable wrench (spanner)
Jaw action	Pivoting, jaws open at an angle	Parallel, smooth jaws	Parallel, one fixed and one moving jaw
Grip on hex nuts	Can round the corners	Firm without marring	Good, but needs the right size setting
Surface protection	Poor (serrated teeth)	Good (smooth jaws)	Good
Speed	Fast	Fast, push-button adjust	Slower, thumb wheel
Best use	Gripping, cutting, holding	Fittings and finished surfaces	Tightening and loosening fasteners

The rule: pliers hold and cut. Wrenches and spanners tighten and loosen. Pliers can round the corners of a nut, which is the classic way a simple repair becomes a problem. If you need to turn a fastener repeatedly, use the right spanner or socket. For more on wrench types, see our guide to What Is a Wrench? Types, Uses and Complete Guide.

What makes Knipex pliers different

Knipex began in 1882, when Carl Gustav Putsch opened a small forge in Cronenberg (now part of Wuppertal, Germany) and made carpenters’ and farriers’ pincers by hand. The company now specialises in pliers and makes its core products in Wuppertal. Its catalog covers roughly a hundred types of pliers and more than 900 variants.

What interests trade users is not only the age of the brand but three specific inventions:

Innovation	Year introduced	What it does	Best for
Cobra (water pump pliers)	1984	Push-button, fine-step adjustment and a self-locking grip	Plumbers, mechanics, general maintenance
Pliers Wrench	1994	Parallel smooth jaws with a wrench-like grip	Fittings, chrome parts, hex nuts
TwinGrip	2021	Five-way adjustable joint with sharp front jaws	Worn screws, round parts, tight access

Is Knipex worth it?

For a professional who uses pliers every day, usually yes. The reasons are repeatable: tighter tolerances at the joint, so the jaws stay aligned; hardened cutting edges that last longer; handles designed for long use; and a wide range of dedicated tools so you do not have to force one pair to do every job. For occasional home use, a mid-range pair is often enough.

Our honest guidance:

• Buy Knipex for the pliers you use most and where failure costs time (cutters, water pump pliers, installation pliers).
• Buy value-range pliers for rarely used or disposable-risk tasks.
• Always check the model number printed on the pliers against the product page. In the UAE market, copies exist. Buying from a reliable supplier is the simplest protection.

Explore our range at the Knipex collection at Nabil Tools and the wider Pliers & Wrenches category. For a broader comparison of brands, read Top Cutting Tool Brands in UAE.

How to use pliers correctly (and the mistakes to avoid)

Do:

1. Match the jaw to the workpiece, and grip with the serrations or smooth jaws appropriate to the surface.
2. Cut with the correct tool. Use the cutting edge, not the jaws, and cut square to the wire.
3. Keep the joint clean and lightly oiled so it moves freely.
4. Grip close to the end of the handles for leverage, and let the tool do the work.

Don’t:

5. Use pliers as a hammer, a pry bar, or a spanner on good fasteners.
6. Extend the handles with a pipe for extra force. This overloads the joint and can crack the head.
7. Cut hardened wire, piano wire or screws with ordinary cutters.
8. Use damaged insulated pliers near live parts.

Removing a rounded bolt: grip the head with locking pliers or TwinGrip pliers, apply penetrating oil, and turn steadily. If the head is crushed, a bolt extractor is the next step.

Caring for your pliers in the UAE climate

Heat, humidity and dust shorten the life of hand tools. Wipe pliers after use, put a drop of light oil on the joint, and store them dry in a toolbox or tool roll rather than loose. Keep cutting edges away from other tools to prevent chipping. For a complete maintenance routine, read Tips to Maintain and Extend the Life of Hand Tools.

Where to buy genuine pliers in the UAE

Nabil Tools & Hardware has supplied tools in the UAE since 1985 and serves more than 380 retail shops across all seven emirates. You can buy pliers and Knipex tools online with delivery across the UAE, and we accept wholesale and bulk orders for contractors, workshops, facilities teams and retailers.

• Shop the Pliers & Wrenches category
• Browse the Knipex collection
• Need bulk pricing? Send a wholesale inquiry
• Not sure which pliers you need? Contact our team or call 06 5317470

Related guides: Must-Have Hand Tools for Electricians and Best Hand Tools Every Mechanic Needs.

Conclusion

The best pair of pliers is the one designed for your job. Start with a quality combination pair, diagonal cutters and long nose pliers, then add water pump pliers, locking pliers and insulated pliers as your work demands. 

Where you use a tool daily, as with Knipex Cobra, Pliers Wrench and TwinGrip, better steel and a better joint pay for themselves in time and fewer ruined fasteners.

Ready to equip your toolbox or workshop? Shop pliers and Knipex tools at Nabil Tools, or request a wholesale quote.