Customer Reviews

Irwin 274001DS Vise Grip 2-1/4-Inch Jaw Capacity 11-Inch Quick Adjusting Pipe Wrench

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This wrench is good for finish work, but it's a little springy and can be a knucklebuster when it comes to wrenching tough pipe - it can get it done though. This won't replace your standard 10 inch pipe wrench, but not bad to have in your toolbox.

I used this wrench to twist out concrete form pipes, and the bottom jaw broke in two. Like many other companies, it seems IRWIN quality is becoming questionable. The material used for this tool is very low quality. It might work fine for light-duty use, but since when is wrenching pipes a light-duty task? Very disappointed.

I received one of these as a gift and must say that using it has been a very frustrating experience. Unlike a standard pipe wrench, you cannot set the jaw distance and expect it to stay. For some reason the jaws always slip off the pipe. If you are working on something that has an irregular surface (like a big bolt) it is fine, but if the material is smooth (like a pipe) forget it - the jaws will not grab the material. I spent so much time screwing around with this that I finally threw it away out of frustration.

This quick set pipe wrench is good for moderate torque. I found that when I really put the muscle to it - the handle/top jaw will twist in different direction than the lower jaw, which can cause the loss of grip. Something about the slop of the sliding lower jaw being loose around the handle shaft, so that when great pressure is applied, and pressure looks for an outlet, the handle twists - the lower jaw moves and the wrench sometimes falls off the pipe. The wrench and your grip must be perfectly aligned perpendicular to the pipe and made to be held straight if you need to really muscle some torque.

Sometimes the quick adjusting lower jaw, being as solid and heavy as it is, will slip closed if you hold the wrench upside down by the handle, and then you will have to readjust the pipe grip again. A thicker handle shaft with less play around the lower jaw might prevent this -> needs tighter mechanical tolerance.

There is a trick to setting the proper pipe size with this quick adjusting pipe wrench: place wrench on pipe, slide lower jaw up to the pipe, lift off and push lower jaw up one or two clicks, place back onto pipe, give it a little push to set the teeth into the grip and you are set ready to go.

So it is good for clean new pipe install but if you have rusted, corroded old pipes, reach for a real old fashioned pipe wrench.