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vise grips vs. crescent wrench

tonyg · 31 · 9256

Offline tonyg

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vise grips vs. crescent wrench
on: March 11, 2015, 02:43:46 PM
If you edc a medium SAK, (like the Tinker), rather than a pliers-based multi tool, which would you find to be the more useful companion piece: a small crescent wrench or a small vise grips, and why?


Offline b00mhower

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Re: vise grips vs. crescent wrench
Reply #1 on: March 11, 2015, 02:46:23 PM
If you edc a medium SAK, (like the Tinker), rather than a pliers-based multi tool, which would you find to be the more useful companion piece: a small crescent wrench or a small vise grips, and why?
I'd say vise grips, they're just more useful .

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us Offline NKlamerus

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Re: vise grips vs. crescent wrench
Reply #2 on: March 11, 2015, 06:16:37 PM
Vice grips. I carry a BO 4" Gearwrench Crescent. And still wish everyone I use it that I had a 4" Vice Grip Instead.


us Offline ToolJoe

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Re: vise grips vs. crescent wrench
Reply #3 on: March 11, 2015, 06:37:43 PM
I'd say neither. My recommendation is a pair of 6 inch slipjoint pliers. I carry a pair of Channel Lock Brand ones.
I knew my wife was a keeper when she transitioned from calling it a knife thingy to a multi-tool.

I might be crazy but it's kept me from going insane- Waylon Jennings


us Offline NKlamerus

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Re: vise grips vs. crescent wrench
Reply #4 on: March 11, 2015, 07:31:38 PM
I'd say neither. My recommendation is a pair of 6 inch slipjoint pliers. I carry a pair of Channel Lock Brand ones.
Why have I never thought of this!!! My addiction to channel lock Blue Handled Series pliers is just as strong as my addiction to MTs...

My toolbox of Channel locks looks like Chako's toolbox of Leathermans


us Offline ToolJoe

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Re: vise grips vs. crescent wrench
Reply #5 on: March 12, 2015, 04:11:39 PM


  I carry a set of 8 inch CL pliers in my car glovebox. You should be able to find them at almost any hardware store.
They are tough to find at big box stores such as Depot or Lowes.
I knew my wife was a keeper when she transitioned from calling it a knife thingy to a multi-tool.

I might be crazy but it's kept me from going insane- Waylon Jennings


ca Offline ba-ta

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Re: vise grips vs. crescent wrench
Reply #6 on: March 14, 2015, 06:03:52 PM
The only thing to consider with the vise grips is if you need it to hold something together while you need both your other hands free. If this is not a need for you than go with the channel locks.
If it's stupid and it works..... 
It ain't stupid.


us Offline JAfromMn

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Re: vise grips vs. crescent wrench
Reply #7 on: March 14, 2015, 08:49:07 PM
I like my little adjustable wrenches. I carry one in my pocket often.

I also keep a little needle nose vise grips in my bag in my tool kit.

Both are handy little tools but there two totally different tools for different jobs.



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Offline bquinlan

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Re: vise grips vs. crescent wrench
Reply #8 on: March 15, 2015, 10:55:52 PM
Vise Grips are more versatile, but they tend to damage nuts when used in place of a wrench.  Given that, I need a wrench a lot more often than I need the other things I can do with Vise Grips.

I have to also throw in that I much prefer the Knipex Pliers Wrench to a regular adjustable wrench.



The Pliers Wrench is easier to use and more versatile than an adjustable wrench.  It can also handle much larger nuts relative to its size.  The thing doesn't open far enough to substitute for a set of pliers, but it is an improvement over a wrench.

  --Bob Q
« Last Edit: March 15, 2015, 10:59:19 PM by bquinlan »


us Offline cbl51

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Re: vise grips vs. crescent wrench
Reply #9 on: March 24, 2015, 03:27:19 PM
I'd go with the small vise grips. MUch more versatile. Cam be used a pliers, or as a wrench for bolts, or a clamp to hold something. Small vise grips rule.  Three tools in one.
Don't get too serious, just enough will do.


us Offline MadPlumbarian

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Re: vise grips vs. crescent wrench
Reply #10 on: March 24, 2015, 04:02:02 PM
I'd go with the small vise grips. MUch more versatile. Cam be used a pliers, or as a wrench for bolts, or a clamp to hold something. Small vise grips rule.  Three tools in one.
Agreed,
I was always a channel lock guy, whatever job I was on I had a pair of 8" in the back pocket, the three tools to have were always a pair of, channel locks, a crescent, and vice grips. But if you have to narrow it to only one then like cbl51 said vice grip, then it's three in one!
JR
"The-Mad-Plumbarian" The Punisher Of Pipes!!! JR
As I sit on my Crapper Throne in the Reading Room and explode on the Commode, thinking, how my flush beat John’s and Jerry’s pair? Jack’s had to run for the Water Closet yet ended up tripping on a Can bowing and hitting his Head on the Porcelain God! 🚽


us Offline ToolJoe

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Re: vise grips vs. crescent wrench
Reply #11 on: March 24, 2015, 08:16:53 PM
I'll throw one out here. Which of these two would I get more mileage out of: the small long nose vice grips or a pair of lineman pliers?
I knew my wife was a keeper when she transitioned from calling it a knife thingy to a multi-tool.

I might be crazy but it's kept me from going insane- Waylon Jennings


gb Offline Biker_Bob

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Re: vise grips vs. crescent wrench
Reply #12 on: March 25, 2015, 09:49:37 AM
Leatherman Crunch!?


us Offline ducttapetech

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Re: vise grips vs. crescent wrench
Reply #13 on: March 25, 2015, 12:14:33 PM
I'll throw one out here. Which of these two would I get more mileage out of: the small long nose vice grips or a pair of lineman pliers?
That's a tough one. Do you cut a lot of soft wire?

Nate

Nate

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Offline tonyg

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Re: vise grips vs. crescent wrench
Reply #14 on: March 25, 2015, 03:01:54 PM
another thing I discovered is that a small 4" vise grips can also serve as a decent bit driver by clamping a bit either at a right angle to the vise grips or in line with them, depending on the task.  Seems like it would work especially well with the Leatherman flat style bits.


Offline tonyg

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Re: vise grips vs. crescent wrench
Reply #15 on: March 25, 2015, 03:05:41 PM
In my original post, my question should have specified pocket edc rather than an edc kit for car, bike or pack.


us Offline ToolJoe

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Re: vise grips vs. crescent wrench
Reply #16 on: March 25, 2015, 05:13:49 PM
I'll throw one out here. Which of these two would I get more mileage out of: the small long nose vice grips or a pair of lineman pliers?
That's a tough one. Do you cut a lot of soft wire?

Nate

To be honest, I don't cut wire a lot but its nice to have a wire cutter if needed.
I knew my wife was a keeper when she transitioned from calling it a knife thingy to a multi-tool.

I might be crazy but it's kept me from going insane- Waylon Jennings


us Offline ducttapetech

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Re: vise grips vs. crescent wrench
Reply #17 on: March 25, 2015, 05:21:31 PM
Some vice grips have  wire cutters on them. That would probably be the best route. If you was cutting copper all of the  time and bending wire all the time, then Linesman pliers.

Nate

Nate

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us Offline ToolJoe

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Re: vise grips vs. crescent wrench
Reply #18 on: March 25, 2015, 06:25:30 PM
Some vice grips have  wire cutters on them. That would probably be the best route. If you was cutting copper all of the  time and bending wire all the time, then Linesman pliers.

Nate

 Sounds like vice grips might a better route for me. I might buy a cheapo pair of linesman pliers from Harbor Freight or something to try them out.
I knew my wife was a keeper when she transitioned from calling it a knife thingy to a multi-tool.

I might be crazy but it's kept me from going insane- Waylon Jennings


us Offline hugh_h

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Re: vise grips vs. crescent wrench
Reply #19 on: March 29, 2015, 02:55:58 PM
The best wrench to use on a hex nut or bolt is the the six-point wrench in the correct size. If it's rusted on or too gouged up for that wrench to fit, then a Vicegrips is the go-to choice, but you have to accept the damage that's going to cause.


au Offline DazMechanical

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Re: vise grips vs. crescent wrench
Reply #20 on: April 10, 2015, 06:10:53 AM
I only use vise grips as a last resort due to the damage they do cause, I got a few different varieties, including small pointy jaws, small curved jaws, large curved jaws, large combination jaws, large vise grips with chain for jaws used to hold engine pulleys etc. I gotta get a large pair with straight jaws, they're less destructive on hex bolts/ nuts.
darren


us Offline MadPlumbarian

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Re: vise grips vs. crescent wrench
Reply #21 on: April 10, 2015, 06:40:42 AM
I knew I had  a small pair somewhere, found them in one of my toolboxes.
JR
"The-Mad-Plumbarian" The Punisher Of Pipes!!! JR
As I sit on my Crapper Throne in the Reading Room and explode on the Commode, thinking, how my flush beat John’s and Jerry’s pair? Jack’s had to run for the Water Closet yet ended up tripping on a Can bowing and hitting his Head on the Porcelain God! 🚽


ar Offline wmoco

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Re: vise grips vs. crescent wrench
Reply #22 on: April 16, 2015, 06:50:50 AM
Hi there.
I lurked this forum for a couple of years...

You guys got me thinking.

Thing is, when I read this thread I immediately said "No way, vice grips are either not holding anything, or trashing something into threads. I would go for the crescent wrench without a doubt."

In fact, I do have a 6'' long crescent in my maxpedition-like organizer. It's not an EDC but a "carry it if you are leaving home in order to solve a problem" or something like that.
I could need/use a vice grip as a horrid clamp. I have (in my opinion, better) covered everything else with a Rebar, a 5'' long side cutter and the 6'' wrench.

OF COURSE!!!! I'm always looking for needed/cool/useful things to pack into my organizer! Next one?
A small C-clamp.
I bought one some years ago in order to fix my snowboard, it's around 3'' long, it should be at my parent's holiday cabin.
Yeah, surface lifts are not sowboarding n00b friendly :/

Wait, you later said that you are asking for advice in order to pocket edc, not kit, etc.
Anyway, still true in my opinion: "vice grips are either not holding anything, or trashing something into threads".

I love this site.
Nothing fancy to write here...


wales Offline magentus

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Re: vise grips vs. crescent wrench
Reply #23 on: April 16, 2015, 04:08:49 PM
 :salute: Welcome! glad you decided to make it official - it is a great site isn't it?
'Use the force Harry' - Gandalf


ar Offline wmoco

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Re: vise grips vs. crescent wrench
Reply #24 on: April 20, 2015, 04:04:23 AM
:salute: Welcome! glad you decided to make it official - it is a great site isn't it?

Yeah! and here it is my no return point, as a thank you to the whole forum:

http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,58949.0.html
Nothing fancy to write here...


us Offline Gadget Guy

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Re: vise grips vs. crescent wrench
Reply #25 on: April 25, 2015, 02:06:45 AM
It's a tough choice, but I'd go with Vise-Grips. They may not always make the job pretty but they'll always get the job done.  :tu:
Sometimes change is a good thing, other times not so much!


au Offline Tiger

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Re: vise grips vs. crescent wrench
Reply #26 on: June 06, 2015, 02:40:56 AM
Great post but is it practical to carry a 4 inch vise grips in your pocket?


ph Offline Teofilo

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Re: vise grips vs. crescent wrench
Reply #27 on: June 29, 2015, 03:48:55 PM
Great post but is it practical to carry a 4 inch vise grips in your pocket?

I carry these two not in my pocket but in my manbag. ;)



us Offline sawman

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Re: vise grips vs. crescent wrench
Reply #28 on: June 29, 2015, 04:33:08 PM
Great post but is it practical to carry a 4 inch vise grips in your pocket?

I carry these two not in my pocket but in my manbag. ;)


You can tackle a lot with those two :tu:
SAW


us Offline cody6268

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Re: vise grips vs. crescent wrench
Reply #29 on: June 30, 2015, 07:39:48 PM
I typically carry a Craftsman.  The pliers work for light grasping, but when it comes to putting a large amount of force on something, they perform very poorly.    The wire cutters on the pliers are so tiny, they're useless.      I believe Victorinox only put light electronic work in mind, not the big stuff like Wenger did with the full-size pair.   

I carry a Proto USA pair of slip joint pliers (were my grandfather's) and a 60 year old pair of Utica model 10-7 wire cutters (were my great-grandfather's) in my right jeans pocket when I'm working with my grandfather on the farm.   It would only cost me about $10 to buy both again used if I broke them, but they're so well made, there's almost no chance of that.


I'm right now considering getting a Leatherman PST (which is only about $25 used, and is supposedly better than modern Leathermans) for the pliers and file.


 

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