I’m sorry – what? Pliers… for use on fasteners? Surely that must be a mistake.
April Fools? Nope.
Snap-on has come out with new 8″ Talon Grip FlankJaw pliers that claim to be able to do just that – turn hex fasteners without destroying or rounding the corners.
These pliers feature a special FlankJaw geometry that Snap-on says is optimized for grabbing onto 6pt hex heads from 5/16″ to 1″ in size.
The FlankJaw jaw profile is directional, with an arrow showing you which way to turn the pliers.
The way it works, the turning load is exerted away from the corners, helping to prevent damage. Then, you loosen your hold on the handles, and rotate the pliers back for a ratcheting-like action.
Oh – and they’re slip-joint pliers, and so you can spread the jaws open to better grip wider fasteners or materials.
Snap-on says that the pliers are made from a special cold forged steel that has “higher alloy content for a higher degree of durability and strength.”
The pliers have a contoured handle and cushion grips.
Additionally, the jaws look to have wide and aggressively grooved tips for gripping power.
Color Options
- Red: HJ47ACF
- Green: HJ47ACG
- Orange: HJ47ACO
Price: $53 via the Snap-on website, dealer prices might vary
Here’s their promo video which was posted to social media:
Discussion
Well, why don’t you just grab a combination wrench?
Because sometimes all you’ve got in your back pocket are some pliers, so why not make them pliers that won’t damage and round off fasteners?
I’d say get the Knipex Pliers Wrench, although you wouldn’t be saving too much money. And, it might not work in as tight spaces as the Snap-on pliers.
Based on my personal experiences, the Snap-on tool isn’t something I would buy. I have NWS pliers with an integrated wrench socket, and I don’t think I’ve ever used it to turn any fasteners.
I’m not posting about these Snap-on pliers as a way of giving it the *thumbs up*, but because the design looks neat and potentially useful for certain users.
If it were a fraction of the cost, say $15 to $25 instead of $53, I’d consider using this in place of standard slip joint pliers. But at $53, you’d better be sure this is something you could use.
