Pinzas, alicates, tenazas… different ways of referring to the same object in different regions. It is one of the oldest tools and is used in many different fields: in the kitchen, by mechanics, electricians, and in carpentry. Its main functions are cutting, helping us hold objects, pressing, and twisting.
There are two main categories of pliers: American and German. The American pliers are characterized by having a slightly longer “neck” at their joint. Additionally, this “neck” usually has jaws. On the other hand, German pliers usually have gripping jaws on the head of the pliers. In Figure 1, we can observe both types of pliers and their difference.
There are many types of pliers, and depending on their application, which, as we have seen, can be varied, we will need to use specific ones. In this entry, we will only discuss those used by electricians and telecommunications infrastructure installers. The most common are often needle-nose pliers, cutting pliers, and electrician's pliers, but there are also precision pliers, crimping pliers, and wire strippers, which can be automatic or have notches for the gauge of the wire to be stripped.
Precision pliers are ideal if you are working with small components, such as in electronic repairs or for manipulating optical fiber residues. They have different tips for convenience and to extract parts. They will not be useful if you need to strip or cut a cable.
To select the ideal cutting pliers for us, we must consider what will be cut, whether it's a copper or aluminum cable, and the gauge of the cables. There are small cutting pliers and others that are more robust; some even include notches to strip cables as well. These pliers are not recommended for holding objects, applying pressure, or twisting.
In Figure 2, some cutting pliers are shown. (b) is capable of cutting copper and aluminum cable, while (a) in Figure 3 is not; (c) is smaller, and the cuts it makes are not for large gauge cables.
Wire strippers can be like the one in Figure 2(a), with notches for the cable gauge, or automatic, meaning they automatically adjust to the cable gauge. Figure 3 illustrates these types of pliers. Their use is not recommended for cutting, twisting, or pressing, and while you might use them to hold something in a pinch, they won't provide optimal use for that purpose.
Finally, in this entry, we have the crimping pliers, also known as "ponchadoras". With them, patch cords are assembled; they allow us to strip and cut the cable, and also secure RJ45, RJ12, and RJ11 connectors. Figure 3 shows a pair of these pliers, and there are currently pliers that also verify that the patch cord has been assembled correctly.
At Incom, we feature the Tuliko-Pro’sKit line to offer you the pliers you need, along with other tools such as hammers, lamps, screwdrivers, tape measures, hex keys, torque wrenches, and more.
