Adjusable Wrenches - Who uses em...

[nicksnothereman]

I don't use my adjustable flats much, but I have to say, these are the 1st things I reach for when I'm doing finishing plumbing. I have a full 3 piece Knipex Cobra flat set as well.....but I always end up using smaller handled/thinner Klein Adjustables I've had kicking around for years.

It's generally a small one to tighten the compression nut on a angle stop & a 10/12" one if I'm putting a fitting onto a baseboard or thermostatic valve and such. I never really got used to the *handle* of the Knipex in a flat wrench application when doing such work and prefer just a single handle.

If I bought better quality adjustable wrenches I'd...probably still not use them. Just not my thing.

 

[madison069]

When I was working on pumpjacks, I was given a BFH, couple of adjustable wrenches, a grease gun with a box of grease, roll of electrical tape, flat head and Phillips screwdriver, cheap multimeter, and a pocket knife to work on them. I did just about 90% of the mechanical and electrical work with these tools. No fancy set of sockets or wrenches was given to me.

 

[yetibiker]

Channel Locks has redefined the category. I used to be a hater of the adjustable wrench, but now I always reach for the 8" Channel Locks adjustable wrench that I keep in my back pocket at work. My gear wrenches always seem to stay in my tool bag. When I am at home in my shop, I have the proper wrench at arms reach.

I would say that this wrench is to adjustable wrenches what Klien is to lineman's pliers. Accept no substitutes.

 

[Oily Nails]

As a Production Engineer who's lines run a variety of European, American and 1950's machinery I always carry an adjustable and a vernier.
One removes\slackens the nut, the other measures it so the correct spanner is found to reset it.

As for brand\style.......Bacho Reversible, never found a nut/bolt that they couldn't remove in the same condition as first found.

 

[454ragtop]

Have a lot of them, from2" to 24", don't use them a lot, but if you need one you need one. I often use the larger ones for bending, or straightening something, like a tweaked step and tow bumper. Quite a bit of leverage with a 24" adj.
Jim

 

[ez-duzit]

An adjustable is my primary wrench in my main, general purpose, boat building/repair tool bag. Working specifically on machinery/engines warrants my mechanic's tools from the shop.

 

[metaldad]

at work in the pouch, a 6, (2) 8s, (2) 10s

 

[plier_able]

Yep - Knipex Cobra is my preferred answer to many problems. Self locking, very stable, easily adjustable - metric or otherwise.

 

[shockwave]

I use them all the time on low torque fitting like my spray canister and to hold fitting while changing air hoses and it works great on the big egr nut on fords

 

[Alchymist]

Used 3 in the past week, one today on a propane tank. Dozen or more from 4" thru 12", half a dozen brands, - some sob stole my 18". Favorite is my 12" Bahco combination pipe/adjustable hex. High torque situations it's box end, socket/breaker bar, unless there is no other choice, but there are plenty of places the adjustable is the go to tool.

 

[NC-Shaun]

I use them occasionally, I cant really recall what exactly for. Its just when I need one I grab one and get the job done. I was looking at the Craftsman style here today at Sears. I use my 15 incher when if I do not have a open/box end wrench large enough or cant get a socket and ratchet into the job.

I have never been without them, they seem to have been useful over the years.

 

[nicksnothereman]

I don't use my adjustable flats much, but I have to say, these are the 1st things I reach for when I'm doing finishing plumbing. I have a full 3 piece Knipex Cobra flat set as well.....but I always end up using smaller handled/thinner Klein Adjustables I've had kicking around for years.

It's generally a small one to tighten the compression nut on a angle stop & a 10/12" one if I'm putting a fitting onto a baseboard or thermostatic valve and such. I never really got used to the *handle* of the Knipex in a flat wrench application when doing such work and prefer just a single handle.

For plumbing, sure!

I've used them a couple of times in cars. Never to remove a fastener. Used it to temporarily "torque" (with a hammer) a hex socket cap with a long hex key until I could grab the right size hex socket from the store. Didn't break anything and actually it wasn't far off from the spec I needed (it was about 15, I needed around 17 ft/lbs).

Useful I guess, unless you're spending a lot of money for them. Oh you said adjustable (the ones with the wheel), I meant groove joint; still "adjustable". I'm not big on tool labels.

 

[2oolhound]

I used to always use them for rigging work. Different makers of cable clamps had different sized nuts for the same size cable clamps and after a while they'd get all mixed around so even though you new the cable sizes you were dealing with you couldn't count on the size of nuts on the rigging. Same with most of the other hardware. If you had to climb a wooden spar you took an adjustable for sure even though I preferred proper sized spud wrenches which you needed at least one for the spike but best of all were big box end wrenches that allowed a little extra twist on a nut because of the better clearance. Everything else had lobster claws and why I dislike them so much around automotive work. That and their tendency to loosen and slip.

 

[newchris]

We keep adjustable wrenches in all of our tractors. The only downside is that in the last ten years we had to ad metric ones for all the German equipment.

haha

 

[Farmall450]

It would have been easier to ask who doesn't!!!!

 

[rhandwor]

I use them frequently around the house. I've even used my 24 inch to hold the fan clutches as its stronger and put a pipe to hold it with a 36mm open end on the fan nut.

 

[foreverfalcon40]

O hell yea! I got them for air line fittings! Also have a little fetish in collecting them I have a 3 or 4in one made by Proto. Never have use for it but I really do appreciate it.