US wrenches with anti-slip design...

[Steiger9]

Thinking I'm finally going to upgrade from my Craftsman RP wrenches I've had since the late 90's. After significant thought I've concluded I want:

USA made
anti-slip open end
long pattern

Searching online for US made anti-slip open ends I've come up with Wright (which are out due to being short), Proto ASD, Williams SuperCombo, and Snap-on Flank Drive Plus. Are there any others I'm missing?

 

[Skin]

I've owned/used Proto/MAC ASD and would have to say the open end modification isn't worth a damn. Didn't notice a difference compared to a basic open end. Nice wrenches otherwise.

Old stock Armstrong/Matco are excellent.

 

[Wamsutta]

The anti-slip wrenches will slow you down on open end work because the design gets caught on the fastener when you're trying to pull the wrench away and flip it over. I wouldn't recommend them for a primary set.

 

[Sycan]

The anti-slip wrenches will slow you down on open end work because the design gets caught on the fastener when you're trying to pull the wrench away and flip it over. I wouldn't recommend them for a primary set.

Say what???

I can say I've never seen that happen personally, in 5 years of wrenching for $'s.

I would also recommend snap on, those wrenches are a lifelong purchase.

Sent from my E6810 using Tapatalk

 

[ihateminimumwage]

The anti-slip wrenches will slow you down on open end work because the design gets caught on the fastener when you're trying to pull the wrench away and flip it over. I wouldn't recommend them for a primary set.

Not even once have I had that issue with my Supercombos. Only bite in when you really get into something that just won't budge. Other than that I forget they even have "teeth".

 

[kctyphoon]

If you change your mind about the expense, Dewalt combo wrenches borrow Proto's anti slip design in their open ends, and they are not overly aggressive.. the price is hard to ignore too, and they are longer than standard wrenches.

I know you seem pretty set on USA made, but the new Milwaukee combos have gotten some good feedback and are not priced outrageously.. I haven't even touched them yet, but in pictures and videos they seem like they would be very comfortable to hold and use too.

Just throwing it in the mix - but in the end you'll buy what you think is best for you.
The universal ratcheting wrenches from Proto do have a certain bling factor to them though.

 

[Steiger9]

I certainly don't mind alternative ideas, and had considered DeWalt and Carlyle. My toolbox has more quality Taiwan tools than other origins, and their price certainly tempts me. My thinking is, though, that this will be the second and last set I ever buy, and combo wrenches are one tool still heavily made, and made well, here in the US.

As for the anti-slip ends, our shop has hundreds of combo wrenches from quality mfr's to utter shite ones that just can't seem to get lost fast enough. But very few long pattern ones and no anti-slips so I want something that I can go to when the free tools just won't cut it.

I got to thinking about all this last summer when I split my eye open removing a harrow using a **** wrench on a mashed nut. (Of course I may also have been pulling the wrench directly towards my face like a complete idiot who should know better, but we won't get into that) Anyway, the key point is that I wan't something the shop doesn't provide.

I've already bought 11/16" singles of Proto and Williams, just to see them and compare. Leaning towards Proto, but want to make sure I check all my options. Currently it's about $25 for a used Snap-on on eBay but I'm just not sure I can go that route. I'll be getting full sets SAE and Metric, which I can do with Proto for the cost of one set Snap-on.

 

[Firebrick43]

The proto asd open end ****.

I love the Williams shape but the ones I have or have used have serious chrome chipping.

I don't find the wrights that short and find them a great value. I have a full set of satin wrightgrips at work.

The snap ons are the best but if wrightgrips were out when I bought my snap on set I would not have bought them.

 

[four.cycle]

Steiger9-
welcome to the site.
keep your eye on this thread:
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=7035079#post7035079
there are some great deals on new/almost new Proto wrench sets nearly every day lately.
not all of them are the "ASD" type.

watch the other "hot deal" threads and the classifieds as well.

I doubt you'll find anybody here complaining about Proto, other than about the prices.

I have no comment about "ASD". All my open ends and combination wrenches are old-school.

 

[Mr_B]

carlyle long pattern are decent length and real nice for deal prices, I like the wright and own a set but indeed would be nice if done a longer version .

 

[Wamsutta]

Say what???

I can say I've never seen that happen personally, in 5 years of wrenching for $'s.

I would also recommend snap on, those wrenches are a lifelong purchase.

To be more specific, I was referring to the open end of the Snap-on flank drive plus combination wrenches. They will latch onto a fastener and will not let go unless you back the wrench off slightly from opposite direction that you were turning previously. That's a lot of extra work if you're dealing with fasteners that are perfectly fine and not rounded off.

 

[Mr_B]

I think you got consider if really need grip feature in your main wrench set.
99% of time I use my stahlwille long patterns, wrightgrip open end been useful handful of times but I got no need use it daily and better daily wrench options exist at sensible $ .
If buying again I would get the 18pc sae and 19pc metric carlye long non slip sets as having tried some out found them pretty decent, proper full size range and decent price/quality plus simple life warranty if you spread a jaw or something .

 

[dr_clyde]

I own full sets of Snap-on FD+, Wrightgrip, Mac Knuckle saver and I have some examples of the Proto ASD.

The Wright are my favorite. Beefy as hell. They may be a tad shorter than a long pattern SO, but I've never had any issues with them.

I've had the Snap on the longest, and used them as my primary wrenches for a number of years. They can be very aggressive, even damaging to a fastener. But they do grip like advertised.

 

[ocloc24]

I vote snap on. I own several brands(Mac Knucklesavers, GW anti slip, a few wright, and SK. The Snap On are DAMN expensive. But they are worth every penny to me. If I lost mine I would gladly pay for them again. They're an everyday use tool. They have saved my a$$ a few times. As for the gripping slowing you down, I have to say BS I'm sorry Wamsutta. I use the FDP as my daily use wrench and I've never had said issue.

Also everyone always says they "damage" the fastener, if you're really laying into a bolt it MIGHT leave a small indent on the flats of the fastener, but that's about it. Small cost for the amount of grip they offer. I do have normal combos as well though if that was ever an issue and I didn't want a little tiny mark on the fastener.

 

[gregpack]

I'm interested in this topic too. The wrights were interesting but the offset angles being inconsistent on different wrenches would drive my inner OCD crazy. Does anyone know offhand if the Williams wrenches are what would be considered long pattern?

 

[cptn_zippy]

Funny how wrenches are such a personal thing. I have Proto ASDs (in Metric) and they are my favorite by far.

J

 

[Buckgnarly]

I have Snap On, Proto, and SK versions....SO is the best in my experience. If you want long, look into the extra longs... they grip like a beast and long as he'll.... its the SOEXL.

https://store.snapon.com/Flank-Drive-174-Plus-Combination-C629582.aspx

 

[B_Bimmer]

I have owned and used proto asd, snap on flank drive plus, and wrightgrip. I have seen snap on mark up fasteners and where I live damaged metal gets rusty fast. I do not like them for that. The Wright's are nice but they tend to fit to tight, to the point where it's annoying. The proto's are my favorite by far, they lock on nicely, don't flex and don't damage anything.

 

[ihateminimumwage]

Does anyone know offhand if the Williams wrenches are what would be considered long pattern?

Yes, the Supercombos are the same lengths as Snap-on combos (1/2" wrenches are both 8" long, 1" wrenches are both 14" long).

The Williams are made by Snap-on Industrial. Be aware that the beam on the Williams are THICK. I switched from Snap-on to Williams because I didn't like how the Snap-ons felt like I was pulling on a dull blade when I really put some pull into them. Bought a metric set of Williams, and shortly after sold my SAE Snappys and replaced them with Supercombos as well.

9/16" Beam

1" beam - It's a heavy wrench!

 

[Fedwrench]

The only thing bad about the Williams Supercombo wrenches is that they get club like in larger sizes. Great wrenches though.

Of the brands mentioned, i would opt for satin Protos.

However, let me say that you can pick up long pattern Dewalt full polished wrench sets that are made in Taiwan but, a set of 10-19mm or 3/8 to 15/16 will run you less than $40 each. Great wrenches and a great price. I think of them as Taiwan Proto. Definitely worth thinking about.

 

[Holmesx10]

The only thing bad about the Williams Supercombo wrenches is that they get club like in larger sizes. Great wrenches though.

Of the brands mentioned, i would opt for satin Protos.

However, let me say that you can pick up long pattern Dewalt full polished wrench sets that are made in Taiwan but, a set of 10-19mm or 3/8 to 15/16 will run you less than $40 each. Great wrenches and a great price. I think of them as Taiwan Proto. Definitely worth thinking about.

I’ve been hearing so many good things about those dewalt wrenches. I’ve been contemplating buying another wrench set since I own the lobster claw craftsman’s. The Taiwan made channellocks which are rather cheap for the quality look nice but the dewalts are even cheaper. I think I would like the open ends more because they aren’t really teeth per say more like indents that change which part of the fastener your applying pressure to. Idk just can’t decide though and don’t want to be spending money needlessly.

 

[jcbarry]

I am not going to try to change your mind, but in 20 years of wrenching professionally I have seen little to no advantage in a Flank Drive Plus style open end. I own Snap On, both Flank Drive Plus and standard Flank Drive. Some of the taiwanese wrenches are also very attractive given their pricing.

 

[7avalon7]

If you change your mind about the expense, Dewalt combo wrenches borrow Proto's anti slip design in their open ends, and they are not overly aggressive.. the price is hard to ignore too, and they are longer than standard wrenches.

Another vote for Dewalt wrenches. I have not used mine a lot, but so far very happy with the quality and price. Also it has longer and thicker beam which make it nicer to hold when needing to put a lot of pressure on the wrench.

iirc I paid $30 when it was on sale.

 

[Steiger9]

Well suffice it to say I'm now slightly less sure of what I want than when I started this thread. It sounds like the general idea is that Snap-on is the most aggressive and Proto is going to be midway or closer to conventional open end. I did look at extra long Snapon and in the 11/16" size it was 12".... seemed a bit much! And I do have an example of the Williams and do like the extra thick beam, but as the fella said above I can see how it might get a bit much on the larger size wrenches. I'd like to go up to at least 1 1/4" with my sets.

It would be awesome if I could get a conventional combo set plus the DeWalts but there just isn't enough room in my toolbox and no room in my tiny corner of the shop for another box.

I guess I'm still leaning toward the Protos for price and also I like satin finish as I'm very frequently wrenching around freshly escaped hydraulic oil.

And it seems like this probably won't be the last set I buy.

Thanks for all the replies folks.

 

[DadsTools]

I think I'm with you on the Proto satin finish. I've gotten into these GJ debates over satin vs high polished finishes, but simple physics (yes, I know it's science) dictates that because of the irregularity of a satin finish, it simply presents more surface area per square inch than a smooth surface, thus more friction, thus more surface area contacting your hand, thus a better grip. Think of all the animal appendages in the natural world and the kinds of surfaces they're designed to grip--nature itself says nay-nay to mirror-like tactile surfaces. Last time I looked, our hands are members of that same menagerie. I always ask if you were about to fall over a cliff and needed to grab something to save yourself, would you rather have something with some surface texture to it or a mirror-polished steel pole? Yeah, the polished cleans up nicer, but that's after the work is done.

Were I in need of buying new combo sets, I'd look at US-made first--that's just my upbringing and age. I don't want anything with knife-like or squared-off beam edges, which kind of eliminates brands like Snappy or SK for me, the latter which is kind of a shame for me because one of my favorite wrenches for fit and feel in my hand are the old SK-Lectrolite Defiance factory style raised panel wrenches (OK guys, go ahead and laugh). Of all the modern USA stuff, the best-feeling handles to me are the Wright Grip satins, but I'm with most others in that I'd like them a little longer (hey, Wright Tools--haven't you got that yet?).

As for the anti-slip, I've not used enough different designs in modern tools to have a personal opinion, but from all I've read on GJ, the Proto ASD seems to get more positive votes and less negative than any of the other brands' anti-slip devices. Even with the negatives, the Proto normally gets an agnostic 'meh' while those not liking the Wright or Snap-On methods feel rather emphatic against them.

With all this in mind, if it were me, I'd personally go with the Proto satins.

DISCLAIMER: This is just one man's opinion. Your mileage may vary.

 

[HanShotFirst]

I can vouch for the Proto ASD design; it straight up works, and works well. While it certainly lacks an aggressive look, it's still very effective nonetheless. As a plus, it's pretty friendly to fasteners. You have bear down very heavy on the Proto ASD's before you start to put a mark on the fastener.

 

[Wamsutta]

I guess I'm still leaning toward the Protos for price and also I like satin finish as I'm very frequently wrenching around freshly escaped hydraulic oil.

For maximum grip when covered with oil, the black phosphate finish gives you more traction than the satin finish does. Have you considered Cornwell wrenches?

 

[Steiger9]

For maximum grip when covered with oil, the black phosphate finish gives you more traction than the satin finish does. Have you considered Cornwell wrenches?

I tend to overlook the truck tool brands since I don't work in industry and never see their trucks. Exception being Snapon because who hasn't heard of them? I just checked their website and their wrenches certainly look good, but...

My original intent for this thread was to find all the USA wrenches that have antislip features. It's difficult to search for since each company has their own name for it. Cornwell wrenches apparently have TDS (torque dispersing system), but I'm not exactly sure what that means. If I can buy a single wrench on ebay I'll certainly check them out though.

Black finish on wrenches are a no-go for me. We have a few Blackhawk 1/2" like that and while they have a distinctly better grip, they are also much harder to find when you're working in ill lit areas (which we often do).

 

[Mohawk Dave]

I have SO FD & FD+, and also have Carlyle.

I think the Carlyles are every bit as nice and good. Even though there are a handful of GJ members that tout them, I think they are still under rated. The Channelock branded ones are even cheaper.

If I had to start over, I think I would buy only the Carlyles again (and Facom 440 for short w/o teeth...LOVE THOSE!)

 

[1950mercury]

if you want standard length get wright....xtra long get snap on

 

[potato]

i saw the 18 piece proto metrics in a local pawn,new or damn close ,for 90 bucks.i would get them but i already own them in sae and metric

 

[Wamsutta]

I tend to overlook the truck tool brands since I don't work in industry and never see their trucks. Exception being Snapon because who hasn't heard of them? I just checked their website and their wrenches certainly look good, but...

My original intent for this thread was to find all the USA wrenches that have antislip features. It's difficult to search for since each company has their own name for it. Cornwell wrenches apparently have TDS (torque dispersing system), but I'm not exactly sure what that means. If I can buy a single wrench on ebay I'll certainly check them out though.

Black finish on wrenches are a no-go for me. We have a few Blackhawk 1/2" like that and while they have a distinctly better grip, they are also much harder to find when you're working in ill lit areas (which we often do).

Cornwell wrenches don't have an anti-slip open end; instead, they have a hexagonal open end. They are very fast wrenches because your eye instantly sees when the wrench is fully engaged with a hexagonal fastener. Their other good feature is the comfortable beam design.

 

[Mr_B]

proto good 200 to 350bucks a set.
satin finish nice and one of reasons I a fan of stahlwille wrenches . highly polished tools not always that great .

 

[four.cycle]

^ like I said above: watch the Ebay listings on Proto open-end and combo sets. lately there have been a mess of them listed - new, almost-new, and really really used. many of them well below Zoro or other online retailers.

 

[potato]

damnit now im going to buy thise protos to flip.

 

[Mr_B]

^ proto asd 18pc sets in region of 300 to 400 bucks last time I looking at wrench sets .
That why the carlyle long patterns so good, price about 120bucks and quality close to that of top truck brands plus warranty easy with local napa opening hours daily.
If that set close to new and in holder wallet I would offer them 80 bucks and buff them up good and ebay or craigslist it .

 

[four.cycle]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Stanley-Pr...t-Metric-Combination-Wrench-Set-/183080581921

 

[potato]

i saw the 18 piece proto metrics in a local pawn,new or damn close ,for 90 bucks.i would get them but i already own them in sae and metric

well i did it.lol.

 

[Steiger9]

I'll give ya $95 for 'em

 

[bob15]

I don't find the Wright's too short. Length can give you issues in spots.

Personally, i would skip the Williams. Smaller sizes spread and the chrome will peel. I prefer my used Snap on FD+ over the Williams set. And to be honest, I prefer the non-anti slip design (1970's through the 1990's) Bonney's over all other wrenches. they just feel good in my hands.