Gunpla Hose Clamp Pliers Carbon Steel Heavy Duty Installation and Removal Clipping Auto Repairing Tool, Hoses Jaws Squeezing Clamps Clips Ring-Type Swivel Flat-Band Plier for Adjust Tighten Loose

I used this tool to remove stubborn coolant hose clamps. So much easier than struggling with pliers. Even if only used occasionally, a useful tool to keep in your tool box

I've struggled using pliers for for to long to take off hose clips, I decided to order this hose clip pliers by Gunpla and theyve made life so much easier. They have a ratchet system on the side which is so helpful to squeeze a hose clip to open then lock open making it easier to move the clip down the pipe. They're well made pliers with a nice soft grip handles which makes them easier to hold and use. The one attachment on the end of the pliers is able to spin 360° to allow best angle to get the clip.

This review is for a pair of hose clip pliers, branded Gunpla, priced at £7.99 at the time of review. Hose clips are often used on cars, particularly on coolant hoses. We've all tried using molegrips or big pliers with varying levels of frustration, particularly with the clip pinging off into the engine bay! This tool seeks to make these clips easier, which it does do with some degree of success. They act like a pair of pliers, but with custom ends to hold the tangs of the hose clip, and have a lock on the side to lock the pliers in a specific position, which would be useful for reinstalling the clip if only the ratchet was finer - there is too much movement to move the lock from one tooth to the next, particularly need the fully closed position that will be used the most on installing clips. I love that the pliers retain the clip and can be put to one side with the clip still attached to the tool which you do the work, and makes it so easy to use. However, its likely you will need to remove more than one on any given job - and larger hose clips, such as those on the main radiator hose are difficult to get back in the tool if it has been removed.

Trying to use normal pliers or a mole wrench on hose clamps is a hazardous activity, and it always ends in cursing, when I'm involved. The jaws have no grip on the ends of the clip, which then pings off somewhere and becomes invisible, or hits you in the eye. These pliers make life so much easier and safer - I wish I'd ordered a pair years ago, instead of struggling. The cup shaped jaws keep the ends of your hose clamp safely located, making the entire operation fast and hassle free. These pliers are well made, and easy to use, and they are reasonable value for money too.

I can't believe I've struggled without these for so long. To be fair, I rarely remove hose clamps, but when I do I am normally left struggling with a pair of pliers or mole grips, only for the spring clamp to go pinging off into the nearest bush. These are perfect for the job. They grip those sprung hose clips perfectly, and as you close them, they open the clip and use a ratchet system to hold the clip open for easy removal. Re-installation is just as easy, there is a trigger on the side to release the ratchet and close it up again. They are really easy to use and have now found themselves a place in my "special tools" toolbox.

This pair of hose lock pliers arrived in the standard mixed clear plastic shell and cardboard back packaging a lot of the cheaper tools have come in for decades. They’re not particularly pretty pliers, but they’re sturdy enough considering the price point, and they’re identical in appearance and construction when you have a look at any of the budget hose-clamp pliers in this price range. I’ve had a few Gunpla branded items in the past, and they’re generally good enough for the price and the sorts of jobs I need them for. I know not to expect anything of perfect quality, but they’re typically as described and problem free on arrival, sadly this wasn’t quite the case with these hose clamp pliers for me. The ratchet mechanism generally works and automatically springs into position to prevent the clamped hose clip from opening the plier jaws in the wider positions. However, in the fully closed position I needed to give the handles a tight squeeze or physically force the ratchet’s lock into position to keep them from popping open one step. They’re usable, and it’s a somewhat minor issue that I was able to fix by physically squeezing the handles hard enough to bend them inwards a bit to make them work properly when fully closed, but it’s something that I hope isn’t intentional or expected with these as it could be a source of frustration. Another concern I have with these is that you really don’t have much control between the fully closed and fully open jaw positions, as you’ve only got five ratchet teeth available for use on this. So if you’re after something with finer control that will let you fine tune the tightness without deforming the hose-clamp permanently, these may not be the best option. The asking price of £7.98 is around the typical cost of these exact pliers from a number of different sources and brands, though they’re sometimes cheaper with other brands, so just shop around and grab them from whoever happens to be cheapest at the time. They’d be a solid four or five-star product for me if I didn’t need to physically deform them to get them to function as advertised.

This is a classic example of how the right tool can make a job so much easier. You can usually remove hose clamps using normal pliers but there is always the risk of them slipping and releasing the clamp. These pliers have a ratchet system so they can't accidentally spring open, this along with the specially shaped ends make loosening hose clamps as breeze. The handles have a comfortable plastic cover which also helps with grip. There is a limit to how wide they will open so you may need to check that will fit if you want to use them on very large hose clamps. Overall, a handy tool to have for those times when you need it.