When scrambling to find the best tool gift for your favorite man on his birthday, father’s day, valentine’s day, or any other day, there is one type of tool you can always count on. Pliers.
Pliers are the most timeless tools that you can gift a man at any time. You don’t need to stalk him to know if he needs them or send his friends to spy on him. Trust me, he will always accept a nice pair of pliers even if he has everything.
Pliers are indispensable hand tools. No matter how many of them are in the toolbox or racked on the pliers organizer, there will always be a space for one more pair or a set. Any handyman or wannabe can attest to this. Personally, I never have enough of these jawed hand tools.
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Why Are Pliers The Best Tool Gift Idea for a Man?
There is always some work for pliers in any project. Whether it is a small project like fixing things around the house or a big project in the garage or job site. You will always find some use for these class-A lever hand tools.
Some types of pliers are actually very useful even in outdoor activities such as camping. A good example is multi-tool pliers. They have multiple many tools in one that you would need for survival in the jungle.
Typically, a nice pair of multi-tool pliers has a knife, combination pliers, some screwdrivers, and a few other lifesaver add-on tools. As a matter of fact, when asked what I would carry to a lonely island, my pick is always leatherman wave multi tool pliers because it is very handy little tool.
In a nutshell, you simply cannot rule out the importance of having a pair of pliers at hand. This is why they are a perfect gift for any man.
How to Choose the Best Pliers Tool Gift for Him
What makes the difference when buying pliers as a gift is the kind of work the man you are gifting will use them for. There are different types of pliers for different tasks. Some are for general-purpose use while others are for specialized applications.
So, when finding the best pliers gift for him, you may want to find out first the activities he likes to engage in. This way, you will get him a pair of pliers he will use more often.
For example, if he is into woodworking, might not find wire stripper pliers as useful as an electrician would. Instead, a pair of end cutting pliers or pincers might fascinate him more because he can use them to pull nails from wood. Similarly, hose pliers may not be as useful to an electrician as they would be to an automotive technician.
To help you choose the most thoughtful pliers as a gift for any man, I have shared 5 coolest types of pliers for different trades. With this collection, you won’t go wrong with impressing your favorite male even on Valentine’s day.
6 Best Pliers Gifts for Men
1. Hose Pliers Set – Best for automotive enthusiast
Not every man likes to go under the hood of a car to check and fix things. But if your dad, brother, or boyfriend likes to fix his own car or is an auto mechanic you could get him a set of hose pliers as a gift. They are some of the most useful automotive pliers for handling fluid hoses and hose clamps.
Types of pliers for hoses
There are three types of pliers for hoses.
Hose clamp pliers
The first type is hose clamp pliers. These are special types of pliers for installing and removing spring hose clamps on rubber hoses.
Hose clamp pliers make work easy and can save knuckles, especially when working with clamps in hard to reach areas.
Apart from removing spring compression clamps from automotive hoses, hose clamp pliers are also great for working on clamps on washing machine hoses.
So, if the man you want to gift likes to fix things around the house, these hose pliers could make work easier for him when servicing the washing machine or dishwasher.
Check out this article to learn more about spring hose clamp pliers and the best ones in the market.
Hose removal pliers
The other type of hose pliers is the hose removal pliers. Unlike hose clamp pliers which are for handling metal clamps, hose removal pliers are for removing rubber hoses from fittings.
They are perfect for removing stuck rubber hoses that can be difficult to remove. Some of their applications include removing old stuck radiator hoses, fuel line hoses, vacuum lines, and heater lines.
There are two types of hose removal pliers; hose grip pliers and hose separator pliers. Each of them is useful in different circumstances and can make excellent tool gifts. However, since hose grip pliers come as a single tool or a set of different sizes, they make a better gift idea.
You can learn more about some of the best rubber hose removal pliers in this article.
Hose pinch pliers
The third important type of hose pliers is the hose pinch off pliers. They are special types of pliers with flat blunt edges for pinching off flexible rubber hoses to restrict the flow of fluid or air.
Hose pinch off pliers come in handy when you want to stop the flow of fluid without disconnecting the hose. They are useful for clamping off fuel lines to keep fuel from spilling when replacing a fuel filter.
Hose pinch pliers can also come in handy when wanting to clamp off coolant lines to troubleshoot the cooling system without draining the coolant.
Outside of automotive use, hose pinch pliers can be used to clamp off flexible washing machine hose when you don’t want to turn off the water supply at the bib.
2. Carpenter’s Pincers Pliers – Best Gift for a Woodworking enthusiast
If your favorite man likes working with wood, then they would appreciate a good pair of carpenter’s pincers. These are special types of end nipper pliers for cutting and removing nails from wood and trims.
The main advantage of Carpenter pincer pliers over claw hammer is that they remove nails without denting the surface of your trim. These pliers have a well-rounded head that rolls easily to pull out a nail smoothly.
Pincer pliers are also useful for cutting protruding nails or nipping off nail heads. Unfortunately, they do not cut as cleanly as end cutters because their edges are not that sharp.
3. Water Pump Pliers – Best pliers gift for any handyman
In my life of working with pliers, I am yet to see a man who would not like to have a decent pair of water pump pliers or tongue and groove pliers. These are arguably the most versatile types of pliers. They have adjustable jaws that are designed to grab tightly on different shapes including hex, round, and flat shapes.
The good thing about water pump pliers is that they double up as adjustable wrench. This means there are plenty of things the person you gift can use them for. For instance, water pump pliers are great for removing or installing plumbing fittings around the house. Personally, I carry around my 10″ knipex water pump pliers when fixing any sink or toilet.
The only challenge you would have in getting the best water pump pliers for your favorite male is knowing the best brand and the right size.
Which are the best water pump pliers?
As far as the brand is concerned, my personal preference, based on experience, is either a German or U.S. brand. Specifically, I would go for Knipex from Germany or the rival Channel locks (blue handles) from the U.S.
Although these two brands of water pump pliers are equally good, Knipex has superior quality and a slightly better design. Unfortunately, you pay more for it.
This makes Knipex water pump pliers the best choice if you are not worried about the price tag and all you care about is quality and good performance. It is also the best gift for a tool guy because a tool fan obviously has good taste for tools and you can never go wrong with Knipex.
Otherwise, a pair of Channellock tongue and groove pliers makes for an affordable gift for a regular homeowner or occasional DIY guy. If he is a new homeowner, you may even go for a Channellock set (Amazon) that includes all types of pliers he’d need to fix things around the house.
What’s the best size?
Concerning the best size, any size is good but 10″ water pump pliers are more versatile. However, you can explore other sizes from 12″ and below and see how your person reacts.
4. Pliers Wrench – Best gift for a plumber
A pliers wrench is another surprise gift you can give to a man and he will always remember you. It is a type of adjustable pliers with parallel jaws that is meant to replace the traditional crescent wrench.
One of the best pliers spanners is the Knipex pliers wrench. It is the undisputed gold standard for pliers wrenches but there are also some worthy competitors such as the Gedore wrench pliers. So, if you are going to buy a pliers wrench for your favorite man, it better be Knipex.
Unlike water pump pliers which grip different shapes, a pliers wrench only grips hex shapes. It is a perfect tool gift for a plumber or mechanic. It can replace an adjustable spanner or a set of wrenches in the toolbox.
A pliers wrench grips hex fittings and fasteners tightly without leaving scratches on the surface. This makes it a better tool than water pump pliers for handling plastic and brass fittings. You can even add plastic jaw protectors to the gift package so that the pliers can be used to grip delicate workpieces such as chrome-plated faucets and ornamental bathroom & kitchen fittings.
Like the water pump pliers, you can select any size of pliers wrench but the most versatile sizes are between 5″, 10″, and 12″.
5. Multitool Pliers – Best pliers gift for the outdoor man
If the man you want to gift is an outdoor junkie, then the best pliers gift for him is a multitool pliers. This is a compact survival tool with multiple inbuilt tools including miniature combination pliers, cutting blades, a can opener, and a small saw to mention a few.
Leatherman and Gerber best multitool pliers brands on the market but are quite expensive. I find the Leatherman Skeletool to be the best multitool gift idea because it is well-made, lightweight, versatile, has a quick-draw knife, and doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. You can also find other worthwhile Leatherman pliers options in this article.
But if you are working with a tight budget, there are many other Leatherman alternatives that are not premium but their quality, durability, and performance leave much to be desired. I have reviewed one of them in this article. You can also find some more options in this video review of best multitool pliers by Project Farm.
Multitool pliers as the name implies have multiple uses. For example, he can use the pliers to grip, twist and cut wires when pitching up a tent in the jungle. The blade can be good for slicing fruits, cutting burgers, or cutting fabric cords to size. The small saw is good for cutting small tree branches and shrubs.
In a nutshell, multitool or multifunction pliers are great to have at hand for survival in tough outdoor situations. A single multitool pliers replaces a bunch of individual tools. Moreso, most multitool pliers come with a belt holster to make it easy to carry them around anywhere on the belt.
6. Locking Pliers Set – Best pliers gift for husband or dad
Locking pliers or vise grips are some of the most ingenious types of spring-loaded pliers. They have a locking function that locks the jaws tightly onto something without letting go.
These pliers are like an extra pair of hands. They are perfect for one-handed operations or when you don’t have an assistant.
Vise grips are also great for people with arthritic hands because you don’t need to apply pressure onto the handles once they lock onto the workpiece. Also, adjusting the pliers to a firm grip is quite easy and requires little effort. You only need to turn the adjustment screw to tighten the grip after clamping on the workpiece
Alternatively, you can unlock the pliers and adjust the screw progressively until you get the firmest grip. Some styles of locking pliers even allow you to use a wrench to turn the knob for a tighter grip while the pliers are locked onto an object.
There are many types of locking pliers. But generally, you will find a locking pliers version for each type of general purpose pliers. So, when looking to give someone locking pliers as a gift, I would recommend that you include a variety of types for more versatility. Furthermore, most locking pliers sets are inexpensive anyway.
Some of the unique uses of locking pliers include removing stripped screws and fasteners and clamping on things. You can also use locking pliers as regular pliers for gripping and pulling things. I have even used needle nose locking pliers as hose pinch off pliers for car vacuum lines and fuel hoses but with a little modification to prevent the teeth from damaging the rubber pipes.
The advantage of locking pliers or regular pliers is that you won’t need to apply continuous pressure on the handles. If you adjust the pliers correctly, it bites and stays locked until you press the release lever.
Overall, locking pliers are a perfect gift for husbands and dads because they are versatile pliers and require little effort to operate. They can be used in all trades including plumbing, welding, and carpentry to grip and clamp things together.
So, if you are wondering how best to surprise your hands-on husband, dad, son, or male friend, just get him a locking pliers set.
My favorite locking pliers gift set is the Milwaukee 10-piece locking pliers kit. It includes various sizes of curved jaws, straight jaws, and needle nose locking pliers as well as locking C clamps. They all have a unique plastic torque adjustment screw that is smoother to use than the typical round adjustment knob.
Also, this locking pliers set from Milwaukee comes in a plastic tray that can be used to organize them in the pliers drawer if you don’t have a pliers organizer already.
Wrap Up
Well, those are the 6 best pliers gift ideas for dads, boyfriends, brothers, or male colleagues, or any important male in your life. If you have any other pliers that you think would make a perfect gift, please let me know in the message box and I’ll gladly add them to the list.
Other gift ideas that would go along with pliers are pliers accessories. You can learn more about them here: Best pliers accessories.
