You won’t find a welder, brazer, or metal fabricator who wouldn’t agree that a good pair of pliers is one of the best welding tools to have at their disposal. From grasping hot metal to keeping objects aligned, welders rely on pliers for a host of tasks. But because welding is such a specialized activity, and because keeping up with multiple pairs of pliers isn’t very practical, welders like the idea of having one pair of pliers that can cover an entire range of tasks that are unique to welding.

These are going to be pliers that are built to withstand tough usage, but pack a lot of features into a single, compact tool. Suffice it to say, with so many different types and sizes of specialized pliers available to choose from, they always have to make sure that the ones they invest in are best suited for the job.

The Convenience of Welding Pliers

Regardless of the type of welding being done, the convenience of having only one, multi-purpose pair of pliers is vital to making their job easier. And this is especially true with metal inert gas (MIG) welding where problems with electrode wire feeding, or clogged or burned welding nozzles can easily ruin a final product. Having a versatile pair of spring-loaded pliers for welding on-hand minimizes the prospect of losing valuable time and productivity searching for multiple tools to tackle a variety of issues.

Aside from just grabbing and holding onto hot metal, specially designed MIG welder pliers are ideal for the chores that go hand-in-hand with MIG welding, such as:

· Attaching and removing welding gun tips and nozzles;

· Drawing out, and cutting electrode wire from the nozzle; and,

· Clearing away spatter and other material that may be blocking the nozzle.

MIG pliers are equally effective though at handling the most common tasks that other types of welders, brazers, and metal fabricators typically encounter, including:

· Hammering away slag from completed joints;

· Loosening and tightening gas bottle fittings; and,

· General repair and maintenance of all sorts of welding equipment.

Ultimately, the value in a top-notch pair of MIG welder pliers comes from more than just their range of uses. What makes them the best plier for metal workers is that the person doing the welding never has to lay them down, even while they’re working. With the ability to grasp, clasp and even rasp all in a single instrument, a welder or fabricator can concentrate more on the quality of the project, and less on holding onto the stock or reaching for a different tool every few seconds.

Quick-Locking Pliers for Welding

For metal stock that’s too unwieldy, too heavy, or too uncomfortable to maintain a solid, manual grip on even with a pair of MIG welding pliers, quick locking welder pliers are the solution for keeping things aligned while they’re being worked on.

Their hand locking mechanisms are regulated by either a crank or adjustment screw that effectively “locks” the plier’s jaws into position. By loosening or tightening the adjustment, both the gripping area and gripping pressure can be increased or decreased to suit the stock being held. Fully disengaging the plier only requires releasing the locking mechanism.

Because locking pliers combine so many of the traits of welding pliers and vice-grip pliers with ordinary clamps, it’s no surprise that an entire range of locking pliers would evolve that are favorable for metal fabricators.

C-clamp Locking Pliers

C-clamp locking pliers are easily identified by their C-shaped jaws, and are used to either grasp onto stock items at a distance, or to reach deeply into them. These pliers have either round or swivel pad ends to initiate a grasp that’s firm, but isn’t harmful to the welding object’s surface.

U-prong Locking Pliers

U-prong locking pliers are also easily identifiable by their wide, U-shaped jaws. They can grasp the stock’s surface from 4 evenly-spaced gripping points, and are ideal for providing welders with full visibility and access to the stock, while still maintaining a solid grasp.

Long Nose Locking Pliers

Long nose locking pliers have narrow, extended jaws that are suited to providing a grip in tight and hard-to-reach areas. Long nose pliers are also extremely effective at holding onto or extracting rounded-off fasteners and small diameter rod-stock that could otherwise be difficult to secure in a fixed position.

Sheet Metal Locking Pliers

Sheet metal locking pliers have duck beak-styled contact plates on the ends of their jaws that distribute gripping pressure out across a larger surface area. This “spreading out” permits welders to work more easily with a wider range of bent, formed, or angled stock that other locking pliers wouldn’t be able to grasp as securely.

Locking Pipe Pliers

Locking pipe pliers are fitted with adjustable V-pad attachments on their jaws that can be used to grasp pipes, and round or square tubes. These pads also swivel and feature a variable gripping range from 0° and 45°, making them a great choice for all kinds of unconventionally shaped stock.

Final Thoughts

At the end of the day, regardless of whether they’re hobbyists or professionals, anyone doing any type of welding, brazing, or other type metal fabrication can be expected to have a large selection of hand tools at their disposal. However, it only takes having one, well-designed pair of pliers for welding on hand to eliminate the need for most of them. And when they’re used in conjunction with a suitable assortment of quick-locking welder pliers, it’s as good as working with an extra pair of hands.

If you’re a welder and you’re in need of some new tools, before you run out and buy 10 individual ones, you might want to consider investing in just one high-quality pair of welder pliers that can do multiple jobs, along with a few pairs of locking pliers. You’ll see just how much of a difference it makes.