US vs German Pliers/Snips – Is it Worth Spending $65 vs $8 on a Hand Tool?

When it comes time to add another tool to the collection, many of us kind of have this internal debate going on. On one end of the spectrum, there are the alluring low prices of some of the brands that one might find in a place like Harbor Freight.

However, part of us wants to think that spending the money and just getting a name-brand tool is going to end up servicing us better in the long run. This line of reasoning says that not only is a more expensive tool going to last longer but it’s going to perform better as well.

As it turns out, there isn’t necessarily one line of reasoning or logic that allows us to operate in this space most efficiently. Instead, the data needs to tell the story. From what we have found, it seems like the more expensive tools are better in some situations, for sure. Other times, though, with more basic tools, it might just be a big waste of money to spend five times the price to get something that’s about the same or worse.

This time, we tune in with another test from the folks over at Project Farm that dives into this very question as it applies to pliers/cutters.

Down in the video below, we see a range of brands from all over the world from all different price points. The companies that produce these things in China, Germany, and America range between $8 and $65 in asking price. With such a basic application that looks pretty much the same in the packaging, could one really be all that much better than another to justify such a high ask? When push comes to shove, testing is the only true way to find out who is king in the space.

While we do come up with a clear answer, perhaps one of the most surprising factors here is that most of the big-name brands are actually produced in China. Who would’ve thought?