It’s also very well made and the smooth flush finish is preferable to the Bahco one. The handle is fatter and softer, so more comfortable and easier to grip properly for when you really need to force it. My new favourite adjustable is the 200 mm (8″) American made Channellock Wide Azz (8WCB), it has a 38 mm jaw opening which is what I use most often now. I also have the 200 mm (8″) Bahco Wide Jaw (9031) which jaw opens up to 38 mm, and I have the 200 mm Slim Jaw version (9031T). It’s very handy for moving small nuts on boiler repairs. My smallest adjustable wrench is my 100 mm (4″) Bahco Adjustable (8069) that lives on a carabiner clip clipped to my work pants. German brand Bahco are the most popular amongst UK plumbers for adjustable spanners, and rightly so. Adjustable Spanner (Wrench)Īn adjustable spanner is an essential part of a plumbers tools list. I have the 125 mm Cobras (87 01 125) and the 250 mm Knipex Cobra Extra Slim jaw grips (87 51 250). They start at 125 mm (5″) and go right up to 560 mm (22″). I prefer to not have a button because it makes it slightly trickier to adjust them, especially if you only have one hand free.Ĭobras are more popular, so they have more variations to choose from. Mostly though, I think British plumbers prefer Knipex Cobras.Ĭobras are very similar to Alligators, but they have a push button (Alligators do not) to change the jaw size, and they have more teeth where they adjust so more sizes to set them to. Some swear by Rothenberger, or Channellock, or Crescent, but I don’t like them. 400 mm Knipex Alligator grips Different Plumbers Gripsĭifferent plumbers prefer different grips. It doesn’t sound like much difference but it is huge. Then there’s the big 400 mm (16″) Knipex Alligator grips (88 01 400) – they don’t come out often, but they are beasts compared to the 300 mm (12″) Alligators. Much better size for things like tap valve cartridges that don’t want to come out, and the large plastic nuts on toilet flush valves. This is the size I would recommend a plumber buys as their first set of grips.ģ00 mm (12″) Alligators (88 01 300) are the next size up and although they don’t get used as much, they can be a lifesaver. Then there’s the 250 mm (10″) Knipex Alligators (88 01 250) which are the most useful size and this is the size I mostly use when I have a bag of tools out on a job. I use them a lot as they are always on hand. The smallest Knipex Alligators (88 01 180) are 180 mm (7″) which live in a flappy pocket on my work trousers. I have all sizes that Knipex make and have two of some sizes. My favourite water pump pliers are the German Knipex Alligators. You can also use them for other things like straighten out bits of metal, pull small nails and staples out, and sometimes even as a hammer. You can use them to grip and turn nuts or pipes. Grips are one of the most common tools a plumber uses on everyday jobs.

So buying the best quality tools will actually work out cheaper over time. If you buy cheap plumbing tools to use every day, then you will be replacing them more often than if you buy the best tools going. It just makes your working life so much easier to have the best plumbing tools on the market. Now I buy some of the best tools plumbers use as I use them every day. I started my plumbing company over 10 years ago and mostly bought cheap tools. I use plumbers tools every day and have much more than I need.

Plumber wrench