Good Pliers, a Small Comparison

For years, all my work was done with cheap pliers - cheapies from either WalMart or Michaels, can't remember which, and two dandy bent-nosed pliers from Canadian Tire that cost me all of 49 cents each.  The bent-nosed were my favourites but for the past few years the rubber grip kept sliding off the handles and that little annoyance grew to be a big PITA.

Since I was spending so much money on materials, I finally broke down and ordered a pair of Wubbers medium flat nosed pliers and a good pair of cutters. 

It was like all of a sudden I was a professional!  Perfectly sized for my big mitts, really comfortable and the plier nose was just right, small enough to get into tight spots but big enough to use a bit of force when needed.

These are a really nice pair of pliers and I can't believe I went so many years without them.  My old faves the bent-nosed couldn't hold a candle to these for comfort or efficiency.  Can you tell I love them?

Now that I had a good pair of pliers and realized what a difference they made, I just had to have more.  More...better...even more expensive...if Wubbers could turn me into a pro then Tronex, the Swiss watch or German engineering of pliers could make me even better!

Not.  The Tronex chain-nose pliers with ergonomic handles are nice.  If I had got them first, I'd probably think they were the ultimate.  But when I'm doing chain maille or doing wire wrapping or just about anything requiring pliers, I automatically pick up the Wubbers first. 

The Tronex are perfect for getting into tight corners, when you're trying to tuck the end of a wire in under a bead.  For everything else, they just seem too...fine is the word that comes to mind.  They'd probably be right for a person with a more delicate artistic hand, not a meaty, workman's hand like mine, although the grip is nice and comfortable.  When they're almost twice the price, they should be twice as nice, not my second choice.

I love my Wubbers and the next time I get the siren call of tools, Wubbers will be my brand of choice.  I'd like the whole set.  Time will tell if the handles will hold up as well as the more expensive brand but that'll be an unfair comparison as well, since I'm using the Wubbers a lot more.  And at $25.99 (Jewelrytools.com) for Wubbers and $49.99 (Artbeads.com) for Tronex, it can wear out twice as fast and I'll still be ahead. 
I have no affiliation with either brand, this is simply my opinion as a consumer.  Both pliers were bought and paid for.