Stahlwille Stabil 20 spanners – bad batch?

[Handyandy23]

The seven piece set in question is about $65 with standard shipping to the US, and about $70 shipped for the eight piece set he mentioned. So a little less than $10/wrench.

Stahlwille is a premium brand. Comparable in cost to SK and others. So yes, definitely premium.

If Scuba is right then your comparison to SK doesn't add up.

https://sktools.com/shop/86188-8-piece-12-point-metric-deep-offset-box-end-chrome-wrench-set.html

This set of SK offset wrenches works out to being around $30/wrench, which is triple the price.

Like I suggested before, premium name doesn't equal premium price / quality all the time. There's a huge difference in expectations between wrenches that are $10 each vs $30 each.

 

[Samuel D]

I don’t know where you’d find the Stahlwille 20/8 set for as little as $70 ($100, yes), but certainly it’s cheaper than the nearest equivalent from SK.

Thanks for the comparison photos, Handyandy23. I wonder if there’s something about offset spanners that makes them harder to broach in the factory. None of my other spanners (including Stahlwille) or sockets (including Stahlwille) are plainly off-centre like these or your Mastercraft offset spanners.

I’ve never returned a new tool before, and I don’t expect prettiness from Stahlwille, but this makes a mockery of the maker having carefully selected the wall thickness at the design stage.

Also knocks my confidence in Stahlwille as the kings of dimensional accuracy …

I guess you can’t expect a strait-laced German to check every tool going out if you’re paying lower real prices than at any point in history. The times they are a-changin’.

 

[CR888]

I'll add this, in the OP's pic that shows a tiny little hole in the chrome that's completely normal for these wrenches, my Stabils and pre-flank drive NOS Stabil 20 series have it. If you flip the wrench over you will notice the spot in the exact same place. Obviously that's where they hold the wrench during the chroming process.

 

[scubadoober]

The prices I provided were from Amazon.de and since it is shipping to the US the VAT is taken off. And to be fair if you were to buy these sets from a US source it would be $121 and $145 respectively.

 

[American Locomotive]

If Scuba is right then your comparison to SK doesn't add up.

https://sktools.com/shop/86188-8-piece-12-point-metric-deep-offset-box-end-chrome-wrench-set.html

This set of SK offset wrenches works out to being around $30/wrench, which is triple the price.

Like I suggested before, premium name doesn't equal premium price / quality all the time. There's a huge difference in expectations between wrenches that are $10 each vs $30 each.

You can't go by the SK website prices. That same set is actually half that cost on Amazon, and you can find better deals than that often.

I've worked at places that use Stahlwille wrenches. They're a premium industrial tool.

 

[2oolhound]

Who's to say that broaching is even a defect. It could be that strength tolerances allow for that much misalignment. On the bright side, the end opposite the handle is the fist place for a wrench to contact an obstruction and is where many of us have to grind spanners to fit in tight spots. I wouldn't mind if all my spanners were broached like that. I've got hazet spanners I've ground much thinner than that and they're 40 years old and haven't broken. I'd be pissed if the thick part was at the outside end or on the side.

I say use em and abuse em, I doubt they'll give you any grief.

 

[Superbec]

Who's to say that broaching is even a defect.

I say use em and abuse em, I doubt they'll give you any grief.

whaaaat? haven't you seen the rust spot? you can get tetanus from that !!!!!

 

[Handyandy23]

I don’t know where you’d find the Stahlwille 20/8 set for as little as $70 ($100, yes), but certainly it’s cheaper than the nearest equivalent from SK.

Thanks for the comparison photos, Handyandy23. I wonder if there’s something about offset spanners that makes them harder to broach in the factory. None of my other spanners (including Stahlwille) or sockets (including Stahlwille) are plainly off-centre like these or your Mastercraft offset spanners.

I’ve never returned a new tool before, and I don’t expect prettiness from Stahlwille, but this makes a mockery of the maker having carefully selected the wall thickness at the design stage.

Also knocks my confidence in Stahlwille as the kings of dimensional accuracy …

I guess you can’t expect a strait-laced German to check every tool going out if you’re paying lower real prices than at any point in history. The times they are a-changin’.

One thing I notice on both designs is there is a "meaty" outer ring on the box end, and then a tapered portion inside of that. My guess is that full-thickness outer ring is designed to be the strength of the box end, while the specification of the broach is just to be contained within the inner tapered area.

There's nothing in manufacturing that has a tolerance of zero. So you're not going to get a perfectly centered broach every time. It's just a question of what is their spec? If they allow it anywhere in that tapered area then all of our wrenches are "made properly" or at least to spec.

 

[pcmeiners]

"whaaaat? haven't you seen the rust spot? you can get tetanus from that !!!!! "

Sorry but you do not get Tetanus from rust spots, unless contaminated by the Tetanus bacteria but around Garage Journal you sure can see a lot of OCD due to microscopic rust spots and blemishes.

 

[turnthewrench 2.0]

I just got a small set of Stahlwille’s Stabil 20 spanners (20/7N), and to my dismay they are pretty poorly made in vaunted Germany.

I have other Stahlwille spanners, so I knew not to expect a high finish quality. I even called the roughness of German tools charming in another post. This time the charm has worn a bit thin.

In the images below, I’ve used thick and thin blue arrows to show off-centre (non-concentric) broaching, although this is easier to see with the tool in your hand against the light. Try comparing the thickness of the chamfered area around the circumference and, in the case of the 8 mm, the thickness outside the chamfered area.

Red arrows point to flaws in the chrome plating or underlying steel, not that you need my arrows.

Click an image to see it larger.

These are on top of the usual (for Stahlwille) slight asymmetries, grind marks, etc., on the sides of the spanners.

Can’t say I’m impressed.

Little rougher than usual...I'm impressed with all my Stahlwille sets.

 

[Steve_P]

If you're not happy, and you're clearly not, send them back. Because you'll always find one person that agrees, which I guess is what everyone wants to hear when they post topics like this. I have these wrenches and they're also not flawless, but better than yours. I looked at mine and there are several that have slightly offset broaching, but towards the wrench center. Mine do not have the rust dots but that wouldn't bother me, it'll polish out in a few seconds. Maybe wait a few months and try again . We need to remember tools are mass produced and not all CNC machined

 

[Szilagyi]

If it is cosmetically unappealing to you I would not look down on you for returning them, but I personally would not be bothered by those at all, especially at that price. If you want non Taiwan made and a higher quality finish that that I guess Japanese might fit the bill, but it will cost more than double for the ones I'm familiar with.

 

[CR888]

Well the rust spot your all worried about us pretty much on all of them! Its the place the wrench is held for chroming. Mine ALL have it and it effects NOTHING. If you want jewelry DONT buy Stahlwille, these tools are designed for daily prolonged use by mechanics in a work environment. I promise these wrenches will look much better than a SO wrench after 10 years of professional use.