Anybody remember these?

[Lomotil]

Appears to be made fairly recently, given the markings, but I don't recall these ever being sold at the stores. I've seen the newer Chinese/Taiwan polished wrenches that look like this, but with a spring-loaded tab, but there was nothing anything like this on the shelves:

The open end looks very similar to a design by Westward, just with subtle differences:

Something that wasn't all that popular, perhaps? First time seeing one...

 

[bobcatdan]

Yeah I do, there is the complete SAE and metric kits in the shop. They were around for a year or two in the late 90's. They're longer then a normal RP. They work ok, but really just a typical craftsman gimmick tool.

 

[Outlawmws]

They actually made them quite a while back and they have made a resurgence for an open end "ratchet" wrench...

I have one or two I found recently

 

[Lomotil]

I've got about 4 total (different brands) - but have yet to actually use one. Seems like it'd be easy to round off a bolt with one of these designs.

 

[skyking]

I have one in 10mm. It ***** .

 

[TinKnocker]

i am fairly certain i saw these on the shelf at sears just last week.

 

[rusty65]

My gramps has a craftsman set in the orginal packaging.

 

[ndoran]

I have a set in my box given to me as a gift. I have never used them and they must have sat in the box for 5 years now. I m considering cutting them up to make torque adjusters by welding on some old 1/2 inch drive sockets onto the cut end of the bit with the box end on it.

 

[Dead Skunk]

I use the closed ends of my set all the time. The open end is decorative.

 

[mvptrukin]

They were sold as another "speeder or ratcheting wrench" version. You could change handle position without taking the open end completely off of the fastener! I also thought they sucked.

 

[camarotoolman]

Break for round box end, take then to Sears and get something worth having.

 

[Packard V8]

Most worthless OE design ever. Don't take them as a gift.

jack vines

 

[Rickster]

I've got some of those! Picked them up a while back. I have a 4 pc set and a three pc double ended speed wrench set.

 

[mudflap]

I have quite a few of them, they do ****. But one good thing is when they break Craftsman has been swapping them out for the pro wrenches due to their length.

 

[NC-Fordguy]

I have both a metric and sae set.

Never really used then a whole lot

 

[srmofo]

Are those the "Quick" wrenches that CM was promoting as a ratcheting style open end wrench?

I think they were actually called quick wrench

 

[kams1973]

The basic design has been around over 50 years.

 

[2oolhound]

Yeah, you know those times when the threads are so gummed up or there's side tension on the part and you can barely turn the fastener with your fingers? That's when we're supposed to grab for one of those. They aren't for crackin a nut or bolt, just those tight ones that are hard to turn after they're cracked loose. Plenty of other options and habits out there though so guess they weren't worth the trip to the tool box.

 

[bluebolt]

I have them, use them and like them. The best use for them is taking fluid line nuts off after you have broken the lines loose with a flare nut wrench or regular open end. When I ran an aircraft tool crib in the Air Force the hydraulic and jet engine shop guys requested them in their tool boxs. This was probably right around 1999. Never had any problems with them.

 

[bluebolt]

PS if any one has a metric set they want to get rid of let me know please.

 

[AZ_Catskinner]

I use mine like it's going out of style - they are the definitive wrench for those long hydraulic and pneumatic fittings.

 

[jeffmoss26]

I have a couple like that made by VIM tools, with 7/16" on both sides for cable TV fittings.

 

[nyrapscalion]

I have a set of the metric and SAE of those! I'm thinking they didn't sell. Something I never see at flea markets/garage sales is usually a bad sign. USA made..a good thing.

 

[thehazmatguy]

i am fairly certain i saw these on the shelf at sears just last week.

Yeah, Sears has something like these right now. There is a small difference though. The current version has a little spring loaded tooth.

 

[mudflap]

They still have them, but the ones they sell now are shorter and open both ends

 

[Major Ramifications]

I have a set that I bought new. They are good in some situations, but they require quite a few degrees of swing to be able to use them.

 

[Ft.ValloniaStreaker]

I won a set of them at a Christmas party years ago....they feel good and i use the box-ends a lot....now the other end, well.........they ****!

 

[chopper1]

Yeah, Sears has something like these right now. There is a small difference though. The current version has a little spring loaded tooth.

Similar to this?

Wrenchking's that are fairly old. Haven't been able to find out much about them.

 

[Jim85IROC]

Yeah, Sears has something like these right now. There is a small difference though. The current version has a little spring loaded tooth.

My father has the Gearwrench version of those. It's got the non-reversible ratcheting closed end, and this spring loaded tooth thingie that you describe on the open end. I thought it was dumb as hell until I had to loosen the upper control arm bolts in the engine bay of his 65 Mustang. I now have a very high opinion of that little ratcheting tooth thingie. Loosening those bolts is nearly impossible on a 1st gen Mustang that's got headers. You can't fit a box end over the bolt, so you have to use an open end. You have to lift the open end off, reposition, then re-mount the bolt head with a normal wrench. This pseudo-ratcheting action allows you to save a lot of time.

Aside from that one particular application, I've still found zero use for them, however.

 

[2oolhound]

Similar to this?

Wrenchking's that are fairly old. Haven't been able to find out much about them.

Hey chopper1 those wrench kings are cool! Is there a grub screw pushing a spring on the back side? Got a photo of the back side?

I'm trying to figure out how they are supposed to work. Slide the open end 1/2 way on the nut? or is the 5/8 actually used on a 9/16 so the spring loaded insert engages? These wrench kings seem to be 1/2 way between normal wrenches and the newer versions we see in the other photos that don't look anything like normal open ends. They maybe offer just a slight advantage over using a regular open end and sliding off and on each turn, you maybe just don't slide it on as far. The newer ones on the other hand will never grip like a regular open end.

 

[thehazmatguy]

Similar to this?

Wrenchking's that are fairly old. Haven't been able to find out much about them.

Yep.

 

[NJHandyGuy]

gotta tell you not the first wrench i grab but i do grab them

 

[Chadwilliam1]

I have an sae set that I bought for my dad as present. 10 years later he gave them back in the same condition. I have still not used them.

 

[monster1]

i am fairly certain i saw these on the shelf at sears just last week.

Yep. Me too. Btw, I have sets similar to these in stanley. Never use them. Got them on clearence(wonder why) at a closeout chain store over ten years ago. At the time I thought I stuck a gold mine!

 

[chopper1]

Hey chopper1 those wrench kings are cool! Is there a grub screw pushing a spring on the back side? Got a photo of the back side?

I don't have a photo but there is a screw tensioning the spring. I did a quick look this morning but couldn't find them. I'm thinking I may have sold them at my garage 'tool' sale.
If I recall correctly, the open ends are larger than the standard 9/16 & 5/8 wrenches.

 

[4x4gearhead]

I have a 10-17mm snap on set that I got for cheap money from my matco dealer years back, I find them to be handy when you have something a ratcheting box end wont fit on. Other than that they are hardly used. takes too much swing radius to be a viable all around "ratcheting" wrench.

 

[tinbender 66]

I have a set of sae,s my sister got me for Christmas in the 90's some time. I don't believe I've ever used the open end.

 

[luvit]

mine were a gift from my mother. -- SAE, 6 pieces.
one of the few gifts i received that have been useful.
this happened prior to me posting wish lists for the clueless.

i am selective on how good of condition the fastener is when i use one of these wrenches.
i look for opportunities for their use. -- i like them.
they remind me of how there were occasions when time and thought were put into gifts from my family.
i didn't open them for 12 years until i bought my first real tool chest to prevent them from getting lost.

yes. i just opened them about 3-5 years ago.
.

 

[mtnkrake]

I use the closed ends of my set all the time. The open end is decorative.

I agree. I have a set also.

 

[Kevin54]

I have a set and hate them, but the box end is great.