One of my favorite tools is a humble pair of fence-pliers. It's practically NOT the best tool for any single task. Need to drive a nail? A hammer usually works better. Need to pull a nail? Again a hammer or a crow-bar generally work better. Need to cut a wire? Wire-cutters work better. Need to grip and bend a wire(s)? Pliers often work better.
Frequently if I'm doing rough handyman work I'll keep the fence pliers handy. Often in my back pocket. In a pinch it can do any of the above tasks.
Recently I was under my house doing some cleanup work from my recent (still not completely finished) bathroom tub replacement project. In the course of the project some boards were replaced before the tub went in. The screws used to secure the boards were too long and under the house were a head injury waiting to happen to the next person in the crawl-space. Also some of the pex (Plastic) water lines were dislodged and sagging. So, under the house I went. Fence pliers at the ready. Used them to help tack up the sagging water lines, and a sagging electrical line. And to nip off the excess threads of the screws. Handy.
