What is this, a fidget wrench?

[TurnipTruck]

Only one of my daughters is a tool user, and she found this at a garage sale and had to have it. She doesn’t know what it is for, and neither do I. But I seem to recall maybe seeing something like it in the last month on this forum. WTH is it?

 

[JMLangford]

My wild guess would be that it is part of a toolkit that came in a Japanese automobile, and the hole in the middle is where it was held down with the clamp for the spare tire or the jack?????

 

[4xdog]

Hmm… 13/16mm aren’t typical sizes on a Japanese car.

The center ring does kinda look like it’s intended as a keeper of some sort, but that’s kind of an odd way to do it. A clip might be used in many cases for this.

I can’t think of a good reason for the ring being related to its wrenching or what other piece it was used with, although that seems most likely IMO.

No COO marking? There does appear to be a logo forged into the thing, which is probably a good clue if that can be identified.

 

[Hakeem]

I’d assume it was a hole for a tether. Maybe used to store/organize the wrench as part of a set?

Sure is a puzzling one!

 

[AEAdam]

I’ll bet that’s the handle for a car jack. Or something like that. Or maybe something from a motorcycle kit. It’s the 13/16 that has me stumped. That could be bicycle wheels and pedals or something like that. But that’s too nice a tool for a bicycle. Guessing motorcycle and the hole is the attachment method.

 

[JMLangford]

Hmm… 13/16mm aren’t typical sizes on a Japanese car.....

No COO marking? There does appear to be a logo forged into the thing, which is probably a good clue if that can be identified.....

The reason I mention I thought it was Japanese, is I believe I've seen that logo on a wrench from a Honda tool kit before. (?)

.

 

[Rinspeed]

I did a quick search and came up with nothing.

 

[4xdog]

The reason I mention I thought it was Japanese, is I believe I've seen that logo on a wrench from a Honda tool kit before. (?)

It’s a real longshot, but maybe something for a Honda Powersports, or even less likely, Power Equipment line product with different, market-specific fasteners? Paging @Metallitubby…

No work I’ve done on my or our family’s Japanese vehicles for the last fifty years has needed 13/16mm wrenches. Mostly Toyota, but others as well.

 

[johnre]

Hmm… 13/16mm aren’t typical sizes on a Japanese car.

The reason I mention I thought it was Japanese, is I believe I've seen that logo on a wrench from a Honda tool kit before. (?)

A 13/16" size wouldn't be marked that way, with the two numbers split - and in any case, the two ends are two different sizes.

I would thus conclude that the "13" refers to 13 mm, on the smaller end, and the "16" refers to 16 mm, on the larger end.

 

[paulsomlo]

The hole in the middle is for bolts that have been rounded over.

 

[JradM]

Like Hakeem, I assumed a tether attachment point.

I’d assume it was a hole for a tether. Maybe used to store/organize the wrench as part of a set?

Sure is a puzzling one!

 

[YesIHaveAHammer]

I'd like to believe the middle hole is for storage, but it seems rather a lot of effort to make a custom tool in presumably limited numbers for that.

Here's an obvious defect (from Facebook):

 

[YesIHaveAHammer]

13 & 16mm would be an ISO 4162 standard wrench for M8 and M10 bolts. No other standard has both.

Does the diameter of the middle hole happen to be 18mm? Would make it M12, and suggest a defect.

 

[niget2002]

It's for putting your finger in to spin it around the bolt faster.

 

[RTM]

13 & 16mm would be an ISO 4162 standard wrench for M8 and M10 bolts. No other standard has both.

Does the diameter of the middle hole happen to be 18mm? Would make it M12, and suggest a defect.

But, since the 13 and 16 are cast/ forged in, and there is no number around the center hole, I don't put much faith in that.

It's for putting your finger in to spin it around the bolt faster.

And whacking it so much harder when you misjudge the clearance.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

A little birdie asked me to take a look at this.

WTH is it?

A waste of valuable, useful space!

In the vintage days (30s to 50s), several mfgrs of Auto Kit type wrench sets would've used that through-hole for dual purposes: as a keeper mechanism (such as a bolt, washer and wingnut binding 4 or 5 scaled wrenches of different service end openings together) and as a square opening or rounded but threaded for tapping or re-threading.

 

[ChevyEFI]

Motion Pro has a 12/14mm w/the center broached for 3/8" sq. for use as a torque adapter.

 

[1Bad55Chevy]

Idk what that wrench is for but I do know Al Bundy once scored 4 touchdowns in the 1966 Chicago city championship game. Many people still think "Spare Tire" Dixon stopped him short in the final seconds. Not sure if that helps or not but its sure interesting!