Klein Tools 12098 Universal Combination Pliers, 8-Inch

Jaws measure 1.78 inches long, 1.02 inches wide and 0.55 inches thick, with a 0.711 inch cutting knife. Overall length is 8.61 inches with a 4.79 inch handle. The high-leverage head lets you grip with either the side or the end of the jaws, which is what makes it workable in a packed device box or panel gutter where you cannot square up on the work.

Universal nose is the distinction. The 12098 has a universal jaw with a toothed pipe grip plus side cutting knives, so one tool grips round stock and pipe, grips flat, and cuts wire. Classic linesman pliers have a flat square nose built mainly for twisting and cutting conductors. Pick the universal if you want pipe and round-stock gripping out of the same pliers; pick a flat-nose linesman if nearly all your work is twisting wire pairs.

Yes, there is a crimping die set behind the hinge. It is intended for non-insulated connectors, lugs and terminals, and sitting close to the pivot it gives you more leverage than a die out at the jaws. For insulated terminals or any connector requiring a calibrated controlled-cycle crimp, use a dedicated crimper instead.

Order as Klein Tools 12098, an 8-inch universal combination plier. It is forged in the USA from US-made tool steel. UPC is 92644700927.

Yes. The 12098 uses a high-leverage design that Klein rates at 35 percent more cutting power than a comparable standard plier, achieved by moving the rivet closer to the knives. Practically, that means less hand force on larger solid conductors and bolts of wire.

It weighs 0.72 lbs, which is typical for an 8-inch high-leverage plier and sits fine in a pouch. The handform handle shape spreads load across the palm, and the handle tempering takes some of the snap out of a cut, which matters more than the ounces if you are cutting wire all shift.

The joint is hot-riveted, which is what keeps the action smooth and stops the handles going loose side to side. The head is precision-hardened and the cutting knives are induction hardened, so the knife edges hold up to repeated wire cutting rather than rolling over.