gdocktor3
Well-known member
Can you elaborate on this please? I know you're not saying you had a 3' pipe on a wrench and pulling on it with a 20 ton crane, right?
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'Adequate' combination wrenches?
- Thread starter MushCreek
- Start date
Can you elaborate on this please? I know you're not saying you had a 3' pipe on a wrench and pulling on it with a 20 ton crane, right?
Sloper0204
Well-known member
That's exactly what I'm saying. We were trying to take a flange apart that one of the oil service companies had put together using a winch truck as a cheater. It was a 1-3/4" if I recall correctly. It bent, and bent, and bent, then finally blew the box end apart.Can you elaborate on this please? I know you're not saying you had a 3' pipe on a wrench and pulling on it with a 20 ton crane, right?
Don't know where the set of wrenches came from, just that they were china mfg.
I have a picture somewhere of us using a 60" pipe wrench with a 20' (yes, twenty foot) cheater pipe being ran with two parallel 20 ton cranes. Blew the wrench up quite impressively. The gear we were trying to take apart didn't even budge. The oilfield service company that owned the gear wouldn't ever admit what they used to tighten it.
gdocktor3
Well-known member
That's amazing. And dangerous. I mean, there's misuse and then straight abuse. I find it hard to believe any brand of wrenches could handle that abuse. But if it's the only way to get the job done, it's the only way....
Sloper0204
Well-known member
There is a reason that the Wright's weren't used with cheaters. We knew we were going to break it. When you are paid to disassemble something and rebuild it, you do what it takes to get the item apart regardless of how much stuff you break along the way.That's amazing. And dangerous. I mean, there's misuse and then straight abuse. I find it hard to believe any brand of wrenches could handle that abuse. But if it's the only way to get the job done, it's the only way....
General Geoff
Well-known member
That's exactly what I'm saying. We were trying to take a flange apart that one of the oil service companies had put together using a winch truck as a cheater. It was a 1-3/4" if I recall correctly. It bent, and bent, and bent, then finally blew the box end apart.
Don't know where the set of wrenches came from, just that they were china mfg.
I have a picture somewhere of us using a 60" pipe wrench with a 20' (yes, twenty foot) cheater pipe being ran with two parallel 20 ton cranes. Blew the wrench up quite impressively. The gear we were trying to take apart didn't even budge. The oilfield service company that owned the gear wouldn't ever admit what they used to tighten it.
No option to use a torque multiplier?
MDK22
Well-known member
Get Gearwrench non-ratcheting. I use mine at work to fill in gaps before and after my 10-19 SO FD+. They work well and hold up well.
Craftsman USA are good but, only if USA. Craftsman moved their factory and the **** they make now is not even a good paperweight.
Wright, Williams, Craftsman Industrial, Craftsman USA Made would work no problem. Just compare prices and look on amazon for buy one get one free.
Craftsman USA are good but, only if USA. Craftsman moved their factory and the **** they make now is not even a good paperweight.
Wright, Williams, Craftsman Industrial, Craftsman USA Made would work no problem. Just compare prices and look on amazon for buy one get one free.
IMO the Asian stuff has been good enough for a long while now. As a hobbyist, my primary combo wrench set for years was a Kragen house brand set about 7-12mm. I've filled in the larger stuff with other FLAPS house brands (NAPA, CarQuest).
The only higher end thing I bought out of necessity was a snappy 6 pointed combo wrench for a lower shock bolt on a Volvo that I was afraid to round off (rust isn't really a thing here and Euro cars leak enough oil). My impulse buys are a mixed bag, but I paid full price for a set of SK stubby deep offset wrenches. I don't think they necessarily grip any better than the Chinesium, but they certainly fit in places the bigger wrenches wouldn't.
Before I finally broke down and bought a "mid level" Craftsman toolbox for the kitchen I kept most of my tools in a bag (often left in the trunk). As it turns out, Craftsman chrome peels just as easily as Hazet chrome.
Were I starting out now, I'd take a long hard look at HF's Taiwanese offerings. The last of the Craftsman USA was pretty poor quality IMO, and HF has far better service than Sears. You could certainly go up market with GearWrench or Carlyle. There are pretty much no CarQuests around here so getting warranty replacements is a pain. There are plenty of NAPAs around, but they only stock a small selection of Carlyle stuff.
The only higher end thing I bought out of necessity was a snappy 6 pointed combo wrench for a lower shock bolt on a Volvo that I was afraid to round off (rust isn't really a thing here and Euro cars leak enough oil). My impulse buys are a mixed bag, but I paid full price for a set of SK stubby deep offset wrenches. I don't think they necessarily grip any better than the Chinesium, but they certainly fit in places the bigger wrenches wouldn't.
Before I finally broke down and bought a "mid level" Craftsman toolbox for the kitchen I kept most of my tools in a bag (often left in the trunk). As it turns out, Craftsman chrome peels just as easily as Hazet chrome.
Were I starting out now, I'd take a long hard look at HF's Taiwanese offerings. The last of the Craftsman USA was pretty poor quality IMO, and HF has far better service than Sears. You could certainly go up market with GearWrench or Carlyle. There are pretty much no CarQuests around here so getting warranty replacements is a pain. There are plenty of NAPAs around, but they only stock a small selection of Carlyle stuff.
Sloper0204
Well-known member
If we had one available, we would have used it. Our manager was old school oilfield, if a pipe wrench with a cheater couldn't get it, put a longer cheater on it.No option to use a torque multiplier?
stang2007
Well-known member
since you don't want HF (twain or china wrenches ) I would go with Tekton.
I have both and would not hesitate to Reach for my HF or Tekton wrenches, but I fall into the tool user Crowd, only polish here goes on the cars.
I have both and would not hesitate to Reach for my HF or Tekton wrenches, but I fall into the tool user Crowd, only polish here goes on the cars.