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need experienced opinions for a wrench set

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nicksnothereman

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mech-tech said:
At me new job, I work with lots of very old rusted bolts that have been exposed to salt water environments and often times when I need a wrench, it becomes more of a problem than it should be. I currently use my old USA made craftsman combination wrenches and my gearwrench sets. I can usually get the nuts/bolts off with the boxed end or fit a socket over them, but when the situation calls for an open end due to tight spaces, almost 10 times out of 10 I have to resort to vise grips. My USA craftsmans are not the best at this task, though the gearwrenches would work well except for the fact that every time I put any force on the wrench I can feel the open end slipping due to the jaws opening up. I have looked at the proto sets of up to 1-1/4", but at over $300 it is a little steep at the moment. Is there any hidden gems when it comes to wrenches sets up to the 1-1/4" size? I had recently bought a large Stanley branded wrench cause I like the way they feel, but as of yesterday I lost faith in them after seeing a coworker crack a 1-1/8" Stanley wrench while trying to remove a plug. Snap on and other truck brands are out of the question for the time being. Can a guy still buy a new set of wrenches at a decent prices that will actually work?
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Buy a heat gun and use it.:bounce: I mean if you're using vice grips on bolts obviously it don't matter if you strip the heads.

You can try wrench connectors, not sure if they'll help though. Heat gun will definitely help if it's "allowed" and it's not incredibly time consuming even when using penetrating oil.
 
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1foxracing

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monomach said:
I sold my FD+ when I got my WrightGrips. The joke is that I sold the used Snappys for more than the new Wrights cost...and the Wrights have been better.
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+1, I did the exact same thing. Sold off my Snap On stuff and replaced with Wright Tool and still put cash in my pocket. Go with the Wright Grip and you won't be disappointed, I have both the polished and satin wrenches in metric.
DSC00017.JPG
 
L

Local

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1foxracing said:
+1, I did the exact same thing. Sold off my Snap On stuff and replaced with Wright Tool and still put cash in my pocket. Go with the Wright Grip and you won't be disappointed, I have both the polished and satin wrenches in metric.
DSC00017.JPG
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I just wish wright offered a slightly longer version. That's why I can have both regular and extended versions and still be cheaper than one set of snap ons.
 
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espyking83

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Wamsutta said:
Okay, apparently you're in disagreement with Mr. Skin. He doesn't share your same enthusiasm for the Proto ASD:



http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=249225&highlight=proto&showall=1
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I dont know who that is and I really don't care. I do know that I spend 40+ hours a week turning wrenches and I know the difference between a good one and a bad one. Would like to know if he was trying to use it as a cell phone instead of as a wrench, because the one's I bought work phenomenally.
 
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byoungblood

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mech-tech said:
I knew you guys would talk me into buying something!!!!!!!! I see Wright makes a wrench set up to 1'', and another set up to 1-1/4". From what I have seen at this job, the only time I usually need the bigger wrenches is on flange bolts and large tubing fittings. Would you guys say I should just go for the set up to 1" for $130???? Or does it make a difference in the larger sizes as well? I have always thought that the sizes above 1" have enough meat on them to make life a little easier if they are rusted.
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I'd get the one that goes up to 1-1/4". 1-1/8" in particular is the standard hex size on a 3/4" bolt, which you will probably encounter quite a bit.

I have the WrightGrip metric combos and like others here, I love 'em. They're probably the first wrenches I've owned where I'm not afraid of busting my hand using the open end on a tight bolt. I'd have them in SAE as well but then Sears put those full polish Craftsman Industrials on sale for next to nothing and the temptation was too much to resist.
 
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Davefr

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I actually prefer Wright over SO FD+. Once you hold both wrenches you'll gravitate to Wright. They just feel better in your hand. SO's are a little too thin. The Wrights seem to give you a better grip/feel around the beam.

The Wrights are also a tiny fraction of the price you'd pay for SO FD+.
 
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OutsideMachinist

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When did Wright start making the wright grip wrenches? Is there a way to verify a set is indeed those? A lot of sites online don't specify.
 
J

jdmstr

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mech-tech said:
At me new job, I work with lots of very old rusted bolts that have been exposed to salt water environments and often times when I need a wrench, it becomes more of a problem than it should be. I currently use my old USA made craftsman combination wrenches and my gearwrench sets. I can usually get the nuts/bolts off with the boxed end or fit a socket over them, but when the situation calls for an open end due to tight spaces, almost 10 times out of 10 I have to resort to vise grips. My USA craftsmans are not the best at this task, though the gearwrenches would work well except for the fact that every time I put any force on the wrench I can feel the open end slipping due to the jaws opening up. I have looked at the proto sets of up to 1-1/4", but at over $300 it is a little steep at the moment. Is there any hidden gems when it comes to wrenches sets up to the 1-1/4" size? I had recently bought a large Stanley branded wrench cause I like the way they feel, but as of yesterday I lost faith in them after seeing a coworker crack a 1-1/8" Stanley wrench while trying to remove a plug. Snap on and other truck brands are out of the question for the time being. Can a guy still buy a new set of wrenches at a decent prices that will actually work?
Click to expand...

snap-on FD+ is what you need but since they're out of the question you could check out Carlyle at Napa they have a set of long panel "non slip" wrenches that are a copy of snap-on and iv'e had great results with mine. you can also check out SK they make a nice wrench.
 
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theoldwizard1

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mech-tech said:
At me new job, I work with lots of very old rusted bolts that have been exposed to salt water environments ...
when the situation calls for an open end due to tight spaces, almost 10 times out of 10 I have to resort to vise grips.


Can a guy still buy a new set of wrenches at a decent prices that will actually work?
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Short answer is NO !

I would not even bet on a SO Flank Drive on bolt heads as your described. Ask the other guys in the shop. Sound like you need a good pair of Vise Grips with a cheater welded on !
 
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OutsideMachinist

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theoldwizard1 said:
It says they have smooth jaws.

Why are these better that a standard pipe wrench ?
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Yes they have smooth jaws. They are different/better than a standard pipe wrench because they can be used on fittings you cant damage. A regular pipe wrench with teeth will destroy air and hydraulic fittings.
 
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Gfleck067

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Mar 11, 2014
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Facom or the Mac tools pro torque wrenches are awesome use them everyday at work and I'm a crane mechanic. Haven't rounded or slipped off any bolt or nut rusty or greasey
 
A

AaronMartin

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Nov 19, 2012
Messages
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It sounds like you're looking for an open-end wrench solution. Prepare to have your mind blown:

http://www.xforcetools.com/products/hexforce

HEXFORCE BABY! Now I haven't tried this tool yet and haven't read any reviews, but in theory and on paper, it is absolute genius. This is the tool many of us have wished for, thinking, "Man I wish there was something somehow I could wrap around this entire nut..."
And here's two more possible open-end wrench ideas/solutions/alternatives:

http://thecoolesttools.com/reinventing-the-wheel-knipex-pliers-wrench/

Knipex Pliers Wrench. People love this tool and they are strong as steel.

http://thecoolesttools.com/crescent-2-piece-folding-flip-grip-ratcheting-clench-wrench/

The clench wrench is great for brake and fuel lines and things of that nature. All really good reviews on Amazon.

Spline/Universal wrenches like these are amazing as well. I've never had them slip off or strip/round a bolt, and these things are long and you can put quite a bit of torque on them. At first I was skeptical about them, thinking they were just another gimmick. "Yeah yeah you can use them on 6-pt, 12-pt, torx, etc. sure. Bet they're not as good as my 12-points." Oh let me tell you they are better than 12-point. I've rounded bolts with a 12-point before, but I haven't yet with these spline/universals.

I think Matco makes spline/universal impact sockets! Hey if Matco trusts them to put them on an impact gun, I'm gonna say these have very little chance of rounding a bolt. Spline/Universal wrenches and sockets are great.

Oh and to the guys who sold off their Snap On for Wrights - good on ya, and I love you. There's a new tech at my shop fairly new out of tech school, and he is decked in Snap On (and decked in debt). I look at a single wrench/socket set of his and think, "Man... that cost more than my entire second drawer!" Hah!
 
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mech-tech

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I ordered the satin finish set, only because they will have a rough life and the added grip would be nice. But polished finish sure is nice for easy cleanup.
 
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Strouty

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Since people are discussing all these different "grip" style open ends, I have a question.

At what size does this become a non issue? I know I have import sockets for some bigger sizes that work fine, never have striped or rounded anything, but this is all for 1 1/2" and bigger.

So does a FD plus or Wright grip really help after you get to a certain size? I feel once the wrench is big enough the open end shouldn't flex unless applying a cheater.

The reason I am asking is that the FD plus can be had reasonably if you only go to 1" (at least in standard length), it seems that is gets crazy after that.
 
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FunkyfullWidth

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How often are you using the open end of a wrench? I almost never use it, and find that a good set of 6pt box combination wrenches is best. That and a set of turbo sockets for those real crusty bolts.

I have several different wrenches for go to's. Regular c-man style combo. matco XL box/ ratcheting with zero offset on the ratchet side, 10 or 15, whatever it is on the box end. And gear wrench ratcheting flex heads. Then a few different sets of short and stubby wrenches. I used this set up for both heavy duty fleet/machine work and now ****** r&r's.
 
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cgv69

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Trust me, no one understand the desire to have a complete set more then me but thinking from a purely practical POV...

In reality, how many different size wrenches do you really need for your job? What I'm thinking is, while you may not be able to afford a complete set of SO FD+ wrenches now but do you really need a complete set?

if you typically only really use 2-4 sizes, you may be able to afford getting the SO's in just those sizes while using your current set for the other sizes? You can always add other SO FD+'s later to complete the set as your budget/needs allow/dictate
 
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Strouty

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cgv69 said:
Trust me, no one understand the desire to have a complete set more then me but thinking from a purely practical POV...

In reality, how many different size wrenches do you really need for your job? What I'm thinking is, while you may not be able to afford a complete set of SO FD+ wrenches now but do you really need a complete set?

if you typically only really use 2-4 sizes, you may be able to afford getting the SO's in just those sizes while using your current set for the other sizes? You can always add other SO FD+'s later to complete the set as your budget/needs allow/dictate
Click to expand...

I am also a "set" type person, but at the price, I feel they may be worth buying the basics. I am just curious to see if after 3/4" (or something like that), the FD plus is just not needed as much.
 
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espyking83

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cgv69 said:
Trust me, no one understand the desire to have a complete set more then me but thinking from a purely practical POV...

In reality, how many different size wrenches do you really need for your job? What I'm thinking is, while you may not be able to afford a complete set of SO FD+ wrenches now but do you really need a complete set?

if you typically only really use 2-4 sizes, you may be able to afford getting the SO's in just those sizes while using your current set for the other sizes? You can always add other SO FD+'s later to complete the set as your budget/needs allow/dictate
Click to expand...

Very good point. As an aircraft mechanic I really only use 3/8"-9/16" 90% of the time.
 
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Davefr

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Strouty said:
Since people are discussing all these different "grip" style open ends, I have a question.

At what size does this become a non issue? I know I have import sockets for some bigger sizes that work fine, never have striped or rounded anything, but this is all for 1 1/2" and bigger.

So does a FD plus or Wright grip really help after you get to a certain size? I feel once the wrench is big enough the open end shouldn't flex unless applying a cheater.

The reason I am asking is that the FD plus can be had reasonably if you only go to 1" (at least in standard length), it seems that is gets crazy after that.
Click to expand...


According to Wright, that cutoff point is 1-1/4" and 24mm. Anything larger then that doesn't come with Wright Grip.
 
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espyking83

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Strouty said:
I am also a "set" type person, but at the price, I feel they may be worth buying the basics. I am just curious to see if after 3/4" (or something like that), the FD plus is just not needed as much.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't think they would be as necessary, but I really don't see any large sizes outside of a few large bolts here and there. Hydraulic plumbing maybe, but those fasteners are usually in great shape.
 
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theoldwizard1

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OutsideMachinist said:
Yes they have smooth jaws. They are different/better than a standard pipe wrench because they can be used on fittings you cant damage. A regular pipe wrench with teeth will destroy air and hydraulic fittings.
Click to expand...

Good point ! I might have to invest in these !!!


With smooth jaws they are NOT a true pipe wrench because they will NOT grip a round object, but as you say they are great for large fittings.
 
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