Astro Pneumatic Tool 9409A Hose Clamp Pliers,Blue Clamp Pliers

I am working on a 2003 Dodge Durango and it needs the power steering hoses replaced. The return hose goes from the steering rack straight to the reservoir and is secured with a pinch clamp. The ears were on the bottom and I could not get a pair of pliers on it.I heard of these type of hose clamp pliers but, never had to use one. A lot of comments were reported that most of these units are cheaply made and won’t work on small clamps.I decided on the one made by astro. Probably because all their tools are made excellently. Took me less than 5 minutes to unpack, figure this thing out and remove the hard to get to clamp.The unit is well made with what appears to be a powder coating finish. The clamping portion turns so you can easily position it with one hand while operating the clamp. One has to squeeze it enough to engage the locking pawl. This locks the clamp in an open position.Very happy with this purchase and recommend it.

This tool is designed to clamp onto and expand factory hose clamps so they can be re-positioned or removed. This style has the added bonus of being able to get into some hard to reach places thanks to the cable. There needs to be enough room at the clamp for the pliers head.I've fought with those clamps for years and usually mangled them so badly I would end up having to replace them with the screw-type. After using these pliers, I wish I'd bought them a long time ago. I am very happy with my purchase and would buy them again. They really are an excellent value and function well when adjusted properly. At about $30, you really can't go wrong getting these.If you've never used this type of pliers before there are a couple things that might not be obvious right away but will make all the difference:1. On the end of the cable is a small metal barrel that keeps the cable from just sliding out. The not-obvious part is that the barrel is held in place with an Allen wrench set-screw and is intended to be moved depending on the size of the clamp you're working on. Loosen it up and adjust the length of the cable to adjust the initial jaws opening.2. There is a threaded tube that screws in or out that will fine-tune the size of the jaws opening.If you do not use these two adjustments, the pliers are not able to work as well as they are designed to. Some of the negative reviews are because the users did not have the pliers adjusted properly. I know I didn't on the first couple clamps and it was very frustrating. I was working on smaller hose clamps and hadn't found #1 (above) yet and was trying to get it to work by just using #2 (above). I had to use way too much force and still could barely get the clamp to release. Once properly adjusted, the pliers worked great.It's been over six months since I bought them, but I'm pretty sure there wasn't much in the way of instructions on the package. Other than that I can't think of anything to complain about.

I purchased a set of these in February of 2017 to use daily as a professional Automotive Technician. After 7 years of daily use, these still work great. This is probably one of the most used and most reliable tools I own. Highly recommend.

Had a hard time getting the big c clip to seat in the grove on my 2007 Solara passenger side CV axle that holds the bearing in place. The clamp sometimes slipped off or the clip would pop out while opening the clamp. At least there were no cuts or bruises.After 9 tries and countless threats the clip popped into the groove. Space was limited which made things more difficult.This tool made it easy to compress the heavy C clip to wiggle it into place. Which is a giant PITA on a CV axle retaining clip. The description shows hose clamps and lighter duty clamps. Tool still usable.

Difficult space on Saab 9-3 between firewall and engine and this tool was the solution to reaching and removing the clamps. Clever design and intuitive in operation.

I bought these some time ago... At least 2 years. I am an auto technician by trade and I have used several different brands of cable type "remote" hose clamp pliers. These are by far the best.Better than Snap OnBetter than Blue PointBetter than CraftsmanBetter than the very expensive pair of S-K pliers that I bought (turns out those are re-labeled Mayhews anyway). Though I will say I like the handle on the Mayhew/S-K pliers better.Why is this particular Astro remote hose clamp pliers tool better? Two reasons:The cable is the thickest I've used on ANY of these type that I've used before. I've used it hard for what must be going on 3 years now and haven't noticed any real cable stretch. Every other pair of pliers I've used have noticeable stretch after 6 months. After 1 year, most become stretched beyond usefulness. And it has a threaded adjustment to compensate for any stretch or to just better fit whatever specific spring clamp you happen to be working with.The end that grips the spring clamp itself is a lower profile and seems to grip better than the others I've used as well.The only downside is it seems it takes a lot more effort to compress the handles and release the lock than on some of the other competitors' products. A small trade off for a tool that is otherwise far superior in the important ways.Also, after a couple years of hard use, I broke the spring for the locking lever. I now have to lock the lever manually. No big deal. I still keep on using them.There's a part of me that is tempted to install this Astro cable setup on my old pair of S-K branded Mayhew pliers. That would be the best of all worlds.UPDATE: It's almost 2020. A couple years ago I did infact transfer the Astro cable setup to my S-K/Mayhew pliers and continued using it. Handles definitely work a little easier than the original Astro purple handled ones I had. The locking mechanism tends to skip at times, though.The cable itself is now sticking pretty good and has become a little more time-consuming to use, but it refuses to give up. I have never had a cable last this long. All the previous pliers I've used typically only get me about a year's worth of near daily use until the cable stretches to being not so usable. The profile of the clamp is also better than the others I've used.So, I'm back to order a replacement pair. I'm going to leave my S-K handled ones with the old Astro cable on it as a backup and use the new Astros for everyday.This cable has to be nearly 7 years old and gets very frequent use. I'm still flabbergasted that these have held up so well when every other similar cable type pliers have gotten difficult to use within a year. Well-done, Astro.UPDATE April 2020:I purchased my second set in January 2020 after my first one lasted 7+ years and is still functional on my S-K set of handles.The jaw on my new pair sheared the top piece only 4 months into use. Not sure if that's luck of the draw or if Astro's metallurgy/production methods have gone downhill. Definitely a bit bummed after my original set lasted for so long and technically still works, just sticks a bit and is now installed on different handles...Considering downgrading my rating.