Description:

Key Features

Replaces Big Wrenches This XL pliers wrench opens to 3-3/8" (85 mm) and replaces a full set of large inch and metric open-end wrenches, which are expensive and heavy to carry. No Marks on Fittings Smooth parallel jaws with zero-backlash pressure grip brass, stainless and chrome flats without chewing the corners or the finish. Ratchets Like a Wrench The jaw action lets you tighten and loosen nuts with a back-and-forth ratcheting motion, without lifting the tool off the work.

Overview

The Knipex 86 03 400 US XL Pliers Wrench is a 16" pliers wrench for plumbers, pipefitters, maintenance techs and installers who work on large union nuts, fittings and bolted connections. This is a pliers wrench designed for gripping, holding, pressing, bending and tightening or loosening large hardware without damaging finished surfaces. Model Number 86 03 400 US opens up to 3-3/8" (85 mm).

The economics are the first reason to buy it. Large fixed open-end wrenches are expensive, and a crew rarely has every size on the truck. This one tool adjusts to any width up to its maximum, inch or metric, and covers the large union joints on water heaters, boilers, pumps and valves that would otherwise take a drawer of single-size wrenches.

The jaws stay parallel through the full range and the faces are smooth. That spreads clamping pressure across the flats instead of concentrating it on the corners, so nuts don't round over. Knipex designed the jaws for gentle installation of quality fittings made of brass, red brass and stainless steel, and the zero-backlash jaw pressure protects sensitive edges on plated and finished parts.

Adjustment is a push-button system with 25 positions, set directly on the workpiece. Press the button, slide the jaws to the nut, release, and the hinge bolt catches securely so the setting doesn't shift while you pull. A lever transmission greater than 10:1 multiplies hand force, so you get a firm hold on a big fitting without squeezing the handles with everything you have.

Once it's sized, the tool works like a ratchet. The jaw action lets you tighten or release a nut with short back-and-forth strokes, which is a big deal when there is only a few degrees of swing room behind a fixture or between pipes.

Knipex forges the pliers wrench from chrome vanadium electric steel and oil-hardens it. The head is chrome-plated, the box joint keeps the jaws aligned under load, and the plastic-coated handles give a secure grip. At 3.2 lbs (1,460 g) it has the mass to feel solid on big hardware. The jaws are slim for the capacity, about 1/2" (12.5 mm) thick at the tip, so they fit into crowded mechanical spaces where a large adjustable wrench head won't.

Who should buy it? Plumbers and HVAC techs setting or servicing equipment with large unions, industrial maintenance crews, and anyone tired of buying oversized wrenches one size at a time. If your work tops out at 2-1/2" hardware, a smaller Knipex pliers wrench is lighter and easier to carry.

Gentle on Brass Fittings

Brass is soft and marks easily. The smooth, parallel jaws hold the flats evenly, so a quality fitting goes in looking the way it came out of the box.

• Smooth jaw faces for brass, red brass and stainless fittings
• Zero-backlash pressure protects edges

Big Unions, One Tool

Large union nuts on plumbing and mechanical systems are where this tool earns its price. Infinitely variable sizing means one tool fits inch and metric hardware up to its maximum.

• Jaw capacity up to 3-3/8" (85 mm)
• Lever transmission greater than 10:1

Set It on the Work

Push the button, close the jaws onto the nut, and let go. The hinge bolt locks in place so the setting doesn't creep while you apply force.

• 25 adjustment positions
• Secure hinge bolt catch prevents unintended shifting

Grip Plastic Without Crushing It

Parallel jaws apply even pressure, so the tool also works for holding, pressing and bending jobs where a pipe wrench or serrated pliers would do damage.

• Even pressure across the full jaw face
• Ratcheting action for quick turns in tight swing room

Key Specifications

Built For

Plumbing Pipefitting HVAC / Boiler Service Industrial Maintenance Large Union Joints Brass and Stainless Fittings Equipment Installation

Pro Tip

Size the jaws snug on the flats before you pull. With parallel jaws, a tight setting puts the force on the full face of the nut, and the ratcheting action then lets you run it down without resetting the tool.

Tool Nut's Take

Tool Nut's Take

The Knipex 86 03 400 US XL Pliers Wrench Pays for Itself in Wrenches You Never Buy

One 16" tool covers large union nuts up to 3-3/8" without marring the fitting.

• Who it's for: Plumbers, pipefitters, HVAC and maintenance techs who handle large unions and finished fittings.
• Why it stands out: Smooth parallel jaws, 25 push-button positions, and a ratcheting action in one German-made tool.
• Worth knowing: At 16" and 3.2 lbs, it's a truck or cart tool, not a pocket tool. For everyday sizes, the 12" Knipex 86 03 300 Pliers Wrench is the one to carry.

Common Questions

• What size fittings does it handle? Any width up to 3-3/8" (85 mm), inch or metric.
• Will it scratch chrome or brass? The jaws are smooth and parallel and designed for gentle installation of brass, red brass and stainless fittings.
• Is it insulated for electrical work? No. It has plastic-coated handles, which are for grip, not electrical protection.