Vise-Grips are the locking pliers you clamp onto a part so it stays put while your hands do something else. Set the jaws, squeeze, and they hold a pipe, a rounded nut or two pieces of steel tight until you pull the release. Electricians, plumbers, HVAC techs, mechanics and metal workers all keep a pair in the bag.
VISE-GRIP started with William S. Petersen, a Danish immigrant blacksmith who built pliers with a vise-like grip for his own work in 1921 and patented them in 1924. The Petersen Manufacturing Company formed in DeWitt, Nebraska, in 1934. Today the pliers are sold under the IRWIN name, and Irwin is owned by Stanley Black & Decker.
The IRWIN name on the package traces straight back to the Petersen company. American Tool Companies bought Petersen Manufacturing in 1985, took over The Irwin Tool Company in 1993, and changed its own name to Irwin Industrial Tool Company in 2003. Today’s IRWIN VISE-GRIP tools come from the company that bought the original maker.
How locking pliers work
An adjusting screw at the end of one handle sets how far the jaws close. Squeeze the handles and the linkage between them snaps past center and locks, holding that grip with your hands off the tool. Pull the release trigger in the handle to open them; that trigger was added in 1957 and created the locking pliers design still in use.
Close the jaws on the work, turn the screw until they just touch, then add a little more and squeeze. The mistake seen most is cranking the screw so tight you have to hang your weight on the handles. Set it so the handles close with a firm squeeze, and the grip holds and the linkage lasts. The jaws are toothed and leave lines on a fastener, so use a wrench first on a nut you care about and save the locking pliers for the one that’s already rounded off.
The Original or Fast Release
The Original has curved jaws, and curved jaws are what you want on pipe, round stock and nuts, because they bite around the part in several spots. Fast Release locking pliers hold everything else: the straight jaw keeps flat stock and sheet edges square, the V jaw grabs round bar and tube in its groove, and the smooth jaw goes on finished metal you want left unmarked.
For holding parts to weld, these are the tool. VISE-GRIP locking pliers clamped metal parts together so firmly that crews left some in place and welded them into ship hulls. Weld close to the jaws and the pliers get hot, so let them cool before you grab them bare-handed.
The Original’s wire cutter handles the occasional tie wire or zip tie. If you’re cutting and twisting wire all day, pick the Laser Hardened diagonal or lineman’s pliers instead.
GrooveLock, diagonal and lineman’s pliers
The rest of the line grips and cuts while your hand does the holding. GrooveLock pliers are groove-joint pliers: slide the jaw to the groove that fits and they’re quick on pipe, fittings and nuts that change size as you work, and the two-piece set covers most plumbing under a sink. The Laser Hardened diagonal pliers snip wire, and the Laser Hardened lineman’s pliers are for the electrician who cuts, twists and pulls wire all day. Locking pliers to hold and these to grip and cut put the whole pliers drawer under one brand.
The locking C-clamp
The VISE-GRIP locking C-clamp uses the same adjusting screw and over-center lock as the pliers, on deep C-shaped jaws with swivel pads at the tips. It clamps two pieces of steel together for tack welding, holds a board to the bench while you cut or drill, or pins a part while glue sets. The swivel pads tilt to sit flat on work that isn’t parallel. Set the screw so it locks with a firm squeeze, the same as the pliers, and pull the release to take it off in one motion. Keep the pads clean, because weld spatter or dried glue on them marks the next piece.
Keeping them working
Locking pliers wear at the spring and the adjusting screw, and IRWIN offers replacements for both, so a sloppy pair gets fixed instead of tossed. Wipe off the grit and put a drop of oil on the pivot and linkage every so often, especially when they ride in a wet truck. Put in a new spring when the jaws stop springing open after you pull the release.
VISE-GRIP pliers at a glance
| Line | Job | Jaw or size |
|---|---|---|
| The Original locking pliers | Clamp and hold; occasional wire snip | Curved jaw with wire cutter |
| Fast Release locking pliers | Clamp and hold | Large straight, V or smooth jaw |
| GrooveLock set | Grip pipe, fittings and nuts | Two pieces: 8-inch and 10-inch |
| Laser Hardened Diagonal Pliers | Cut wire | 8-inch |
| Laser Hardened Lineman’s Pliers | Cut, twist and pull wire | 9.5-inch |
| Replacement springs | Restore the release action | For 7-inch and 18-inch locking pliers |
| Replacement adjusting screw | Restore jaw adjustment | For 10-inch locking pliers |
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you use Vise-Grip locking pliers?
Before you lock them, think about which way the handle will swing when you turn the part, and clamp on so it pushes against something solid rather than falling toward your knuckles. If the release trigger fights you, back the adjusting screw off a quarter turn and lock them again. You get the same grip and they come off much more easily.
What are Vise-Grip pliers used for?
They’re for any job where a part has to stay put and both your hands are busy. A common one is holding the nut behind a panel or inside a cabinet: lock the pliers on it, let the handle rest against the frame, and turn the bolt from the front by yourself. They also make a quick handle for a broken faucet stem or a shaft that’s lost its knob.
How do locking pliers stay locked?
Once the linkage goes past center, pulling or twisting on the part pushes it deeper into the lock instead of forcing it open. That’s why a pair clamped on a vibrating or hot part stays on, and why they only come off when you pull the release. If a pair starts letting go under load, the adjusting screw is usually backing out or its threads are worn, and IRWIN sells a replacement screw.
What are the IRWIN Vise-Grip curved jaw locking pliers good for?
They’re the pair to grab for a bolt head that’s rounded off too far for a socket. Set them to bite as far down the head as they’ll go, lock them hard, and turn slowly and steadily without jerking so the teeth don’t slip and chew the head even more. On a rusted bolt, soak it with penetrating oil first and let it sit before you turn.
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