Best MIG Welding Pliers

What are the very best MIG welding pliers available right now? I bet that that is the question that only the lucky souls that stumbled upon this post are wondering!

Well for those of you folks that did end up here, I will try to keep it short and sweet and to the point. In fact, if you already know kind of what you are looking for but just need a comparison to confirm your choice, our top-rated MIG welding pliers are listed below:

• IRWIN VISE-GRIP MIG Pliers, 8-Inch
• Hobart 770150 MIG Multi-Function Welding Pliers (NOT recommended)
• Strong Hand Tools, Deluxe MIG Welding Pliers, 8-Inch
• Channellock Welding Pliers
• Migtronic
• Lincoln Electric
• ALLY Tools
• Weldflame

Continue reading for the details as well as the pros and cons of each set of MIG welding pliers.

Best MIG Welding Pliers Top 3

[amazon table=”2396″]

IRWIN VISE-GRIP MIG Pliers, 8-Inch

[amazon box=”B00DSW42NI”]

Key features:

• Specially designed nose for removing welding splatter, (an uninteresting and useful addition)
• Super hardened cutting edges with different sizes for cutting and stripping wire
• Spring-loaded, (absolutely not a gimmick, extremely useful)
• Lifetime guarantee, (see details here for more information about this before you decide to buy).

Irwin is a well-known manufacturer of hand tools and its lifetime guarantee is probably one of the best that I have ever seen in the tooling world.

There are some downsides to this particular set of pliers, but the reviews from our readers have been mostly positive, with only a few downsides.

Pros:

• Cheap
• Interesting nose (these are best pliers for spatter removal)
• Comfortable grip
• Spring for easy use

Cons:

• Reposts of poor machining and we can also confirm that the cutting edges on our pair did not align well

Hobart 770150

[amazon box=”B001FOPXJS”]

Key features:

• A top welding brand
• Well made and tough
• Multifunction, including hammer
• Narrow nose for smaller places
• High-quality pliers with wire cutter

We all know Hobart and have probably owned a Hobart MIG welder at one point or another. While they may not be up with the Lincolns and the Forneys, they are a solid brand and produce decent enough products.

These are simply a pair of welding pliers that do the job they are supposed to do and do it solidly!

Unfiortnualey for Hobart in this particular case, there are more negatives than positives which is quite disappointing to see in a brand like Hobart.

Pros:

• Cheap price

Cons:

• Burred metal upon delivery
• Poor quality cutting edges
• Not a smooth opening and closing action

Strong Hand Tools

[amazon box=”B07NP1K35G”]

Key features:

• Outside nose files, both fine and coarse
• Flat face and round face hammer
• Handy V notch for wires
• Ergonomic and comfortable
• Chain to attach to your welder or cart, (love this feature)

The Strong Hand PM12 is a bit of an unknown entity but one that has been storming its way upwards. This particular set of welding pliers are a case in point of some of the thoughtful features that they have included to make this a really quality tool.

Pros:

• Ergonomic
• Robust and durable
• Thoughtful design features
• Hammer and file integrated
• Included retention chain for attaching to your machine or cart
• Quality tool

Cons:

• Reports of the chain not being so strong

Channellock

[amazon box=”B00D8WR85C”]

Key features:

• Specially designed handles to increase leverage with less force
• Grooved nose for spatter removal
• Spring-loaded
• Made in the USA

These Channellock MIG pliers are actually the most expensive in this list, but they are also probably our number two choice for their durability and no-nonsense approach. If you want a solid pair of pliers, then look no further than the Channellock 360CB set.

Pros:

• Strong, sharp, and durable cutters
• Balanced in both grip force and design
• Sensitive nose that helps to remove nozzles and gas diffusers without damage

Cons:

• Not a great warranty 

Migtronic

[amazon box=”B084H8L4SV”]

Key features:

• Very durable, (cutter reportedly tested for 10,000 cuts)
• Ergonomic handles
• Diagonal File Rasp for deep nozzle cleaning
• Made using chromium steel for high corrosion resistance

Migtronic has been around for a decent amount of time now, and each of their products has been improving in quality with each iteration. While not as well known as some other bigger named brands, it has been producing quality, with this set of MIG pliers as a good example.

Pros:

• Great cutting blades that align correctly to create smooth cuts
• Very tough and hard-wearing
• Made in the USA
• Rasp file on the outer edge of the nose to make nozzle cleaning far easier
• Needs less force for higher leverage cutting

Cons:

•  Not ambidextrous

Lincoln Electric K4014-1

[amazon box=”B01DI8HO8G”]

Key features:

• Constructed using drop-forged steel, (very strong)
• Comfortable handle designed for use with bulky gloves
• Spring hinge
• Well respected brand name

Lincoln Electric has been a stalwart of the welding community for years and years and is very highly regarded, especially in the lower-powered ranges. These are no exception and are a solid set of MIG welding pliers. Featuring 6 different functions, the K4014-1’s should be a consideration for most welders, regardless of experience.

Pros:

• Comfortable to use
• 6 different functions built-in for various different jobs
• Stong drop forged steel
• Cutting edge stays sharp
• Easy to use with welding gloves

Cons:

• They might not open wide enough for some of the intended functions

ALLY Tools

[amazon box=”B01GR7GFYY”]

Key features:

• High-carbon steel rated to HRC60 standard hardness
• Nickel iron-plated steel
• Simple to use

ALLY tools set of pliers are very simple, very tough, and made to last. There are no other frills attached to this set, they just work and do the job they are intended to do. Personally, I prefer this kind of attitude. If you are going to do only one job, it had better be a good job!

Pros:

• Simple
• Extremely tough and hardened, (especially the cutter)
• Non-slip handles
• 8 inch handles for easy grip
• Anti-corrosion steel

Cons:

• No fancy extras
• Stiff usage out of the box, (gets better with a touch of oil and frequent use)

Weldflame

[amazon box=”B0192RKNAI”]

Key features:

• Anti rusting surface
• Carbon steel
• Durable

Weldflame has cleverly incorporated a nickel-iron plated metal to prevent rust. If you are fed up with rusting tools, (admittedly it doesn’t happen to us much, but we have heard some folks complaining), then this is the set of pliers for you!

Pros:

• Made of tough material
• Rust prevention
• Comes with an included sheet metal gauge
• Reliable

Cons:

• Most complaints have been for how they are delivered rather than the pliers themselves

What are welding pliers used for?

There are some interesting ways that you may or may not be aware of when using MIG pliers. They are essentially just needle nose pliers but are made from far tougher material than your average, hardware store variety. They also come with some extra features as explained below.

Nozzle Removal

Often in a decent set of MIG pliers, you will find a large circle shaped opening just below the actual pivot point. This is used to get a grip on the gas nozzle of your torch and either tighten it up for use or to help to remove it completely for cleaning, changing, etc.

Contact Tip Loosening

As a contact tip gets worn out over time, it will need replacing. These are often fiddly and difficult to remove by hand. You can do it with a lot of slipped grips and cursing, but pliers make it easier! The smaller opening by the wire cutter is what you can use to get a strong grip and tighten your contact tips up.

Weld Splatter Removal

One of the more annoying side effects of MIG welding in particular, is weld splatter. Not only is it messy, but it can be detrimental to your welding machine. By using a set of pliers that includes a file, you can put them inside your nozzle and scrape away any splatter that could cause blockages and damage your machine.

Conclusion

These 8 MIG welding pliers are the best on the market at this particular price point. The more expensive you go, the more diminishing the returns become.

We are happy to recommend all of these pliers, except for the Hobart 770150, which had far too many negative points for our liking.