Need a good Adjustable Wrench.

[Crowbarman55]

I need "okay I want" a good adjustable wrench for my work. Nothing over 6" long. My work provided me one but it is junk.
What do you all like?
Thanks

Todd

 

[PowrKraftsman]

I have and like 6” Bahco. The newer Milwaukee models actually seem to be really highly regarded. I prefer pliers wrenches (Knipex) for most situations where I would’ve previously used a traditional adjustable but sometimes I still feel ad adjustable is preferable particularly as a backer.

 

[willf650]

Channellock wideazz

 

[ecotec]

I have and like the Bahco ones that open really wide.

 

[Tchicken]

The Bahcos come in a couple sizes, including a 6" version. The Bahco examples I have seen are missing the "slop" I found in "crescent wrenches" that I have had the misfortune to use in the past.

 

[tarbellb]

My adjustable wrench looks like this

 

[scooby074]

Channellock wideazz

 

[esben57]

This one of them 'I'll get some popcorn' threads?

Go for that Knipex pliers wrench. Bahco non chinesium were the go to. Gedore just as good and I have a really nice Proto.

 

[kbeefy]

Knipex

 

[Etchase]

Temu has them

 

[AEAdam]

No such thing as a good adjustable wrench. Adjustable wrenches “are the tool of a charlatan” James May

 

[Union Delegate]

Lobtex from Japan makes some decent ones.
Adjustables have their place and for certain jobs they're better than the Pliers wrench.

 

[NoahG]

Lobtex! no other adjustable compares.

 

[ecotec]

No such thing as a good adjustable wrench. Adjustable wrenches “are the tool of a charlatan” James May

James May has never had to work out of a hand box, then.

Also… I would bet that James May does have a hand box with an adjustable wrench in it.

In an ideal situation, one has every wrench and socket available. There comes a time when one does not have the correct wrench or socket available. On that day, you will be glad to have an adjustable wrench.

 

[Twisted Sid]

6 Inch Wide-Jaw Adjustable Wrench (1-1/2 in. Capacity) | TEKTON

Made from Cr-V steel with corrosion-resistant zinc phosphate coating. Inch and millimeter scale. Has a 3/8 inch square drive in the handle. WSA04122.

www.tekton.com

I have this one at work. I like it the 3/8 ratchet drive on the end has helped a few times.

 

[cody1325]

A good 90% of what I own is vintage Crescent. There's so many of the things still around; and you're bound to find a cheap one. I'm pretty sure my 15" was half-buried in front of a decrepit shed when I found it, and it still works fine.

Of new ones--any from the companies that have them made by Irega in Spain (my own is Channellock, and I think they make Klein, Reed, and a few others too).

Vintage--personally Proto and P&C made better ones. Many tell me Diamalloy/Duluth are even better than that.

I've never been able to replace them fully with a Pliers Wrench--but both are a great option.

 

[YesIHaveAHammer]

I find the Lobtex handle a bit narrow for comfort. That's just based on my 6" one.

 

[LopezBart]

I have a 6" Proto black finish adjustable wrench that I keep in my small steamboat toolbox. Space therein is limited, and this wrench doesn't scar bronze or brass nuts/pipe/tube fittings when I'm chasing the inevitable leak. I keep it well oiled (never a problem in a steam launch) and have not had any significant rust issues. That's our boat in the foreground in Klamath Lake, Oregon.

 

[Dave455]

Even the best engineer needs a good adjustable from time to time!

Finding a good one is harder than it should be. If you can get a good used vintage one, preferably a U.S. made tool, it will be better than most new ones. Personally, I think the vintage Crescent are about the best ever made, but there are other very good ones.

Of the new, there’s Bahco. Loved by many, but I’m not convinced the current tools, made in Spain, are the quality of the original Swedish tools. But they are not bad, and inexpensive.


They offer an upmarket version, with a plastic grip. Very similar to the tools they make for Snap On. Similar, not identical. Are they better quality than the basic models? Don’t know. Are they the same quality as the Snap On. No, they are not as nicely polished. Are they the same steel, same heat treatment? Who can say?

Chrome, and coloured grips, are all available.


The other Spanish maker is Irega. I have a few of these, and they seem decent. They manufacture under their own name, and for several European tool manufacturers. Are the tools produced for other companies the same as their own brand? I suspect it comes down to how much they pay. I have several Stahlwille ones, and they seem to be very good.


If you are opting for Japanese, then Lobster seem to be popular. I’ve seen these but not used them. They seem decent.


I have usec the Top “Hyper Zero” and they are very nice tools. I’d say a step up in quality. The model numbers denote the jaw opening. The 25mm is approx 6 inches long.


Best of the bunch is probably the Nepros, but only available in 10 inch. Lovely though.

 

[Crowbarman55]

I have a 6" Proto black finish adjustable wrench that I keep in my small steamboat toolbox. Space therein is limited, and this wrench doesn't scar bronze or brass nuts/pipe/tube fittings when I'm chasing the inevitable leak. I keep it well oiled (never a problem in a steam launch) and have not had any significant rust issues. That's our boat in the foreground in Klamath Lake, Oregon.

I like the idea of it not scarring. I work with a lot of zerk fittings sometimes brass and stainless one's

 

[tarbellb]

eBay used Diamond brand

 

[sparky 1971]

www.harryepstein.com/products/6-crescent-black-oxide-adjustable-wrench-at16

www.harryepstein.com/products/6-crescent-adjustablewrench-adjustable-wrench-at16c

 

[Crowbarman55]

Thank you everyone for the suggestions.

Todd

 

[liliysdad]

Vintage Proto, Crescent, or Diamond Caulk.

 

[redwrench60]

I always chuckle when all the hens come out to cluck about the inferiority of adjustable wrenches whenever they are mentioned. There’s a big wide world of industry out there and if you come out from the sheltered life under the hood of a Camry you’d see they have their place. Perhaps not under the hood of said Camry, but in the hands of thousands and thousands of tradesmen in the mines and shipyards and oilfields and boiler rooms and power plants and factories and machine shops and equipment shops that keep this country moving every day. Part of being a good hand is knowing how and when to use everything at your disposal.

 

[mike93lx]

I have a short Fujiya for plumbing. The narrow jaw and short handle are nice behind a toilet or under a sink and the mechanism is the nicest of any adjustable nutfucker that I have owned and for its length, the jaws open very wide. If I needed another size, I'd probably go Fujiya again.

When I have the room, I do also tend to lean towards a pliers wrench, though

 

[Rinspeed]

I have a 6" Proto black finish adjustable wrench that I keep in my small steamboat toolbox. Space therein is limited, and this wrench doesn't scar bronze or brass nuts/pipe/tube fittings when I'm chasing the inevitable leak. I keep it well oiled (never a problem in a steam launch) and have not had any significant rust issues. That's our boat in the foreground in Klamath Lake, Oregon.

Those older Proto industrial are some of the tightest, quality wrenches I've used.

 

[FTG-05]

www.harryepstein.com/products/6-crescent-black-oxide-adjustable-wrench-at16

www.harryepstein.com/products/6-crescent-adjustablewrench-adjustable-wrench-at16c

I have two of the red handled ones. Very, very good wrenches!

 

[Retired dozer fixer]

Older Proto-P&C click stop or Diamond Horseshoe absolutely the best

 

[Wamsutta]

Get a Klein made by IRIMO. https://www.irimo.com/int_en/products/wrenches/adjustable-wrenches.html

 

[AEAdam]

James May has never had to work out of a hand box, then.

Also… I would bet that James May does have a hand box with an adjustable wrench in it.

In an ideal situation, one has every wrench and socket available. There comes a time when one does not have the correct wrench or socket available. On that day, you will be glad to have an adjustable wrench.

Check out "Grand Tour" Mongolia "Survival of the Fattest" (Season 3, Episode 13). The guys build a car dropped off for them in pieces in the middle of nowhere on the Mongolian steppes. Its one of the most visually stunning episodes, from a production team known for visually stunning episodes. Its on Amazon.

 

[Shiftless]

I’ve never tried a Snap On adjustable wrench but I have a vintage Proto adjustable that is noticeably better than my Crescent branded ones.

But just for the record, I have a drawer full of metric and SAE sized combination wrenches.

 

[NoahG]

Get a Klein made by IRIMO. https://www.irimo.com/int_en/products/wrenches/adjustable-wrenches.html

That is indeed a nice wrench.

 

[KnurledNut]

Get a Klein made by IRIMO.

That is made by Irega, not Irimo. Its based on the Model 77 line. I have one and its well made.

 

[MacMcMacmac]

The Proto wrenches at work are the nicest adjustables I've ever used.

One can fix an amazing amount of things with a 4" adjustable kept in a pocket while you roam the facility.

 

[Bubba Fett]

I have some old Protos that are great. I also have some vintage USA-made Crescent adjustables which are very good. The best ones I have are vintage Williams, made in Jamestown Very little slop. I have an old Husky, which stays in my truck. I have a few Craftsman wrenches made by Western Forge, which are good, and probably far better than what they offer now.

Recently, I got a Klein 0range-handled wrench. Not bad. A bit loose, but the adjustment is fast and smooth. Also, a while back I found a newish old Stanley wrench that's made in Japan, and I like it a lot. Not sure who the OEM is.

Western Forge was the last USA-maker of adjustable wrenches. Snap-On has some new ones that are apparently USA-made, but I don't know much about them, except they are super-expensive.

For new ones, Channellock has some Irega-made (in Spain) adjustables that are quite good and should be easy to source.

 

[tarmy]

I guess I am the odd man out. I have many many old Craftsman wrenches and they work great decades later. I have the Knipex ones too…but reach for the old USA made Cmans…

Oh, and to the early poster saying Captain Slow had one in his box…they call em Spanners…

 

[lardy1]

I have mostly older Proto but bought two of the newer Channellock adjustables. They're pretty much slop-free. Well made, in my opinion. If I was looking for new, reasonably priced adjustable wrenches I would probably buy them. I actually use them on occassion and very rarely used the Proto's. Not a big fan of them.

 

[bowtie57]

I have a number of older Proto in different sizes that work perfectly. Never had a reason to replace them with anything newer made. They aren't difficult to find in very good condition.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Other than a couple of cheap ones (that reside in places where if they get lost, oh well) mine are either older Cman or Crescent. The latter includes the black one @sparky 1971 listed from HJE , last year purchase on Epstein Days. I don't use mine alot, but they are handy for certain jobs.



@LopezBart Is that The African Queen ?