best easily obtainable pipe wrench

[chris142]

My dad left me some old pipe wrenches and tonight i had to replace a busted fawcet. The teeth on his old pipe wrenches are worn flat and i had a heck of a time getting them to grip, who makes a decient pipe wrench that i can buy locally tomorrow? Im stuck with the big box stores. Osh,lowes,hd are my only options

 

[JD291]

Rigid

 

[tshetter]

Ridgid, they are available at Home Depot.

 

[skwirl]

Use a triangular file to bring the teeth back to life.

 

[chris142]

Thx guys

 

[Yamaguy]

Wouldn't buy anything but a Ridgid!

 

[nicksnothereman]

My dad left me some old pipe wrenches and tonight i had to replace a busted fawcet. The teeth on his old pipe wrenches are worn flat and i had a heck of a time getting them to grip, who makes a decient pipe wrench that i can buy locally tomorrow? Im stuck with the big box stores. Osh,lowes,hd are my only options

Get the kobalt (I think they're on clearance); in store warranty.

 

[Gasgt1]

Rigid.
Available used almost anywhere..............they are all over and reasonable.

 

[BDT/NWMN]

Rigid

x4 or is that times 5

priced reasonable
USA made

 

[btbsandman]

Go with Rigid.

 

[redwrench60]

Yup, Ridgid.

 

[Doug B]

Depends on your needs. If you are only using it once or twice a year around the house,a store brand wrench (Kobalt) should be fine.If cost doesn't matter,get the best-Ridgid. You said you were fixing a faucet...like a kitchen sink faucet? Maybe some slip joint pliers(Channel locks) would be a better choice.

 

[Farmall450]

Or some cobras. Channellock 440s are great for grabbing round stuff.

Or ridgid

 

[premierplayer]

ridgid for the pipe wrench
channel locks, yes

don't know what you're using it on, but a basin wrench is another go-to tool for a faucet replacement

big box has em' all

 

[fatfillup]

Ridig for pipe wrenches is the only way to go. But I'm thinking you are using the wrong tool for a faucet

 

[cburnscrx]

Definitely Ridgid...however, 2 of my Home Depots in the area don't have ANY in stock, so YMMV

 

[m.b.0331]

+1 for the triangle file. There's a good feeling that comes from maintaining or restoring an old tool, especially one owned by a family member.

 

[sumner52000]

Can't you get replacement jaws on some ridgid pipe wrenches?

 

[sberry]

Any pipe wrench will do for home maint work. I have seen flea mkt wrenches do the job in the oil field.

 

[zkling]

What size of a wrench are you looking for? The rigids are a standard. The old trico's are nice as well as proto.

Can't you get replacement jaws on some ridgid pipe wrenches?

That is what I was wondering, I thought some of them you could replace the jaws. Now the jaw replacement price vs new unit, not sure how that would work out.

 

[sberry]

This guy has a job to do today and doesn't own a wrench,,, has made it this far without one, he will use it on occasion, maybe even as little as a couple times. Cheap is fine, he wont need to reman the jaws and probably doesn't want to hunt flea mkts for a piece of junk that needs work.

I agree while he is there skimp on the wrench and if he doesn't have a pair of 440 he needs them.

 

[SteveCh]

As to replacing the worn jaw parts on the Rigid, I found some parts and even complete rebuild kits after posting a question about them here on GJ last year. However, the cost of the parts was gonna be only a few bucks less than a brand new wrench. I like to rebuild stuff and keep it, but I couldn't go for that one.

 

[rick carpenter]

Pipe wrenches are pretty dumb animals, so any big box brand would suffice though Ridgids are best. I need a 14" or 18" but I have the luxury of time to look for an old Ridgid at garage sales, etc. I don't know how you'd file the teeth by hand and not slightly round them over without great care. Could be done though. Replacement jaws, pads, nuts, and springs are available... finding not too worn or NOS on *bay might be best if you're sentimentally attached to your dad's wrench.

 

[chris142]

The fawcet was outside.3\4 pipe. Musta froze. It broke off leaving the threaded part still in the pipe. I really dont think i can save the teeth on the old ones. They are gouged and flat lol. I'm not against buying a quality tool. Im sure ill be using it again.

 

[jeffmoss26]

Another vote for Ridgid, made here in Ohio! Parts can still be replaced on older ones, too.

 

[dledinger]

I bought 2 - 18" and 4 - 14" Kobalts for a whopping total of $14. Hard to argue with that price. I'd check your local Lowes....they were practically giving them away for a while.

 

[fm2176]

I bought 2 - 18" and 4 - 14" Kobalts for a whopping total of $14. Hard to argue with that price. I'd check your local Lowes....they were practically giving them away for a while.

I picked up a few last month--two aluminum 18" for around $4 and two 10" for $3 each. I made the rounds of the Richmond, VA area stores (went into at least five different ones), as well as the Hinesville, GA store. Only one had the clearance pipe wrenches in stock.

I did notice that the same store had the wrenches' replacements in stock. Original price for my 18" aluminum was around $18, while the new one (slightly different stampings and different part numbers) was labeled at $21.

 

[dledinger]

I wish I would have got the deal on the aluminum ones, but unfortunately I missed it.

 

[metaldad]

Can't you get replacement jaws on some ridgid pipe wrenches?

McMaster Carr has everything!
http://www.mcmaster.com/#adjustable-pipe-wrenches/=qeqbw7

and do support USA and buy Ridgid, not that kobalt **** from that 3rd world country across big pond