I have owned the same pair of Craftsman locking pliers since I was 19 years old. It is one of my favorite tools at home. The pliers are also useful in tightening barrel-type element connectors. Locking pliers are usually called Vise-Grips, which is the most famous brand of locking pliers.
Before using the Vise-Grips to tighten the element connectors, examine the teeth where the pliers clamp onto the connector. The element connector tends to slide if the Vise-Grips teeth are worn smooth.
You will find a knurled bolt at the end of one of the Vise-Grips handles. Place the element connector near the outer end of the Vise-Grips jaws. Close the handles. Adjust the bolt until the gap in the jaws is just wide enough for the element connector. Then open the jaws and turn the bolt a little more so that an extra squeeze of the handles is needed to lock the element connector under tension. Practice this on an old element connector. (Element barrel connectors should be replaced when you install a new element.)
Once the barrel connector is firmly clamped, tighten the stainless steel element screw with either a 1/4" nut driver or box-end wrench. Tighten the screw to 30" pounds, which is about 1 1/4 turns past the point of firm resistance. Moving the small lever, which is near one of the handles, releases the Vise-Grips.
