Allen wrenches that aren't garbage?

[Grant Gunderson]

I wore a set of bondhus out. Replaced them with PBswiss and they are going strong. Already have had them twice as long as Bondhus. I also picked up a set of WERA stainless and they have been surprisingly good for the money. In general the PBswiss have way better tolerances for the bolts better and don’t round fasteners.

 

[gatewaysysop]

It seems like I've purchased 12 sets of allen wrenches in the past couple years. All seem too strip, fit poorly, or bend instantly. They are used for anything from automotive to fine/expensive hobby work.

Suggestions?! Thanks!

Not sure what length you're after, but if you want longer than usual, these Wiha are nice:

If you want shorter ones, these Eklind work pretty well:

The extra long have saved me more than once. They are absolutely worth having, even if they're not usually the first you grab for.

 

[AMcDowell]

I like the Klein T handle ones.

 

[msevarino]

PB swiss color coding is great. I wish American manufacturers offered it. Same as nut drivers... who in their right mind would make nut drivers that aren't color-coded? Seems only about Klein/Vaco have that right these days.

I agree. I wish they offered the whole range in the color coding, by this I mean the half sizes like 4.5mm, and the long/short/stubby, seems they have a more limited size selection in the color coded than the polished.


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[albundy]

surprised no one mentioned rbrt?

 

[cherrybomb]

you also need the hex key accessory kit no matter what brand you buy

the kit consists of a set of picks to clean dirt out of the recess...

and a grinder to true up the end of the hex key

Agreed,thats exactly what I was thinking,but didn't get it posted.

 

[SeisMec]

surprised no one mentioned rbrt?

Thanks for the link! If I were still spinning wrenches for a living, I'd have to try them. As a retirement income DIYer, I'll stick with my Bondhus for now.

Have you: used them, owned them or just drooled?

 

[RAYJAY]

The gold ones are metric, silver ones are SAE....

they make the gold in sae also ......

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000EB850M/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[16again]

Had to do it!


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[Hafen_Kafer]

Had to do it!


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I'm a machinist and I've had a set for these for over 15 years. If used properly they will last a long time. I'm currently at a place where they over tighten anything. All the wrenches are twisted. Morons.

 

[AA/FC]

they make the gold in sae also ......

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000EB850M/?tag=atomicindus08-20

We already went through all of this earlier in the thread.... you must have missed it? Lolol.

 

[Mohawk Dave]

surprised no one mentioned rbrt?

Off corner engagement...nice.
Do we know who makes those? I don't think* Mac makes them themselves.

 

[bobemmerich]

How about the original ALLEN? I've had mine for well over 20 years and they work just fine. At work I see a lot of Techs have Allen, Bondhus, Eklind, and Wiha and even some Pittsburgh (from HF )

 

[bratwurst]

I got the snap on version, no problems

 

[American Locomotive]

Wera Hex Plus are the best, hand's down. Used them at my last job, and they outperformed Bondhus wrenches. That's not to say we broke Bondhus wrenches, but the Wera were far less likely to round out fasteners.

Plus, with the round body, they are significantly more rigid than just about any other hex key I've used.

 

[bratwurst]

These are mine, what’s up with the patent pending???

 

[SeisMec]

These are mine, what’s up with the patent pending???

When the plastic holder was made, they must have still been waiting on the patent for the special ball end. "Ball hex on short-arm has a thicker “neck” than traditional ball hex designs, providing up to 50% more torque on the long arm." https://shop.snapon.com/product/Ball-Hex-Key-Sets/9-pc-Metric-L-Shaped-Double-Ball-Wrench-Set-(1.5-10-mm)/DBHM9

 

[xOccupantx]

Off corner engagement...nice.
Do we know who makes those? I don't think* Mac makes them themselves.

Mac purchased the rights so it is a Mac exclusive.

 

[dogdog]

Mine are just OEM brand from autozone and it has serve me good till I lost a few.. Not sure OP, might be you are using the wrong size hex on the bolts. Always use the one that is snug fit not just fit on these hex / torx stuff.. I have the sears one that broke trying to unbolt a seized hex on a VW rear brake caliper. Now I have the HF cr-mo 1/2 drive for heavy duty stuff and a Lowes hex key set for general purpose.

 

[Bradc1989]

Bohndus for sure. I do industrial maintenance so I use hex keys all the time. I recently got some from a company called Metric Blue, they are bohndus with some coating added

 

[caltemus]

I've got the long nickel plated wiha's and I love em. Picked up the ball end torx as well. Been using them with no complaints for several years.

I'm not a fan of the geared ergostar holder, I prefer the wera nylon pouch they used to sell separately.

 

[Mohawk Dave]

Caltemus, those ball end torx actually work, huh? I just can't wrap my mind around it... Seems like it would just instantly strip as their finnicky to beging with (probably just crappy fasteners we run into)...

 

[Itsjustdirt]

Ok, I'm down to Wera or PB now. I know people HATE stainless steel fasteners because they are easily stripped.

Does that rule apply to tools? Will the stainless be softer than the black tool steel? Less durable but more rust resistant? Or equally tough with extra protection? I want to buy once, cry once.

edit-these look interesting. Long handle, Bondhus, color coded, ball end. Almost like a cheaper version of the Wera hex plus....
Opinions?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FBFI6T6/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[American Locomotive]

Well they're just color coded, they don't have the "hex plus" feature.

 

[Itsjustdirt]

Ah, I see. They look similar but different.

To everyone- How about stainless vs tool steel? Is either stronger? Longer lasting? Less prone to stripping.

 

[American Locomotive]

The hex-plus feature of the Wera wrenches is what makes them superior. It's the "off-corner" engagement that prevents them from stripping fasteners as easy.

I wouldn't bother with stainless. As long as you're not storing your wrenches outside on the ground, they're not going to rust.

 

[Mr. T]

How about stainless vs tool steel? Is either stronger? Longer lasting? Less prone to stripping.

I’d skip the stainless. It’s a bit softer. The only real reason to have them is if you work in a corrosive environment (I.e. marine) or are worried about tools being magnetized.

 

[Mohawk Dave]

I don't know if it's been mentioned here in this thread but I think one of the biggest problems is that people don't get full engagement depth-wise when using a hex key. If possible I'll always give it a little tappy tappy to make sure it's seated all the way.

I've seen knuckleheads just barely stick the hex key in and instantly round off the upper portion of the fastener. (Including younger me)

 

[Mr. T]

To go off of Mohawk Dave’s post:

If you encounter a hex socket fastener that’s been stripped out, you can peen the head over to the inside. Then tap your hex key in with a hammer to form new contact area.

 

[Mohawk Dave]

To go off of Mohawk Dave’s post:

If you encounter a hex socket fastener that’s been stripped out, you can peen the head over to the inside. Then tap your hex key in with a hammer to form new contact area.

And/or hammer a torx in before it's too messed up.

 

[Cc_windsurfer]

Stainless is for aerospace work where plated tools are not allowed. Unplated tools will readily rust when wiped hourly with alcohol and rust is a worse fod risk than plating

 

[Ralf11]

ok, convinced on Wera hex plus

but I only need 2 keys - were can I get them w/o a big postage charge?

 

[American Locomotive]

...you only want to buy two hex wrenches? Wera does sell them individually, but just buying two wrenches individually will get you halfway to the entire set....

 

[Flat Thunder Channel]

I didn't read through all the fluff, but I prefer Eklind. They are made in America and pretty tough hex keys. The ball end set in the plastic holder is my favorite set by far. I only had one situation where a ball end version would not work. It was a rounded out socket head cap screw. It required a full square hex on the long end of the wrench. I bought an el cheapo set to remedy that situation. I also have some shorty Bondhus wrenches for tight spaces. Both are nice, but I still prefer the Eklind set.

 

[Ralf11]

...you only want to buy two hex wrenches? Wera does sell them individually, but just buying two wrenches individually will get you halfway to the entire set....

I only need 2 keys for what I do & have Snap-On Allen "sockets" for the other stuff.

smallest Wera sets I can find have 10 or more keys in them

 

[American Locomotive]

What sizes are you looking for?

 

[JBH]

I only need 2 keys for what I do & have Snap-On Allen "sockets" for the other stuff.

smallest Wera sets I can find have 10 or more keys in them

KC Tool sells individuals.

Fair warning: after you use those two you may find yourself replacing every hex tool you own with Hex Plus. I now have a Ziploc full of perfectly good of Felo, Wiha, Würth, Gedore, Facom, Toptul, and USAG hex bits that were all replaced in various sets with Wera Hex Plus, after a situation where the only hex tool I had that would turn a small (2mm) and slightly rounded hex fastener was a Wera precision screwdriver. All the others in that size (including some of the above, as well as Bondhus and Stahlwille hex keys) just spun in the screw.

 

[Ralf11]

Thx - one size is 2.5mm

the other is 8

 

[American Locomotive]

Thx - one size is 2.5mm

the other is 8

https://www.kctoolco.com/wera-073593-multicolor-hex-ball-end-hex-metric-l-key-clip-set/

For $40 you can get the 9 piece set. It just seems ridiculous to try and save save ~$20. It's not like you will only use 8mm and 2.5mm for the rest of your life.

You can also get the far cheaper hex-plus version.
https://www.kctoolco.com/wera-073596-hex-ball-end-hex-metric-l-key-clip-set/

However, I can tell you from experience that the round-shank color coded ones are far more rigid and much stronger than the standard hex-bodied ones.

 

[Handyandy23]

The sleeves on the color coded Wera Hex plus will fall off or interfere. If you want Hex Plus without overspending on a fancy sleeve which does nothing (but you pay more for) then get the Blacklaser equivalent of the Metric/SAE versions.



Individual hex keys aren't worth buying at all. It's better to buy a set and have that on hand. Also if a Hex bolt is stripped out using a Hex Key extractor or Twisted Hex key (which is what they're also intended for) will work just as good as Hex Plus without the fancy Hex Plus patent.

As an example (Taiwanese twisted hex key sets):

https://toolguyd.com/mayhew-hex-key-sets-twisted/

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Pneumat...eel-Barrow-Trolley-Cart-Trailer-/182074896729 (disregard the name because it shows the 9pc Extra Long Twist Allen Hex Key Screw Extractor set with Standard Ball-Ends - Boa Toolcorp as the manufacturer? https://www.boatoolcorp.com/our-products/extractor-range/hex-key-set-extractor/)

The write up on those twisted hex keys talks about the twisting just increasing rigidity of the handle, doesn't really say anything about being better for extracting stripped fasteners. The end that goes into the fastener isn't twisted, so I'm not sure how these would work any different than any other allen key (other than less handle flex under high load).

Also the point of the hex plus is that you prevent from ending up with stripped fasteners in the first place, by contacting on the flats instead of in the corners. If you start out with an old hex bolt that's half rusted and made of some less than ideal steel, I'd rather use a hex plus to remove it the first time without stripping, versus stripping it with a regular hex and then trying to use another extractor to remove it after being stripped.