# Pliers?



## ste6168 (Aug 30, 2009)

Hello there. I am thinking of finally getting a "nice" pair of pliers rather than using the sears/HD/lowes/autozone cheapies all the time (that I seem to replace once or twice a year). I have been checking out a few different ones (only online) and was wondering if any of you have owned, used, or heard anything about any of them. Pliers and links below:

Browning Fishing Pliers - 7" - $39.94
BPS XPS Aluminum Pliers - 7.5" - $39.77
Cabelas Advanced Angler Pliers - 7" - $34.99

Any opinions? They will be used for everything (surf, pier, boat, bank, etc). And no, I am not spending 200+ on VS pliers .

Thanks


----------



## Dyhard (Oct 24, 2002)

The Browning pair look good to me.


----------



## ToferLee (Apr 24, 2009)

I bought a nice pair of shimano pliers from a local shop down here and they are great. I think I paid $20. I'm not a big fan of the plastics, but just make sure whatever fair you do get to add a little oil to the hinge, it makes all the difference. Doubles the life of pretty much any pliers. I do like that cutter on the browning though, but unless I'm cutting steel leader I use a clippers.( made a little holder for nail clippers for mine : ) Works Great!


----------



## gilly21 (Feb 15, 2006)

My Lowes Kobalt plyers are lifetime garounteee! When they rust too bad, stop closing tight, or get too loose I got to customer service and get new ones for nuttin! I'm in lowes twice a week on a slow week so changing them out is a matter of remembering to put them back in the truck. Brownings need to have the cutters replaced real quick...Great pliers but the cutter sucs. 

Oh and when I drop my Kobalts in the drink out on the bar I dont need to spend an hour looking for them and missing the bite cuz they only cost 12$ not $40+


----------



## Tracker16 (Feb 16, 2009)

Ive looked a nice pliers many times and for some reason just can't seem to bring myself to buy a pair. I use a pair of needlenose vise grips from my toolbox and they do just what I need them to


----------



## ste6168 (Aug 30, 2009)

Tracker16 said:


> Ive looked a nice pliers many times and for some reason just can't seem to bring myself to buy a pair. I use a pair of needlenose vise grips from my toolbox and they do just what I need them to


Thats how I was, but maybe your right! Stick with the cheapies, $40 CAN be put towards a lot of other things... Well see, I haven't decided yet.


----------



## ledweightII (Apr 4, 2008)

I find about any type of pliers i've bought have some sort of rust after awhile. tungsten is the best but the most expensive. Leatherman has been the best for me so far and even they have a little rust. anything made in china will surely crumble.

i got the leatherman micra to cut braided line.


----------



## AbuMike (Sep 3, 2007)

I have been using these 2 pair of Brownings for 3 years now. I have rinsed them maybe 3 times and they still work perfect.


----------



## Tracker16 (Feb 16, 2009)

ste6168 said:


> Thats how I was, but maybe your right! Stick with the cheapies, $40 CAN be put towards a lot of other things... Well see, I haven't decided yet.


ste6168, I'm not sayin they're not a good thing to have but I don't get wet when I fish (unless its raining) and I don't use braid. So I just don't need them. I only fish SPSP and Ft Smallwood or Downs park. Just about any pliers will suit my needs. If you get a pair give us a review. :beer:


----------



## jlentz (Sep 11, 2005)

I would get either the Browning or the Cabelas pliers. I use high end pliers for most of my fishing. For surf I mainly use Accurate Piranha pliers and boat fishing I use Donmar Titanium CP950Ti Pliers. The reason I recommend the Browning or Cabelas pliers for surf/inshore is because of the placement of the cutters. That is why I keep my Accurates with sidecutters in my surf/inshore bag. The side cutters are much easier to use for trimming tag ends, cutting hooks etc. The cutters on my Donmars I keep in my boat bag are much better for cutting line/leader to release a fish, you just open the jaws and slide it down the line as far as you can and cut it where you want. It is a lot more difficult to get a quick release/cut with the sidecutters.

John


----------



## Oldmulletbreath (Jan 7, 2006)

Are you replacing them all the time because you have lost them or because they get to rusted up to use? If it is B a middle of the road pair have served me fine for a few years till they find there way to the bottom, a little oil on em and they work, I only use them to remove hooks... carry nail clippers to cut line with. If the answer is A well I think you have the answer.


----------



## Newsjeff (Jul 22, 2004)

Check out the pliers sold by Charkbait. I'm not connected to them in any way, but they have some very nice pliers on their site for decent prices. 

I owned a pair of Brownings, and they are very good for the money. They lasted me a couple of years until the (what's the name of that pivot piece in the middle that connects the two sides?) fell out. That was done while taking a hook out of a large blacktip, and my hand slid down into the sharks mouth when they broke. 

The new Okuma Cavalla Pliers look nice for the money. I like mine machined from aluminum since the stainless are heavy. 

http://www.charkbait.com/cs/tools.htm


----------



## AbuMike (Sep 3, 2007)

Newsjeff said:


> Check out the pliers sold by Charkbait. I'm not connected to them in any way, but they have some very nice pliers on their site for decent prices.
> 
> I owned a pair of Brownings, and they are very good for the money. They lasted me a couple of years until the (what's the name of that pivot piece in the middle that connects the two sides?) fell out. That was done while taking a hook out of a large blacktip, and my hand slid down into the sharks mouth when they broke.
> 
> ...


Damn jeff, lucky you. ARC dehookers work really well you know....


----------



## TideJones (Aug 29, 2008)

If you are going through a couple pairs a year, you are not properly maintaining them. To get them back in working order soak them in a solution of hot backing soda for about 20 minutes. Open and close them till they work smoothly, dry thoroughly and spray with wd-40.


----------



## sprtsracer (Apr 27, 2005)

I just use stainless pliers...cheap! Not sure where I got my current ones, except they are an "off brand" and they work well!


----------



## toejam (Jan 28, 2005)

I spent a fortune on high dollar fishing pliers over the years. It seems that I can not help but lose the dang things... (the more they cost the quicker i lose them) so I started using small generic "vise grips" pliers I buy at Wally world for $1.00 They last an amazonly long time just being chrome plated steel, they perform all the functions I want from a pair of fishing pliers and I can't seem to lose them.... so every four or five years I replace them.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Leave it better than you found it!

W T McLennan (aka toejam)
[email protected]
256-776-4273


----------



## NCangler308 (Nov 19, 2009)

Any of the pliers that you mentioned are nice. My prefered pliers is my Gerber multi-tool. I have one of these that I have dedicated as strictly my "fishing pliers". I have had it for about 12 years and carry it everytime I go fishing....fresh or saltwater. It still looks and works like a charm. Just treat it like any of my other gear and rinse it like any other item that you use at the beach.

I will say that I did forget the Gerber one trip to the beach last year and bought one of the plastic X-tool pliers to get me through and after a night of pulling hooks etc... the jaws were marred up. They do have some that have metal inserts in the jaws that probably wouldn't do this but I think the fact that they will float is the *ONLY* good thing about these pliers.


----------



## Juan_EZ (Apr 10, 2006)

8" Calcutta stainless steel needle nose pliers are my absolute fav!!


----------



## robschonk (Nov 29, 2006)

Two words: Dollar Tree


----------



## Fishman (Apr 23, 2000)

What ever you do buy stainless steel


----------



## AtlantaKing (Jul 7, 2002)

I buy a pair of 6" Craftsman needlenose pliers, drill a hole on one handle and braze on a stainless steel ring for my lanyard. After they get used a couple of times, they get rusty looking. Hit it with some WD-40, scrub off any flakes with a brass brush, and the pliers take on a dark, almost shiny patina that's rather rust resistant. Plus, the thing that makes the pliers great is: their cutters are hardened and will cut braid, the jaws are also hardened and have the correct geometry to grip everything from 6lb test line up to a 16/0 circle hook, and they are made right here in the USA!


----------



## rsqchief5 (Jan 5, 2009)

Your replacing them? Is it cause you lost them? If so, then what would be different if you owned a $40 pair or a $200 pair of Van Staal. Would a higher priced pair stop you from loosing them? I have a "decent" pair made by Rapala. Long needle nose with crimper and cutter that cost like $15 and I have a bunch of pairs that I bought at Harbour Frieght Tools for $3 each.


----------



## Brook (May 27, 2009)

Rank me with the disposable crowd! I can't seem to hang on to pliers---have even lost several high-end Leatherman tools by putting the down and walking away.

So now I just go with cheapies. When they reach the point where they no longer do the job (which, by the way, can take a surprisingly long time) I replace them. 

The best pliers in the world don't do you a bit of good if you've dropped them overboard, or left them on the beach somewhere.


----------



## Kingfshr (Jan 31, 2009)

Stainless Calcuttas are pretty durable. Not as painfull if ya lose em.


----------



## ste6168 (Aug 30, 2009)

rsqchief5 said:


> Your replacing them? Is it cause you lost them? If so, then what would be different if you owned a $40 pair or a $200 pair of Van Staal. Would a higher priced pair stop you from loosing them? I have a "decent" pair made by Rapala. Long needle nose with crimper and cutter that cost like $15 and I have a bunch of pairs that I bought at Harbour Frieght Tools for $3 each.


I replace them usually becuase they stop opening/closing very well. I do nothing more than rinse them in freshwater after every trip, or so. I do not think I should have to do anything more to pliers than rinse them now and again. Up until this point I was fine with replacing the pliers (as I always bought cheapies from somewhere), but I would like to find a pair that I DO NOT have to replace (unless they are lost).


----------



## Tracker16 (Feb 16, 2009)

Pretty amazing there was almost the same thread on that other forum. You know the one where they all worship anything VanStall. On that forum they almost all said VanStall was their plier of choice. Like the fish are gonna know what pliers or reels you use. I gotta wonder if some of those guys even fish. 
The people on this forum are so much more down to earth it's unbelievable.

Happy Holidays to all of you !! :beer:


----------



## ste6168 (Aug 30, 2009)

Tracker16 said:


> Pretty amazing there was almost the same thread on that other forum. You know the one where they all worship anything VanStall. On that forum they almost all said VanStall was their plier of choice. Like the fish are gonna know what pliers or reels you use. I gotta wonder if some of those guys even fish.
> The people on this forum are so much more down to earth it's unbelievable.
> 
> Happy Holidays to all of you !! :beer:


Yeah, that is why I DID NOT post my question over there. I went on and saw that thread, followed by the thread about the ZB knife someone was getting for xmas. 

I like good equipment, but come on...


----------



## jakuka (Oct 12, 2009)

I use Donnmar CP880's. I've heard some very good things about the Browning's from some fisherman I that I highly respect. They come with a teather and sheath too so you won't drop them in the surf.


----------



## robschonk (Nov 29, 2006)

I keep a can of WD-40 in the bucket, and spritz the cheapies at the end of the day.


----------



## Fishman (Apr 23, 2000)

Kingfshr said:


> Stainless Calcuttas are pretty durable.


Yep that is what I use


----------



## Shooter (Nov 14, 2004)

I have a nice set of Browning pliers and a cheap copy made by Bass Pro they had on sale for like $10.00 and I use both, yea I am sometimes lazy and when I do wash them off in the surf I just make sure to shake the sand out of them,,, neither pair has showed sign of giving up or rusting away,,, one pair came with the clip on holster and the other a belt slide and thats the only reason I use both pair equally.


----------



## johnfl (Dec 16, 2009)

AbuMike said:


> I have been using these 2 pair of Brownings for 3 years now. I have rinsed them maybe 3 times and they still work perfect.


Which ones do you like better the needle nose Browning or the other Brownings ? I see there on sale again..I need some new pliers being 
I dropped my old ones in the drink. :redface:


----------



## AbuMike (Sep 3, 2007)

johnfl said:


> Which ones do you like better the needle nose Browning or the other Brownings ? I see there on sale again..I need some new pliers being
> I dropped my old ones in the drink. :redface:


If I had only 1 pair it would be the needle nose. I use both, needle nose on my belt and the other pair stays on my rod basket for rigging needs.


----------



## ste6168 (Aug 30, 2009)

Shooter said:


> I have a nice set of Browning pliers and a cheap copy made by Bass Pro they had on sale for like $10.00 and I use both, yea I am sometimes lazy and when I do wash them off in the surf I just make sure to shake the sand out of them,,, neither pair has showed sign of giving up or rusting away,,, one pair came with the clip on holster and the other a belt slide and thats the only reason I use both pair equally.


The cheap one made by BPS, do they happen to be the XTS pliers that were on sale on black friday? If so they still have a ton of them at the BPS near Balitimore, I may pick a pair of them up at 10bones


----------



## ste6168 (Aug 30, 2009)

AbuMike said:


> If I had only 1 pair it would be the needle nose. I use both, needle nose on my belt and the other pair stays on my rod basket for rigging needs.


I think I may get those browning needlenose pliers. They seem to have good reviews everywhere, and are on sale. Going to wait to hear the response on the XTS pliers above, then I might as well get one or the other.


----------



## Shooter (Nov 14, 2004)

ste6168 said:


> The cheap one made by BPS, do they happen to be the XTS pliers that were on sale on black friday? If so they still have a ton of them at the BPS near Balitimore, I may pick a pair of them up at 10bones


They look like the ones and if they are still at $10.00 I may go buy another set just because,,, I forgot to add both sets have a solid year of use on them. Now if the BPS ones are $39.99 I would go with the Brownings.


----------



## ste6168 (Aug 30, 2009)

Shooter said:


> They look like the ones and if they are still at $10.00 I may go buy another set just because,,, I forgot to add both sets have a solid year of use on them. Now if the BPS ones are $39.99 I would go with the Brownings.


I was at the BPS here yesterday and they are still 9.99.


----------



## johnfl (Dec 16, 2009)

AbuMike said:


> If I had only 1 pair it would be the needle nose. I use both, needle nose on my belt and the other pair stays on my rod basket for rigging needs.


One more question, does the sheath have a clip or does it have loop for a belt ? Thanks for your time.

John


----------



## ste6168 (Aug 30, 2009)

johnfl said:


> One more question, does the sheath have a clip or does it have loop for a belt ? Thanks for your time.
> 
> John


Loop for a belt, 99.9%sure...


----------



## 0ne2fish (Dec 16, 2009)

Has anyone tried the Berkley's that Dick's Sporting Goods sells? I bought a pair but have not used them, they have the clip on the sheath w/out lanyard for 29.99. It sounds like the Browning are better and these need to go back.


----------



## AbuMike (Sep 3, 2007)

johnfl said:


> One more question, does the sheath have a clip or does it have loop for a belt ? Thanks for your time.
> 
> John


It has a SS clip and it holds nice and tight.


----------



## uncdub13 (Aug 9, 2003)

0ne2fish said:


> Has anyone tried the Berkley's that Dick's Sporting Goods sells? I bought a pair but have not used them, they have the clip on the sheath w/out lanyard for 29.99. It sounds like the Browning are better and these need to go back.


If you're talking about these..










..then yes.

I take pretty good care of my stuff, and I found that they arent very durable for the price. I liked them while they were new but went downhill pretty quickily from there. Very prone to corrosion, dulled blades, etc. I wouldnt spend 50 bucks on them, that's for sure.


----------



## 0ne2fish (Dec 16, 2009)

That's the ones, I will take them back. Thanks!


----------



## Flytyingguy1 (Sep 8, 2009)

Tracker16 said:


> Pretty amazing there was almost the same thread on that other forum. You know the one where they all worship anything VanStall. On that forum they almost all said VanStall was their plier of choice. Like the fish are gonna know what pliers or reels you use. I gotta wonder if some of those guys even fish.
> The people on this forum are so much more down to earth it's unbelievable.
> 
> Happy Holidays to all of you !! :beer:


Not only do we fish We catch Big Ones!


----------



## ste6168 (Aug 30, 2009)

Flytyingguy1 said:


> Not only do we fish We catch Big Ones!


Where are the pliers in that photo?


----------



## Shooter (Nov 14, 2004)

I learned a while back not to jump to fast on any band wagon. I use to think guys that bought $200. sunglasses were either nuts or just showing off till I was shown the difference and why they are worth the price.

Same goes for $60.00 or more pliers, I use to buy the Wally World $5.00 pair every year and having a cheapo pair aint always bad but I finally caught a set of Brownings on sale and jumped on them along with a set of $10.00 BPS and use both sets all the time.

Will the $5.00 wally world set work,,, You bet your sweet hinny on it they will,, now how long will they work, no telling.

Will the $60.00 set work,,, all day long and should for years to come.

Don't look down on the guys with the $5.00 set and don't think the guys with $60.00 sets are uppity,,, they all do the same thing


----------



## ste6168 (Aug 30, 2009)

Shooter said:


> I learned a while back not to jump to fast on any band wagon. I use to think guys that bought $200. sunglasses were either nuts or just showing off till I was shown the difference and why they are worth the price.
> 
> Same goes for $60.00 or more pliers, I use to buy the Wally World $5.00 pair every year and having a cheapo pair aint always bad but I finally caught a set of Brownings on sale and jumped on them along with a set of $10.00 BPS and use both sets all the time.
> 
> ...


I was exactly the same way with glasses. I used to buy the ~10 dollar pairs you can get at gas stations. One time without my glasses and my buddy had an "extra (read as I have too much money and don't know what else to spend it on, hahah)" pair of oakley polarized. They were that much better and I didn't go out and buy a pair immediately, but I did get a pair for christmas that year!

I think my next pair of polarized lenses with be costas though. More for the "cool" factor than actual optics though. I feel they are on a level playing field with oakley.


----------



## Shooter (Nov 14, 2004)

I had the Polorized Oaks and there is a big difference in the Coasties,,, go Coasties


----------



## rsqchief5 (Jan 5, 2009)

after a trip, before you store them, hit them with wd40 or some spray gun oil. they will last forever.....or at least till you loose them.....


----------



## master baiter (Aug 8, 2003)

NCangler308 and I are on the same wavelength... My Gerber multi-tool has been a companion of mine for over 20 years and still works fine...


----------



## Flytyingguy1 (Sep 8, 2009)

master baiter said:


> NCangler308 and I are on the same wavelength... My Gerber multi-tool has been a companion of mine for over 20 years and still works fine...


I got mine at least 10yrs ago a K-Mart Special for $35.00
Takes a Lickin & Keeps on Tickin!


----------

