# Differences between iron worker cutters pliers and Electrician cutters pliers



## Electricaljunkie (May 9, 2019)

I get a gift of new sweet Kleins Iron worker pliers with the red grips. This is the same as the electrician pliers but only have the L shape handle? Or I'm missing something? They don't have any spring.


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## John Valdes (May 17, 2007)

Electricaljunkie said:


> I get a gift of new sweet Kleins Iron worker pliers with the red grips. This is the same as the electrician pliers but only have the L shape handle? Or I'm missing something? They don't have any spring.


I did not know Klein made pliers for iron workers?
When I worked next to iron workers all day every day they were using the same Klein's I had.
They would strip off the handles and heat up one side cherry red and bend it over like you said.
Iron workers pliers were made on the job. As far as I know they did not make pliers in that configuration.

Not one pair of Klein side cutters I ever had had any type of spring.


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## B-Nabs (Jun 4, 2014)

John Valdes said:


> I did not know Klein made pliers for iron workers?
> 
> When I worked next to iron workers all day every day they were using the same Klein's I had.
> 
> ...


Klein does make ironworker's pliers. They have the bent handle as described, also the head is a little less beefy than your typical New England style lineman's pliers. The ones I have do have a spring. For some reason they're pretty expensive too, $70 Canadian around here (Klein lineman's are $50 - 60).

Sent from my SM-G920W8 using Tapatalk


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## drsparky (Nov 13, 2008)

Google iron workers pliers, lots of the out there.


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## John Valdes (May 17, 2007)

Thanks. Never seen or heard of iron workers pliers. How long have they been available?
When I worked on the slab, the iron workers used the same pliers I had with the handle bent out.


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## joebanana (Dec 21, 2010)

I got a pair of Channel-lock with the spring, and bent handle type when I was doing tilt-ups. They're great if you do a lot of ty-wire twisting on re-bar.


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## joebanana (Dec 21, 2010)

John Valdes said:


> Thanks. Never seen or heard of iron workers pliers. How long have they been available?
> When I worked on the slab, the iron workers used the same pliers I had with the handle bent out.


Technically they're ty-wire twisters. The re-bar guys use them exclusively. They been around (the factory made kind) for at least 20 years.


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## splatz (May 23, 2015)

I have used these when they were all that was around. To tell the truth I think the iron workers use these pliers harder than electricians do. 

That little hook is pretty good for what they do. The knurling of the ironworker pliers is coarser. Some have springs, some don't. The main thing I don't like about the spring is it makes the pliers less pocket friendly. 

The side cutters made for electrical work have a bigger bulkier head for twisting bundles of wire and reaming conduit. That also makes them a better halfass hammer if you use them that way a lot. They also have a longer cutter, the ironworker ones may take two bites to get through larger cables.


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## varmit (Apr 19, 2009)

Klein makes two sizes of rod buster pliers. One size is smaller than the standard 9 inch Kleins. The other is the same size as regular 9 inch side cutters, but with the hook handle on the finger side. Both of these have a more coarse pattern on the gripping surface. The only down side, for electric work, would be the bent handle puts the cutting edge on the opposite side for the way most of us use side cutters, since the hook handle does not fit well on the palm side of a persons hand.


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

John Valdes said:


> Thanks. Never seen or heard of iron workers pliers. How long have they been available?
> When I worked on the slab, the iron workers used the same pliers I had with the handle bent out.


They go back to the late 60's, iron worker pliers and the aluminum wire reel to put on your belt.


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## John Valdes (May 17, 2007)

MechanicalDVR said:


> They go back to the late 60's, iron worker pliers and the aluminum wire reel to put on your belt.


I wore a tie wire reel as well on slabs. We used steel wire. Same stuff the iron workers used.


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## TheLivingBubba (Jul 23, 2015)

John Valdes said:


> I wore a tie wire reel as well on slabs. We used steel wire. Same stuff the iron workers used.



Always have to have the wire reel on the belt when doing deck work. The guys that use the duct taped roll of tie wire are wasting time and the damn wire always gets messed up.


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## John Valdes (May 17, 2007)

TheLivingBubba said:


> Always have to have the wire reel on the belt when doing deck work. The guys that use the duct taped roll of tie wire are wasting time and the damn wire always gets messed up.


I hated the reel at first. The roll of tie wire is pretty heavy.
It must have its own belt though.
You want to be able to pick it up to use it and drop it on a dime. 
Just like a tool belt.


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

John Valdes said:


> I wore a tie wire reel as well on slabs. We used steel wire. Same stuff the iron workers used.



Yup, exactly!


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