10 Useful Klein Hand Tools To Add To Your Tool Box

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While Klein Tools has some impact drivers and wrenches, its offering is far from that of the biggest power tool brands out there. If you're looking for anything but the most basic battery-powered drill or a corded-anything, you're better off looking elsewhere. But if you need a hand tool, Klein almost certainly has you covered. The company makes plenty of basic but resilient tools like hammers, pliers, and screwdriver sets. Most users would probably be well-served by those common tools (there's a reason why all combination pliers look the same), but that's not what we're here for. Klein makes so many tools; it's bound to make something special every now and then.

You might want something like Klein Tools' (sometimes literally) patented multi-bit screwdrivers, for which the company developed more and more elaborate ways to hide the bits inside the driver's body. Or perhaps you're looking for a gift idea for a DIYer that is actually useful (even if you wouldn't buy it for yourself). Whichever weird tool you can't even think of, if Klein Tools makes it, it's in this article.

One last thing before getting started: every entry on this list has a name and a tool code. Why? Because sometimes it's easier to look for a 32527HD or Klein Mag2 than a descriptive name that's longer than most English sentences.

A multitool for stripping cables is extremely specific. The average user won't need something this specialized, but it's a unique piece of equipment. At its simplest, this is a piece of plastic with a hole in the center and a blade on the inside. There's not much this blade can't do. Slide a cable in, and it will slice it up. Take the wires inside, push them in from a slightly different angle, and it will strip them of their protective rubber. Use the small holes on the side of this tool to hook onto the copper core and bend it as needed, then secure a wire nut to the opening in the front, push in the wires and twist, then to keep the connected cables safely together.

There's a lot the 5-in-1 Cable Stripping Tool from Klein Tools can do. For $19.99, it's hard to do more. However, it does come with some limitations. Its size, for one, only makes it usable on 12/2 and 14/2 Romex cables. The same goes for wires: the wire stripper only works on sizes 12 and 14 AWG Solid wires. On the other hand, Klein Tools claims it supports a "wide variety of winged wired nuts." Wire strippers are commonly found in small, everyday use multitools, but if you spend enough time surrounded by cables, it's nice to have a machine dedicated to the job.

Klein Tools isn't the biggest name among impact driver brands, and we're not here to talk about power tools anyway, but we can't ignore the fact that Klein Tools makes a lot of impact-rated bits. Many of those bits, including those found in the 32-Piece ¼-Inch Socket Set, are first and foremost a hand tool. They just happen to be so adaptable that you can connect them to an impact driver with the included adapter. It's a good thing they're so adaptable: this bit set comes with seven hex sockets, 21 screwdrivers bits, various extensions and adapters (including a ¼-inch square adapter and a ¼-inch bit holder), and a big passthrough ratchet for comfortable use.

We've selected this kit because it's popular with its users and seems to be the best deal, at $49.98, but Klein Tools sells two similar kits for about the same price. The closest is the 15-piece kit, which includes seemingly the same passthrough ratchet but trades all its driver bits for even more sockets. This one is a little more expensive, at $69.98. The last one is the $ 49.98 3 Heavy-Duty Color Coded Flip Sockets Kit, which comes with a smaller, ¼-inch square drive ratchet for use in small areas, three double-sided and color coded nut drivers, and a few adapters. All those kits, the ratchets and their bits, are at least partially interoperable, since they're all part of the KNECT system by Klein Tools.

Wouldn't you look at that, it's another Klein Tools weird multi-bit screwdriver. How many of those can they make? By our count, there are at least a couple dozen. It's no surprise they feature so prominently in our list of Klein Tools under $20. What makes this one special? This time, the blade is made out of the bits! How did they fit 11 bits inside this KNECT 11-in-1 Impact-Rated Screwdriver/Nut Driver? The short version is that the bits are double-sided and they slot right into the nut drivers. It sounds easy, sure, but if the Patent Pending printed on the tool is any indication, it couldn't have been a walk in the park. Maybe that's why, at $29.97, it's a little more expensive than Klein's other multi-bit drivers.

This weird multi-bit driver comes with four nut drivers (three of which can be used with a power tool) and seven driver bits, including Philips #1 and #2, square #1 and #2, two slotted bits, and the T25 Torx. Meanwhile, the body is ready for ratchet action, while the Fixed mode lets you use it as a regular screwdriver. Both the 5/16 and the 3/8 nut drivers, which is what the driver bits connect to, can be connected to an impact driver thanks to the standard ¼-inch hex opening. Alternatively, you can connect the driver bits directly into an impact driver, since they're also impact rated.

Klein Tools has done it again. Finally, another ratcheting screwdriver where the bits are stored inside the handle. Jokes aside, this 15-in-1 Multi-Bit Ratcheting Screwdriver is another Klein Tools multi-bit screwdriver that looks like a gimmick but is actually quite nice. In this case, it's an extra portable ratcheting driver (which is a feat in itself) that uses "energy absorbing" Torsion Zone Bits, which promise to give the bits a longer life and to make the job less taxing. After all, the two-sided bits go straight into the screwdriver's body.

You don't need a separate box to carry the bits around, making this multi-bit driver extremely portable, even if it's not the smallest mini tool. 15 bits, which this thing comes with, are a lot, and there is a lot those bits can do. However, as you might have noticed, 15 is not a multiple of two. Aren't those bits double-faced? Yes, they are, which is what allows Klein to include just seven of them and have them do the work of 14 driver heads. Each pulls double duty, being simultaneously a Philips #1 and #2, #0 and #3, and so on. As for the 15th? It's the empty socket. Every bit is built on a ¼-inch hex, which slots into the driver's body. Take off the bit, and you have a perfectly functional ¼-inch nut driver.

Let's make one thing clear: If you already have a hammer, you probably don't need this one. However, if you do need a new hammer, for example, because you're getting rid of every tool with a wooden handle, this one is sure to be an upgrade. The 22-Ounce Smooth Face Steel Hammer is probably more expensive than your old no-brand hammer, at $29.98, but it does more than enough to justify the price. For one, it has a steel core handle that is going to take a while to break and a cushion grip for comfort and stress relief.

That's all nice and good, but at the end of the day, this is just a hammer, isn't it? Yes, but there's something only this tool can do. Well, this and all the tools with the same functions, but that makes it a little special anyway. The standout feature of Klein Tool's big hammer is the nail starter, which promises to give you an easy way to drive nails with just one hand. While it's probably far from ideal, there are some situations where you won't have another option. Something else that might come in handy are the nail pullers on the side. The hammer's head is made out of the usual strike face on the front and nail puller on the back, but two additional holes on the sides make for much smaller nail pullers, ideal for tight spaces.

Klein Tools might not be the best utility knife for every budget, but it fulfills the needs of its own niche without issues, at least according to its users. As a knife/driver combo, the Klein Tools Folding Utility Knife With Driver doesn't have a lot of competition, but we should also acknowledge that, while it does something extremely specific, it does it extremely well. In the comparison with the few similar products, like the Milwaukee Fastback 6-in-1, Klein Tools comes up on top, even if $19.98 is a little more than most brands would ask for. Users seem to agree, too.

What makes the Klein utility knife better than the alternatives? For one, the blade can be locked at 135°, which is an ideal position for when you need to put more strength on a surface. According to those who have used it, the blade holds this position without snapping open even when under pressure. The blade can be locked at 180° as well, and it's even possible to flick it into this shape without it stopping midway through, at 135°. Then there's the driver, an impact-rated Philips #2 slotted into a standard ¼-inch hexagonal nut. If you have some impact-rated bits, especially if they're from Klein Tools, they're probably this exact size.

Sure, a knife/screwdriver combo is as useful as it sounds dangerous, but do you know what's better? Five blades, five driver bits, and a plier head, all in a compact package that fits in a small pouch. Klein even gives you a small pouch to go with it. It sells replacement pouches, too, presumably for when you forget to close the blades before putting the TripSaver Multi-Tool away. That's exciting stuff, which is why we should point out now that this gadget costs $89.99. Maybe you can grab it during a sale, or maybe it's more of a useful gift than a work tool, but almost $100 is a little too much for this. However, affordable alternatives like the Letherman multi-tool don't offer the same options.

Klein Tools doesn't even sell replacement blades for this thing. Then why do we recommend it? As one user points out, the tool might not be perfect, but it's just a backup. You'll never grab this tool instead of a screwdriver when you need to drive a project worth of screws, but if you need to do just one, this multi-tools saves you a trip to the toolbox. If that's what you need, you want this gadget. It comes with five bits: the Philips #1 and #2, small and large slotted ones, and a ¼-inch socket adapter. The slot, as is often the case with Klein Tools, takes any ¼-inch hex bit. The multi-knife portion includes sharp, serrated blades and a dedicated drywall saw.

Based on user reviews on Amazon, this is the most popular wire stripper and cutter multi-tool from Klein Tools. It might very well be the best of a long list of such tools made by the brand. There's a reason why Klein Tools is known as an electrician's brand. While the Katapult Wire Stripper and Cutter is certainly versatile, as it works with wire sizes 8-20 AWG for solid wires and 10-22 AWG for stranded wires, calling it a multi-tool would be misleading. This thing strips wires, and then it cuts them. It's a far cry from the 20-in-1 genre of multi-tools.

As you can see on the tool itself, the cutting hole in the center of the tool is "for copper only, 10 AWG max"; the larger of the stranded sizes supported by the tool, since a lower number means a larger size. This fails to mention that the cutter supports bigger sizes – up to AWG 8 – as long as it's a solid wire. Still, even those confused by this incomplete description can't help but recommend the tool, citing the quality of the construction and of the grips, and the ease with which it strips wires of various sizes. Just make sure you're using the tool correctly. It's hard to see from the pictures, but the head of the Katapult has various holes fitting all the supported wire sizes.

Another multi-bit screwdriver set from Klein. Yes, it's starting to get repetitive, but as long as they keep making them, we'll keep talking about them. What's special about the 8-in-1 Insulated Interchangeable Screwdriver Set is the insulation. Whether you're in the unenviable position of having to work on live circuits (even though you really shouldn't) or you want/need an extra layer of safety, a set of insulated screwdrivers is an important piece of a safe working environment. Just make sure to get all the safety equipment you need. However, screwdriver kits take up so much space, and you're not going to use an insulated one that often. The obvious solution is a portable, multi-bit driver.

How portable exactly? Even though this time the bits don't fit inside the handle, Klein Tools arranged a neat, tight package. The driver's body and the five blades fit inside a small pouch, about as long as a regular screwdriver and only a little ticker. It definitely takes less space than eight separate screwdrivers. But wait, are there just five blades? Wasn't this an eight-in-one set? It sure is. This kit features eight blades rated for 1,000-Volt insulation, two of which (the ¼-inch slotted and #2 Philips) are one-sided and have a longer, thicker blade.

The rest (Philips #2 and #1, slotted ¼-inch and others) are a little shorter and have two bits each. Of course, the body holding those bits is insulated as well.

Magnetic tools and accessories are very useful, from screwdrivers that can pick up small metal fasteners and attach bits faster, to tool holders and organizer kits. It would be great if you could infuse any tool with this power in a matter of seconds. That's exactly what the Magnetizer/Demagnetizer by Klein Tools does. It also demagnetizes, hence the second part of the name, though you can achieve the same result by whacking the tool on a hard surface a couple of times.

Of course, the magnetization achieved with this method is quite weak. It can't even compare to the (still weak) tip of a magnetic screwdriver. Still, it does what's needed when you want to squeeze a little more out of your old tools without switching them out for something fancier. Since this is just a magnet, you can find similar products from almost every other major tool brand. Klein's version has a keyring for easier carry, though you might want to keep it away from your keys, lest they fill your pockets full of screws.