Anyone like the Craftsman Quickwrench?

[zippy1981]

Bought a bunch of random wrenches on craigslist. One was a 5/16" combination wrench with a weird groove on the open end. Clearly machined by the manufacturer and meant to allow "ratcheting."

1997 Bob Villa wrenching on a Corvette and explaining why these won't round nuts:

Finally got the chance to try it out with a 5" hose clamp. Honestly didn't get it to work right. Am I just a spaz or do these just ****? I don't see a lot of info on these wrenches online. They are longer than standard craftsman wrenches. Wish I had a 10mm version to just wrench on my car to have more real world examples.

 

[kjbenner]

I haven't used them, but I think the general consensus is that they ****, which matches your experience.

Gearwrench makes a similar version, but with some sort of (I think spring-loaded) nub in the groove: http://www.gearwrench.com/gearwrench-85597-12-pc-open-end-ratcheting-wrench-set-metric.html.

 

[Zapp Branigan]

I have a bunch of them, got them for Christmas one year. The box end is good for when you need a backer wrench. That's about all I ever use them for. Just another failed Craftsman gimmick.

 

[Bellaireroad]

They are called speed wrenches as well, very handy in tight spaces with limited rotation, like the fan clutch on a 69 vet..


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[unslow1]

I have some. The only time I can remember them coming in handy was the bellhousing bolts on rear wheel drive cars.

 

[zippy1981]

Gearwrench makes a similar version, but with some sort of (I think spring-loaded) nub in the groove: http://www.gearwrench.com/gearwrench-85597-12-pc-open-end-ratcheting-wrench-set-metric.html.

Husky has a similar design with the nub like gearwrench with a nub, with 100 tooth count on the combination endhttps://www.walmart.com/ip/Husky-Wr...-100-Position-Double-Ratcheting-SAE/476426781. I thought they were gimmicky, at least to gimmicky to pay retail for.

I guess I just expected it to work, but round off the nut. But the rest of the wrenches were normal, I paid less than a dollar a wrench. and the box end is fine. Can never have too many wrenches.

 

[JuliusPepperwood]

I have the black craftsman open end ratcheting wrenches and they ****

 

[gsmith22]

while I won't disagree with the open end ratching usefullness (or lack thereof) already commented on, what most seem to miss is that these wrenches are longer than the standard raised panel wrenches and match the length of the later professional series wrenches. Some versions even have "professional" marked on the rear. So while the open end ratcheting might be gimmicky, you get a cheap version of a long pattern box end wrench without paying up for the professional series. I tracked down all 14 sizes ever made in the SAE and metric sets and it cost a hell of a lot less than the professional series wrenches.

 

[JUNK-MAN]

I work out of the shop boxes were I work, there are some floating around and I've used them before, I too could never get the open end to work but nice as a long box end wrench.

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[Jim C.]

Well, those wrenches were nothing new to Sears/Craftsman in 1997 when Bob Villa advertised them. Here's a set from approximately 1960.

Jim C.

 

[Fedwrench]

I think the only good thing about the quick wrench was that it was a longer pattern raised panel wrench before there were lots of long pattern choices.

 

[Jim C.]

The length advantage was probably a selling feature touted on later versions of the quick/ratcheting wrench. Early versions could only talk up the ratcheting feature. Depicted below is a same 5/8" ratcheting wrench from the set shown above. I've included a standard Craftsman 5/8" combo wrench from the same time period. As shown, the lengths are pretty much identical. No length advantage there. For the record, I also have examples of the middle three sizes from the 1960 set that are in user quality condition. I've tried using them more than once or twice and really don't care for them too much. As a result, I really don't use them any more. I sort of view them as gimmick tools. Interestingly, if you take a real close look at the wrenches shown above, you'll see that they're in mint condition; like they were never used. Hmmm.....maybe 55+ years ago, the original owner made the same discovery.

Jim C.

 

[plinker]

One of the few places I have had a use for this type of wrench is a double nut adjustment bolt on a hay elevator. Can only use an open end and it's slow going to back it off & tighten it up.

 

[four.cycle]

Well, those wrenches were nothing new to Sears/Craftsman in 1997 when Bob Villa advertised them. Here's a set from approximately 1960.

They were nothing new in 1960 either.
That idea has been around for a century - in any number of iterations you can find sets of them pretty cheap on Ebay, made by any number of different manufacturers.
From comments about them on this site, they appear to work great for some very specialized applications. Otherwise they don't seem to get favorable reviews.

 

[potato]

while I won't disagree with the open end ratching usefullness (or lack thereof) already commented on, what most seem to miss is that these wrenches are longer than the standard raised panel wrenches and match the length of the later professional series wrenches. Some versions even have "professional" marked on the rear. So while the open end ratcheting might be gimmicky, you get a cheap version of a long pattern box end wrench without paying up for the professional series. I tracked down all 14 sizes ever made in the SAE and metric sets and it cost a hell of a lot less than the professional series wrenches.

wouldnt these be a better choice?

 

[Jim C.]

They were nothing new in 1960 either.....

Touché.......

 

[gsmith22]

guessing my open end ratcheting wrenches were from the 1980s (they don't have "professional" on the rear but are longer than typical RP) where they had increased the length over the standard combos. didn't realize they went back so far/didn't have the length advantage at some prior point.

Relative to the double box end, these have a 15 degree offset. I have the double box ends too but they are flat. Here too, I think my double box ends are from the 1980/90s whereas I have noticed the older double box ends do have an offset. Guess if you have those, then these wouldn't have any real advantage unless you truly wanted the ratcheting open end.

 

[four.cycle]

Jim C. - that wasn't intended as a touché - I was just pointing out that the "ratcheting open end wrench" (which comes up recurrently in different threads here) is an old idea that keeps coming back.
Off the top of my head, I think the earliest patent dates back to right after the turn of the 20th century. I'd have to do some digging to get an exact date.
If you run a search on "wrench set" or "wrenches" on ebay you'll find all kinds of them listed.

 

[rharman]

I bought a set many, many years ago. They are excellent.... at taking up space in my wrench drawer.

 

[mrborohachi]

Looking to buy a single 8mm quick wrench if anyone is looking to sell one.

 

[davethorik]

I know I had seen a Snap-on version of this before. Turns out they still make them.

https://store.snapon.com/Reversible...-Open-End-Combination-Wrench-Set-P736876.aspx

 

[Jim C.]

Jim C. - that wasn't intended as a touché - I was just pointing out that the "ratcheting open end wrench" (which comes up recurrently in different threads here) is an old idea that keeps coming back.
Off the top of my head, I think the earliest patent dates back to right after the turn of the 20th century. I'd have to do some digging to get an exact date.
If you run a search on "wrench set" or "wrenches" on ebay you'll find all kinds of them listed.

No problem. I was laughing when I saw your comments! When I posted that 1960 Craftsman set, I was really just referring to Craftsman sets only since that’s what the OP mentioned. I’m not sure when Sears/Craftsman first offered open end ratcheting wrenches. Maybe the late 1950s or so???

Jim C.

 

[four.cycle]

I'm not a Craftsman expert by any stretch of the imagination.
Here they are on page 11 of the 1955 Craftsman hand tool catalog.
Note that the "Saltus" type wrenehes on the right are listed as "new", so it's reasonable to assume that the ratcheting wrench was not new in 1955.



The 1954 catalog shows them as being "new".



I don't have any earlier Craftsman catalogs here so I'm not going to claim that 1954 was the first year - I'll defer to one of the experts on that one.

 

[HaroRider]

Hmm 6 wrenches for $20 and made in the USA. Im gunna call lol

 

[340wedge]

I have this set in the workbench drawer. I actually forgot I owned these things until I read this post. I bought them in the late 90s and I think I have used them once.

 

[DadsTools]

I have a bunch of them, got them for Christmas one year. The box end is good for when you need a backer wrench. That's about all I ever use them for. Just another failed Craftsman gimmick.

Perhaps a failed gimmick, but not a Craftsman gimmick. Attached photo is from the Alloy Artifacts site. I have one of these wrenches in the 7/16 size (had I not owned one, would have never known this). AA cites date as 1950s, and lists the probable source as Vlchek.

 

[lis2323]

I bought them in the late 90s and I think I have used them once.

You must have a lot of tool chests if you dedicate that much storage space to wrenches you've used once.

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[DadsTools]

Looks like my previous historical reference was a bit off. While checking the JH Williams section of Alloy Artifacts, I stumbled onto this very early version of the ratcheting open end called a "Ratcho" wrench, circa 1910s. Attached photo is from the referenced AA section, figure 68, here: http://alloy-artifacts.org/williams-supercompany.html

 

[McFarmer]

They are good wrenches to hang on a nail beside some place you always need a box end for.

 

[jdoe213]

Wright has some that got a good review on youtube. If I remember correctly.

 

[four.cycle]

"... circa 1910s ..."

I mentioned above that the idea was not new.
In compiling the list of US hand tool manufacturers, I came across the name of a maker making those, and as I recall their patent dated back to 1906 or 1908. Maybe my memory isn't completely accurate there, but I definitely remember thinking that it seemed to be very early. I can't recall the name now.... I'm sure it will come to me after I've forgotten about this thread.-

 

[Empty Pockets]

My wife got me 2 sets for Christmas, years ago (metric and imperial). I've never used them, maybe some day when I need a box end

 

[340wedge]

You must have a lot of tool chests if you dedicate that much storage space to wrenches you've used once.

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I have more than enough. That drawer houses tin snips and body shop hammers and dollies and since my car was finishes 24 years ago, I don't have much use for body shop hammers anymore

 

[four.cycle]

So far DadsTools' example above is the earliest. I stumbled across this one earlier today:

Simplex US Patent: 1,479,772 Jan. 01, 1924





(* above are all examples from ebay *)

For some weird reason I'm still thinking I ran into one of these that went back somewhere between 1900 and 1910. Maybe not... DadsTools' example above may well be the earliest.