Circlip Plier External Bent Jaw (13")

Two things change at this size and both are worth knowing. The first is tip size: circlip plier tips must fit the holes in the ends of the clip, and big clips have big holes. Using a smaller plier on a large clip means tips that sit loose and at an angle, and they will jump out under load. The plier has to match the clip, which is why the range exists in several sizes rather than one adjustable tool.

The second is stored energy, and it is a genuine safety matter rather than a caution added out of habit. A large circlip is a substantial piece of hardened spring steel, and spreading it wide enough to clear a big shaft stores a great deal of energy in it. If it slips off the tips, it does not merely drop — it leaves at speed and it can travel a long way. Full eye protection is not optional at this size, and keeping a heavy rag draped loosely over the clip while it is under tension is the habit that turns a near miss into nothing at all.

The bent jaws approach at an angle, which is what allows the tool to reach clips recessed inside housings and cylinder bores rather than only those on exposed shafts. External means the clip sits around the outside of a shaft and must be spread to release, so squeezing the handles opens the tips.

It is drop forged high carbon steel, high-frequency hardened, finely polished with an anti-rust black finish and a comfortable dipped handle.

The buyers are hydraulic and pneumatic servicing, industrial and factory maintenance, heavy plant and equipment workshops, transmission and gearbox specialists, marine and generator engineering, and hardware dealers supplying industry.

Seat both tips fully before applying any load, and open the clip only far enough to clear the shaft. A large clip spread beyond its elastic limit stays spread and will no longer grip its groove, and a retaining ring that does not hold in a hydraulic cylinder is a failure waiting to happen — replace it rather than refitting it. Ask us on WhatsApp for a price.