Vampliers

[SteveHGraham]

I'm here to recommend a TV tool that really works: Vampliers.

I needed to get into an electrical box, and the screws were rusted very badly. Carbon steel screws on an outdoor box. Chalk up another brilliant achievement for engineers.

I couldn't get anywhere with screwdrivers. I thought about using a screw extractor, but then I remembered Vampliers. They are Japanese pliers with a very weird design. You've probably seen the commercial. As long as there is some kind of nub available, Vampliers will supposedly bite into it and allow you to turn your screw. The jaws are designed to reach in and grab screw heads that barely exist.

I ordered a pair, and I tried them on the crumbling screw. It took me a couple of tries to get a grip, but once I did, there was no getting those pliers to let go. I backed the screw out, and now I can replace it with a proper stainless screw.

Vampliers are made by a Japanese company called Engineer, and if you buy them under the Engineer label, they're cheaper. That's what I did. They have a whole line of weird pliers.

They look like they're made very well. I guess the jaws have to be hardened properly in order for them to do what they do. The handles are insulated.

[John Evans]

Cute ! Which pair did you get ? The Lineman style ? And from who?

[SteveHGraham]

I got these.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NB ... UTF8&psc=1

I'm a sucker for good pliers. I have had plenty of bad ones, and some were from companies with good reputations. People brag about Klein Tools, and I used to be one of the faithful, but the other day chunks started coming out of the handles on my water pump pliers. You have to ship them if you want a warranty repair, so you can't win.

The Vampliers look really good.

They may even be nice enough to put next to my Knipex tools.

[SteveHGraham]

While I'm beating up engineers again, I want to thank whoever put carbon steel screws in my toilet seats. I hope he weighs 350 pounds and sits on one of his own seats a little too fast one day.

[STRR]

There's a visual I wasn't expecting!

[Russ Hanscom]

The engineers specified stainless, marketing changed it to carbon steel - saved a few cents each.

[SteveHGraham]

Marketing is like global warming. Name a problem; marketing is responsible.

I hope when the engineer breaks the toilet, the marketing guy is on his lap.

[John Hasler]

Right. It wasn't marketing at all. It was the bean counters in accounting (or purchasing: I had them substitute "money saving alternatives" without informing me on several occasions).

[rrnut-2]

Sometimes its purchasing. This capacitor is cheaper than the safety cap that the engineer wants; lets buy that!

Jim B

[SteveHGraham]

We can put all three of them on adjoining seats wired up to a 15kW generator.

[LIALLEGHENY]

Your assuming the 15kw generator is going to work.....purchasing got a great deal on some copper for the windings. It works on the 5kw generator, should be good on the 15kw as well......

[tornitore45]

When I saw an ad for Vampliers years back it was near Christmas. Knowing how difficult is to shop for a dad "that has everything" I sent a link to all three of my children that said: "I like one of these for Christmas but do not need 3, figure it out among yourselves"
I got two, one engraved with my name.
What we have here, is a failure to communicate. (Cool hand Luke)

Vampire are not needed to often but on the right job they are the cats miao.
I use them to grind down screw is need to be shortened a tad without resorting to the lathe.