Hose clamp pliers

kp 115

A2OC Donor
used today on my poorly engine & they worked excellently, no more dangerously slipping off or pinging off.

Ebay item no:132179403589
hope this helps

keith. ADEDB377-43F4-4D61-AE89-B2962F5DAD27.png
 
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This is a while back I know, but I recently bought some cheap red and black hose clamp pliers from amazon that fell apart after trying to remove the second clip. I can’t find any pictures of the back showing the centre pin - the ones I bought have no clip or weld on the pin that holds each half together. Did these hold up well for you? Even well known makes like Draper look identical to the cheapo ones…..
 
I have to admit that the pliers I bought to do the intercooler pipe some weeks back did do the job but it wasn't at all comfortable. Teh smaller ring was fine but the bigger clip was pretty dodgy..you have to ensure that the clip is bang on central or else!
 
I did look at those @philward - they looked quite awkward to me - but I’m guessing they must be fine from your post. I just want something that doesn’t fall apart!
 
I did look at those @philward - they looked quite awkward to me - but I’m guessing they must be fine from your post. I just want something that doesn’t fall apart!
They are very good, you can load them up and maneuver the clip into position. Feel around with your fingers then release it. Your face is a good distance away if it goes wrong but it never has. Removal is a matter of getting the clamp into position then compressing the clip.
If the clip is easily accessible my first choice is the set of pliers in the first post. Not many clips are accessible though.
 
I cant remember which ones I got, but they were cheap is and the single unit as oppoesed to handle + cable and they diddnt really last they job on a "death pipe" fix. Too much slop/bend and such so they became awkward about 5 clamps in. Just about useful enough to make we understand why they are useful and wish Id bought a good set. The style @philward shows are way better as they get into places where you cant get a singe pice unit.
 
Well somehow I managed to get 3 of the 4 clamps off with the broken pliers, the last one (left clamp second pic) has twisted around underneath and is just impossible to remove with tight access and broken pliers. I will order those ones with the long cable and hopefully they will reach it. Ended up cutting the hose in front of the clip to remove most of the ruined coolant pipe.
 

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It seems some of you have had bad experiences with the red and black pliers. Perhaps I got lucky or perhaps the quality was better 3 years ago? I couldn’t risk recommending them now.
I have a good number of US Pro tools (some are branded Bergan) and they have all been very good. There is a life time guarantee that I have made one successful claim on. If I were buying these tools today I would purchase the pliers in the first post recommended by Keith. Good for easy access removal / adjustment.
For everything else I would have a set of these:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/US-PRO-F...=p2349624.m2548.l6249&mkrid=710-127635-2958-0
 
I use a combination of the cable-extended unit pictured above and different sized vise-grip locking pliers - set so that the jaw aperture when 'closed' corresponds to the amount the spring clamps need to be compressed to release from the pipe in one move (ie, not too compressed), allowing one to wiggle the clamp with the pliers and then slide it up the pipe to a point where the pipe can be persuaded off the connector. That way the clamp is prevented from pinging off by the pipe itself. Park the clamp at that location until the pipework is being reassembled and then bring it back the same way. It's obviously not quite as secure as the best possible tool for the job, but I've had no issues with the pliers gripping and holding on in a controlled fashion.
 
Thanks everyone. I’ve ordered some Draper branded extended cable type and also a replacement pair for the set that fell apart. Crazy price for the cable type, but if they hold up then it’s worth it in time saved apart from anything. I looked at the US Pro and nearly bought them after a couple of recommendations, but it’s too late now, I will report back on the Draper set. I’ve got some of the locking pliers for plumbing so will have a go at the stuck clip with a small pair, while I’m waiting.
 
Used Vice-Grip clamps until I started experiencing this problem on a regular basis. These are 30 odd years old and fatigued, A2 clamps may not seem old enough but I've definitely had some go the same way. I suspect some of them are still in orbit!
IMG_7004.JPG
 
After a truly (to me at least!) titanic battle, the last coolant pipe clip is off. Although silly expensive at circa £30, I can confirm the Draper cable type hose clamp pliers are superb. They took a beating but came back for more. Sadly the same cannot be said about my thumb which lost a chunk out the side ?. Still they worked and I’m a happy customer. Maybe experienced members have a better touch with the cheap red ones but if you are a novice like me, my advice is buy good ones. As mentioned by @kp 115 and @philward the US Pro are good too and probably cheaper ??
 

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@froggy I measure my tools in mechanics labour hours saved. The bonus is not having to moan about their poor workmanship.
All of my tools have paid for themselves many times over and I’m awash with them. Your Draper tool was pricey but I’m sure it’s probably already paid you back.
 
Just a warning about using water pump pliers etc for removing these hose clamps.
I'd used them to slide the hose clamps back down the hose. If the pliers slip, which they probably will, it's no big deal. If however you try and remove the clamp completely from the hose and they slip, the clamp acts like a lump of shrapnel and can fly anywhere. It would definitely cause serious injury if it hit you in the face but could also cause paint damage if it pinged off the bodywork.
The large clamps on the air intake pipework are particularly deadly.
After one near miss I invested in a set of the 'cable' type hose clamp pliers.

Cheers Spike
 
i got my cable type hose clamp pliers from machine mart 3 years ago (£15.59). I've been all round my fsi engine bay with ease. more than payed for them selves
 
Just a warning about using water pump pliers etc for removing these hose clamps.
I'd used them to slide the hose clamps back down the hose. If the pliers slip, which they probably will, it's no big deal. If however you try and remove the clamp completely from the hose and they slip, the clamp acts like a lump of shrapnel and can fly anywhere. It would definitely cause serious injury if it hit you in the face but could also cause paint damage if it pinged off the bodywork.
The large clamps on the air intake pipework are particularly deadly.
After one near miss I invested in a set of the 'cable' type hose clamp pliers.

Cheers Spike
Now I have the cable type I wouldn’t be without them, I used the water pump pliers in my picture to pull what was left of the rubber coolant hose away from the oil cooler, in combination with the cable pliers on the hose clamp. It took all my strength and 3 separate attempts to remove it as the hose clamp itself would open, but not slide down the pipe. Even though I avoided using plumbing tools on the clip itself, I still managed to injure myself!
 
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