Tire Chain Pliers

[bandit67]

Has anyone bought the large 33.5" tire chain pliers from Tirechains.com? Do they really work on 3/8" tire chains?

I got my chains in, and the small pliers I got won't budge the big 3/8" chain for the rear tires. Unfortunately, my rear tires must be way at the bottom of the size range for the chains they sent me, and I have to remove a cross chain.

Spent a couple hours with a sledge hammer and some steel breakers just trying to get one side of a cross chain off. Don't really feel like go through all that 3 more times if those heavy duty pliers will do the trick in 5 minutes. I may hit up the hardware store looking for a cold chisel tomorrow, but wanted to see what folks think about the chain specific pliers.

 

[RobS]

I don't know what chain pliers are bandit, but if all you are trying to do is cut 3/8" chain, a cheap bolt cutter will work just fine. I have one (that happens to be about 33.5" long) and it'll cut right though 3/8". Harbor Freight, TSC, Lowes etc. all should have them pretty reasonable. So what exactly is a chain plier?

 

[ampsucker]

hack saw, vise and vise grips work for me.

amp

 

[LBrown59]

hack saw, vise and vise grips work for me.

amp

Metal cutting blades in saber saws and sawsAlls are what i use,

 

[arrow]

I use a small 4.5" rotary grinder with the thin cutting disc. Takes about 5 seconds and control is notable.

 

[bandit67]

Chain pliers aren't for cutting. They are used on the hooks that connect the cross chains to the perimeter chains to spread the hooks open and to clamp them closed.

These are the pliers I'm referring to: Large Repair Plier

 

[Earl Ohl]

Has anyone bought the large 33.5" tire chain pliers from Tirechains.com? Do they really work on 3/8" tire chains?

I got my chains in, and the small pliers I got won't budge the big 3/8" chain for the rear tires. Unfortunately, my rear tires must be way at the bottom of the size range for the chains they sent me, and I have to remove a cross chain.

Spent a couple hours with a sledge hammer and some steel breakers just trying to get one side of a cross chain off. Don't really feel like go through all that 3 more times if those heavy duty pliers will do the trick in 5 minutes. I may hit up the hardware store looking for a cold chisel tomorrow, but wanted to see what folks think about the chain specific pliers.

I don't think that tool will cut chain, but you will be able to remove cross chains with it. I don't have that exact tool but mine is very similar & works very well. A caution on the smaller ones they have pictured. They can be knuckle busters. I also have one very similar to them.

 

[FredH]

Pretty similar to what I have in shop for my semi truck chains although I think mine are only 24" . Mine will remove or install semi truck size ( must be 3/8" I am guessing ) cross links , Although I have never used them to remove a cross link , only to install . Since if I am removing one , its usually broke , so I just do the 4.5" grinder and cutting disk . Although they do make the part that connects the cross chain to the side rail , so by just cutting that , you would save your cross link . I always carry extra cross links and those connectors in case I need to do a quick fix before I get home .

Fred H.

 

[AKwelder]

Bandit I have used the tire chain pliers you are asking about every year for over a decade. The ones we have work great, and look just like the ones you have in the link. I just hate working on tire chains and that tool makes the job quick and easy. If they have a longer tool, buy it, the leverage makes life easier. Unless you are going to have the tool on the truck the longer the better. Good luck

 

[bandit67]

Yeah, I think I'll just suck it up and order the 33.5" pliers. Not cheap, but they'll come in handy for as long as I own tractor tire chains. Ordering them through tirechains.com is a lot cheaper than anything I can find locally.

 

[AKwelder]

Tire chains are a pain in the back side and those pliers make them alot less work. I hate the way chains tear up a truck, and drivers always think that you can still try and drive 60 mph with them. They speed up until the CD skips and then back down 2 MPH.

The wife just headed out to anchorage last night and took her chains with her "Just In Case". For the lil ladies car i buy the steel cable style units. they work pretty good but are not going to last forever.

 

[furnacebrook]

Was in the same situation not long ago. I have pretty heavy duty chains on my tractor and wanted to add a few more cross chains to them. I have seen those large pliers work and they do a great job but at about $100.00 delivered from tirechain.com I just did not want to spend that much for maybe a one time use, so searching the internet I went. Most other places have the same or similar for even more money until I found .........AWdirect.com...........they have the large pliers also at more money but they have a medium size one that's rated for 5/16 chain and it's 23" long. The cost for this one was $36.52 with shipping...........pretty good deal I thought. It is an import and the others are USA made but for something I may never use again that's they way I had to go. They just showed up today and they work perfect. I was a little worried that my chains are about 3/8" but this plier can handle them, it is one rugged tool that looks like it would hold up to lots of use.

Good luck, Scott

Case 580CK
Kubota B7100

 

[moeh1]

Scott beat me to a reply, I also just got the AW Direct solution, but hopefully its a couple more weeks before I even think about working on chains. They look like they will hold up if no abused - time will tell.

 

[PILOON]

I have a pair of and ,YES, they work very well!

 

[bandit67]

Well, I sucked it up and got the $100 pliers. Figured they will get limited use, but I'll have them to work on chains for the rest of my life, so hopefully, they'll be worth it.

It took me 1.5 hours to spread one hook with a mallet and chisel (about 45 minutes to get the hook opened the last 1/8". I also realized that closing the hook once I moved it was going to be another ordeal, and probably causing some major deforming of the hook. Once I got the chain pliers, it was 15 seconds to spread a hook, about the same to close it. The mallet and chisel took 350 times longer than the chain pliers.

I tried searching all over online for another set of pliers, specifically, for a 24" pair, as I knew they existed, but to no avail. The same pliers I got for $100 were going for $170-$280 locally. Had I found the $35 pair online, I probably would have tried them, but I'm pleased with the big pair, and they were well worth it once I took them to the chains.

I did plow snow Wednesday morning, as we got 6" overnight, but didn't need to put the chains on. That time will come soon enough. Thanks to the chain pliers, the chains are ready to go.

 

[Destructo_D]

As I have stated before, I manufacture tire chains for a living... I use the exact same pliers from time to time doing various repairs, modifications, etc... You can open and close from small hooks on up to 1/2 inch hooks.... on the 7/16 and 1/2 inch hook you have to open 1 side at a time... But they are an excellent investment and save alot of time...

For the record, when i build my chains, i have a 16 foot long table and at one end of the table there are 2 air operated press heads... Makes building chain a snap

 

[JoeL4330]

I have 'em ...I use 'em ...they work. You can remove cross links and/or reinstall cross links ...piece of cake

 

[L3700SU]

Bandit, Sorry I sent an email before seeing there was a second page to this thread. I got my answers. Now since they worked so well, do you want to sell yours?

 

[bandit67]

No thanks, think I'll keep the pliers. Haven't used them since '08, but I know when I need them, they'll be there.

I also know that as soon as I sell them due to lack of use, I'll need them - happens all the time. :laughing:

 

[simonds]

Wow this is what I did a couple weeks ago. I couldn't get in the woods with my tractor because of the snow/crust/ice conditions. I needed more fire wood real bad. I didn't have the money to go buy chains. My nephew gave me a larger set that I could make fit. My neighbor has a set of those chain pliers. I used them several years ago to make a set for my garden tractor, and they really worked great. I thought this is going to be an easy job to shorten all the cross chains to fit my tires. Well we looked for an hour thru his garage and barn and couldn't find the pliers. So I started spreading the connecting links with a hammer and a cold chisel. I was lucky that I had a large set of bolt cutters to cut a few inches off the cross chains. Then I had to hammer the connecting links back on It took me about 10 hours an acheing back and a thumb that got smacked twice to do 30 cross chains. I sure wish I could have found the chain pliers. Got her done and they work great. We'll keep warm now.