adjustable wrench

[belvedere]

What is your favorite brand of adjustable wrench?

 

[bassJAM]

I have a Stanley that's still pretty tight after 15 years. Really though I almost never use an adjustable wrench, it seems more often than not I'm using the loose Kobalt I keep in my kitchen when I'm too lazy to go down to the garage to grab a box wrench.

 

[Larryjones]

Don't use them often but I like my older Crescents. A while back I picked up a Westward from Grainger. Chinese made I think. It's a smooth and tight wrench.

 

[kjbenner]

I like the old non-WF Protos and the Irega-made Channellocks.

I also have a Stanley that locks like a vise-grip which is sometimes handy.

 

[Rabid Badger]

I've mostly switched over to pliers wrenches for adjustable duties. I do keep a 15" Western Forge around for those times that you just need a big f'ing wrench.

 

[Bubba Fett]

My favorites are the old J.H. Williams wrenches, which have basically no slop. The old USA-made Crescents are pretty good. I also like the Western Forge-made Craftsman wrenches. I have a Proto wrench that's OK, but not great.

Most of the Chinesium wrenches are total junk, but I do have an Irwin that has almost no slop, and holds the position well.

 

[64merc]

I like my old Proto and Irega wrenches.

I know you didn't ask, but I just did some plumbing repairs and I am in love with my Knipex Plier Wrenches now. I thought they were just ok before, for mechanic type stuff, but I hadn't used them for actual plumbing yet. They are very handy for tight quarters.

 

[Raineman]

Utica. That said, I HATE having to use an adjustable wrench. My goal is to never have to use them. I have a Home Depot Husky in the road bag in one of my company trucks and its a better hammer than wrench.

 

[JradM]

Crescent on a budget, Channellock for a noticeable upgrade that's a bargain compared to other "premium" adjustables and the Knipex Pliers wrench because it's the best.

Personally I don't think it makes sense to buy a traditional adjustable wrench that is any more expensive than Channellock. It is an excellent tool and if you want to spend more for something slightly different - just get a pliers wrench.

 

[B_Bimmer]

Someone beat me to it, but the pre-western forge proto's are the best I've ever used.

 

[bob15]

Diamond Calk Horseshoe.

 

[metaldad]

green dipped diamond

 

[redwrench60]

We talkin favorite old ones you can’t buy anymore or the best of the current offerings?

Favorite old: USA made Proto. Both WF made and pre WF. USA made Crescent.

Favorite new: Channellock, Klein, Irrega.

 

[Ton ton]

Klein Spud nut adjustable wrench.

 

[CS454]

Whoever is private labeling for Mac these days, Rastall, and Nepros. In that order. Would like to try more of the Japanese stuff.

 

[KnurledNut]

The NLA Sweden reversible jaw Ergo Bahcos.

 

[bwringer]

For something you can buy new, the Channellock (which I think is made by Irega in Spain) is widely available, cheap, and a large step up from the old brand names now badly made in China.

Believe it or not, the "Hart" brand adjustables at Wally World are made in Taiwan and pretty damn good.

For adjustables, anyway. It's fundamentally a deeply flawed tool, but sometimes that's what you have.

I have some old made in Jamestown Crescents and a huge old Craftsman I inherited from my Dad that are quite nice. The really big one is fantastic for bending metal; I don't know that I've ever used it on a fastener.

 

[onetonbb74]

I like Fuller adjustable wrenches or diamond horseshoe, I have all the sizes, but 10" and 12" seems to be the most handy and have crestalloy 10" and 12" at work for easier replacement...

 

[Ton ton]

There's a New Holland tractor dealer in Woodstock,VA that has an awesome selection of Taiwanese made New Holland brand. Pricey though.

 

[Badgerstate]

What is your favorite brand of adjustable wrench?

Ive got a newer Craftsman that is awesome. Its super tight and the adjustment collar is super smooth. It also has a really cool matte finish too.

 

[lardy1]

If mine never came out of the drawer again I would be happy. I try like hell to not use them.

 

[redwrench60]

I find adjustable wrenches big and small shine on air/gas fittings, large fluid connections and piping, plumbing and electrical buss and control cabinet work. There’s a big wide world of industry out there that you won’t find under the hood of a Camry.

Adjustables definitely have their place if you’re versatile enough to recognize when to use them.

 

[Ton ton]

OP, look in some of the Japanese tool threads for cool adjustable wrenches.

 

[bubinga]

I have a Stanley that's still pretty tight after 15 years. Really though I almost never use an adjustable wrench, it seems more often than not I'm using the loose Kobalt I keep in my kitchen when I'm too lazy to go down to the garage to grab a box wrench.

Yes I brought a three piece set of those kobold it's probably about 10 years ago now but they were junk sloppy loose like you said.
I took them right back.

 

[KnurledNut]

I find adjustable wrenches big and small shine on air/gas fittings, large fluid connections and piping, plumbing and electrical buss and control cabinet work. There’s a big wide world of industry out there that you won’t find under the hood of a Camry.

Adjustables definitely have their place if you’re versatile enough to recognize when to use them.

Truth spoken.

 

[JimDon]

Proto clik-stop. Adjust to the nut or bolt, it clicks and stops right there. You can take the jaws off and put back on and it will still have the correct adjustment.

 

[redwrench60]

Proto clik-stop. Adjust to the nut or bolt, it clicks and stops right there. You can take the jaws off and put back on and it will still have the correct adjustment.

Proto Clik-Stops are indeed excellent. I wonder who’s going to make them now that WF is kaput.

 

[809]

knipex pliers wrench

 

[Sgtboz]

I love the old heavily chromed Snap On adj wrenches. The side of the wrench your hand rests on was noticeably wider than the underside and the jaws operated so smoothly. The wrench looked high quality too.

 

[Zimbo]

I have been running the Lobster UMXD series which are excellent.
Came across the Lobster brand 30 years ago and didn’t rate them at all.
The Japanese tools now days are all top of my list.
What I do like is they have a much thinner jaw and are not that long for confined areas, hydraulic
fittings On machine.

 

[Hotrod33809]

For the few times I grab an adjustable wrench the USA made crescents have done the job. Think I got a 6in and a 10in from HJE for a very reasonable price

 

[Mr_B]

I picked up some used rothenberger, in 8" to 15", fairly vintage ones with more flat edges down handle and look likely spain or germany coo .
Really are solid beefy wrenches, nice in the hand and the plating is super durable .
Plenty quality older used adjustable wrenches for beer money prices that never really need buy modern junk .

 

[finn]

Another vote for the Diamond Calk Horseshoe adjustable wrenches. The old black oxide are better than the later chrome and green plastic dipped, though.

The old Crescents are nice, as are the older Craftsman. I have a newer Stanley with a coated handle that’s ok, and it was inexpensive.

In reality, I don’t use them for much that requires precision, so slop, etc shouldn’t matter much, but a good adjustable just feels better in the hand. Some of the old Sears (not Craftsman) and Chinese imports actually work ok for my needs. They’re not too impressive to look at though, and some of the really cheap imports have jaws with a high butter content apparently, they deform so readily.

Mostly I use them in conjunction with the vice for things like bending metal, or freeing up windshield hinges from a 36 Ford.

 

[AngryBeaver]

The old USA made snap ons are superior to anything ever made In fit, finish and comfort

 

[dwasifar]

What is your favorite brand of adjustable wrench?

I haven't tried enough different brands to have an informed opinion on what's best. But I can say that I have a USA Craftsman set, a Chinese Masterforce set, and a single Channellock made in Spain, and out of those I like the Channellock the best.

It's the one I usually grab for household plumbing projects, which is my primary use for adjustable wrenches. I don't know about you guys, but lying on my back with my head and shoulders inside a cabinet is not the moment when I want to find out I don't have the right size wrench.

 

[CHI_Tool&Die]

My Protos and Craftsman wrenches are the exact same, I think WF made and I love them. My next go to would be the Channellock ones but they are just a bit too heavy in comparison to the Protos/Craftsman.

 

[Doylee4693]

I own a new proto 12,hF Doyle 12”,8 10 and 12” milwaukee, and pittsburgh adjustables. I use them for plumbing. The Milwaukee is my favorite!

 

[Sweetcorn]

I'm not much of a fan of adjustable wrenches, but I like Bahco for the times when an adjustable wrench is the right tool for the job.

 

[VolvoRyan]

I find adjustable wrenches big and small shine on air/gas fittings, large fluid connections and piping, plumbing and electrical buss and control cabinet work. There’s a big wide world of industry out there that you won’t find under the hood of a Camry.

Adjustables definitely have their place if you’re versatile enough to recognize when to use them.

Totally agree. They shine where no other wrench will. Plus, they let me keep my SAE wrenches far away so I can keep the metric stuff in the handy places.

I was lucky enough to inherit a set of old (1970's or 1980's Kenosha) Blue-Point adjustables from a retired mechanic bud. He got 30 years of flat-rate with them. Based on the "jiggle factor", they're still "tighter" than brand new Western Forge SK adjustables.

For a given size, it's hard to go wrong with any decent brand.

-Ryan

 

[mslim]

Irega-made Channellocks can't beat 'em for the money. There's only so much precision to be had in an adjustable.

I bought one of the last made in USA 24" Crescents for trailer hitch work and using it as a poor man's brake for bending metal. I used it to straighten out a bent piece of diamond plate running board that was tweaked in shipping,