Ideal has got a "premium" pair selling for around $185,...
A $185 hammer? I wonder if they are reaching out to the military market.
I use the Kline 2000 series pliers and they have taken good care of me. I tend to stay away from the higher priced hand tools since I tend to lose more them my fare share. The cheap one are only good for one or two shots. Good if use in a highly coorosive environment. The 2000 are capable of cutting nails, screws, and jack chain. I even cut wire with them once in a while. The are just a couple of bucks more and they are durable. I think I paid around $45 for them.
