Which special things you need at Knipex's Water Pump Pliers?

KNIPEX develops and manufactures pliers for professional users around the world. Users must be able to rely on their tools in daily application and expect precision and functionality, also after intensive use. KNIPEX wants to offer the best solutions for your needs – pliers with the best performance, ergonomics and a long service life.

Knipex Alligator

What are Water Pump Pliers and when are they used?
Water pump pliers are universal gripping pliers 87 xx xxx / 88 xx xxx, which feature gripping surfaces with toothing, either a lap joint or a box joint with an optional fine adjustment with a push button and individual adjustment of the opening width. 

Water pump pliers are applied in many areas, industries and trades: sanitary and heating engineering, air-conditioning, building services engineering and also in the automotive sector. These universal pliers are ideal for gripping round, angular and flat workpieces like pipes,  couplings, nuts, bolts, sheet metal or screws.

What are the most important features to consider when choosing Water Pump Pliers?
The finer the adjustment of a pair of water pump pliers, the more precisely it can be adjusted to the size of the workpiece – like a pipe, for example. It is also important that the pliers are self-locking, so they won‘t slip on or the workpiece, that they have an ergonomic shape and allow effortless working. 

The high-quality water pump pliers KNIPEX, like the Cobra® 87 xx xxx have an especially ergonomic shape, ideal adjustment to different workpiece sizes, a pinch guard to prevent injuries and self-locking jaws. Once adjusted, pressure on the upper handle is enough for the pliers to bite themselves into the workpiece – which means no inconvenient fumbling for the right opening width and a considerable reduction of the required manual force.

What are the main types of Water Pump Pliers?
KNIPEX offers two different basic models: The KNIPEX Alligator® 88 xx xxx and the KNIPEX Cobra® 87 xx xxx. The classic KNIPEX Alligator® 88 xx xxx provides the self-locking effect already since 1973 and it remains unmatched by competitor‘s products. It also has the tried-and-tested slip joint, for all tradespeople who are accustomed to working with this handling.

The KNIPEX Cobra® 87 xx xxx are our high-tech water pump pliers, a derivative and advancement of our KNIPEX Alligator® 88 xx xxx. It additionally provides the ingenious opening width adjustment via a push button: with the KNIPEX Cobra® 87 xx xxx the right opening width can be adjusted in very fine steps directly on the workpiece – no more annoying fiddling. Simply push down the button, open the joint, put the upper jaw onto the workpiece and adjust the other jaw below.

Have there been any innovations in this product category in recent years? If so, which ones?
Opening width adjustment is even easier with the KNIPEX SmartGrip® 85 xx xxx. An intelligent mechanism finds the right opening width automatically. Simply put the pliers around the workpiece and press them together: the pliers are correctly adjusted and holding securely thanks to the self-locking effect! This can be an enormous facilitation at work, not only appreciated in sanitary engineering, but wherever workpiece sizes vary a lot.

In the market of Water Pump Pliers, how does KNIPEX stand out competing brands?
Knipex Cobra

We see KNIPEX as the market leader in pliers and related tools. Our customers appreciate the highly developed products, their ergonomics, sturdiness, reliability and durability. We are also known for our very customer-friendly service. That is how KNIPEX has become the world‘s leading pliers brand with a range of versatile tools for gripping, holding, pressing, cutting, stripping and crimping for general or very specific applications: small precision electronics pliers 34 xx xxx to half-meter-long water pump pliers 87 01 560  for installers.

What can we expect KNIPEX in the future?
Every day, our developers work on further efficient innovations in collaboration with professionals and regular tool users. One of these innovations is the KNIPEX Cobra® XS 87 00 100: A pair of "pocket" water pump pliers which, at only 100 mm length, are the smallest fully functional water pump pliers in the world. We also keep enhancing our range: the KNIPEX TubiX® 90 31 02  pipe cutter has been newly developed, basically scratch, featuring the QuickLock single-handed quick adjustment to cut copper, brass and steel pipes easier and more precisely than has ever been possible!