Stahlwille 13/14 combination wrenches

[richfinn]

I notice Stahlwille makes a few different lengths of combo spanners

Any recommendations on which length code is most suitable for auto mechanics, I currently use older Snap-On spanners which seem longer than most Euro brands, is the 14 series an equivalent length to USA brands??

 

[mr.lemons]

Sizes to compare to the spanners you use.

 

[richfinn]

Perfect Mr.Lemons, much appreciated ��

 

[Wamsutta]

A quick comparison in overall lengths:

Stahlwille 40101313 / Size 13mm = 195mm long
Snap-on OEXM130B / Size 13mm = 207mm long
Snap-on OEXLM13B / Size 13mm = 234mm long

 

[Mr_B]

13 and 14 have different ring offset style .
14 is a great wrench, one of my favourites at this length and the ring stepped offset is incredibly useful .
13 are good but i think the facom tops it .

 

[Ralf11]

I like short combos and long double box end wrenches.

 

[PureLeaf]

f fw

 

[JR 42]

FWIW, and I already own more metric wrench sets than I need- I'd get the 14's. Like Mr B says, the box end offset is a little different the most (deeper, and 10° offset). You can see the difference in the catalog pages mr.lemons posted.

They're shorter than Snap-on's current wrenches, but longer than Wright's, if that helps any.

 

[Skin]

My most used were/are Snap-on long. I have a Matco set also plus the new HF Icon reversible ratcheting which are also very long. I like leverage.

Hazet and Gedore both offer XL combos and Facom just introduced them as well and the Facom's have the benefit of anti-slip open ends.

 

[Samuel D]

Be aware that the new Facom 440XL is not available in all sizes you might want. Only the range of 8–19 mm is covered, and with gaps. There are no 12 mm or 18 mm models, for example. Full list here.

Maybe no big deal since you’re likely to buy long spanners for comfort and convenience rather than absolute necessity. That is, buyers will probably own other spanners. But it’s still a little odd to skip the 12 mm in particular, since that size is common on Japanese cars and motorcycles and those vehicles are common all over the world.

What I like most about Stahlwille spanners is their close-tolerance dimensions of the open end. They fit bolts better than anything else I’ve tried (haven’t tried everything, of course). This is more important for an open-ended spanner than for a ring spanner and reduces the need for the special off-corner engagement features that some competing open-ended spanners have.

 

[richfinn]

I like short combos and long double box end wrenches.

I do have the Snap-On spanners, so the short ones could be an option

I do like the look of the box end on the 14s though

 

[Samuel D]

I do like the look of the box end on the 14s though

The Corona 23 spanners have practically the same ring ends as the Open Box 14. Could work out cheaper to cover the range of sizes you want, assuming you already have open-ended spanners.

 

[Mr_B]

14 is my most used combo wrench style behind ratchet wrenches mainly as box end offset and the fit gets to fasteners a lot of others fail on .

 

[richfinn]

Never bought any new quality spanners in my life always bought used unmatched (Snap-On) or hand me downs (including a really nice Stahlwille). They all still work great BTW

Now I'm a bit older now and have some cash, thought I might treat myself to a set

 

[Mr_B]

go for it, they can be had at good prices as a set and are one of best wrenches you can buy .
I owned mine for decades and they wear better than snapons

 

[richfinn]

I have ordered the 14/17 17piece set from primetools in the UK (on sale and free shipping)

I will take some pics and let you guys know how I get on

Thanks again everyone

 

[MJK]

Please do.

I was down to this exact set or a similar set of Hazet 600n. I ended up ordering the latter, but am still not sure I made the right call.

 

[littlebean]

i have the 13s - great spanners (also bought after years of making do!)

 

[garfunkle24]

One of the biggest things I love about my Hazet 600Ns is the deeper box offset, really makes a big difference in getting on closely spaced fasteners. I would go with the 14s.

Mac KnuckleSaver 2 vs Hazet 600N, both 13mm:

 

[MJK]

That offset/clearance is something I really find useful.

I am hoping my 600Ns are the perfect mix of what I like in my DBEs and a little longer than Facom 440s. If not, I'll be ordering the 14s too.

 

[Ralf11]

I may regret asking.... but are the Stahlwille wrenches better than Hazet, Gedore?

 

[drtyler]

The Stahlwille 14 have a different offset to the box end compared to the Hazet 600N and the Gedore of similar length. Are they better? Probably not, but all three are very good tools.

As mentioned previously, the Stahlwille 23 Corona double box wrenches have the same offset design and would likely be less $$ for a set if you already have set of open ends.

 

[garfunkle24]

I may regret asking.... but are the Stahlwille wrenches better than Hazet, Gedore?

I find the more squared beam of the hazets more comfortable than Stahlwille but that's really a personal thing. A lot of guys love the shape of Snappy wrenches but I prefer Mac for the same reason. I don't have any Gedore so can't comment on that.

 

[MJK]

Lots of opinions there, but I think all are generally very highly regarded:

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=239273
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=281649
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=210972

This German tool review from Monte is very interesting too:
https://www.wiesemann.eu//_UPLOAD/files/Oldtimermarkt.pdf

 

[Tonyuk]

I may regret asking.... but are the Stahlwille wrenches better than Hazet, Gedore?

Mine are the same quality.

 

[richfinn]

My spanners arrived today, really happy £125 plus VAT from Primetools in the UK

6mm-22mm no skips

Nice fabric roll

Just a little shorter than my USA wrenches

I didn't expect the finish to be so nice so thats a bonus

 

[Mr_B]

a great working wrench, stahlwille wrench finish holds up better than almost anything and it far better to handle than full polish .
absolute value at that sot of money for a 17pc set and some of best made/designed wrenches you can get .
enjoy using them .

 

[richfinn]

a great working wrench, stahlwille wrench finish holds up better than almost anything and it far better to handle than full polish .
absolute value at that sot of money for a 17pc set and some of best made/designed wrenches you can get .
enjoy using them .

They have some pretty good pricing on Stahlwille wrenches at the moment.

Glad I went with the 14s, just the right length for me, be interesting to see how much difference the stepped 10 degree box end makes compared to a normal combo??

 

[garfunkle24]

Glad I went with the 14s, just the right length for me, be interesting to see how much difference the stepped 10 degree box end makes compared to a normal combo??

To me it's a bigger difference than most other special "features". From beam shape to anti-slip open end features to finish to box-end wall thickness, that offset has been a bigger differentiation than all of them IMHO.

 

[MJK]

Those look really nice. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Samuel D]

Nice indeed. You went for a comprehensive set.

The open-ended heads look a bit smaller in diameter than those of my Open Box 13 spanners. That’s interesting because they’re longer so you might expect them to be built more strongly. (They might be stronger anyway, for all I know.)

From beam shape to anti-slip open end features to finish to box-end wall thickness, that offset has been a bigger differentiation than all of them IMHO.

You find it useful, then? One downside is that the offset makes it less likely you can flip the spanner and use the back side of the ring to get another handle angle (in both orientations: how it’s clocked on the fastener and how the handle is cranked out (or in) from the plane of the fastener head).

I often flip the Open Box 13 on parts that have clear air beside them in which the handle can be swung. Occasionally the inward direction is the only place with room for the handle and my hand.

I’m still intrigued by the 14 shape. Seems that everyone who uses it likes it. I’d likely go with Corona 23 spanners to get it for less money.

 

[richfinn]

Nice indeed. You went for a comprehensive set.

The open-ended heads look a bit smaller in diameter than those of my Open Box 13 spanners. That’s interesting because they’re longer so you might expect them to be built more strongly. (They might be stronger anyway, for all I know.)


You find it useful, then? One downside is that the offset makes it less likely you can flip the spanner and use the back side of the ring to get another handle angle (in both orientations: how it’s clocked on the fastener and how the handle is cranked out (or in) from the plane of the fastener head).

I often flip the Open Box 13 on parts that have clear air beside them in which the handle can be swung. Occasionally the inward direction is the only place with room for the handle and my hand.

I’m still intrigued by the 14 shape. Seems that everyone who uses it likes it. I’d likely go with Corona 23 spanners to get it for less money.

They have the 23 set on sale

https://www.primetools.co.uk/product/stahlwille-238-double-ended-ring-spanner-set-6x7-20x22mm/

 

[MJK]

Hazets arrived today.

Photo below shows Facom 440 3/4" vs Hazet 600N 19mm vs Snap on 19mm DBE


Hazet has a nice thick comfy beam, similar in feel to 440s. I like both way better than my cheap wrenches (CM, GW etc), but not quite as well as my heavy Snap On DBEs.
Hazets are lighter than I expected, which is nice.
I also like the squared off shank more than I thought I would. Very easy to maneuver.
Hazet's temper seems a touch harder than Facom and similar to Snap On.
The finish is a little rougher than I expected and the polished bits took some damage in shipping. No biggie, but a little surprising.
The length is excellent - just what I wanted.

The open end jaws are narrower across the "C" and thicker than the Facoms. I'm not sure if this is good or bad yet. (Facom Left, Hazet right)


I'm going to use them for a while before deciding for sure, but I have a feeling I may have liked the Stahlwille 14s as well or slightly more at a similar price. In this company, the Facoms come off to me as a fantastic bargain.

 

[garfunkle24]

I still really like 600Ns but I did prefer when they had the kinda "double-embossed" stampings

 

[Samuel D]

The finish is a little rougher than I expected and the polished bits took some damage in shipping. No biggie, but a little surprising.

The rough finish with random asymmetries, grind marks, textured surface, etc., is typical of German spanners in my experience. Kind of the opposite of German cars that take finish quality far beyond functional requirements.

The length is excellent - just what I wanted.

And look how thin the walls of the ring end are. This appears to be a Hazet speciality. All of the Hazet spanners I’ve studied have had the thinnest or joint-thinnest rings of all the spanners I’ve compared them to. Averaging across their range, Hazet have the smallest ring diameters of any spanner maker I’ve found. (By the way, one notably good competitor in this regard, considering the much cheaper price, is Unior.)

 

[richfinn]

I've not found a discounting Hazet supplier in the UK yet, but I would love to try some of the tools out

My only experience is an ancient Hazet Assitent we had in the workshop (nobody actually knew how old it was)
I wish I had taken it home and restored it, but I was Snap-On crazy at the time

It's interesting that the Germans aren't so fastidious about finish as USA manufacturers

I dont mind the lack of high polish chrome as long as the fit and features of the tool are good and the pricing is definitely more to my taste as a jobbing mechanic