Tools make excellent gifts for men. They help them do what they like doing; fixing things. And because tools are not themed for any special day or a certain age, you can gift them to any handyman in your life at any time of the year.
Of all the tools, I find pliers to be the perfect tool gift choice. They are the most timeless hand tools that will always be useful in a project. If you would like to know which types of pliers you could give a man as a gift, check out my article on the 6 best pliers tool gifts for men.
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What are pliers accessories?
But something you perhaps don’t know is that pliers have accessories. These add-ons make pliers more versatile, which helps improve your productivity and efficiency at work.
In this article, I share the 5 most important pliers accessories you can use with your pliers to increase productivity. They are also unique gift ideas that would fascinate the “Mr. Fix It” in your life.
5 Best Accessories for Pliers
1. Knipex Magnetic LED Pliers Light
The Knipex LED magnetic light for pliers is a tiny lamp the size of an earbud that you stick onto your pliers to illuminate a dark workspace. This little-known lighting device makes your pliers as useful in the dark as in the open.
It is made of clear plastic with an LED bulb and button cells inside. It also has two strong magnets embedded on the side which enable the device to stick on your pliers or any ferrous surface.
How does it work?
This small LED lamp for pliers by Knipex Tools is powered by two CR1220 button cells. It has two small magnets embedded on one side and a toggle switch for turning the LED bulb on and off.
You can attach this tiny lamp to any ferromagnetic material using embedded magnets. The best place to attach it is on the hinge of your pliers. But this might add more footprint to your pliers when working in a very tight space.
When it is not possible to attach the lamp to the pliers, you can attach it to any magnetic material or just hang it using the removable key chain that comes with it.
The key chain also allows you to hook this tiny device to your keys or a lanyard so that you can carry it anywhere. You can remove the chain when you dont need it or when you feel it is coming in the way.
Who needs it?
An LED magnetic light is a perfect add-on accessory for anyone who uses pliers to fix things. It comes in handy when working in poorly lit spaces.
One of the places you can use this tiny LED lamp is on the pliers when troubleshooting a control panel at night. You might also find the lamp really useful when you want to shine a light on a pesky screw under some shelving that would be difficult to hold a regular flashlight to see.
Lastly, this Knipex magnetic LED light also makes for a perfect, uncommon, and ingenious tool gift for any handyman.
Where can you find Knipex LED magnetic light?
Being a novel item, this tiny torch for pliers Knipex Tools is not universally available. It is only available from various online stores that stock German Tools such as Amazon and KC Tool. I have shared the links below in case you would want to check out this handy little gem.
2. Jaw protectors for pliers
Sometimes a repair job will involve working with delicate surfaces that can get marred by regular pliers very easily. Examples of such surfaces are the shiny chrome-plated plumbing fittings in modern bathrooms and kitchens.
Although you can wrap a rug around a workpiece to protect it from the destructive pliers’ jaws, jaw protectors do a better job and are more professional.
What are jaw protectors?
Jaw protectors are rubber or PVC covers that attach the jaws of pliers to protect them from marring or leaving scratch marks on the surface of a workpiece. They convert regular pliers into soft jaw pliers.
Protective jaw covers for pliers are very easy to use. You simply fit them onto the jaws of pliers and you are good to go. But they have one major limitation, nonetheless. They are designed for use on a specific model and size range of pliers. In other words, jaw protector sleeves are not universal. You must use the correct model and size for your pliers.
Where do you use them?
Jaw protectors are mostly useful on plumbing pliers, particularly water pump pliers and pliers wrenches. These are the most common plumbing pliers for gripping and turning pipes and fittings.
The most popular models of plumbing pliers are Knipex Cobra [water pump pliers] and Knipex Pliers wrench [pliers wrench]. Luckily, both pliers have protective sleeves for covering the aggressive jaws but they are sold separately. You can find them in many online retail stores that deal with German tools.
3. Lanyard for pliers
Some work environments are quite risky. You could easily drop your tool and lose it forever. One such environment is the sea. If you go fishing and accidentally drop your fishing pliers in the waters, just forget about them and get new pair. You can never retrieve them, especially in deep waters.
Good thing is that you avoid such incidents by tethering your trusty tool to your body or toolbag with a lanyard.
What is a lanyard?
A lanyard or tether is a short rope, chord, or chain with a split ring or loop on one end and a carabiner hook on the other end. It is for securing small items that could easily get lost.
How does it work?
A lanyard works by attaching to a tool on one end and to an anchor on the other. The anchor could be your bag, belt hoop, or life jacket (if you are a fisherman). It is a useful accessory for securing pliers.
Unfortunately, not all pliers can be secured with a tether. Pliers must have an eyelet on the handles for attaching a split ring. The split ring connects your trusty pliers with the tether. The other end of the tether has a hook that attaches to an anchor.
Where can you use it?
Although lanyards are mostly used in fishing to keep fishing pliers from falling into the waters, there are many other trades where a lanyard is useful.
For example, linesmen use it to secure pliers from falling to the ground when working overhead. Similarly, outdoor adventurers use a lanyard to secure their multi tool pliers to anchor points on their camping backpacks for quick access.
Generally, a lanyard or tether is useful for attaching pliers to your body so that you can draw them out quickly for action and release without losing them.
Where can you find lanyards for pliers?
Unlike a magnetic LED light for pliers which is a novelty tool, lanyards have been there for years and are available everywhere. They come in different designs and shapes. You can find them in many stores.
Most lanyards are multipurpose. You can use them to secure keys or tools or both. The best lanyard for pliers should have an extendable chord that you can stretch so that you can use the pliers without detaching them.
4. Pliers holster
A pliers holster or pouch is like a lanyard. It keeps pliers on your body for easy access.
Pliers holders mainly protect your pockets from getting ruined by pliers and other small tools. As you know, some pliers have pointed jaws that could puncture the pockets of your pants.
Also, some pockets are too deep such that when you put pliers or tools in them, they will go knocking your knees as you walk. This is not only uncomfortable but could cause knee injuries.
A pliers holder takes all that away. Besides enabling you to carry a couple of your edc tools on your belt, it also looks fashionable. You can find many types of pliers holsters on the market but these 6 lead the pack: 6 best pliers holders.
5. Velcro Cable Tie Straps
Generally, spring-loaded pliers are considered more versatile and easier to use than normal pliers because you only apply pressure on the handles to close the jaws. With standard pliers, you have to open and close the jaws manually.
But what most people will not tell you is that spring-enabled pliers are difficult to organize in the toolbox because of the bigger footprint due to the open handles.
Moreover, other tools in the toolbox could damage the edges of spring-loaded cutting pliers if they are kept open.
Luckily, you can avoid these problems by tying together the handles of spring-assisted pliers to keep them closed in the toolbox.
You don’t have to worry about keeping the pliers closed if you store them on a pliers organizer rack. Racks keep pliers open and safe.
There are many ways to keep spring-loaded pliers closed in a toolbox but the neatest method is with velcro straps.
What are velcro cable ties?
Velcro straps are strips of polyester or any other material with an adhesive surface. They serve the same purpose as plastic cable ties but they have the advantage of being reusable. In fact, another name for them is reusable cable ties.
Ideally, velcro cable straps are meant for cable management but you can use them to tie together the handles of spring-loaded pliers to make them easier to store in the toolbox.
A cable strap for managing pliers with an opening spring must be thin so that it won’t increase the footprint of the pliers. It should also be fairly long to wrap around the handles effectively.
Conclusion
In summary, pliers are great hand tools even as a gift idea but when paired with pliers accessories, they are fantastic.
There are many accessories you can use along with pliers but these five are the ultimate game changers, IMO.
- Knipex Tools LED magnetic light
- Jaw protectors for pliers
- Lanyard for pliers
- Pliers holster
- Velcro cable tie straps
And in case you are looking for a unique tool gift for a man in your life, these accessories for pliers can be a great choice. They are uncommon and very handy.
