Pliers are among the most common tools in anyone’s kit, found in both professional and DIY toolsets. But not all pliers are the same: their simple, useful design allows for endless modification, leading to many different pliers designed for many different tasks. Here’s an overview of 10 common styles and what they’re used for, so you can know exactly what you need when looking at your next project.

1.     Combination Pliers

• Design: Square jaws with a strong serrated noses for gripping; typically have side cutters at the fulcrum
• Uses: An all-purpose tool that’s great for cutting, gripping, bending, stripping, and twisting. Common in both DIY work and electrical engineering

2.     Lineman’s Pliers

• Design: Similar to combination pliers but tend to be larger, with thicker and heavier jaws. Insulated handles provide electrical resistance, and versions rated for stronger voltage ratings are available
• Uses: As with combination pliers these have many purposes, but their stronger jaws have more leverage for gripping, making them better for heavy-duty work. Electricians use them to cut, straighten, and bend wire as well as twist wires together when making splices

3.     Slip Joint Pliers

• Design: Named for its slip joint, a sliding pivot point that extends the range of its jaws. Typically have a flat textured mouth and a serrated jaw
• Uses: A versatile tool that’s useful for tightening nuts and bolts, gripping, holding, and bending

4.     Water-Pump Pliers

• Design: Similar to slip joint pliers but with a wider jaw range and angled head
• Uses: With their wide jaw range that can easily grip pipes, these are most commonly used in plumbing

5.     Locking Pliers

• Design: Have an adjustable screw drive (a knob at the bottom of the handle) to extend the width of the jaws and lock them into place around an object
• Uses: Perfect for clamping work, especially when you need to apply consistent pressure but also need your hands free for other tasks

6.     Needle Nose Pliers

• Design: Tapered jaw with serrated nose for gripping and side cutters at the fulcrum
• Uses: With their tapered design, electricians use them in confined and narrow spaces. They can cut wires but are also ideal for bending metal fittings and positioning tiny, out-of-reach pieces like nuts or washers

7.     Bent Nose Pliers

• Design: Distinguished by a hooked, tapered jaw and typically have side cutters at the fulcrum
• Uses: Similar to needle nose pliers, they’re common for narrow-space work and cutting, bending, and stripping electrical wires

8.     End Pliers

• Design: These look almost like a midway point between pliers and a hammer, with short, thick jaws that are round like a hammer head
• Uses: Also known as fencing pliers, they can both hammer staples into wooden fencing and remove them. A slot under the head allows you to bend and twist fencing wires, as well

9.     Diagonal Pliers

• Design: Distinguished by compact, bladed jaws with a beveled edge as well as longer handles for better leverage
• Uses: Also called cutting pliers, these are ideal for cutting wires, cables, and other materials. Some are strong enough to cut piano wire or screws

10. Crimping Pliers

• Design: These are similar to standard pliers, but with a fulcrum closer to the jaw that give some models a square-headed appearance
• Uses: A must-have for electricians, crimping pliers are used to join electrical wires and connectors

These are ten of the most common types of pliers, some designed for a wide range of work and others for specific tasks. This is by no means an exhaustive list! Many other pliers exist with different applications in mind, everything from wire twisting pliers and wire strippers to round nose pliers used by jewelers and crafters to hose clamp pliers.