Quick verdict
A magazine-fed hog ring plier from Malco, the American sheet metal and fencing tool maker, that holds fifty hog rings in a strip and closes one around chain link fabric and tension wire with a squeeze of spring-loaded handles, with two built-in wire cutters for 11 gauge wire. Tying a chain link fence to its bottom tension wire by hand with single rings takes all day; a magazine plier does a ring a second. It is the same tool used for seat upholstery, bagging and cage building.
Strengths
- Magazine holds fifty rings; one squeeze per ring
- Spring-open handles with non-slip grips
- Stop guide feeds rings correctly
- Two wire cutters for 11 gauge built in
- Malco quality with a long record
Weaknesses
- Takes standard hog ring strips; check ring size
- Heavier than a single-ring plier
- Overkill for a dozen rings
The overall YardToolLab Score is out of 100. Section scores are out of 10.
A Ring a Second
A chain link fence is tied to its bottom tension wire with hog rings every couple of feet, and a hundred feet of fence is a lot of rings to load one at a time into a hand plier. Malco’s HRP2 holds fifty rings in a magazine and closes one with each squeeze, with spring handles that open themselves and two wire cutters built into the jaws for 11 gauge wire.
This review is based on the maker’s specifications and on how magazine hog ring pliers are used in fencing generally. We have not used this tool ourselves.
Using It
Load a strip of rings into the magazine against the stop guide. Hook the open ring around the fabric wire and the tension wire together, squeeze until the ring closes into a loop, and release; the handles spring open and the next ring feeds. Walk the fence line doing one every two feet. The cutters trim the tension wire and tie wire without a second tool.
Why a Magazine
Single-ring pliers need a ring picked from a pocket and set in the jaws for every tie, with gloves on, in the wind. A magazine removes that step and the job goes from a day to an hour. Fencing crews use magazine pliers; this is the one for a homeowner doing a long run or anyone who builds in wire.
Beyond the Fence
Rabbit hutches and chicken runs, mesh panels on a frame, wire mesh tied to rebar before a pour, upholstery springs, bagging and sausage casings. Hog rings are the universal wire tie and this plier drives them fast.
Build
Malco makes sheet metal and fencing tools for trades, and the HRP2 has the forged jaws and the finish that implies. Rubber inserts in the handle openings keep a grip in the wet.
Rings
It takes strip-collated hog rings of the specified size. Loose rings from a hardware bag do not feed; buy the strips.
Who Should Buy It
- Anyone installing a chain link fence with tension wire.
- Cage, run and hutch builders.
- Trades that tie wire all day.
Common Owner Complaints
Ring size confusion. Buy the strips Malco specifies.
Technique Tips
Pull the fabric down to the tension wire with a foot before each ring so the tie is not holding slack. Set rings on the inside face of the fence where the fabric is pushed from, so the ring takes the load in its loop rather than at its open ends. Keep a strip of rings in a shirt pocket and reload before the magazine is empty, since the last ring feeds poorly.
Alternatives to Consider
A single-ring hog ring plier for a short fence. A pneumatic hog ring gun for production work. Aluminum tie wire and a twister for top rail ties.
Verdict
For a long chain link run or a life spent building in wire, a magazine plier is the tool and Malco builds it properly. Load the strips, hook both wires and squeeze.
Full specifications
Malco HRP2 Hog Ring Chain Link Fencing Stapler with Magazine FAQs
A chain link fence has a tension wire along the bottom and sometimes the top, and hog rings tie the fabric to that wire every couple of feet so the bottom cannot be pushed out.
Load a strip of rings in the magazine, hook the open ring around the fabric wire and the tension wire, squeeze until the ring closes, release and the next ring feeds.
Standard strip hog rings of the size Malco specifies. Loose single rings do not feed.
Wire cages and traps, mesh panels, upholstery springs, sausage and bag closing, and tying wire mesh to rebar.
