The Knipex 87 01 180 Cobra Water Pump Pliers, Model Number 87 01 180, are compact adjustable pliers built for gripping, turning, tightening, and loosening pipe, nuts, sleeves, and other hardware. This is a water pump pliers tool designed for gripping and turning pipe and fasteners in plumbing, mechanical, and general service work. At 7-1/4 inches long, this size hits a useful middle ground: small enough to carry and maneuver in tighter spaces, but with enough capacity to handle up to 1-1/2 inch round pipe and up to 1-27/64 inch hex shapes.

What makes this Cobra stand out is how quickly it sets up on the workpiece. The push-button adjustment lets you position the jaws directly on the part, and the 18 adjustment positions give you a finer fit than basic groove joint pliers. That matters because a closer fit means the jaws engage better, the handles sit more comfortably in your hand, and you waste less effort trying to keep the tool from slipping while you turn.

Knipex also built these pliers to hold instead of skate. The self-locking jaw action on pipes and nuts means the tool grips the workpiece with less squeeze from your hand, which helps on repetitive jobs and awkward service calls. The gripping surfaces use specially hardened teeth rated at approximately 61 HRC, so the bite stays consistent longer under regular use. If you are grabbing brass fittings, steel pipe, or stubborn hex hardware, that tooth hardness is one of the reasons the tool keeps working instead of rounding off and becoming frustrating.

The structure is just as important as the teeth. These pliers use a box-joint design with double guide support, which gives the joint more stability under load than lighter-duty slip-joint styles. In plain terms, the jaws track better, resist twisting, and feel more solid when you lean into the tool. Knipex also calls out a reliable hinge bolt catch to prevent unintentional shifting, so once you set the position, it stays there.

For day-to-day use, the size and weight matter a lot. At roughly 0.37 to 0.395 pounds, the Knipex 87 01 180 Cobra Water Pump Pliers are light enough for an apron, pouch, or service bag without becoming dead weight. The non-slip plastic handles keep the grip straightforward and comfortable, and the built-in pinch guard is the kind of practical detail you appreciate after a long day of opening and closing pliers over and over.

Material quality is exactly what you want from a serious hand tool. The pliers are made from chrome vanadium electric steel, forged, and multi-stage oil-hardened. The jaws have a polished finish, while the rest of the tool uses a grey atramentized finish. That combination gives you a tough working surface where it counts and the kind of overall durability that fits a professional tool rather than a throwaway drawer piece.

These are not insulated electrical pliers, and they are not pretending to be. They are purpose-built gripping pliers for plumbers, HVAC techs, mechanics, maintenance crews, remodelers, and serious DIY users who want a compact tool that actually locks on and works. If you regularly deal with shutoff valves, compression fittings, small pipe, locknuts, or mixed hardware sizes, this is one of those tools that earns a permanent spot in the bag because it covers a lot of jobs without taking up much room.

Knipex 87 01 180 Cobra Water Pump Pliers are the right size for the tool bag

This is one of those compact hand tools that earns its keep because it grabs hard, adjusts fast, and does a lot more than one job.

• Who it's for: Plumbers, HVAC techs, maintenance pros, mechanics, and serious DIY users who need a compact adjustable gripping tool that can handle pipe and fasteners without taking up much space.
• Why it stands out: The push-button adjustment, self-locking bite, hardened teeth, and box-joint construction make it feel more precise and more secure than bargain groove joint pliers.
• Worth knowing: This is a non-insulated model, so buy it for gripping and turning work, not for electrical rated use.

• What is the maximum pipe capacity? The maximum round pipe capacity is 1-1/2 inches.
• How many adjustment positions does it have? It has 18 adjustment positions for finer fit across different workpiece sizes.
• What is it made from? The pliers are made from chrome vanadium electric steel and are forged and multi-stage oil-hardened.
• Is this an insulated electrical pliers? No. Source data lists this model as not 1000-volt insulated.