Not a mechanic but a farm owner, I bet we have 15 pair around the property and I told my nephew that showed me this video if he found vice grips that would take an Allen wrench anywhere on them I would give him 500 each. I haven't seen him come back I think he looked and went home. LoL
Firstly, I've been a Professional Technician for almost 30 years and none of my vice-grips have this feature. Secondly vice-grips have always been kind of a last resort tool for me. I've always referred to them as the last resort tool for a job gone wrong LoL.....
I'm in England, retired, and been involved with engineering for almost all of my life, and this is the first time I can ever remember seeing a mole wrench with an Allen key socket.
I'm a 72 year old retired mechanic. I just learned something new. -----I just went out to my garage and looked at my 50 year old vise grips and they don't have that. What a nice addition to an already indispensable tool. They probably added that 20 years ago. Good to see something new.
My father got most of his tools by filching them like most people filch office supplies when he was a young lieutenant in the army in the 1960s. His vice grips had a 1/4" hex nut instead of a burled knob.
I have done that too!! Amazing how many tools can be a HAMMER!! Yes it is, or as a WEAPON!!! Put vice grips on someone's Balls, then it is an Interrogation tool!!
It's NOT a hammer? Nobody ever told me! Those and adjustable wrenches, I always thought that's what they were for! Just like how flat screwdrivers are actually chisels!
I’ve always said if you’re not careful, you can learn something new every day. I am 60 years old and I’ve been crushing my hands for years trying to get the right tightness on these things. Thank you very much. !!
Ha! I’m over 70 and been using this tool since high school and never knew this trick. I even used my vicegrips today. But I just checked and this feature is not there probably because the one I have is a Cheap knockoff not a branded Vicegrip. Now I know.
A gripping story ! Unfortunately, like many others, mine are so old they don't have this (useful) feature. I usually tighten to get a first grip and then maybe one more turn after that. Don't use them often but they are needed when they are needed. Years ago I bought a pair with a large flat dual surface for sheet metal bending. Those work great to hold small pieces for filing or cutting , etc. when no vice is handy.
Been using them for a long time, genuine Vise Grips, not knock offs. I have multiple types big, small, needlenose, etc. For a second you had me saying "wow, can't believe I missed that" , then I checked and none of them have a socket for an Allen wrench.
That's actually a somewhat recent feature on Vice Grips locking pliers. I have plenty of old Vice Grip (10+ years) and some knock-off locking pliers and none of them have the hex socket in the adjusting screw.
Because you don't need it... it has a screw you adjust by hand. And no you don't have to keep taking them off and guessing... you cinch up while it's on you piece, then you take them off and give it a half turn. Then clamp down. Done.
@@Colt3854 It wouldn't be a bad idea if Irwin sold you the (later) Adjuster with that added feature, at a reasonable price! I think these are hardened / tempered steel.
The thread size is the same,I imagine,so why not just get a (not sure what it is called) new tightening bolt with that feature in the head of the bolt?
I'm 66 and a mechanic most of my life and never thought of that, very cool. Keep them coming and as a side note for some of your follower's I'm also an X soldier(army) and you will always be a mechanic or soldier retired or both like me. hang in there
That looks like a great way to strip the threads of the tightening bolt! I always #1 clamp #2 tighten #3 unclamp #4 tighten ½ turn #5 clamp. Always perfect!
Usually, certainly on most no name brands, the thread on the pressed steel grip goes west sharpish if you load it up with that amount of torque...Your right, if you use them instead of a suitable clamp , they will give up. Having said that, my 50 plus year old Vice grip branded and correctly used ones still work 100% Fine. Ta.
Another trick is to close the handle to where it's close (but not too close) to the cam point then tighten down the bolt by hand then just squeeze to get over the cam. It's pretty easy with some practice. Thinking about it though, they could put some markings on there to make it a lot easier.
@@chaos.corner I'd always assumed that's how they're supposed to work. The cam on the cheap ones gets loose and has a race with the thread to see which will give up first though...
@@Peasmouldia I'm surprised a better design hasn't become popular by now. Should be possible to just set the clamping force and have the rest happen automatically.
I believe the allen keyhole was meant to release the pressure when you are ready to remove the tool. The problem is not being able to tighten the pliers tight enough but opening them back up without the pliers flying off, busting your hands up or not even being able to open them back up because you got monster strenth to lock em in but not to release them. Im just saying though.
I have half a dozen real VISE-GRIPS™ and none of them have that feature. I've never seen it anywhere before. So it can't be that important. But I think you are absolutely correctamundo.
True, got my Mole grips for my first car, 65 years ago. No hex hole in the screw and never needed one to tighten. Don’t need multiple tries to set pressure either if done the easy way. Screw them up to set whatever you’re gripping, tighten up, that’s it, never moved as shown in the video. See the point of it to release jaws though. Are Moles better? Answers below😛
I spent years as a pipefitter working in shipyards around the Puget Sound. I remember seeing vise grips that people had welded a washer, standing upright on end, onto the tightening nut and this made it more like a wingnut. It made it easier for turning the tighten/loosen nut.
Yup. And if you need to use your welding machine to jump start cranky equipment, clamp the vice grip on the battery terminal and the rod holder clamps neatly on the washer. Just make sure the welder is set E positive.
I have a pair my Dad welded an eye nut onto. As sheet metal workers, they used the to pull metal up to the roof. Tie a rope to the eye and use a screwdriver through the eye to crank it tight. He did say they ruined a few sets by over torquing and bending them.
I have been using vice grips all my life and in many configurations. If not used properly they will hurt you. This is an excellent video showing how not to use V Grips. If one grip is not holding strong enough.....use two.
That is the first time I have ever heard about that. I am going to use your information the next time I using vise grips. Thank you very much it was very useful.
Or, you could grind the round knob into a hex head shape so you could use a hex bolt driver to do the same job. (Not as elegant and an allen but still effective.)
I did not know this because none of my genuine Vise Grips have that hex feature. TRUE STORY...I'm a retired dentist. Over my 35+ years in practice I saw quite a few "DIY dentists". You know, the ones too cheap to pay a pro so they try to do it themselves. What I'm talking about is removing their own teeth! They ALWAYS use those huge Vise Grips and put them on their tooth. Then they snap the handles together............and crush their tooth AND THE NERVE!!!!! Intense pain immediately follows. Like many mechanics, I charged them a "DIY & you effed it up" surcharge on top of my normal removal fee. NEVER take your own tooth out. AND NEVER TRY IT WITH VISE GRIPS!!!!!!!
I considered doing this a few years ago...got pretty drunk, then went as far as putting some needle nose vice grips on the tooth, but I realized I would have to tighten them so tight the tooth would get crushed. I called the dentist in for an emergency weekend call, and let him handle it. If it hadn't been the weekend, I wouldn't have even considered doing it, but the thought of that pain all weekend caused me to consider the DYI route. I'm glad I made the decision I did, lol.
@@eyellgeteven9928 The pain of a tooth ache is nothing compared to the pain of that tooth nerve getting smashed between the serrated jaws of the Vise Grips! You chose well!!
@@NastyhabitzNot a dentist, but they use non locking pliers that grab near/at the gum line (with hook-ish jaws) Then iirc a certain motion is applied with force, and the tooth will come out.
@@Nastyhabitz They have some kind of tool, like a flathead screwdriver, where they slide it under the tooth, then twist it and it lifts the tooth out of the bone. And yes, an abcessed tooth is insanely painful...I could understand it if someone killed themselves because of that pain. I can just imagine living in some third world country, and how things like that would be dealt with there...I bet people do kill themselves from the pain. That's why the Nazis would drill people's teeth when they tortured them for information...they knew it was one of the most painful things you could do to a person, and they'd cough up the info quick!
I got my very first genuine Vise-Grip pliers back in 1962 as a kid, that one did not have the allen-type screw there. I still have, and use it. I did "lose" it twice, once gripped on a VW clutch cable on one of our rental VWs in 1974, and once underneath my own vehicle where it was clamped on a bolt head. Each time, I found it by chance about a month later. By the way: I absolutely love Vise-Grips 12LC.
As a Vietnam vet aircraft mechanic, I was issued my first toolkit with all the goodies needed to keep our aircraft flying. Including a good-for-all-purpose, (no grippy feature tho) vice grip.
@@acajutla No, when I was a cop I didn't need people to thank me for my service. It was my job! I didn't thank my teacher for her service, I don't thank my garbage man for his service, I don't thank the missionaries at my church for their service. We all provide our labor to our employer and in return they pay us. There is no need to thank someone for getting paid to do a job no matter how difficult the job may be. So if we don't thank them will they stop doing their job? 🤦We all know the risk when we take the job.
The Alan wrench thing is new. I have lots of old Irwin Vice Grips that do not have it. Still able to always get them tight enough that they don't slip and are not easily taken off. Used them in my Dad's steel fabrication shop.
@@bbb462cid 100% CORRECT. Yet another "clown" who wants to make some money on UA-cam ....so he figures out how to image himself on a backdrop that looks "industrial", and then find something that most everyone already knows about ....or can very easily figure out on their own ......and do a video, telling us all about a "trick" that he has just discovered.....captioning ..."You could be using one the world's most popular tools wrong, but I'll show you .....". Well, IF the vicegrips HAVE the allen drive ....THEN this video MIGHT be useful .....IF a person needs to be told its there. I guess he's looking to reach the milestone when he'll get a money transfer.😜🤣😁 .
Mine are also too old for this great feature. However, many years ago I replaced the knurled bolt with an eye bolt. Does double duty: Let's me hang 'em up by the handle easily AND if I need to tighten (as you did) I can just grab a screwdriver, slip it through the eye and crank on it like a vise. Yes... I did that. Vise. thanks for your content!
@@johnjones4825 Um, no. "Vice is typically a noun that refers to a bad habit or certain illegal activities. It can also be a prefix meaning “second in command.” Vise is always a noun and refers to a tool for holding an object in place."
@@mikefelty2625 Dang it Mike! If'n I'd known that 25 years ago I could be collecting royalties or whatever you'd call it for getting compensated for your "intellectual property"... Call me visionary...
I started collecting top value stamps from floor sweepings in a grocery store where I used to clean as a kid. After about a year I had enough stamp books to go to the redemption store. That got me a small and a large “brand name” vice grip plier set. No hex in the end on these, but I use those things all the time bending metal, extracting screws and nails, you name it. Very versatile tools.
Mom collected the S&H green trading stamps. I got a Weller soldering iron in 1968 or 9. I would use it to custom make plastic models. The plastic pieces were in plastic hangers/frames that you could melt and bend to make anything. Had to do it outside though cause the fumes were pretty noxious!! Mom just collected them, and had drawers full of them!
Confession: I have owned & used vice-grips for decades. Yet, I have never availed myself of this obvious stroke of procedural brilliance.. Nor have I ever witnessed my mechanic buddies apply an allen wrench thus, in all of that time. Friend, you win an internet award for this share!
I'm from the UK, I started using the UK-made 'Mole grips' in the 1970s but soon discovered that the original Petersen Vise-Grips made in USA were much better. I used to buy myself a new pair every few years and continued buying them after Unwin took over the brand. However, about 10 years ago I noticed that the quality suddenly went down - they just didn't feel the same or operate quite so precisely, I believe this was when production was outsourced to China. The 'Chinese' ones can be identified easily because the release-lever pivot pin which is flush in the original pliers has a protruding head in the later ones. Bad move Irwin! I've never bought a new pair since, but when I'm visiting the USA I search around yard sales and secondhand shops and usually find a pair or two of the original ones to bring home with me.
A company named Malco in the last year or two reoutfitted the old USA Petersen plant and was manufacturing "Eagle Grips" which are probably comparable or superior in quality to the original Petersen Vice-Grip (and much better than the Chinese Vice Grip),however,lack of interest or lack of advertising/awareness on the part of potential customers as well as high price seems to have limited sales to the point that they have announced will not be continuing production. HJE (Epstein's Hardware Store in Kansas City MO) might still have a few to sell online (most of the traditional style curved jaw models have a wire cutter feature ,I don't think the straight jaw models have it)
Not only I've never had a pair of vice grip with that allen imprint, but I can also guarantee I've gotten vise grips tighter than you did in the video, because if it's not at least a little bit of a pain to release, it wasn't tight. Also such a small allen would probably strip before you get it as tight as you can with just the regular method. Also you don't just guess and check to adjust them. Get the plier on the piece your working on, start to close the vice grips until right before it starts engaging, turn the knob until you feel it's close or even slightly pushing them closed and then you good, no back and forth.
@@barrelgardener7527 Yeah, probably, I'd still adjust them the regular way, but I could see the wrench being used if you're wearing gloves or have arthritis and can't grip things well.
Thanks. Something I didn't know that was shown to me in a way that didn't make me feel stupid. Had my dad or any of my friends(if they themselves knew)shown me it would have definitely been one of those "Come sit under the learning tree." experiences. More stuff like this if u have the time please. Thank u again.
Try his method and you'll notice it won't work. If the pliers are clamped correctly, there's no way a small hex wrench can move that course thread screw more than you can move it while unloaded. You didn't learn anything new, the poster just got paid for some watch minutes.
It doesn't count if your Vice Grips predate this recent feature to the pliers. He's just showing us the new(ish) feature. My Vice Grip pliers are too old to have this updated screw, but you can buy the screws separately to update older pliers.
@@ericd6781 Clamp your old Vice-Grips like normal. Then, grab another pair of Vice-Grips to turn that screw. Think about how much force you can put on there, then imagine is a puny hex wrench will get stripped out. The geometry of how Vice-Grips work so well pretty much means that screw can't be turned when they're clamped down.
It’s the one tool that can fix the damage you did with all the other tools. Need to pull a nail with a mangled head? No problem! Need to extract a broken bolt? No problem! And if all else fails you’ll already have something in your hand to throw across the garage.
@@mrmcclung duct tape? I didn't even think of the "go-to"fix everything that's broken product!! Now I wonder if it would have worked ! You know what....... I'm going to march right over to her house with a roll in hand and say , how about another try ! Thanks for bringing it to my attention !
If the pliers don't have a hex key in it, you can always use another vise grip pliers to tighten. Or replace the knob with a hex head bolt so you can use a wrench.
Does using a regular bolt work? Should a person make sure the replacement bolt is of a hardness rating close to tool steel? Do they use actual tool steel in vice grips? Maybe just the jaw section is hardened and the rest is less so?I also wonder about, non standard, maybe even proprietary thread patterns and thread pitch between manufacturers? Cross threading? Marring and stripping replacement bolt threads because it's softer than the corresponding female threads? Inquiring minds want to know.
@@thormidthagahast8914 It depends on which vice grip you have. Some have a double threaded bolt, which allows them to turn in and out faster. A normal bolt won't work on those. For other ones a regular bolt will work. My Dad had a vice grip that he put a regular bolt into it (may have lost the original). I don't think that it would have to be a very hard bolt to work and not get damaged.
@@thormidthagahast8914 Additionally, if you intend to repeatedly over-tighten as demonstrated in this video, be prepared to replace any bolt that's not hardened tool steel. Continuous over-tightening will even strip the threads of the manufacturer's bolt. But, for normal use, a regular bolt should be fine. If you need to hold something heavy that tightly, use an additional set of locking plyers in more than one position.
I have used vise grips for many years and by watching your video I was very impressed and learning how to turn your vice grips weather in Allen wrench thank you so much for your info..
I was so fascinated, that I checked my vice grips. Sadly, there is no hex insert. They are decades old. Now, you have gone and made me try to find a replacement screw for this tool.
This was one of my Daddy’s tests! The man was a genius & brought life lessons into EVERYTHING we did: we couldn’t get: our allowance without memorizing which presidents were on which bill, a car until we could change a tire, etc. I don’t recall what the task was with this tool; but the test served me perfectly when I was in the Fire Academy. Thanks for sharing this with the world!
Bought a smaller pair of vise grips a couple of years ago. Sure enough, it has this feature. I never knew about this until today. Vise grip brand. Thanks for the video.
Amazingly enough, I just checked all ten sets of vise grips (curved jaw, flat jaw, body jaw, and needle nose) and none of them had the hex inset. Then I looked in my other tool bag and found the very newest Vise Grip, a 7" curved jaw I bought 5 years ago, and finally found one set which had this. It's a great idea. Too bad it wasn't universally used. My favorite is the 6" needle nosed pair. I keep one in my BOB. (Disclaimer: OK, a couple are HFT, and 1 is a 50 year old galvanized flat jaw, not VG.)
When I was in HS way back when many of the kids wondered why our auto shop teacher had welded 9/16" nuts onto the vise grips. They all thought it was because the knurling was worn out. He never spoke up unless you specifically asked him face to face. The day I saw this is a day I'll never forget.
Apparently the army had vice grips made with a hex nut instead of the burled knob as far back as the 1960s because the pair my father had were made with a nut instead of the knob. Or maybe he just happened to filch a pair made for a specific purpose rather than a general use pair.
😊The first locking pliers, with the trade name Vise-Grip, were invented by William S. Petersen in De Witt, Nebraska, United States in 1924. Later, in 1955, in the United Kingdom, M K Mole and Son, a hand tool manufacturing company, under the managing direction of Thomas Coughtrie, began making nearly identical pliers. From Wikipedia.
...and, some guy from Evansville, Indiana invented the Impact Driver? back in the Thirties. I'm a Detroiter, but IDK how they could have even had automobile assembly lines before THAT "Bad Boy."
I do a lot of work on a linishing machine grinding plate steel. Far and away my best 'vice grip' pliers for the job have flat jaws, one of which swivels, so that they can be parallel even at 1" grip, and because of the contact area, they hold exceptionally well. Beats me why they are not more readily available.
My Dad was a pilot and aircraft mechanic in the western arctic, back in 1956 he was using a pair of Vice Grips to open a barrel of Avgas to refuel a floatplane, a passenger boarding the plane said " Oh you use these on planes too! " the man was the son of William Peterson, Vice Gripe inventor & founder of Peterson Manufacturing of Nebraska, he was in Yellowknife on a fishing trip. Dad would always carry a small Vice Gripe with him, in the bush he would frequently need them!
That's a good idea , the ones I have are old and don't have that allen wrench feature , the one this fella used seemed awfully shiny and clean , almost like it was brand new
As a friend told me, "You learn something new every day... if you're not careful!" Well, thanks for the tip! I had NO idea and I will be 70 on my next birthday!
Yes, Sir, you did blow my mind and definitely earned me as a subscriber. I've been using Vice Grips since about 1960 and really did not know. I have 4 pairs, but, none have the Allen tool hole. Well..... time to go shopping for some new ones.
Vice grips, like standard pliers, have 2 types of jaws. The inside serrated surface is either flat or curved (concave). The curved jaws are for gripping rounded surfaces. When you want to get a better grip on flat pieces like in this video, you should be using the flat serrated surface jaws.
Just been out to my garage/workshop where I have three vice grips (British spelling) hanging up. They vary in age from being handed down from that great boat builder Noah to a pair that are a couple of years old. None of them has the hex bolt. The pliers are more commonly known as Mole Grips here, after M K Mole and Son a hand tool manufacturing company that made them here in 1955.
I too have a drawer full of vice grips from the 60's on up. It has been my experience that this feature first appeared when Irwin went Chinese (after they were acquired by Newell-Rubermaid.) Non of my Petersen, Irwin US made have grips it. The domestic models have a roll pin that attaches the release lever, when you see a rivet, it's Chinese. The good news is, the Chinese ones seem to be of very good quality as well.
While not nearly as durable for the ugly stuff I have quite a few Chinese grips. They work just as good as the real thing as welding clamps and you won’t start to cry if they fell out and got buried in the mud . Even better if you accidentally weld onto them it’s not such a disaster……..
I believe that you can damage them by doing that and that Malco recommends not tightening that screw excessively,it is mostly for release purpose that the hex drive hole in the screw (on newer Vice Grips and Eagle Grips) is provided although the Malco is probably more resistant to damage to the threaded area where the screw passes in that it has an extra ring of metal surrounding the crimped area through which the screw threads pass
I have 3 brands in my tools box, Craftsman, Kobalt, and old Vice Grip and none have that Allen head. I guess one could buy the right size Allen head grade eight cap screws and modify the end that fits in the tool to match the adjuster you'd remove. The cap head could be knurled if you wanted.
I have some Milwaukee brand Vice grips, and they have a loop on the end of the adjuster so you can put a screwdriver through it and really torque them down.
As an electrician...My Dad used to tell me stories of his electrician days in the Navy and on the East coast. One of my favorites was him telling me the vice grip challenge to see who had the strongest grip on the jobsite! The Dudes would gather and try to crank the vice grips closed...Everytime they succeeded, they cranked it another quarter or eighth turn...Until they couldn't close the vice!!! Eventually only one MAN could close the grips!!! Such an awesome test of man-strength! (My dad had the strongest handshake I've ever felt to this day! LoL) I really miss my old man!!!
To be clear, "Vice-Grip" is a brand name of what are otherwise known as locking pliers. I currently only have 4 sets of locking pliers, but only one of them is the Vice-Grip brand, and the other 3 do not have the 5mm Hex on the end. One of the sets is Craftsman brand from the 1970s, and, fun fact, they're the only set that I haven't had to replace due to bending or breaking at some point. And the tips of the jaws are so sharp and precise I can use them to remove hammered-down, and/or rusted carpet staples from hardwood floors when nothing else can even grab onto them. They're as precise as a set of surgical tweezers. The knurling around the end of the bolt allows for pliers to be used to tighten other brands. Any more force than that and you risk damaging the screw mechanism, or stressing the metal over time and risking failure when you least expect it, which can lead to damaging whatever you're working on, or worse, injuring yourself.
You correct. I’ve seen to many people blow the screw out cranking down to hard. Sheet metal trade we weld a 3/8 eye bolt on. Only problem is when co worker puts an alignment pin or big screwdriver in it and cranks down like he’s tightening lug nuts striping screw or splitting seam at threads. The famous line when that happens is hey man this one’s broke you got another one. Sure do when you buy me a new one and bring it in first thing in the morning. 👍😡
Never seen that on any of my8-10 pairs of vice grips but never looked either. I thought you we're going to show everyone that they are directional like channel locks and adjustable wrenches. On a fastener, they grip way better if you turn toward the movable jaw.
Some cheaper grips don't have that feature. Another thing I see a lot is when ppl try to pull them apart and don't realize all you have to do is squeeze the little lever and then pull apart and it makes it so much easier exactly like he did in this video
I learned about this feature early on in my career being as I could squeeze the pliers but couldn’t open them. Was watching a elder of mine at the time and noticed that he squeezed the little lever and the pliers seemed to open easily. Tried it on the next job and it worked. Much easier opening. Can’t imagine putting a impact of any sort on the adjustment bolt. Some of the cheaper versions of these have a sleeve that the adjustment bolts threads are in. I have had the sleeve push out when I go to squeeze the pliers. Admittedly they were on the cheaper side.
Still seems faster just to give the knob an extra turn than however long it would take me to track down my wrench every time. But it's always nice for tools to have bonus features!
I don't think I've ever found it that difficult to turn the adjuster when using a pair of vise grips. Can't imagine when I'd want to juggle with another tool just for the express purpose of tightening the adjuster.
I've never had any trouble getting them tight enough just using the knurled end. And adjusting them is easy; half the time you can get them right just by sight before locking them.
THIS RIGHT HERE!!!!!! Maaaaaaan I was THIS CLOSE 🤏🏾 to throwing this thing out. The little release lever has been wobbly and not staying locked, I even tried putting a tint soeing underneath it 🤦🏾♂️thanks a million 2:04
I know everything there is to know about vise grip pliers, I thought? I haven't even noticed the back of a pair of vise grips? You got me on this one! LOL!
unfortunately I've never made use of that feature despite noticing it because the handful of times I've actually needed that tight of a grip from them I also couldn't afford to actually tighten them that hard because they'd make surface blemishes in the part I was making.
Over the years I’ve collected almost every type of Vice-Grip locking plier made; regular-sized, medium, small and tiny, bent-nosed, chain-link, welders, small-bent-meddled-nosed, metal brake, some still in original 1960’s or 70’s packaging. Then they were bought out by Stanley Tools, I believe. I’m sure there’s a story behind that history. Nothing beats Vice-Grips
@@cee5773man you really had to take time out of your day to insult some guy on the internet that’s trying to teach you something new? Why even comment? Your life must be pretty uninteresting.
I am 68years old and have used vice grips since I left school as a textile mechanic and as a hospital maintenance man and I have never came across this feature on these tools .
I'd been wrenching since high school and even then I knew Vice Grip is the tool of last resort. If you don't know to use the over center cam action of this tool, as this guy, you are using it wrong as well as clueless. None of my Vice Grips has this allen head. I want my 3:36 of my life back.
@@camduran3352 Go shows they guy is not the wisest man on Vice Grip as he claim. We have been using it just fine all along without his game changing discovery.
Great video. I recently upgraded my tools to decent ones and got the Malco Eagle Grips, one of the best tools in my box by far, and it has a 6mm hex recess on the adjusting bolt. My newer Craftsman vise grips have a 5mm recess. This really changes how I use these tools, thanks. For those that don't have a hex recess, a set of pliers can tighten the nut. Never really thought about doing that, either, until this video, crazy how we get into a habit and never get out of it.
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Just using your pliers with the end knob can be a good 1-2 punch. Wranglerstars channel taught me about that but this takes things to a new level. Thank you!
You're right, I did not know...mainly because I used cheap knock-offs all my life, which did not have that feature before stepping up and buying a complete double set of true Vice Grips. Thanks for the education.
The earliest vise grips had a hex bolt in the handle for this purpose, but later changed to the thumb screw. The ressurected vise grips called eagle grips included a hex drive and Snap-on has continued that feature since they bought the eagle grip tooling.
That allen slot is a fairly recent addition due to suggestions made by older users to manufacturers. Myself and all my friends have done the same thing for years by turning the adjuster with channel locks or small pipe wrenches. It can be used for both a tighter grip and for releasing in a safer manner.
That was very tricky :) My vice grips are pretty cheap and they don't have that wrench hole :( . . . . but now I know and can inform others if they have fancier ones ;) Thank you!
I have been a mechanic for 50+ years and this is the first time I have ever seen such a vice grip with that in the bolt.
New feature I didn't know about either. Like you I had been using vise grips for years.
Exactly I just use pliers to twist the knob to tigten.
Not a mechanic but a farm owner, I bet we have 15 pair around the property and I told my nephew that showed me this video if he found vice grips that would take an Allen wrench anywhere on them I would give him 500 each. I haven't seen him come back I think he looked and went home. LoL
Firstly, I've been a Professional Technician for almost 30 years and none of my vice-grips have this feature. Secondly vice-grips have always been kind of a last resort tool for me. I've always referred to them as the last resort tool for a job gone wrong LoL.....
I'm in England, retired, and been involved with engineering for almost all of my life, and this is the first time I can ever remember seeing a mole wrench with an Allen key socket.
I'm a 72 year old retired mechanic. I just learned something new. -----I just went out to my garage and looked at my 50 year old vise grips and they don't have that. What a nice addition to an already indispensable tool. They probably added that 20 years ago. Good to see something new.
55 Year old, using these since the 1970's. Same.
@@enigmaticnomadics same here, got prob 20 vice grips out in my shop, not one has an allen key in it.
Same have never seen the allen key hole, will have to look out for a new pair.
None of mine do either.
My father got most of his tools by filching them like most people filch office supplies when he was a young lieutenant in the army in the 1960s. His vice grips had a 1/4" hex nut instead of a burled knob.
Wow, I've always used it as a hammer, I didn't know it gripped things. Learn something new every day.
I have done that too!! Amazing how many tools can be a HAMMER!! Yes it is, or as a WEAPON!!! Put vice grips on someone's Balls, then it is an Interrogation tool!!
Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha !!
It's NOT a hammer? Nobody ever told me! Those and adjustable wrenches, I always thought that's what they were for! Just like how flat screwdrivers are actually chisels!
Found the Sparky. Those are some weird looking linemans, but still looks like a good hammer.
If I had a hammer
I would check for that ALAN bolt
I’ve always said if you’re not careful, you can learn something new every day. I am 60 years old and I’ve been crushing my hands for years trying to get the right tightness on these things. Thank you very much. !!
Ha! I’m over 70 and been using this tool since high school and never knew this trick. I even used my vicegrips today. But I just checked and this feature is not there probably because the one I have is a Cheap knockoff not a branded Vicegrip. Now I know.
@@dualbrainr Sadly, I wasn't careful today. I learned something new. Thank you.
The same here lol
Yep, once again, I wasn't paying attention, and I learned something at 65 years old! 😂😂
Same
A gripping story ! Unfortunately, like many others, mine are so old they don't have this (useful) feature. I usually tighten to get a first grip and then maybe one more turn after that. Don't use them often but they are needed when they are needed. Years ago I bought a pair with a large flat dual surface for sheet metal bending. Those work great to hold small pieces for filing or cutting , etc. when no vice is handy.
Mine too
Same here
Same
Dang it you beat me to using gripping in a sentence to make you go hmmm🤔
I have 8 sets only one has it.
Been using them for a long time, genuine Vise Grips, not knock offs. I have multiple types big, small, needlenose, etc. For a second you had me saying "wow, can't believe I missed that" , then I checked and none of them have a socket for an Allen wrench.
Mine too, because they were made in USA. Newer ones have a 3mm hex /Allen. 3mm because made in Asia where metric rules
@@carmgitto Good point! That totally makes sense.
I just checked all of mine. None of them have it except one that I got at a swap meet lately.
They don’t. I’ve checked all of mine and the bolt is just plain ( no Allen socket)..
I think the one he was using was just one particular make. He should have said who it was made by?
That's actually a somewhat recent feature on Vice Grips locking pliers. I have plenty of old Vice Grip (10+ years) and some knock-off locking pliers and none of them have the hex socket in the adjusting screw.
Because you don't need it... it has a screw you adjust by hand. And no you don't have to keep taking them off and guessing... you cinch up while it's on you piece, then you take them off and give it a half turn. Then clamp down. Done.
Just weld a hex nut bolt top on. Problem solved. Or a hex nut on the end.
@@Colt3854 It wouldn't be a bad idea if Irwin sold you the (later) Adjuster with that added feature, at a reasonable price! I think these are hardened / tempered steel.
...or use another vice grip to tighten the knurled adjuster on the loose vice grip... and then another vice grip to tighten those... and so on.
The thread size is the same,I imagine,so why not just get a (not sure what it is called) new tightening bolt with that feature in the head of the bolt?
I'm 66 and a mechanic most of my life and never thought of that, very cool. Keep them coming and as a side note for some of your follower's I'm also an X soldier(army) and you will always be a mechanic or soldier retired or both like me. hang in there
Milwaukee went one better and molded a ring on the bolt, but 50 years in construction taught me to only trust Vise Grip brand!!
Where do they have soldiers, other than the army?🥴😆
That looks like a great way to strip the threads of the tightening bolt! I always #1 clamp #2 tighten #3 unclamp #4 tighten ½ turn #5 clamp. Always perfect!
Usually, certainly on most no name brands, the thread on the pressed steel grip goes west sharpish if you load it up with that amount of torque...Your right, if you use them instead of a suitable clamp , they will give up. Having said that, my 50 plus year old Vice grip branded and correctly used ones still work 100% Fine.
Ta.
I agree. By the time he got back with the Allen wrench, I'd have it snugged down, and ready to go! It's never been a problem for me.
Another trick is to close the handle to where it's close (but not too close) to the cam point then tighten down the bolt by hand then just squeeze to get over the cam. It's pretty easy with some practice. Thinking about it though, they could put some markings on there to make it a lot easier.
@@chaos.corner I'd always assumed that's how they're supposed to work. The cam on the cheap ones gets loose and has a race with the thread to see which will give up first though...
@@Peasmouldia I'm surprised a better design hasn't become popular by now. Should be possible to just set the clamping force and have the rest happen automatically.
I believe the allen keyhole was meant to release the pressure when you are ready to remove the tool. The problem is not being able to tighten the pliers tight enough but opening them back up without the pliers flying off, busting your hands up or not even being able to open them back up because you got monster strenth to lock em in but not to release them. Im just saying though.
I believe that is correct.
I believe that to be correct also.
I have half a dozen real VISE-GRIPS™ and none of them have that feature. I've never seen it anywhere before. So it can't be that important. But I think you are absolutely correctamundo.
True, got my Mole grips for my first car, 65 years ago. No hex hole in the screw and never needed one to tighten. Don’t need multiple tries to set pressure either if done the easy way. Screw them up to set whatever you’re gripping, tighten up, that’s it, never moved as shown in the video. See the point of it to release jaws though.
Are Moles better? Answers below😛
@@thomascolville9438 I don't know what a mole grip is?
the phillister head was added by Snap-On about 5 yrs ago. we used to use a box end to torque them further before they added the philister head.
Marvellous how tools keep improving.
I can remember when MOLE GRIPS were not yet invented.
That was the time the VICE or CLAMP came to be used.
I spent years as a pipefitter working in shipyards around the Puget Sound. I remember seeing vise grips that people had welded a washer, standing upright on end, onto the tightening nut and this made it more like a wingnut. It made it easier for turning the tighten/loosen nut.
Probably mostly for handling with gloves, because a washer/your grip on it wouldn't really be strong enough to use it as demonstrated in the video
Yup. And if you need to use your welding machine to jump start cranky equipment, clamp the vice grip on the battery terminal and the rod holder clamps neatly on the washer. Just make sure the welder is set E positive.
I have a pair my Dad welded an eye nut onto. As sheet metal workers, they used the to pull metal up to the roof. Tie a rope to the eye and use a screwdriver through the eye to crank it tight.
He did say they ruined a few sets by over torquing and bending them.
Milwaukee vice grips have an eyelet built in instead of a hex.
I welded on a long nut to make a pair into a grabbing device for my slide hammer puller.
I have been using vice grips all my life and in many configurations. If not used properly they will hurt you. This is an excellent video showing how not to use V Grips. If one grip is not holding strong enough.....use two.
Or you can get a pair of huge channel locks out of the tool box the close the grips.
That is the first time I have ever heard about that. I am going to use your information the next time I using vise grips. Thank you very much it was very useful.
If yours doesn't have the hex key hole you can always use another set of vise grips on the knob.
And will you need yet another set of vice grips on the other set of vice grips knob?
Or, you could grind the round knob into a hex head shape so you could use a hex bolt driver to do the same job. (Not as elegant and an allen but still effective.)
Or replace the knob with a bolt so you can use a wrench on it.
@@justblairthompson Like torque multiplication, there's no limit to the pressure we can apply, bwa,ha,ha.
@@justblairthompson reality is vice grips all the down, to subfloor 42
I did not know this because none of my genuine Vise Grips have that hex feature. TRUE STORY...I'm a retired dentist. Over my 35+ years in practice I saw quite a few "DIY dentists". You know, the ones too cheap to pay a pro so they try to do it themselves. What I'm talking about is removing their own teeth! They ALWAYS use those huge Vise Grips and put them on their tooth. Then they snap the handles together............and crush their tooth AND THE NERVE!!!!! Intense pain immediately follows. Like many mechanics, I charged them a "DIY & you effed it up" surcharge on top of my normal removal fee. NEVER take your own tooth out. AND NEVER TRY IT WITH VISE GRIPS!!!!!!!
I considered doing this a few years ago...got pretty drunk, then went as far as putting some needle nose vice grips on the tooth, but I realized I would have to tighten them so tight the tooth would get crushed. I called the dentist in for an emergency weekend call, and let him handle it. If it hadn't been the weekend, I wouldn't have even considered doing it, but the thought of that pain all weekend caused me to consider the DYI route. I'm glad I made the decision I did, lol.
@@eyellgeteven9928 The pain of a tooth ache is nothing compared to the pain of that tooth nerve getting smashed between the serrated jaws of the Vise Grips! You chose well!!
@@NastyhabitzNot a dentist, but they use non locking pliers that grab near/at the gum line (with hook-ish jaws)
Then iirc a certain motion is applied with force, and the tooth will come out.
My face is hurting reading this.
@@Nastyhabitz They have some kind of tool, like a flathead screwdriver, where they slide it under the tooth, then twist it and it lifts the tooth out of the bone.
And yes, an abcessed tooth is insanely painful...I could understand it if someone killed themselves because of that pain. I can just imagine living in some third world country, and how things like that would be dealt with there...I bet people do kill themselves from the pain. That's why the Nazis would drill people's teeth when they tortured them for information...they knew it was one of the most painful things you could do to a person, and they'd cough up the info quick!
I've used "Vice Grips" for over 50 years. I never knew about the Allen wrench tightening technique. Thank you very much!
I’m going to go look at my Vice Grips now, never knew that. I’m 76 and you are never too old to learn. Great tip
I have to check mine. As someone else wrote, the newer tools have that neat feature. Excellent post, Clint!
Thanks lisa!!!!
I got my very first genuine Vise-Grip pliers back in 1962 as a kid, that one did not have the allen-type screw there. I still have, and use it. I did "lose" it twice, once gripped on a VW clutch cable on one of our rental VWs in 1974, and once underneath my own vehicle where it was clamped on a bolt head. Each time, I found it by chance about a month later. By the way: I absolutely love Vise-Grips 12LC.
I'm a DIY old man of 71 years of age. I bought a vice grip and learned from your video how to use it correctly. Thanks.
And that's real nass like 👊
As a Vietnam vet aircraft mechanic, I was issued my first toolkit with all the goodies needed to keep our aircraft flying. Including a good-for-all-purpose, (no grippy feature tho) vice grip.
Me too. Navy F-4B's. VF-111 Sundowners.
Why do people feel the need to give us their resume when commenting? Just tell the story of what you were fixing while using the tool.
@@theodorerobert6579 they are asking for the "Thank You for Your Service, Sir!"
@@acajutla No, when I was a cop I didn't need people to thank me for my service. It was my job! I didn't thank my teacher for her service, I don't thank my garbage man for his service, I don't thank the missionaries at my church for their service. We all provide our labor to our employer and in return they pay us. There is no need to thank someone for getting paid to do a job no matter how difficult the job may be. So if we don't thank them will they stop doing their job? 🤦We all know the risk when we take the job.
@@theodorerobert6579 but that is you, sir 🫡. There are too many using the 'vet' as almost a saint symbol
The Alan wrench thing is new. I have lots of old Irwin Vice Grips that do not have it. Still able to always get them tight enough that they don't slip and are not easily taken off. Used them in my Dad's steel fabrication shop.
after you use them a few times, you get a knack for how to adjust them the first time
@@bbb462cid 100% CORRECT.
Yet another "clown" who wants to make some money on UA-cam ....so he figures out how to image himself on a backdrop that looks "industrial", and then find something that most everyone already knows about ....or can very easily figure out on their own ......and do a video, telling us all about a "trick" that he has just discovered.....captioning ..."You could be using one the world's most popular tools wrong, but I'll show you .....".
Well, IF the vicegrips HAVE the allen drive ....THEN this video MIGHT be useful .....IF a person needs to be told its there.
I guess he's looking to reach the milestone when he'll get a money transfer.😜🤣😁
.
The Irwin / Vice Grips are not even that old .
Irwin bought or merged with Vice Grips .
@@kennethnevel3263 I'll look closer.
Wow...I've been using my vice grips for over 30 years....and I NEVER KNEW....
Thanks so much mate 😊
Mine are also too old for this great feature. However, many years ago I replaced the knurled bolt with an eye bolt. Does double duty: Let's me hang 'em up by the handle easily AND if I need to tighten (as you did) I can just grab a screwdriver, slip it through the eye and crank on it like a vise. Yes... I did that. Vise. thanks for your content!
..."vice"...
@@johnjones4825 Um, no. "Vice is typically a noun that refers to a bad habit or certain illegal activities. It can also be a prefix meaning “second in command.” Vise is always a noun and refers to a tool for holding an object in place."
You basically made what Milwaukee sells. And from what it sounds like, you did it before they did. 👍🏼
@@mikefelty2625 Dang it Mike! If'n I'd known that 25 years ago I could be collecting royalties or whatever you'd call it for getting compensated for your "intellectual property"... Call me visionary...
I started collecting top value stamps from floor sweepings in a grocery store where I used to clean as a kid. After about a year I had enough stamp books to go to the redemption store. That got me a small and a large “brand name” vice grip plier set. No hex in the end on these, but I use those things all the time bending metal, extracting screws and nails, you name it. Very versatile tools.
Mom collected the S&H green trading stamps. I got a Weller soldering iron in 1968 or 9. I would use it to custom make plastic models. The plastic pieces were in plastic hangers/frames that you could melt and bend to make anything. Had to do it outside though cause the fumes were pretty noxious!! Mom just collected them, and had drawers full of them!
@@jackpoage5419 well don't turn your back on it, I hear those guns are out to get us
Confession:
I have owned & used vice-grips for decades. Yet, I have never availed myself of this obvious stroke of procedural brilliance.. Nor have I ever witnessed my mechanic buddies apply an allen wrench thus, in all of that time.
Friend, you win an internet award for this share!
I'm from the UK, I started using the UK-made 'Mole grips' in the 1970s but soon discovered that the original Petersen Vise-Grips made in USA were much better. I used to buy myself a new pair every few years and continued buying them after Unwin took over the brand. However, about 10 years ago I noticed that the quality suddenly went down - they just didn't feel the same or operate quite so precisely, I believe this was when production was outsourced to China. The 'Chinese' ones can be identified easily because the release-lever pivot pin which is flush in the original pliers has a protruding head in the later ones. Bad move Irwin! I've never bought a new pair since, but when I'm visiting the USA I search around yard sales and secondhand shops and usually find a pair or two of the original ones to bring home with me.
A company named Malco in the last year or two reoutfitted the old USA Petersen plant and was manufacturing "Eagle Grips" which are probably comparable or superior in quality to the original Petersen Vice-Grip (and much better than the Chinese Vice Grip),however,lack of interest or lack of advertising/awareness on the part of potential customers as well as high price seems to have limited sales to the point that they have announced will not be continuing production. HJE (Epstein's Hardware Store in Kansas City MO) might still have a few to sell online
(most of the traditional style curved jaw models have a wire cutter feature ,I don't think the straight jaw models have it)
Irwin bought out Record too & their vises are pure junk unless you need a boat anchor. This is why the original Record vises are worth gold today.
I used to call them “Mole-grippers”
Not only I've never had a pair of vice grip with that allen imprint, but I can also guarantee I've gotten vise grips tighter than you did in the video, because if it's not at least a little bit of a pain to release, it wasn't tight. Also such a small allen would probably strip before you get it as tight as you can with just the regular method.
Also you don't just guess and check to adjust them. Get the plier on the piece your working on, start to close the vice grips until right before it starts engaging, turn the knob until you feel it's close or even slightly pushing them closed and then you good, no back and forth.
Maybe these are good for someone without any grip strength.
@@barrelgardener7527
Yeah, probably, I'd still adjust them the regular way, but I could see the wrench being used if you're wearing gloves or have arthritis and can't grip things well.
Totally agree. I do that. But I do like my self adjusting vise grips.
40 years and never knew this. Kudos Brother!
Mine ain’t new & fancy like yours so I have to adjust mine the old fashioned way. Thanks for educating the ones who didn’t know. Keep’m coming
Thanks. Something I didn't know that was shown to me in a way that didn't make me feel stupid. Had my dad or any of my friends(if they themselves knew)shown me it would have definitely been one of those "Come sit under the learning tree." experiences. More stuff like this if u have the time please. Thank u again.
I have been using vise grips all my life and had absolutely no idea about this. Thank you so much!
I am 74, handy with tools, and do a lot around the house. You just taught me something I did not know. Thank you!
Try his method and you'll notice it won't work. If the pliers are clamped correctly, there's no way a small hex wrench can move that course thread screw more than you can move it while unloaded.
You didn't learn anything new, the poster just got paid for some watch minutes.
It doesn't count if your Vice Grips predate this recent feature to the pliers. He's just showing us the new(ish) feature. My Vice Grip pliers are too old to have this updated screw, but you can buy the screws separately to update older pliers.
@@ericd6781 Clamp your old Vice-Grips like normal. Then, grab another pair of Vice-Grips to turn that screw.
Think about how much force you can put on there, then imagine is a puny hex wrench will get stripped out.
The geometry of how Vice-Grips work so well pretty much means that screw can't be turned when they're clamped down.
Only 74, and have never seen this on vise grips.
@@earlbrown - You're assuming my Vice Grip adjusting screws don't have teeth marks from other Vice Grips. 😄
I have used that tool for several years and never knew about the hexagonal tightening part. Thank you for an excellent tip.
Probably because it never existed until now.
It’s the one tool that can fix the damage you did with all the other tools. Need to pull a nail with a mangled head? No problem! Need to extract a broken bolt? No problem! And if all else fails you’ll already have something in your hand to throw across the garage.
I tried to fix my marriage with them ..,....it didn't work at all ! I'm still with the tool though!!
@@averteddisasterbarely2339 that sounds more like a duct-tape fix...
But with too much, you'll get a different kind of Vice.... Lol
@@mrmcclung duct tape? I didn't even think of the "go-to"fix everything that's broken product!! Now I wonder if it would have worked ! You know what....... I'm going to march right over to her house with a roll in hand and say , how about another try ! Thanks for bringing it to my attention !
@@averteddisasterbarely2339 🤣🤣🤣
Don't forget a copy of that 50 shades.... 😲
@@mrmcclung your funny !! But I won't forget
If the pliers don't have a hex key in it, you can always use another vise grip pliers to tighten. Or replace the knob with a hex head bolt so you can use a wrench.
Does using a regular bolt work? Should a person make sure the replacement bolt is of a hardness rating close to tool steel? Do they use actual tool steel in vice grips? Maybe just the jaw section is hardened and the rest is less so?I also wonder about, non standard, maybe even proprietary thread patterns and thread pitch between manufacturers? Cross threading? Marring and stripping replacement bolt threads because it's softer than the corresponding female threads? Inquiring minds want to know.
@@thormidthagahast8914 It depends on which vice grip you have. Some have a double threaded bolt, which allows them to turn in and out faster. A normal bolt won't work on those. For other ones a regular bolt will work. My Dad had a vice grip that he put a regular bolt into it (may have lost the original). I don't think that it would have to be a very hard bolt to work and not get damaged.
@@thormidthagahast8914 Additionally, if you intend to repeatedly over-tighten as demonstrated in this video, be prepared to replace any bolt that's not hardened tool steel. Continuous over-tightening will even strip the threads of the manufacturer's bolt. But, for normal use, a regular bolt should be fine. If you need to hold something heavy that tightly, use an additional set of locking plyers in more than one position.
@@wirelesmike73 of course it's gona strip out if it ain't hardened. Wtf?
🤣Yo Dawg, I heard you like vise pliers, so now you can grip while you grip.
I have used vise grips for many years and by watching your video I was very impressed and learning how to turn your vice grips weather in Allen wrench thank you so much for your info..
I was so fascinated, that I checked my vice grips. Sadly, there is no hex insert. They are decades old. Now, you have gone and made me try to find a replacement screw for this tool.
Just grab the screw with pliers
This was one of my Daddy’s tests! The man was a genius & brought life lessons into EVERYTHING we did: we couldn’t get: our allowance without memorizing which presidents were on which bill, a car until we could change a tire, etc.
I don’t recall what the task was with this tool; but the test served me perfectly when I was in the Fire Academy.
Thanks for sharing this with the world!
Awesome story. My daddy was similar, always teaching. I miss him.
@@delliott777 i miss mine too; but we keep him his memory alive by talking about him like he’s still here on earth 🥰
Have one of these and did not know how to properly use it. Thank you so much. Much appreciated
Bought a smaller pair of vise grips a couple of years ago. Sure enough, it has this feature. I never knew about this until today. Vise grip brand. Thanks for the video.
I don't think my vise grips have that feature but I am going to be sure to check it out. 😮
From South Africa. First time I hear about this trick. Thank you
Amazingly enough, I just checked all ten sets of vise grips (curved jaw, flat jaw, body jaw, and needle nose) and none of them had the hex inset. Then I looked in my other tool bag and found the very newest Vise Grip, a 7" curved jaw I bought 5 years ago, and finally found one set which had this. It's a great idea. Too bad it wasn't universally used. My favorite is the 6" needle nosed pair. I keep one in my BOB.
(Disclaimer: OK, a couple are HFT, and 1 is a 50 year old galvanized flat jaw, not VG.)
When I was in HS way back when many of the kids wondered why our auto shop teacher had welded 9/16" nuts onto the vise grips. They all thought it was because the knurling was worn out. He never spoke up unless you specifically asked him face to face. The day I saw this is a day I'll never forget.
Apparently the army had vice grips made with a hex nut instead of the burled knob as far back as the 1960s because the pair my father had were made with a nut instead of the knob. Or maybe he just happened to filch a pair made for a specific purpose rather than a general use pair.
Very informative, I owned one of those and I definitely didn't know those kool features..Thank you man.
😊The first locking pliers, with the trade name Vise-Grip, were invented by William S. Petersen in De Witt, Nebraska, United States in 1924. Later, in 1955, in the United Kingdom, M K Mole and Son, a hand tool manufacturing company, under the managing direction of Thomas Coughtrie, began making nearly identical pliers.
From Wikipedia.
I wondered why they were called Mole grips.
...and, some guy from Evansville, Indiana invented the Impact Driver? back in the Thirties.
I'm a Detroiter, but IDK how they could have even had automobile assembly lines before THAT "Bad Boy."
Yup, in England where I was born, they are know as 'Mole Grips'. I have one small pair that were a Christmas present when I was quite young.
Always knew them as both, I knew Mole was a makers' name, but for years thought Vise was spelt Vice
That's why I've always known them as Mole Grips. Thanks for the info.
I do a lot of work on a linishing machine grinding plate steel. Far and away my best 'vice grip' pliers for the job have flat jaws, one of which swivels, so that they can be parallel even at 1" grip, and because of the contact area, they hold exceptionally well. Beats me why they are not more readily available.
I’m 75 years old and I have used Vice grips since I was a teenager. Until now, I did not know this. Thank you.
My Dad was a pilot and aircraft mechanic in the western arctic, back in 1956 he was using a pair of Vice Grips to open a barrel of Avgas to refuel a floatplane, a passenger boarding the plane said " Oh you use these on planes too! " the man was the son of William Peterson, Vice Gripe inventor & founder of Peterson Manufacturing of Nebraska, he was in Yellowknife on a fishing trip. Dad would always carry a small Vice Gripe with him, in the bush he would frequently need them!
That's a good idea , the ones I have are old and don't have that allen wrench feature , the one this fella used seemed awfully shiny and clean , almost like it was brand new
After all these years I've learned something new. Thank you so much!! Great video.
As a friend told me, "You learn something new every day... if you're not careful!" Well, thanks for the tip! I had NO idea and I will be 70 on my next birthday!
Yes, Sir, you did blow my mind and definitely earned me as a subscriber. I've been using Vice Grips since about 1960 and really did not know. I have 4 pairs, but, none have the Allen tool hole. Well..... time to go shopping for some new ones.
Vice grips, like standard pliers, have 2 types of jaws. The inside serrated surface is either flat or curved (concave). The curved jaws are for gripping rounded surfaces. When you want to get a better grip on flat pieces like in this video, you should be using the flat serrated surface jaws.
the jaws change angle depending on size (not parallel kinematics)... so they only grip along the entire jaw at one thickness anyway.
@@unionse7en Having different size vice grips help., but you are right. I think there's a brand that the jaws do stay parllel to each other.
We use a lot of chain vise in the movie industry and I find this very helpful.
Thanks man!! 57 years old didn’t know that!
Just been out to my garage/workshop where I have three vice grips (British spelling) hanging up. They vary in age from being handed down from that great boat builder Noah to a pair that are a couple of years old. None of them has the hex bolt. The pliers are more commonly known as Mole Grips here, after M K Mole and Son a hand tool manufacturing company that made them here in 1955.
I have been using vise grips for over 40 years, you taught me something new 👍😎
I too have a drawer full of vice grips from the 60's on up. It has been my experience that this feature first appeared when Irwin went Chinese (after they were acquired by Newell-Rubermaid.) Non of my Petersen, Irwin US made have grips it. The domestic models have a roll pin that attaches the release lever, when you see a rivet, it's Chinese. The good news is, the Chinese ones seem to be of very good quality as well.
While not nearly as durable for the ugly stuff I have quite a few Chinese grips. They work just as good as the real thing as welding clamps and you won’t start to cry if they fell out and got buried in the mud . Even better if you accidentally weld onto them it’s not such a disaster……..
I believe Vise Grip is a brand name of a company that makes many tools and not just "locking pliers", much like Cresents adjustable open end wrench
its more then 18 years i use this tool now i have come to know how to use it thank you so much
I believe that you can damage them by doing that and that Malco recommends not tightening that screw excessively,it is mostly for release purpose that the hex drive hole in the screw (on newer Vice Grips and Eagle Grips) is provided
although the Malco is probably more resistant to damage to the threaded area where the screw passes in that it has an extra ring of metal surrounding the crimped area through which the screw threads pass
There is only one real VISE GRIP LOCKING PLIERS BRAND. Often imitated never duplicated .
I have 3 brands in my tools box, Craftsman, Kobalt, and old Vice Grip and none have that Allen head.
I guess one could buy the right size Allen head grade eight cap screws and modify the end that fits in the tool to match the adjuster you'd remove. The cap head could be knurled if you wanted.
I have some Milwaukee brand Vice grips, and they have a loop on the end of the adjuster so you can put a screwdriver through it and really torque them down.
As an electrician...My Dad used to tell me stories of his electrician days in the Navy and on the East coast. One of my favorites was him telling me the vice grip challenge to see who had the strongest grip on the jobsite! The Dudes would gather and try to crank the vice grips closed...Everytime they succeeded, they cranked it another quarter or eighth turn...Until they couldn't close the vice!!! Eventually only one MAN could close the grips!!! Such an awesome test of man-strength! (My dad had the strongest handshake I've ever felt to this day! LoL) I really miss my old man!!!
To be clear, "Vice-Grip" is a brand name of what are otherwise known as locking pliers. I currently only have 4 sets of locking pliers, but only one of them is the Vice-Grip brand, and the other 3 do not have the 5mm Hex on the end. One of the sets is Craftsman brand from the 1970s, and, fun fact, they're the only set that I haven't had to replace due to bending or breaking at some point. And the tips of the jaws are so sharp and precise I can use them to remove hammered-down, and/or rusted carpet staples from hardwood floors when nothing else can even grab onto them. They're as precise as a set of surgical tweezers.
The knurling around the end of the bolt allows for pliers to be used to tighten other brands. Any more force than that and you risk damaging the screw mechanism, or stressing the metal over time and risking failure when you least expect it, which can lead to damaging whatever you're working on, or worse, injuring yourself.
"Vise," not "Vice."
@@avoidtheherd7066 oops, my bad. Oh well. 💩 happens when you're exhausted from working a 14-hour shift.
You correct. I’ve seen to many people blow the screw out cranking down to hard. Sheet metal trade we weld a 3/8 eye bolt on. Only problem is when co worker puts an alignment pin or big screwdriver in it and cranks down like he’s tightening lug nuts striping screw or splitting seam at threads. The famous line when that happens is hey man this one’s broke you got another one. Sure do when you buy me a new one and bring it in first thing in the morning. 👍😡
Still have my dad’s Craftsman tool set with vice grips from the 70s. Everything still works perfectly and the solid steel tool chest is indestructible
clown
Never seen that on any of my8-10 pairs of vice grips but never looked either. I thought you we're going to show everyone that they are directional like channel locks and adjustable wrenches. On a fastener, they grip way better if you turn toward the movable jaw.
72 yrs old, and evidently you can teach an old dog new tricks, never knew that - KEWL thanks from SE Texas Bear 💯
Some cheaper grips don't have that feature. Another thing I see a lot is when ppl try to pull them apart and don't realize all you have to do is squeeze the little lever and then pull apart and it makes it so much easier exactly like he did in this video
I learned about this feature early on in my career being as I could squeeze the pliers but couldn’t open them. Was watching a elder of mine at the time and noticed that he squeezed the little lever and the pliers seemed to open easily. Tried it on the next job and it worked. Much easier opening. Can’t imagine putting a impact of any sort on the adjustment bolt. Some of the cheaper versions of these have a sleeve that the adjustment bolts threads are in. I have had the sleeve push out when I go to squeeze the pliers. Admittedly they were on the cheaper side.
Great insight. I should look at my tools closer. Thanks
Still seems faster just to give the knob an extra turn than however long it would take me to track down my wrench every time. But it's always nice for tools to have bonus features!
I don't think I've ever found it that difficult to turn the adjuster when using a pair of vise grips.
Can't imagine when I'd want to juggle with another tool just for the express purpose of tightening the adjuster.
Not to mention, by the time you find your cordless drill, the battery would probably be dead anyway. 😂
I've never had any trouble getting them tight enough just using the knurled end. And adjusting them is easy; half the time you can get them right just by sight before locking them.
THIS RIGHT HERE!!!!!! Maaaaaaan I was THIS CLOSE 🤏🏾 to throwing this thing out. The little release lever has been wobbly and not staying locked, I even tried putting a tint soeing underneath it 🤦🏾♂️thanks a million 2:04
I know everything there is to know about vise grip pliers, I thought? I haven't even noticed the back of a pair of vise grips? You got me on this one! LOL!
unfortunately I've never made use of that feature despite noticing it because the handful of times I've actually needed that tight of a grip from them I also couldn't afford to actually tighten them that hard because they'd make surface blemishes in the part I was making.
Over the years I’ve collected almost every type of Vice-Grip locking plier made; regular-sized, medium, small and tiny, bent-nosed, chain-link, welders, small-bent-meddled-nosed, metal brake, some still in original 1960’s or 70’s packaging. Then they were bought out by Stanley Tools, I believe. I’m sure there’s a story behind that history. Nothing beats Vice-Grips
@@cee5773man you really had to take time out of your day to insult some guy on the internet that’s trying to teach you something new? Why even comment? Your life must be pretty uninteresting.
I am 68years old and have used vice grips since I left school as a textile mechanic and as a hospital maintenance man and I have never came across this feature on these tools .
2:39 i have 3 and none of them have that
I'd been wrenching since high school and even then I knew Vice Grip is the tool of last resort. If you don't know to use the over center cam action of this tool, as this guy, you are using it wrong as well as clueless. None of my Vice Grips has this allen head. I want my 3:36 of my life back.
Besides on this video, I've never seen a vice grip with an allen head slot
I’ve checked 8 pr of my grips and none of them have the Allen head slot. Maybe they’re too old? 🤷♂️
@@camduran3352 Go shows they guy is not the wisest man on Vice Grip as he claim. We have been using it just fine all along without his game changing discovery.
Yeah, I want the time it took to reach across my workbench to check back.😅 I have seen those types, but I don't own any..
Been doing mechanic work at 28 yrs and never saw a vice grip with an Allan key slot lol. But we learn something everyday...thanks for the video
Wow. I've using this tool for years. I've always used it just like the way he showed was wrong. What a great tip!!
Yep, mind blowing. You better believe I’m going to find every pair I have and make sure they all have that alen wrench fitting. Thanks for the video.
I have used these vise grips since high school, I'm 61 and did not know this trick! Blown away!!!
Great video. I recently upgraded my tools to decent ones and got the Malco Eagle Grips, one of the best tools in my box by far, and it has a 6mm hex recess on the adjusting bolt. My newer Craftsman vise grips have a 5mm recess. This really changes how I use these tools, thanks. For those that don't have a hex recess, a set of pliers can tighten the nut. Never really thought about doing that, either, until this video, crazy how we get into a habit and never get out of it.
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Holy cow, I wish I could have learn this last year when I was working on a project...that would had saved me some headache
Just using your pliers with the end knob can be a good 1-2 punch. Wranglerstars channel taught me about that but this takes things to a new level. Thank you!
You're right, I did not know...mainly because I used cheap knock-offs all my life, which did not have that feature before stepping up and buying a complete double set of true Vice Grips. Thanks for the education.
I'm not a mechanic and 24 years old and noticed it right away never needed to use this feature, but I support the spread of knowledge
The earliest vise grips had a hex bolt in the handle for this purpose, but later changed to the thumb screw. The ressurected vise grips called eagle grips included a hex drive and Snap-on has continued that feature since they bought the eagle grip tooling.
Dude, had no idea at all about this amazing trick . Thanks
I was gripped with anticipation. It was worth the wait. Thanks!
It's there! just checked my vice grip. I'll be damned and never noticed it and good to know. Thank you
Wow, I've never even noticed that the tighter has an allen key socket, and I've been using vice grips for years. Thanks man this will help a lot🎉
Thank you for showing people this. But some vice grips don't have the Allen wrench slot at all. So this would be for the one's that do. 🙂👍
I'll be 50yrs old this year. I had absolutely NO idea about this hack! Awesome!
If for nothing else, love the personality you put into this video!!
After 50 years, I learned how to use vice grips. Well done.
That allen slot is a fairly recent addition due to suggestions made by older users to manufacturers. Myself and all my friends have done the same thing for years by turning the adjuster with channel locks or small pipe wrenches. It can be used for both a tighter grip and for releasing in a safer manner.
That was very tricky :) My vice grips are pretty cheap and they don't have that wrench hole :( . . . . but now I know and can inform others if they have fancier ones ;) Thank you!