Best Safety Wire Pliers 2023 – Top Picks & Reviews

Safety wire pliers wind safety wire ends together tight and quick to hold bolts in place. Originally, the pliers were used in aviation, where the difference between flying and crashing depended on the bolts staying in place. However, they were adapted for use in car racing and other applications.

Although safety wire pliers are specialized tools manufactured by fewer companies than standard pliers, you may be unsure which brand to purchase. We’re here to help and have reviews of five of the best safety wire pliers available.

A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites in 2023

Rating	Image	Product	Details
Top Pick		Boulderfly Reversible	Reversible Great value Good performance	CHECK PRICE
The Runner-Up		Milbar 1W393	Reliable Works fast Superior performance	CHECK PRICE
Best for the Money		BikeMaster 15-1554	Great value Slim design Good basic performance	CHECK PRICE
		OTC 4795	Good value Delivers better performance High-performance components	CHECK PRICE
		Wicks Aircraft	Small enough for small jobs Comfortable in your hands	CHECK PRICE

5 Best Safety Wire Pliers

1. Boulderfly 6-Inch Reversible Safety Wire Pliers – Top Pick

The Boulderfly 6-inch Reversible safety wire pliers are the best overall safety wire pliers despite not being the top-performing tool we looked at. We made Boulderfly our top pick because it’s durable and affordable. We went with a different tool for our best budget pick, but the Boulderfly’s price is very competitive.

There are two things that we thought dropped its quality a bit. First, the handles require too much compressing power to lock into place. Unfortunately, it requires an uncomfortable amount of compressing power. The second is that the cutter isn’t as good as its closest competitor, which we’ll discuss below.

2. Milbar 1W393 Plier – The Runner-Up

If the Milbar 1W393 were a bit cheaper, we would have given it our top pick. Regarding safety wire pliers, Milbar is the first name in quality, and this model demonstrates why. It winds the safety wire quickly and makes it nice and taut. It’s reliable, and the cutter’s quality prevents you from having to swap out tools in the middle of a job.

It’s more expensive than the Boulderfly 6-inch and isn’t so much better in quality that it would warrant ranking it higher. If you are working on aircraft or high-performance automobiles, you’d probably want to pay for the quality because there’s no price to be put on safety. But when you’re doing other work, you can save a few bucks and get similar performance.

3. BikeMaster 15-1554 Safety-Wire Plier – Best for the Money

If you’re looking for a set of safety wire pliers that will get the job done on basic automotive, motorcycle, or even bicycle repair tasks and won’t cost you a lot of money, the BikeMaster 15-1554 is ideal. We ranked it as best for the money because it delivers good performance at a price for every budget.

One thing that stands out is that it doesn’t take up a lot of room. For most people, safety wire pliers are, at best, a once-in-awhile tool, so you don’t want them taking up a lot of space. These fit the bill, and you can save money buying them and save space storing them.

The size is also its primary drawback. They aren’t designed to tackle the biggest, most serious jobs. Their slim jaws have difficulty gripping onto larger pieces of wire. If you have high-speed auto or motorcycle work to do, you’ll want to spend a little more to get larger pliers.

4. OTC 4795 Safety Wire Twist Pliers

In truth, we liked these almost as much as we liked the BikeMasters 15-1554. If your projects don’t require repairs and maintenance on high-performance components, the OTC pliers are a good option as a budget tool.

We dropped them in rank because they don’t have the same value as the BikeMaster. Their performance is not as good, and the tool isn’t as durable. You will save a lot of money buying the OTC pliers over a much more expensive, better-performing tool, but you’ll likely have to replace them much more quickly.

5. Wicks Aircraft 6″ Safety Wire Plier

The Wicks Aircraft 6” received our lowest ranking based almost purely on the price. It’s far too expensive for what it does. That makes it a pretty lousy value in terms of return on dollars spent. You can spend a little more money and get something bigger and far superior in terms of performance.

It’s not a terrible tool, and it’s great for the smallest of safety wire jobs and is comfortable in your hands. If you need a range of safety wire pliers, the Wicks pliers probably have a place in your inventory. However, the piers are too small for heavy-duty projects and more expensive than larger, more durable brands.

Conclusion

We hope you enjoyed our reviews of the best safety wire pliers. Of the five brands we examined, we liked the Boulderfly 6-inch Reversible safety wire pliers the best; they’re durable and affordable. The Milbar 1W393 was a close second and nearly made the top spot. If your work isn’t as high-stakes as aviation, maybe you are just working on a mountain bike, the Bikemaster 15-1554 delivers the best overall return on investment. We also reviewed the OTC 4795 and the Wicks Aircraft 6” Safety-Wire Pliers but were less impressed by the weak frame. However, they’re affordable pliers that can handle minor tasks.

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