$10 detent ball pliers

[wateka]

MEL1278 is the best answer, hands down, but is +/- $120. Channel locks will certainly work, but are over 2x thicker than these pliers, so there is less room to slide the cover on before the channel locks hit the spring. This is 90% of the MEL1278 convenience at 10% of the price. The bearings are 3/16", so start drilling an indentation as shown in the pic and stop when you have enough depth to keep the ball from sliding off too easily.