Best Combination Wrenches?

[Fender1325]

Ive got a set of sears craftsman (chinese) wrenches -SAE and Metric, that Im pretty happy with. They get the job done, but I find myself thinking about a nice USA polished set with super accurate attention to detail so the fit on a nut is perfect. The Carlyle tools behind the counter at NAPA look great, although I think they're made in taiwan? What do you guys think are really excellent combination wrenches? Im assuming Snap-on? I dont work as a professional mechanic but I like a good tool. My 1/2" craftsman already has a nick in the edge of the open end and it bothers me. I dont know how it got there. Probably being in a tight spot with poor visibility I got that, but I would guess it wouldnt be possible on a higher end wrench.

 

[kctyphoon]

if you insist on usa its probably snap on, or William's if they have a USA model.. if it were me, i think i might go with carlyle also, but my craftsman / gearwrench / pittsburg / husky sets work well for me also.. after having joined the site, and being exposed to other people opinions/suggestions - i think i would take the plunge for a set of carlyle's myself, or a better set of gearwrenchs at least..

 

[d.mcfarland]

Wright

 

[michael murder]

The most expensive you can afford.

 

[1950mercury]

Harbor freight made in india...is all u

 

[Jure]

gedore 1B

 

[n8n]

Depends on what you're working on. If you work on nice stuff where everything is free and you want to reuse all your fasteners, I like my SKs. However if you work on old rusty stuff where there's a lot of destruction, thread chasing, and excessive force, then WrightGrip (or Snap-On Flank Drive Plus at significantly higher cost.)

Good wrenches are not immune to becoming worn/damaged, there's a nice burn mark on one of my SKs from changing a battery and not paying attention :/

 

[twertsy]

I got the WrightGrips almost a month ago and they're awesome, particularly relating to the post by n8n regarding rust......my hobby is restoring muscle cars, they've seen a LOT of rust already. Great product, particularly when you compare the cost to the flank drives.

 

[Fender1325]

Im restoring a 50 cadillac.

 

[n8n]

Get the WrightGrips then. You shouldn't be using the open ends on much... in fact most of the time a 6 point and breaker bar or else a rattle gun is the right tool for removing old fasteners. But that one time you need to get a tight bolt out and an open end is the only thing that will fit... you'll thank yourself for having them.

Keep the cmans for jobs where you want absolutely no possibility of marking a bolt head or nut.

Sent from my XT897 using Tapatalk

 

[wvrailroader]

I love my Proto ASD combos. They have worked great on every rusty bolt I have used them on.

 

[CNGsaves]

Im restoring a 50 cadillac.

OP, are you in Cuba ?? There are other cars and other tools available !!

Update your GJ Profile with location, and post up pics of the "faulty" Craftsman wrench and the Caddy.

 

[Fender1325]

NC here.

Heres one of the Cad. I'll snap one of the wrench later when it gets light out.

 

[Fender1325]

I was just looking at used snap on wrench sets on craigslist. One of the sets was a 24k Gold collectors set in a collector box. Forgive me but what kind of ******** is that? This isnt womens jewelry these are tools! Its kind of weird snap on even made that.

I did however look at some comparison pictures of various makes. The attention to detail on the open end snap on was nice. Sharp edges and not tons of chrome plating. The cheaper ones tend to have lots of chrome and soft edges which leads to a weaker connection.

 

[twertsy]

Go look at the Koken sets on amazon, sort by highest price first. There's a Titanium set (sockets if I recall) for $2500

 

[Pumpman1968]

Not trying to sound like a douche....just playing devils advocate......if it bothers you to have a mark on a set of $20 Craftsman wrenches after using them, how will you feel after a similar mark shows up on a $200 set of wrenches?

 

[n8n]

Honestly unless you're a pro I wouldn't bother with Snap-On. They are geared towards pros and priced accordingly. You get better service from your truck guy, but you don't have a truck guy. Also unless you can prove purchase new there is no warranty on Snap-On tools unless you have a pro friend with a good relationship with his truck guy. I'd save your money and buy Wright instead. They're really nice, and priced at about the same level as SK instead of Snap-On.

There are a few things that Snap-On does better than most anyone (or plain anyone) else. Combo wrenches aren't one of them, unless strength to weight ratio is important to you. The Wrights are a little heavier, but IMHO feel better in the hand anyway.

Things that Snap-On does really well: Fine tooth ratchets (Dual 80); ratchet and breaker bar handles (nobody else's feel as good in my hands as Snap-On does; a similarly shaped GearWrench breaker bar is way heavier than Snap-On); supposedly ratcheting bit holder screwdrivers, although I'm still limping by with my Craftsman clone.

Wright is IMHO the head of the class with open end wrenches. You'd think that Williams would be as good, being a Snap-On brand, but reports say that they aren't. I have a few anyway that I got on clearance, they're fine, but you did say *best.* Only thing that frosts my cookies about Wright is they don't offer a 9/32" or 11/32" combo wrench, and I just used the 11/32" the other day so don't tell me it's an obsolete size!

Sockets, I like SK, although Wright, USA Williams, etc. are probably all excellent choices. Snap-On is of course excellent but pricey. Harbor Freight Taiwan-made Pittsburgh Pro impacts are good and cheap; I bought Snap-On used for metric because the PP set skipped sizes. Not an issue with the SAE fasteners on a 50 Caddy though!

I just started a thread about screwdriver bits, and the consensus there seemed to be PB Swiss for most stuff and Vessel for JIS (which you won't need.) Williams makes separate screwdrivers that look for all the world like the old Snap-On black hard handles but with a Williams logo instead, if you prefer separate screwdrivers those are a great value but unfortunately they don't offer Pozidriv if you need it (not sure if Caddy ever used it, but Studebaker about that time used Pozi for the door hinge screws, which is actually what prompted that thread, as I was holding a Williams Phillips driver in my hand and thinking that I needed some Pozi drivers.)

If you don't have a hand impact, that is another tool you'll need... I used a parts store "blue box" one for years (they still sell them) but the Lisle one I replaced it with was way better. The Snap-On one that I replaced the Lisle with is the best I've used. The Lisle bits didn't last...

if you'll be working on brake lines/hoses, you'll want a GOOD (not CMan) set of flare wrenches. Snap on are of course excellent, but I have a set of SKs for metric. I haven't used them hard yet so I can't say if they're as good as Snap-On yet or not.

 

[Toymeister]

Armstrong ratcheting wrenches. Made in USA. Issued to Marines as an addition to their General Mechanics Tool kit. Do you know any Marines? I think that answers the durability question. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004ED924Y/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[sberry]

Not trying to sound like a douche....just playing devils advocate......if it bothers you to have a mark on a set of $20 Craftsman wrenches after using them, how will you feel after a similar mark shows up on a $200 set of wrenches?

This is a question I have to ask too,,, 200,,,, or more. To some the tool price isn't an issue and they are not totally focused on rate of return, not taking food away (an old Cad probably isn't either) so all this doesn't matter much and is mostly a golden arm concern.
There is nothing wrong with top end tools but it doesn't make as much difference as one thinks. Its about 99% psychological but that doesn't mean its not real,,, hahahaha

 

[Fender1325]

I actually bought a cheap set of econo flare wrenches from NAPA for like 10-15 bucks. Its 3 wrenches with 6 different sizes. Theyre polished and they work great. Fit snug and broke the old fittings loose with plenty of penetrating oil and a nice crack of a hammer. I had to replace all the wheel cylinders and they worked very well. I cannot complain.

As far as getting a mark on craftsman vs expensive its not so much a mark as a little divot on the edge of the mating surface of the open end. Not really a big deal, it just bothers me the metal was soft enough for it to happen.

 

[n8n]

I'm guessing the car is from NC as well?

I grew up in PA and have spread my 10mm Cman flare wrench so many times... hence replacing with Snap-On.

Hard lines get replaced as often as not when I have to break them loose :/ (NiCopp w/ stainless fittings is my current "run forever" recipe)

 

[Fender1325]

Trust me, Im not rich. The caddy is a long term project I got for very cheap, its rusted out. The craftsman wrench set I got for about $70 which was a good deal at the time for SAE and metric. They're the first wrenches Ive bought for my own so Im not always borrowing others wrenches. I grew up using Dads craftsman but we know thats not exactly the same tool now. I still think for the warranty and general quality its a good value.

As for the comment that states you cannot warranty a snap on tool without proof of purchase and chasing down a truck that shoots the deal square in the foot doesnt it? I would consider them used but what the hell, it doesnt matter where or how I acquired them, if it says snap on on it, it damn well should be covered no questions asked! I cant imagine breaking a wrench but who knows. I do hit mine with a mallet if a large nut is especially hard.

 

[Fender1325]

I got it from SC but it was originally from ohio and everywhere in between since.

 

[n8n]

Trust me, Im not rich. The caddy is a long term project I got for very cheap, its rusted out. The craftsman wrench set I got for about $70 which was a good deal at the time for SAE and metric. They're the first wrenches Ive bought for my own so Im not always borrowing others wrenches. I grew up using Dads craftsman but we know thats not exactly the same tool now. I still think for the warranty and general quality its a good value.

As for the comment that states you cannot warranty a snap on tool without proof of purchase and chasing down a truck that shoots the deal square in the foot doesnt it? I would consider them used but what the hell, it doesnt matter where or how I acquired them, if it says snap on on it, it damn well should be covered no questions asked! I cant imagine breaking a wrench but who knows. I do hit mine with a mallet if a large nut is especially hard.

That caddy ain't rusted, you haven't seen rust until you've been up north!

If you try to warranty a snap on tool by calling their 800 number, within a minute or two they will ask you if you're the original purchaser of the tool. If not, they'll sell you a repair kit (I called about some ratchet wrenches, basically the SO version of a reversible Gearwrench) and they were happy to sell me the repair kit for a very reasonable price, but sorry, no warranty. Compare and contrast with JH Williams who when I called inquiring about a repair kit for an old ratchet that my friend had fished out of the scrap bucket at his shop and gave to me to try to fix (and I was honest about it) they told me that the repair kits for the old DP S-52/B-52 ratchets were NLA but send it to this address and we'll warranty it. Sure enough a week or so later a new S-52A showed up in the mail.

Now the truck guy has resources to work with you, but the official SO policy is lifetime warranty - to the original purchaser.

 

[Davefr]

There are a few things that Snap-On does better than most anyone (or plain anyone) else. Combo wrenches aren't one of them, unless strength to weight ratio is important to you. The Wrights are a little heavier, but IMHO feel better in the hand anyway.

^^^ I agree 100%. Wright's are better then SO at a fraction of the price. (I have both)

 

[John in OH]

Full-polish WrightGrips all the way!!

Yep, I gotta agree that for the money the WrightGrip combo wrenches are nearly impossible to beat!! Beautiful tools and made in USA for a cost half or less than SO!!

Snap On makes an excellent wrench, but you pay a premium as their price is burdened with extras that the non-professional just doesn't need, such as the truck man's profit, a financing structure, door-to-door warranty service, etc. Not to mention you pay a little extra just for the name.

 

[Kirbot]

Wrightgrip gets my vote as the very best available.

I only have a 9/16, but sooner or later I need to get a real set.
I like them better than snapon.

 

[67King]

Im restoring a 50 cadillac.

Well, in that case, the best wrench will be Liquid Wrench!!!!

Sorry, had to. Kidding aside, I've had Craftsmans since I was in high school about 25 years ago. Since I'm a DIYer (though a ********* one......I own 9 cars and 5 are race/project cars), I've never been able to justify the cost of better tools. But that has now changed, and I'm starting to invest in SK. While the wrenches are lower on my priority list, I've had issues with the Craftsman wrenches. Notably spreading. And that was when they were USA made.

 

[woodstockva]

Here you go....

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[u118224]

Are WrightGrips available in long pattern?

 

[Davefr]

No, but they're a lot closer to long pattern then std. pattern.

 

[TheRobotCow]

Just to give a bit of insight of how much Snap On costs, their 10pc metric Flank Drive Plus set (10-19mm) sells for $366.75 and their 10pc standard Flank Drive Plus set (5/16 - 7/8) sells for $341.45. Those two sets alone are $700+($708.20 before taxes to be exact)

https://store.snapon.com/Standard-Handle-mm-SOEXM710-P633033.aspx
https://store.snapon.com/Standard-Handle-inches-SOEX710-P644839.aspx

 

[Bigblue&Goldie]

My nod goes to Wright, Proto, or Snap On if you want the best. If I ever need another set they will be Wright or Proto.

 

[Verg]

+1 for the wrights. I bought all my snap on flank drive plus's before i knew about wright wrenches. Once i bought a few to try out (thanks GJ) i was sold; For the price the quality and functionality of the wright wrenches is excellent. If i had the wrench selection to do all over again i would have a lot more wright wrenches.

 

[amolaver]

Not to pile on, but the Wright full polish combos are the nicest wrenches I've ever used. The beam is more round than most other brands (SO specifically), which is much more comfortable, at least to me, when applying real force. The serrations on the open end work amazingly well. If you're got the open end square on a fastener, it seems impossible to round it off - more likely to break the bolt. As good or better finish than anything from the trucks as well. Great tools.

ahm

 

[merbie]

wright, allen, facom and snap on if you sell a limb, there all good choices i personaly use mac precision torque and love em

 

[n8n]

Well, in that case, the best wrench will be Liquid Wrench!!!!

Or a flame wrench!

Sent from my XT897 using Tapatalk

 

[neonlazer]

Wright...now the hard part is choosing satin or chrome finish...(or if your like fox you just buy them both)

 

[1foxracing]

Wright...now the hard part is choosing satin or chrome finish...(or if your like fox you just buy them both)

Correct answer!

 

[CNGsaves]

. . . {clip} . .

Snap On makes an excellent wrench, but you pay a premium . . . {clip}
Not to mention you pay a little extra just for the name.

^ ^ Now . . . THAT is the understatement of the century !!!