Would you buy pliers that arent 1000v insulated?

[piratebillybob]

Hi,

Im slowly replacing my tool kit with better spec kit.

I know Bahco stuff is supposed to be good but their combo pliers, side cutters and long nose pliers dont say whether theyre 1000v insulated.

E.g. http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0001IX99A/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE

Would you buy stuff that isnt 1000v insulated?

 

[Darkwood]

Why ask questions that can be looked up in split seconds on t-intenet...... try these they clearly state 1000v

Bahco 9860S VDE Insulated 1000V Pliers Set - 3 Piece: Amazon.co.uk: DIY & Tools

If just a general enquiry i grew up with standard pliers etc they only started bombarding 1000v insulated in 90's, under fault the cutters etc are design to carry current while keeping flying bits of molten metal to a minimum, cheap cutters may blast a larger chunk giving high speed shrapnel a chance to injure / blind you, as a sparky you are required to have tools to match you trade and the risks associated.
Looking at your link i assume its one of their standard range and not compliant, 1000v is a strong selling point so assume it not if not stated.

 

[piratebillybob]

yeah i also saw those ones youve linked to

Ive always assumed that you use 1000v insulated tools, but reading the reviews on amazon it seems that a lot of people in the trade are using those non-1000v insulated pliers

I dont want to spend nearly a hundred quid on nice new pliers only to have to also carry my old 1000v insulated ones as well.

as for those bahco 1000v insulated ones im not too sure i like the looks of them, they dont look that comfy to hold :/

 

[Darkwood]

Id shop around and when you pop into wholesalers just ask to hold his toolkit (ooh matron!) ... see what you like, bahco are good but are also expensive, there's alot of alternatives out there but everyone prefers different and like screwdrivers you get what you pay for, might be alot cheaper but probably poorquality metal that blunts within the month.

 

[fancypantsyeah]

ya cannot beat ck vde or knipex 1000v ranges of tools all my kit is knipex at the moment, good solid hard wearing kit i recomend em , they have been around forever..but i guess ya have probably got a pair, any spark worth there salt uses em.. . i never used the bacho sets yet might get a set an give em a whirl..

 

[Flyingsparks]

I have used bahco pliers for years and find them not too bulky and comfortable to use.

I am not sure about the insulation rating on them but have never had a shock yet.

Anyway we are not supposed to be working on an energised circuit are we guys

 

[alanl]

How often do you work live?If you do work live, then you want the best kit you can get.Mere mortals generally check that the circuits they are working on are dead before working, so dont need need any special kit.I have never even looked to see what my kit is rated at, I just want something that fits, and TBH, the only kit I need that ever touches a live conductor is a screwdriver checking the tightness of screws in a CU/DB, which should not be done live either, but a quick risk assessment by me shows the danger to be minimual, so I do it.

 

[Darkwood]

I have used bahco pliers for years and find them not too bulky and comfortable to use.

I am not sure about the insulation rating on them but have never had a shock yet.

Anyway we are not supposed to be working on an energised circuit are we guys

Although i get your quip.... you do need to work live sometimes i.e. Testing! .. say you drop a uninsulated shaft screwdriver into a busbar chamber during testing Eeek!..... wouldnt happen with a full insulated type as it couldnt make the link to short anything out.

 

[Knobhead]

Any electrician worth his salt doesn’t need them! If you cut through a live cable I’ve no sympathy at all.
My big cable shears have no insulation at all, I’ve extended the handles with 2’ of conduit.

 

[Adam W]

It's nice to have insulated tools just in case, but they're not strictly necessary because you're not going to be working live, and if you are you need specialist tools.
Most tools are insulated to a certain degree, even if it's just a bit of insulation the thickness of 230v cable insulation.

 

[telectrix]

the bahco pliers and side cutters are in 2 ranges, VDE, 1000v, and the non VDE which are insulated but not rated.

 

[SPARTYKUS]

I know a plasterer that just runs his stanley knife round the ceiling edge with no regard for live wall lights etc, always getting a pusser, blowing holes in a blade. Hes got a kud now I hope he starts thinking!

 

[Marvo]

For everyday use the non-rated tools should be fine. I have VDE 1000v rated tools but I keep them in a separate zip-up pouch especially for live working. If you use them for day to day use they deteriorate and become damaged or dirty and oily so the insulation rating means nothing and the extra money you spent is wasted.

 

[telectrix]

i clean mine if they get mucky/oily. funny how we use VDE cutters etc., but grips aren't VDE and they're the easiest thing to slip off and wang into something live. also adjustable spanners generally have no insulation whatever. ( unless you're one of these rich tool tarts with all VDE gear.

 

[J&M Electrical]

I've had the Bacho side cutters, i would never buy them again. I ended up getting some, i used them for a month, maybe 2 months and all of a sudden whilst i was doing a consumer unit they became so stiff i couldnt open them. Tried WD40 and everything to loosen them and they wouldnt budge. I got another pair because i thought it might just of been bad luck but 2 months later, the same happend again. Just out of the blue, with no warning of them getting stiff or anything. I cant remember the make of the ones i have now, ive had them a long time and they are only just starting to lose their sharpness.

 

[telectrix]

i would've taken them back for replacement. then again, if we knew what made them stiff we could make a fortune, like ------ have done.

 

[Flyingsparks]

A guy who I used to work with had a pair of uninsulated Lindstrom pliers. He must have had them for about ten years and they would still cut through a 6mm t&e in one go.

 

[Silly Sausage]

I must say, insulated cutters are quite handy.
Switched off, what I thought was the right circuit off then cut through a piece of T&E...BANG, cutters fly out of my hand (no shock to me) and landed, pointy side down, of top of the plasterer's boy. He wanders around, scratching his head, 'Why am I bleeding'

 

[Dcf]

i think my pliers are elliot lucas not rated at 1000v i might add.the 1000v vde thing is quite recent and probably a marketing ploy more than anything.tho i had my hand in an old square D tp board today trying to remove an old swa gland and would have loved an insulated spanner in that one...live parts ahoy!

 

[Marvo]

A guy who I used to work with had a pair of uninsulated Lindstrom pliers. He must have had them for about ten years and they would still cut through a 6mm t&e in one go.

Lindstrom are great tools. I have some small electronics cutters, tweezers and pliers made by them but I've never seen bigger tools for general electrical installation. They cost a fortune where I am but they last a lifetime or until some other thug gets hold of them...whichever comes first.

 

[Flyingsparks]

This was over 30 years ago, so perhaps they no longer make tools for electrical installation.

If they do you would probably need to take out a second mortgage to pay for them !

 

[mackers]

I must say, insulated cutters are quite handy.
Switched off, what I thought was the right circuit off then cut through a piece of T&E...BANG, cutters fly out of my hand (no shock to me) and landed, pointy side down, of top of the plasterer's boy. He wanders around, scratching his head, 'Why am I bleeding'

should have a nice little notch in em now for stripping cables! cheaper than those ck ones

 

[fancypantsyeah]

any electrician worth his salt doesn’t need them! If you cut through a live cable i’ve no sympathy at all.
my big cable shears have no insulation at all, i’ve extended the handles with 2’ of conduit.

i didn't mean to start a debait on the moral , safety and technical implications of working live....thats just silly taking those kind of risks.... " i just ment i use the best kit i can afford ,that will offer the best protection for me..........

 

[fancypantsyeah]

should have a nice little notch in em now for stripping cables! Cheaper than those ck ones

exactly my point ....lol...

 

[fancypantsyeah]

any electrician worth his salt doesn’t need them! If you cut through a live cable i’ve no sympathy at all.
my big cable shears have no insulation at all, i’ve extended the handles with 2’ of conduit.

like the bit about the extended handles ,,, lol,,,, mind massive cable cutters are very expensive lol...