Industrial Products Tips: Choosing The Right Pliers And Cutters
By Greg A Palmer

It is amazing how much work gets done with just hand tools; it really does pay to make the right selection when it comes to these industrial products in order to safely perform work and do it right the first time. Since hand tools, like pliers and cutters, are in every toolbox, finding the right set for purchase makes any worker's life much easier. Trying to use the wrong tool for a job will eventually lead to frustration, a broken part or tool, or even unsafe working conditions and the chance for personal injury.

Choosing Safety First - Using Pliers And Cutters For Electrical Work

Pliers are commonly used in all types of electrical work. Electricians and other workers will strip, splice, and cut wires in addition to bending and turning electrical lines. Whenever mixing electricity with metal hand tools, safety precautions have to be taken. This includes situations such as working with wiring, running electrical lines, working on electrified equipment, or any other instance where electricity is part of the equation. The risks of electrocution, arc fires, and sparks require the use of the right hand tools and industrial products designed for safe use on electrical equipment.

Hand tools, like pliers and cutters, are rated for a particular voltage or current. The insulating safety grips are designed to absorb this electrical energy without transferring it to the worker. Always make sure to have a number of different safety grips available for electrical work; never use hand tools when the safety grips are showing signs of wear and tear.

Finally, personal protective equipment is also required. Use insulated gloves, flame resistant clothing, and the right lockout/tagout procedures to de-energize lines and equipment.

The Right Blade Type For Cutting Applications

The right blade type on a cutting tool makes all the difference between a frustrated worker with a broken tool and a quick cut. Each blade type is designed for different applications, so keep your toolbox well stocked.

Carbon steel is the basic metal in most industrial products. It is cheap, tough, and gets most jobs done. However, carbon steel will rust if not well maintained, won't cut through very hard metals, and doesn't have the longest service life.

For heavy duty and specialty applications, alloy steels improve upon carbon steel with additives in the metal. Alloy blades are more durable, resistant to corrosion, and can cut through thicker and tougher metals. Common alloy additives include manganese, cobalt, nickel, and chromium. Each alloy grants different properties for the blade, such as chromium that increases corrosion and rust resistance for use in wet and corrosive work environments.

Stainless steel is a good choice for hand tools that will see heavy duty service. Stainless steel is a premium metal for a wide range of industrial products. Stainless steel combines strength, corrosion resistance, durability, and a long service life for an ideal tool. Since stainless steel comes with a significant price tag, it is important to take care of these hand tools to get maximum usage out of them in order to offset the higher cost.

For the toughest cutting tasks, tungsten alloy edges enable cutters to tackle the toughest and thickest metals. Tungsten is an extremely dense and hard metal for the toughest cutting tasks. When other metals and alloys fail to cut it, tungsten alloy blades and edges will get the job done.

Other Specialty Tools And Industrial Products

Workers have plenty of experience with common hand tools like needle nose pliers, wire cutters, crimps, snips, and wire strippers. However, there is a wide range of specialty industrial products designed to tackle certain jobs and make them easier and safer. A well stocked tool box will include specialty hand tools in order to tackle tough applications.

For example, subminiature tip cutters are ideal for high precision jobs. In fact, these cutters are often used under a microscope or under high magnification lenses. Subminiature tip cutters are often used on circuit boards and other complicated electronics. They get the job done with a fine tip and fine cutting edges in addition to their ability to remove individual leads from fine pitch components.

Other specialty hand tools include split ring pliers for working on chains and links, hole punching pliers, parallel action pliers, and wire twisting pliers for creating a tight twist in no time. It pays to match specialty industrial products with the particular job task. Overall, a well stocked toolbox will be able to handle any task at hand.

Greg Palmer is an author for Reid Supply, an industrial distribution company with a 60 year history of supplying customers in all 50 states and over 40 countries with industrial products such as hand tools and more.

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