Snap-on AWP45 Review: A Compact Water Pump Plier With One Big Catch

Introduction

Small water pump pliers are easy to overlook until you are working in a tight spot where a full-size pair simply will not fit. That is exactly the niche the Snap-on AWP45 targets: a 5-inch, three-position tongue and groove plier that is also the only one in this small class that is spring-loaded. It carries the traditional Snap-on quality feel, is made in the USA, and comes with the thick dipped handles many tool users prefer on Snap-on pliers.

The name “water pump pliers” describes the shape rather than the job. The profile echoes the handle of an old hand water pump, which is where the style is generally believed to have originated, not because these tools are used on water pumps.

Who This Product Is For

The AWP45 makes sense for tool users who want a genuinely small plier for confined fasteners and small components, and who already like the Snap-on feel and handle style. It also suits collectors and brand loyalists who want a compact companion to their larger Snap-on pliers, since there is a whole series of these small sizes available.

It is worth knowing that this category has strong competition. Some of the small rivals, such as compact Knipex and Channellock designs, cost barely over $10, and a couple of them outperform the AWP45 in specific measurements, as covered below.

Main Strengths

The strongest points are exactly what you would expect from the brand. The AWP45 has the traditional Snap-on quality feel, a US-made build, and the heavy, thick dipped handles that many users like on Snap-on pliers. The spring-loaded action is a genuine distinction here: it is the only one of these micro water pump style pliers that has it, which makes one-handed use more comfortable than with the earlier spring-loaded small pliers this owner has tried, which felt weaker by comparison.

The jaws themselves are fairly stout and reasonably wide, and while the capacity measured with the jaws parallel is narrow, you can grab at an angle to work around that limitation in some situations.

Things to Consider Before Buying

This is where the AWP45 shows real limitations. Measured with a caliper at the largest position, squeezed until the jaws run approximately parallel, the Snap-on opens to roughly 11.5mm. A tiny Channellock ignition plier, which is a design originally intended for working on points and similar small parts on carbureted cars, measured slightly larger at about 11.8mm. That puts the Snap-on behind even the smallest competitor in the comparison.

The bigger names dominate at the top of the range. A large Knipex Cobra opened to about 26mm, closer to 25mm when compressed slightly parallel, more than twice the Snap-on’s capacity. A Stahlwille alligator-style plier reached around 17mm even at its smallest setting, leaving far more grabbing capability. A plier wrench, with parallel jaws throughout, measured around 22 to 23mm under slight compression.

The arm construction is the most significant concern. The AWP45 has an ultra-thin arm, around 1.97mm thick, and it can be bent easily with only a little force. The Channellock ignition plier is actually thinner than the Snap-on, but the other pliers in the comparison carry considerably more metal, roughly 2mm or more on comparable Crescent-style designs, which holds everything together far more securely. If you close the AWP45 when it is not seated in one of the grooves, the jaws start to spread quickly because there is so little material.

There is also an odd detail at the joint: the plier uses a large riveted nut rather than the clean riveted lines seen on some rivals, and that nut measures around 2.5mm, thicker than the 1.92mm reference arm in the comparison. It is nearly the same size nut you would see on a larger pair of pliers, and it seems like an obvious place to have shrunk the design down.

Buying Advice

At around $38 online or off the truck, the AWP45 sits on the steeper side for a tool this size. For not much more money you can move up to bigger sizes with more capability. Plenty of alternatives exist in this small class, some barely over $10, and pricing on some models appears to flex depending on the season.

If you are simply after the most capable small plier, the measured capacity and arm thickness of the competition make a strong case for looking elsewhere first. If you are a Snap-on fan who values the feel, the spring-loaded action, and having a matching small companion for your existing set, the AWP45 is still a fun and well-built little tool to own.

Conclusion

The Snap-on AWP45 is a nicely made, US-built 5-inch plier with the classic Snap-on handle feel and the only spring-loaded action in this micro class. Its narrow parallel jaw capacity, paper-thin arm, oversized joint nut, and premium price mean it is best bought by brand enthusiasts rather than by anyone chasing maximum capability per dollar. If raw capacity and robustness matter most to you, the small Knipex and Channellock options in this comparison deserve a close look first.