Best Wrench Recommendations

[Ckengine]

Snap on, wright, or SK but if you go SK get the long pattern. The standard are on the short side.

 

[dutchgray]

I own wrench sets by Facom, Hazet, Stahlwille, Wright and SK, they are all good in their own way, which ones I use is mostly down to what works at the time. I have some other makes but only in odds and ends.

 

[90zcar]

Snap on, wright, or SK but if you go SK get the long pattern. The standard are on the short side.

I second this. I had some SK sae wrenches before and that's the only reason I got rid of them. They were just too damn short



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[Tinner]

I have Snap-on, Proto, S-K, Wright and Stahlwille wrenches. You can't go wrong with any of those brands.

 

[MDK22]

1970s Craftsman if possible. Best wrenches in my opinion. Though they are only ok on rounded fasteners.

If new SO FD+ for a lot of reasons. Ease of warranty repair, ease of resale (if needed never know what the future holds), maintains if not increases in value with age. Only down side to these wrenches is they flex and flex a lot if you are strong and the bolt really really does not want to budge.

 

[Shootingblanks]

Wright set #958 and #915 on left and Craftsman RP standard and metric set on right of my HF 56" drawer:



Wright wrenches are awesome and no regrets.

 

[Davefr]

If new SO FD+ for a lot of reasons. Ease of warranty repair, ease of resale (if needed never know what the future holds), maintains if not increases in value with age. Only down side to these wrenches is they flex and flex a lot if you are strong and the bolt really really does not want to budge.

IMHO that's totally false.

If bought new, SO does not hold it's value or increases over time.

The 10 pc FD+ metric set is $366 new. Do you really think the used value will increase over time???

Hint: The average SOLD price for used on Ebay for that identical set is around $175. That's close to $200 in depreciation. (ie SOEXM710)

The approx. equivalent brand new set from SK, Wright, Proto ranges from about $130-$175. (ie Amazon). That's less then just the SO set's depreciation.

There are plenty of reasons to buy SO. However when buying new, holding their value is not one of them.

 

[sberry]

maintains if not increases in value with age.

I didn't jump in here till this gem either. I went to an auction a while back. Seen a set of HF been beat bad with some missing from an Amish welding shop sell for what they would new and snaps bring 30 cents for a good one.
It depreciated 50% right out the door.

 

[sberry]

Mine really don't stay sets. I might carry close to a full selection of wrenches but they aint a set.
These have been investment grade. The last one I paid a dollar for as a single well over 20 yrs ago and it still gives me a sense of security when I spot it in a jam up.
I believe they went under a few brands with this forged beam style but the hammering must have made it tough as hell. The box fit is as good as any wrench made.
We can discount some of the cheap flea wrenches o 30 yrs ago sold at fleas in roll sets and stamped but the worst wrench I have ever used was a few electroiltes, some SK copy made in US but I can bend them. The previous owner was retired hobby guy and gave them to me. The fit was ok but a strong guy can bend the beam.

 

[CobraChevelle]

IMHO that's totally false.

If bought new, SO does not hold it's value or increases over time.

The 10 pc FD+ metric set is $366 new. Do you really think the used value will increase over time???

Hint: The average SOLD price for used on Ebay for that identical set is around $175. That's close to $200 in depreciation. (ie SOEXM710)

The approx. equivalent brand new set from SK, Wright, Proto ranges from about $130-$175. (ie Amazon). That's less then just the SO set's depreciation.

There are plenty of reasons to buy SO. However when buying new, holding their value is not one of them.

I just sold NEW SOEXM710 for 200$ shipped. lost my ***, but I was gifted the wrights 958. Yea those SO wrenches sell for $366 on there site. I heard rumors depending on the driver you can buy them off the truck for $300. On Ebay the cheapest I have seen them go is $225 ( the set I bought and sold for a loss). I "tried" getting my money back, These were NEW and still sealed in the wrapping.

But if you have all the money in the world why ask which wrench??? If you are looking for value get gearwrench, If your looking for quality USA made get WRIGHTS, If you want to be different and save some money Buy HAZET 600N from Amazon.DE.

 

[sberry]

If I was looking for premium at the right price would probably agree with the Wright.

 

[MDK22]

How much do used wright wrenches sell for online? The amount is much much less percentage wise. Used wrenches will always sell for less until it costs too much to produce a good quality wrench.

As we all know everything is getting made cheaper and with less quality. An old lightly used drill press is worth a lot more then the newer ones. Why? because the new stuff is crappy in comparison so the worth of the older is worth slightly less then that of a new high end good quality drill press. This is more then likely what we are going to be seeing with hand tools if things continue the same way.

 

[3200fps]

My favorite wrenches are the Snap On extra long pattern flank drive plus wrenches. Wright grip full polish comes in at a close 2nd.

 

[SantaAna12]

I have never sold a wrench.

Mr. Berry strikes again!

 

[theoldwizard1]

Can you explain how wright is better?

Maybe not "better" than SnapOn, but just as good for a fraction of the money. Watch this video.

 

[sberry]

As we all know everything is getting made cheaper and with less quality. An old lightly used drill press is worth a lot more then the newer ones. Why? because the new stuff is crappy in comparison so the worth of the older is worth slightly less then that of a new high end good quality drill press. This is more then likely what we are going to be seeing with hand tools if things continue the same way.

This really isn't accurate. A crappy old cheap drill press is no better than a new cheap one and maybe not as good. Everything is being made cheaper but the cheaper has been getting better.
Like it or not the Stanley, the Cman and the HF is a service worthy wrench, golden arm or not.
Look at the HF impact socket and now hand ratchets, better and better and cheaper too.
Believe it or not I think the OP should buy what he wants and the best he can afford. You get no argument from me on that point. Its a different issue than with a blindfold on how good is the tool.
I think Snapon and Wright are the best.

 

[theoldwizard1]

I have never sold a wrench.

I have like 4 or 5 sets of Craftsman SAE (some less complete that others) and 3 or 4 sets of Metric. Various tool boxes and an SAE/Metric set (NIB) that I bought as a close out, "just in case".

 

[pennsylvaniaboy]

So I'm in the market for wrenches as well. I have a bunch of craftsman raised panel that are my road box. But I'm torn on Williams and wright. Both are nearly the same money, same features,sizes, finish etc. Probably can't go wrong either way. On a separate note, does anyone here prefer the black industrial finish? It looks bad-a$$ to me, but never used any.

 

[sberry]

My bet is a decent salesman could buy some Sears super sale, 309 sets etc along with a few things on sale at HF and break them out to individual sets at a yard sale or flea and make money.

 

[evanbaker08]

I like my Gearwrench sets, but Wright and SK are better.

 

[John in OH]

What country is OP ?? What is the NEED for wrenches ?? What used for ??

OP . . . Update GJ Profile with Country / State / City or some Location. The "best" wrenches in Europe would be totally different group than USA/Canada.

Amen, brother, amen!

 

[Tenex]

How much do used wright wrenches sell for online? The amount is much much less percentage wise. Used wrenches will always sell for less until it costs too much to produce a good quality wrench.

The frustrating part about Wright wrenches is they don't seem to lose value. I've been perusing ebay for 6 months now. In general, I've noticed that you can only get a good deal if you find a seller that is willing to accept individual offers. If it goes to auction they go for nearly full retail even for used sets.

 

[sberry]

I have like 4 or 5 sets of Craftsman SAE (some less complete that others) and 3 or 4 sets of Metric. Various tool boxes and an SAE/Metric set (NIB) that I bought as a close out, "just in case".

I am in a biz where am the shop and the tools in a pool and most of the stuff others work on is in a few basic sizes so we duplicate and on occasion copy something that proves out.
I bought 3 wobble set from ATD on sale and it actually worked so good next time it popped up for 12$ we hit it once more so robbing a piece didn't leave us hi and dry.
Same for combo wrenches. I have a few Snaps, they are great, they had flank when it was a ********* to the rest. But when we found a service worthy wrench for a dollar we were not scared to drop 10$ and saturate it a bit for convenience. It was great insurance, low cost loss potential, shot the convenience thru the roof and we got to find out how bad you can beat small wrenches with a 20 OZ nail hammer.

 

[firworks]

One more vote for the Wrightgrips.

 

[sberry]

I have like 4 or 5 sets of Craftsman SAE (some less complete that others) and 3 or 4 sets of Metric. Various tool boxes and an SAE/Metric set (NIB) that I bought as a close out, "just in case".

I remember being short tooled as a kid and for some reason hesitant to buy a set of metric sockets which seems silly now. But I did the same thing with pocket money from time to time when Sears had something come floating buy and we seemed short. I bought a couple sets of 3/8 deeps and a few wrenches and also bought a couple sizeable sales a couple of times.
We had a fair size shop and were spread between trucks and had some men up and down.
I did hit a limit with most of it, no matter how good we got it that works and not worth replacing or upgrading and most of the duplication is done.
I buy a handful every year or if we lose and even if I feel a vacuum on a size. I see someone must have scored a couple 5/16 nut drives from Ace the other day.
I would have a hard time hauling home more if it was being given, just cant use any more and if I ever cycle up again the store has more cheaper than ever.

 

[sberry]

I sent a helper to remove a starter on a truck the other day. He was going to get every wrench they invented and I showed him how to do it with the combo we had in the truck tool kit. On occasion I do use other than a standard, mostly on removal of some new scheme. By the time I am ready to install usually have it figured out for a simpler way.

 

[Cato]

They are all the same...

Some fellas will cite metallurgy or thickness down to millimeters but you aren't going to pull a Harbor Freight wrench so hard you'll break it with your bare hands. If a space is so tight you can't get a wrench in there, you probably should be removing a secondary part.

Most wrenches - from Harbor Freight to Snap On are guaranteed for life. That's because guys rarely break them. Since you sound like a DYI and not a professional, you won't break them unless you misuse them.

That being said, I think you will have to consider other factors such as "coolness" or brand recognition.

 

[sberry]

If the OP has a real shop to work in with no wrenches then it can afford more than a set. My world would come to a stop with a set of wrenches, have a dozen of common sizes floating around.
I understand some place like air craft where tools are logged but even with a set of 200$ wrenches I am going to spring another 25 for some extras.

 

[JUNK-MAN]

Snap-On, I've got an old (non-flank drive) set of stand SAE combos from the 70s, Best wrenches I've used. The only other complete set I have is Craftsman RP metric combos and I don't like them at all fortunately I don't use metric to much.

 

[kctyphoon]

im skipping the 3 other pages of this thread.. EXACTLY what is the point of this when you know that all this will bring is suggestions for every popular brand on earth, and NOBODY on here owns them all to even begin comparing. its wrenches dude.. not an $80,000 car. please make up your own mind and buy what you like cause EVERYONE on here likes different things. these threads seem like they are only created to start arguments for the OP's amusement.

 

[OutsideMachinist]

They are all the same...

Some fellas will cite metallurgy or thickness down to millimeters but you aren't going to pull a Harbor Freight wrench so hard you'll break it with your bare hands. If a space is so tight you can't get a wrench in there, you probably should be removing a secondary part.

Most wrenches - from Harbor Freight to Snap On are guaranteed for life. That's because guys rarely break them. Since you sound like a DYI and not a professional, you won't break them unless you misuse them.

That being said, I think you will have to consider other factors such as "coolness" or brand recognition.

I would have to disagree about the wrenches. There are plenty of options inbetween snapon and harbor freight that are good/great and plenty good for diy. I like blackhawk usa personally. I have and use some HF wrenches, mostly the jumbo wrenches. They are junk. They are made out of pig iron. They are weak and can nearly be bent with your bare hands. I use them to back up a nut or bolt when useing another tool.

 

[shockwave]

They are all the same...

Some fellas will cite metallurgy or thickness down to millimeters but you aren't going to pull a Harbor Freight wrench so hard you'll break it with your bare hands. If a space is so tight you can't get a wrench in there, you probably should be removing a secondary part.

Most wrenches - from Harbor Freight to Snap On are guaranteed for life. That's because guys rarely break them. Since you sound like a DYI and not a professional, you won't break them unless you misuse them.

That being said, I think you will have to consider other factors such as "coolness" or brand recognition.

I disagree with this especially in tight situations and the open end rounds out fastners they are not all the same that is like saying all motor oil is the same

 

[justme-]

I'll just add harbor freight has had a lifetime warranty for a lot longer than they have had acceptable quality. I have been buying thing from them for more years than most people have even heard of them and can assure you how much better their stuff is now and just how poor it was once.
If you work with tools long enough you will see the benefits of buying quality, whatever brand that may be. Actually, that holds true with everything in life. Lifetime warranty is only worth it when the item is well enough made to not need the warranty. I have an issue with needing to regularly swap something under warranty. My time has value, and having to spend it regularly in the process of warrantying a tool should factor into the cost of the tool.

 

[SantaAna12]

Troll on Cato.

 

[stihlntime]

I would look at Stahlwille, prolly the best European wrench. Much more comfortable in the hand than SO as they aren't thin on the edges. You can do a YouTube search and see the strength test . Stahlwille's continue to wrench after many leading brands are failing. Not any higher than tool truck brands. There are many good wrenches on the market and they would serve your needs well. Wright,SO,Mac,SK, best to do is try then in you hand if possible. I have xxxl hands and don't like the thin edges of SO, I'm sure they would never fail me and would do a great job, just don't pike the feel. Have a old set of SK's that feel great.

 

[NonSenCe]

on tools. it actually matters how they feel in YOUR hand. so do go and try the ones that you like and the ones suggested here.

some prefer slimmer handles others want beefier, some want shiny others dull finish, raised panels or smooth. and especially important is how long the tools are. too short and it dont feel good. too long and it might not fit where you want it. some prefer thinner profile jaws and others dont, or thickness of the box end. and then some do like to have certain angle in the boxend (with one your fingers or knuckles might be scraping and other might give you better room to swing) and also how the open end is shaped. some wrenches can seem to work better when opening something and others feel more natural when tightening.

so go and try them in your hand if possible.

 

[redwrench60]

Wright tool WrightGrip wrenches could be the best overall value on the planet. I just wish they were longer or offered a long pattern wrench! And I am a confirmed Snap On Flank Drive Plus wrench nut.

 

[KnurledNut]

OP, check out Williams Supercombo.

 

[Sprintman]

Toptul Super-Torque if thickness isn't an issue. Unbreakable comes to mind.

 

[Qualitytools]

You may end up with a variety of wrench sets as different manufacturers have some special wrenches that come in handy in different situations. I own some old Craftsman in addition to some Gedore, Hazet, Stahlwille, Facom and Wera and some Snap-On.

I prefer the finish and feel of the European made wrenches as others have said it's what feels good in your hand that counts. The European made tools / wrenches tend to also have a nice satin finish that looks great after lots of use without looking beat up as some of the highly polished ones do.

I would encourage you to try out various manufacturers as you are shopping in stores for how it feels as well as fit and finish quality, of course that is hard to do if your shopping on the internet as you can't touch and feel from the screen! Again this is my opinion and since you asked I am giving it Best of luck and let us know what you end up deciding.