Cheap Half-round Nose Pliers Review

Created on: 9 August 2012
Updated on: 4 December 2021

This is a quick review of cheap 130mm long half-round nose pliers from RS Components (RS order number 536-385). This particular pair of pliers had a burr on the inside of the jaws – this article also shows what can be done about the burr.

This video shows the half-round nose pliers.

Cheap Pliers Construction

Cheaper pliers will normally have a coiled spring that pushes them open as shown in the video. They will be made of lower quality steel and usually have a coating of oil to keep them from rusting.

Some of the square edges of these cheaper pliers have sharp corners. The problem with this particular pair of pliers is that it had a burr on the inside edges of the jaws.

The burr can cause a problem when using the pliers to grip a component or when using the flat area of the jaws to straighten component leads i.e. it can damage the component leads.

Comparison with Expensive Pliers

Comparing these pliers to an expensive set, the expensive pliers will be made of much higher quality stainless steel and so won't have a coating of oil for rust protection. Expensive pliers will also be well finished off with no burrs or sharp corners. They will also have a better spring mechanism such as flat leaf springs.

Conclusions

These pliers are fine for hobby use or for anyone on a low budget. If you buy cheap pliers, it does not necessarily mean that they will always have a burr. Be sure to remove any oil from the pliers as you do not want to get oil on your components or component leads (legs). The jaws of these pliers are fairly narrow (5mm) which makes straightening component leads slightly more difficult when compared with wider (6mm) pliers.

Removing the Burr

Use a small oil stone to remove the burr. Do not use a file as the hardened steel will do damage to the teeth on your file and wear it down. Use a solvent such as thinners to remove the oil from the pliers after removing the burr.

These pliers have a cutting edge, a flat area and then finally a ridged area at the tip. Be sure not to rub the oil stone on the cutting edge. The video below shows how to remove the burr.

These pliers are used in the beginners article on using half-round nose pliers.