KNIPEX - 10 99 i220 Tools - Ear Clamp Pliers, Front and Side Jaws (1099i220), Red

My out-of-warranty Gaggia espresso machine has been leaking water during the brew process for months, while I worked with the seller to identify the problem. The most recent best guess was a weak seal in the water line from the pump to the boiler, sealed on either end by Oetiker ear clamps. Having already dismantled the machine twice to swap out gaskets (to no avail) I really wanted to avoid having to do that again. But the ear clamp proximal to the boiler seemed like it would require doing just that, as it had to be approached from the side, in very cramped quarters, to attempt to tighten it.Enter the Knipex ear clamp pliers, with its combination of front and side jaws. After removing the top of the Gaggia, I was able to tighten the problematic ear clamp in about 10 seconds, using the side jaws. Problem solved. Not only are there now no leaks, but also I presumably now have regained the amount of pressure the machine was designed to deliver. What a relief. It would have taken me an hour or two, with considerable frustration, with the standard ear clamp pliers.Relatively few ear clamp crimpers feature both end and side jaws, and so far as I could establish, there are none on Amazon that are a part of a combination set of pliers plus a clamp assortment. Knowing what I know now, about how very useful the side jaws option can be, I would recommend that anyone buying a pliers for a job needing only the end jaws should, even so, buy a combination pliers, in case some future task would be made easier if you had the side jaws option. It's a few dollars more, but is a great feature to have as insurance.The German made Knipex is very well-made and precise. Like some other reviewers on this site, I was initially confused by the disparity in the two jaws: the end jaws touch when completely closed, while the side jaws remain partly open, by a fraction of a mm, when completely closed. Nonetheless the side jaws worked perfectly, compressing the ear clamp completely without destroying it (while being operated by a complete novice!). Note that the statement on the web site that the handles are "plastic" is not exactly correct. The underlying handle is part of a uniform metallic whole - but the red covering of the handles, presumably there to give a better, more comfortable grip, is a smooth plastic.My sense is that the Knipex would last me a lifetime, even with daily use. The fact that I may never have to use it again does not lessen my conviction that this was money very well spent!

Very pleased with this set of nippers. This is a very well-made product and it's very easy to work with. I really liked that the jaws were very flat in the front as it allowed me to get nice straight cuts. I did not get hand fatigue or cramps even after an hour of solid use. Nice sharp edges that cut through what I needed to cut.

Using as part of the procedure on a CV joint boot clamp. I take the eared clamp to full tightness with another tool but use this Knipex tool to position the clamp and start the crimping process. Works fine. Grabs good.

power steering boots clamp --- spot on -- easy as pie

I don't normally do reviews but these pliers where interesting so I figured I'd comment on them. First off, being able to buy knipex brand pliers of any kind at this price is pretty amazing, they are like any other knipex tool you would use and are too quality and seem like you can really abuse them if you wanted to.But they do have one flaw in some situations. When installing large cv boots with larger clamps (in my experience, the outboard boots on my 13 Tacoma) they lack the leverage to be as effective as they could be unless you have very, very strong hands. I have to use a separate set of slip joint pliers to starts the initial squeeze on larger oem cv boot clamps (usually the outboard joints found on trucks and suvs. Cheaper chinese clamps and smaller oem quality clamps are no problem for these pliers however. It is something to keep in mind. I would've like to have another few inches of length just to get a bit more leverage although it would make the pliers a bit more clunky to use.But being that these pliers are priced very reasonably I still give them a high rating. Just be aware of the possible shortcomings if your planning to use these on heavier duty applications. These are probably perfect if your only working on cars.

I had never heard of Nipex, and based on the price I assumed it's a fly by night Chinese throwaway company like "Co-Rode" or "Rustark" (both of which I have bought from Amazon in the past). So I was delighted to discover the tool is made in Germany, and it's very well made indeed. The action is smooth, no friction but no slop either, and the jaws align precisely. It worked perfectly on my small clamp (9.5mm), haven't tried it on anything bigger. A very good tool for a reasonable price.

Works great!

Quality Tool worth the money