Wrenches are adjustable gripping tools, used for a wide range of jobs, mainly in the plumbing field. Pliers are essentially metalworking tools, for gripping and bending sheet metal and for twisting and cropping wire. Every tool kit should contain both wrenches and pliers.

Pliers come in a variety of types, some general purpose and others designed with just one specific job in mind. Which you choose to buy will depend on what jobs you will be tackling.

1: Mole grips are an ingenious combination tool, part pliers, part wrench, part cramp. The jaw separation can be adjusted for gripping objects of different sizes, and the jaws can be locked into position so the tool acts as a small cramp leaving both hands free. A quick release lever releases the locking action. Various jaw patterns are available.

2: Combination or engineer's pliers are the most useful general-purpose type to own. They are a heavy-duty tool with a square nose and serrated jaws with a shaped cut out for holding metal rods. They should never be used for turning nuts and bolts. There is often a wire cutter near the fulcrum, and the handles may be insulated for comfort and safety.

3: Long nosed pliers are used for holding small nuts and screws in confined spaces.

4: Flat nosed pliers are for bending sheet metal and wire.

5: Round nosed pliers form loops in wire or thin metal strips.

6: Diagonal cutting pliers have no gripping jaws, and are designed for cropping metal, thin sheet, nail and pin heads and so on. They are also useful for cutting electric flex and cable.

7: Wire strippers are used to strip the insulation from cable and flex cores without damaging the cores themselves, and can be adjusted to suit various core diameters.

[edit] Wrenches

There are two main types. The first is designed for gripping round ob­jects such as pipe work, and has serrated jaws to grip the pipe surface. The second is really an adjustable spanner, and has flat parallel jaws used for gripping nuts and bolts.

8: The chain wrench is mainly used on screwed iron pipe work. The chain is wrapped around the pipe and threaded through the jaws; as the handle is forced downwards the chain's grip is tightened.

9: The pipe wrench, known as the Stilson wrench in the trade, is specially designed to lock or open progressively as pressure on the handle is applied or released. The jaw separation is varied by means of an adjustment nut on the movable hook jaw.

10: The adjustable wrench or spanner is available with jaws at 15° or 45" to the handle, and will fit a wide range of nut and bolt head sizes, irrespective of the thread system. It's also known as the crescent spanner or shifter. A wide ranger of styles and sizes are available.

11: Slip joint pliers feature a box joint between the jaws that allows several different fulcrum points to be selected, giving a range of jaw separations. They are also known as multi grips, and are used for gripping pipe work and fittings.

12: The monkey wrench is an adjustable wrench with parallel jaws, usually lightly serrated, intended for working nuts and bolts of any size (within the jaw capacity of the tool). The jaw is moved by turning the worm screw to wind the jaw along the rack on the edge of the handle.

13: The basin wrench has a swivelling head with a curved, movable jaw, and is designed for work in confined spaces on plumbing fittings such as bath and basin taps. The jaw is reversed to allow a tightening or loosening action.