Fleet Maintenance - A3

SPECIALTY TOOLS

Specialty hand tools: The problem solvers
Specialty hand tools play the role of 'problem solver'
and are designed to tackle specific applications.
by Tyler Fussner, Assistant Editor

very technician has been in
a situation where they don't
have the right tool for the
job at hand. But the work must get
done, so oftentimes a tool is used
in an application it is not designed
for. Specialty hand tools have risen
throughout the industry as the
'problem solvers,' developed to
ease pain points technicians are
experiencing.
Whether a redevelopment of an
existing tool or something innovative and
new created for a particular task, specialty
hand tools play a big role in saving time,
preventing damage to parts and/or tools,
and getting the job done right.

A FRESH TAKE
KNIPEX released the Super Knips cutting pliers, No. 7803125, designed for
applications in the electronics market
such as cutting fine components off circuit boards. With the electronics market
not being as prevalent in the U.S. as it
is elsewhere in the world, the tool was
used otherwise.
"What was happening was people
were starting to adapt this tool to a lot
of other applications. The number one
application for this tool [in automotive
servicing] is to cut off cable ties, also
known as zip ties," says Peter Grable,
product manager, KNIPEX. "Most technicians will use a pair of diagonal cutters, alignment pliers, needle nose, [or]
whatever cutting tool they have in their
hand. Does it do the job? Yes, absolutely.
It will cut off the cable tie. But it does not
cut it flush."
The problem was that using various

Photo from Knipex

cutting tools resulted in partially cut ties
that would leave sharp edges and pieces
of the tie behind. Should a technician
reach their hand or arm into the area of
service, they could get cut or scratched by
the poorly cut ties. Furthermore, partially
cut ties can rub against the cables and
wires that they are securing, resulting in
damage and yielding more issues to be
dealt with.
KNIPEX took this information into
consideration after speaking with those
using the tool, understanding the shortcomings in this newfound application,
and redeveloped a second iteration of
the Super Knips.
"We made [the new Super Knips]
about a half-inch longer," Grable says.
"We made the blade a little longer, and
we made the material toward the cutting
head a little bit thicker."
This resulted in the KNIPEX Super
Knips, No. 7803140.
"Technicians find a way to use just
about anything [to get the job done]," says
Eddie Lisle, sales manager, Lisle Corporation. "Specialty tools present an opportunity for us to make a tool specifically for
that purpose. Specialty tools have always
been our niche ... We want to come out
with those 'problem solvers' for people.
Everyone's time is valuable, so if we can
come up with a tool that solves that problem and saves people time, that's what we
want to do."
Lisle recently launched two specialty tools: the Long Reach Hose Clamp

Pliers, No. 17000, and the 35-Degree
Long Reach Universal Hose Clamp Pliers,
No. 17370.
The 17000 pliers were launched first,
designed to make hose clamp removal
easier. Since many hose clamps can be
deep within the service area and may be
hard to reach, Lisle designed the tool to
be 17" long. The tips have a cross-cut pattern to provide a secure grip on different
styles of clamps, and the pliers are able to
be locked in place with pressure applied
to the clamp. This allows the technician
to open the hose clamp and have two
free hands available to continue servicing the vehicle instead of having to hold
the clamp open with one hand and try to
work with the other.
After the 17000 was launched, Lisle
received positive feedback from users, but
some technicians mentioned it would be
handy if the tips of the pliers were angled
for clamps that are tucked around a corner
or are inaccessible from a straight angle.
Lisle went back to work and developed
the 17370 model, which has a 35-degree
angle at the tip of the pliers.

A NEW TOOL
When brake line comes into the shop, it
is normally in a roll or coil and a technician will need to straighten it out by hand
before it can be installed in a vehicle. This
process can be inaccurate, and the line

February 2020 I Hand & Specialty Tools I 3

Fleet Maintenance

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