Knipex is widely known for their high-quality pliers, and the Raptors are no exception.
These are unique to the market with a parrot-head design and flat jaws that will allow you to use them in very tight situations, where they wont slip or mar the fastener. Like other Knipex pliers (such as the Cobras), the Raptors feature a boxed joint design that prevents the jaws from shifting under heavy load. They can be adjusted easily with the simple push of a button, and have 15 possible positions — ranging from 3/8″ – 1-1/4″. The smooth faced jaws do not have teeth that will dig in (and damage a fastener like a normal pair of pliers), but lock on and don’t let go due to the unique cam-action design.
Tight places are where these really excel over things like a ratcheting wrench, since the space needed to lock on is minimal. Even in those spots where a nut or bolt is directly next to an obstruction, the Raptors can lock on —- allowing you to tighten/loosen the fastener easily. Along with that, they are designed to “ratchet” — meaning you can loosen your grip, rotate them, and re-lock them down without ever having to remove/reposition them. This saves a lot of time, and make using them very easy (even in tight spots).
Here are the specs on the Knipex Raptors :
- 10″ Long
- 3/8″ – 1-1/4″ Capacity
- Smooth Jaws
- Made in Germany
- Lifetime Warranty
One of the major benefits of the flat jaws & the fact that they don’t mar a surface are dealing with tie rod ends. If you are familiar with front end alignments, you already know how quickly you can “chew up” or damage a customers vehicle when making adjustments……these almost eliminate that problem. Even with heavily rusted/corroded lock nuts, they can latch on — turn them — and let go with zero damage/marring!
Not only will these work for automotive techs/mechanics, they also work great for HVAC techs & Plumbers! The smooth jaws wont damage soft brass fittings on plumbing/gas connections, and will prevent you replacing parts due to cosmetic damage — or physical damage caused by normal pliers that mar the surface.
The only complaint that we have is that they only make them in one size! Hopefully at some point Knipex will expand the Raptor lineup, like they have with the Cobras, Alligators, & Pliers Wrench to cover a range of sizes and situations.