LoneGunman
Well-known member
I searched but didnt find much about their quality, what do you guys think of them?
Bondhus, good stuff?
- Thread starter LoneGunman
- Start date
MAD
Well-known member
YES.
Nealcrenshaw
Well-known member
Excellent quality! AA++
Buy them
Buy them
Merkava_4
Banned
Bondhus is the sizzle in the shizzle. 
garfunkle24
Well-known member
Bondhus is the OEM for the hex keys/bits of most 'premium' brands like Snap-On and Mac. Very good quality in my opinion and my favorite hex-ball drivers period.
Stuey
Well-known member
Bondhus is top-quality stuff. Their soft-handled drivers and T-handled drivers are superb.
Uncle Buck
Banned
Cream a the crop baby, nothin but the bestest!
jtrace
Well-known member
I have both std and metric tee handles and stands,outstanding tools all I use and I have alot of others Snap On Mac etc.... for the money best you can do..
Vinko
Well-known member
I bought 2 sets of metric off Amazon.com. I've been putting this through their paces. I like them a lot too.
nordstar
Well-known member
I have both of the ball tipped Hex Key smaller sets and a torx fold-up I keep in my bag for service calls. I have needed them from time to time and love them. They are extremely well made and they brag about their warranty, which I haven't had to use yet.
kartracer55
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2005
- Messages
- 5,317
Good. Spendy, but good. Hell, they even make gold plated ones... and I'm not kidding...
Bondhus = good stuff. Been using the L-hex wrenches since working on bicycles in college. Now have L & T-handles in metric hex and torx both (yes, torx t-handles! ). We also use Bondhus stuff in at work in our manufacturing and maintenance duties. Good stuff for sure.
). We also use Bondhus stuff in at work in our manufacturing and maintenance duties. Good stuff for sure.jerk_chicken
Banned
Bondhus is the best. I worked on cars in the past, and regularly work on mountain bikes now, so my hexes are used every time. Since accidentally stumbling on Bondhus, I have found then to be plain-Jane, yet perfect detail to tolerances and fit and finish are observed. I also recently bought Wiha Magic Rings (despite knowing the ring design they use weakens the tool, which Bondhus' Prohold does not) and was disappointed in the fit and finish, as well as the operation of the Magic Ring.
mkdive
Well-known member
I have a set of SAE and Metric drivers I picked up from frys electronics. They were $14.99 a set. I have used them for about 2 years. I think they are pretty darn well built. I use them all the time on my bikes. The handles are very comfortable in my hands. They have stood up very well. Worked so well I bought a second set for my race box in my trailer I take to track days. I think Fry's are selling them for a good price.
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X1 Mike
Well-known member
I agree with what everyone else said quality is A1. Obviously use some finesse when using a ball because the ball does make it weaker they can break. Another little fact Bondhus invented the ball allen, I've been using them since the 80's
mkdive
Well-known member
Any fastener that need to be torqued down "sees" one of my hex sockets. I use my set of ballhead hex drivers for snugging down fairings on my bikes (which are secured by a ton of 1/4 turn fasteners. Works Great!
True statement on the ball head being weaker. But serves its purpose so well with hard to reach fasteners!
If the Snap-On ball hex with the pro-hold is a rebranded Bondhus, then they are great tools. The pro-hold tip tends to grab too tight sometimes. I have to yank the key out of the bolt head.
I like the Bondhus screwdriver ball hex (1.5 to 10mm). Should I get the chrome plated or black? Anyone have a preference?
I like the Bondhus screwdriver ball hex (1.5 to 10mm). Should I get the chrome plated or black? Anyone have a preference?
Kevin54
MEMBER EMERITUS
Excellent stuff. I use Bondhus at work and have only broken the ball off of one 10-32 T-Handle. The other ones gets shown no mercy at all and have held up fantastic for years. Mine either gets used with a cheater pipe on them or gets beat with a hammer to loosen socket head cap screws. I have yet to bend one using a cheater bar.Stuey
Well-known member
Unless I am grossly mistaken, Bondhus also makes Park Tools' hex tools.
jerk_chicken
Banned
Lots of them say "Bondhus ends", but whether they are made by Bondhus is another story altogether. Park, you pay 3x the price to get that pretty blue packing.
Frank Elson
Well-known member
That's what I call a pretty unanimous view.
I need a decent set of T-handle allen keys.
I Googled in the UK and I can get them here.
I've ordered a set.
I LIKE this forum
I need a decent set of T-handle allen keys.
I Googled in the UK and I can get them here.
I've ordered a set.
I LIKE this forum
). Bondhus is Stuey
Well-known member
jerk-chicken,
You're right, but the P-handles are pretty nice. I picked up 5 and 6mm for $5 apiece, which isn't terrible. It sure beats trying to search around for SK or other P handles of unknown origin.
You're right, but the P-handles are pretty nice. I picked up 5 and 6mm for $5 apiece, which isn't terrible. It sure beats trying to search around for SK or other P handles of unknown origin.
jerk_chicken
Banned
It's pretty interesting to see the care they put in making them, as displayed on the Bondhus site. I got them because I didn't like the more expensive crappy Pedro's tools at the bike shop. Then I went through their site some time later when looking for Wiha Magic Rings (and was sold on getting a set of Bondhus Proholds instead) and now that I have Wihas, which are more expensive, I see the nearly invisible features I took for granted.
The wiha's don't have ground faces on the smaller hexes.
The Magic Rings don't go down to the smaller sizes.
The beveling on the straight side is pitiful and off center. On one of them, the bevel actually goes to the wall of the hex.
Not hot about the angling of the ball, looks like it could be a stress rider worse than the ball end to begin with. They are sharp on the MR ones, and conventional on the others.
The wiha's don't have ground faces on the smaller hexes.
The Magic Rings don't go down to the smaller sizes.
The beveling on the straight side is pitiful and off center. On one of them, the bevel actually goes to the wall of the hex.
Not hot about the angling of the ball, looks like it could be a stress rider worse than the ball end to begin with. They are sharp on the MR ones, and conventional on the others.
Stuey
Well-known member
I ordered one magic-ring Wiha driver for review purposes, and will be sure to look for the aspects you described.
I have a set of the Bondhus proholds, and don't really like them, to be honest. I love the normal ball tips, but the prohold tip creates a completely different experience. Although it holds onto fasteners really good, it makes entry a bit difficult, and the resulting junction feels a little shallow.
I have a set of the Bondhus proholds, and don't really like them, to be honest. I love the normal ball tips, but the prohold tip creates a completely different experience. Although it holds onto fasteners really good, it makes entry a bit difficult, and the resulting junction feels a little shallow.
jerk_chicken
Banned
What you might find with the Magic Ring is their hold is not as strong as the Prohold, but the movement is freer, more like the regular ball ends. In that, I've compared them side by side and it's not as smooth.
As far as the shallowness of the junction between the Prohold and regular Bondhus, I have looked for the difference and there is none, at lease on my fasteners. There seems to be the Proguard coating that makes a bit of a difference in the sliding feel, somewhat numbing it, along with the pressure the insert makes. It's good to have both on hand.
The Wiha's are also longer, which can be good and bad. Bondhus claims to have engineered their lengths with respect to the capacities of the tool.
PS-NY guy here!
As far as the shallowness of the junction between the Prohold and regular Bondhus, I have looked for the difference and there is none, at lease on my fasteners. There seems to be the Proguard coating that makes a bit of a difference in the sliding feel, somewhat numbing it, along with the pressure the insert makes. It's good to have both on hand.
The Wiha's are also longer, which can be good and bad. Bondhus claims to have engineered their lengths with respect to the capacities of the tool.
PS-NY guy here!
vssjim
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Bondhus over all are top quality products we have had a set of tee handle inch series we have used on our race car for over ten years and they have held up perfectly.
you need to hold a WERA T and then do a comparative squeeze on a Bondhus T, and you'll feel your hand hurt with the bondhus if your over 30 years old. Thier shape is just plain stupid. There is almost as big a difference in the steel of the HexPlus from WERA as there is in the handle too.
Yes they made ball ends too, just grabed a quick image. And their balls are better, and less prone to stripping.
Yes they made ball ends too, just grabed a quick image. And their balls are better, and less prone to stripping.
Vinko
Well-known member
We also use Allen and Eklind T-handles at work and I've heard no complaints...Haven't really worked with them myself though....
jerk_chicken
Banned
What makes the Wera L keys nicer? I saw their stuff for the first time a few weeks ago in this line and they look really nice, although the smaller sizes scare me off due to that incredible gradient between the shank and the bit. They really look well-made.
Someone else commented on the design of Bondhus' handle-
Actually, Bondhus has stated their reasoning for the handle design somewhere in their educational section on their site. I can't find it now, but perhaps later or someone could dredge it up.
Stuey
Well-known member
I happen to like Bonhus's T-handles, and see nothing wrong with them. Squeezing them certainly doesn't make my hand hurt. I find that an extended "T" is easier to twirl than a driver with a meatier handle.
The only comment on Bondhus's site that I see is that the handle part is sometimes narrower to prevent the over-torqueing and breakage of the ball tip. The downside is that sizes 3mm and smaller don't have ball tips at all on the T drivers.
The only comment on Bondhus's site that I see is that the handle part is sometimes narrower to prevent the over-torqueing and breakage of the ball tip. The downside is that sizes 3mm and smaller don't have ball tips at all on the T drivers.
I have a few sets of the ultra gold l-keys. They fit a little snugger because of the coating. Thats usually a good thing, although on damaged bolts they occasionally don't fit, but the black oxides will.
They are easier to keep clean, but the real reason I like them is they're more visible if they get dropped. Its dark inside machinery. Even on a floor, they're more visible than the black oxide. The cost per set is only $3-4 more.
Stuey
Well-known member
lol, at least you didn't say Knipex is better!
superautobacs
Well-known member
Here's a comparison:
The image on the left diplays the result of a destructive test.
Starting from the left is: Bondhus Protanium, Wiha, Allen.
As you can see, from a safety perspective, Bondhus is the safest as it just twists; the other two break off.
The image on the right displays the result after being exposed to 10 hours in salt mist.
From the left: Wiha, Allen, Bondhus ProGuard
Though not apparent the Wiha is covered in surface rust; the Allen is obvious; Bondhus has minimal rust.
Although many may see the black finish as being the cheaper alternative and less pretty than those chrome-plated hex keys out there, the black Proguard actually has greater resistance to rust.....and it's cheaper too.
garfunkle24
Well-known member
I've been using my PB Swiss long hex-ball keys for a couple of weeks now. They actually seem a little nicer than my Bondhus keys, but for 2.5 - 3 times the cost (inc shipping) they should. The hex-ball end seems to work at a steeper angle than on the Bondhus and the overall fit and finish of them seems about the same, if not slightly better.
After seeing the PB destructive quality test video, I would guess that they will twist when overloaded, rather than shear, much like the Bondhus shown above.
After seeing the PB destructive quality test video, I would guess that they will twist when overloaded, rather than shear, much like the Bondhus shown above.
Piss on a bunch of safety twist. I want an Allen wrench that is hard! That way it's going to transfer the greatest torque. That Soft Pete thing is good for the trash and nothing else.
And who the hell leaves their tools in salt spray ??
What the phuck is goin on here??
Bondhus is the sizzle in the shizzle.
Find some Hollow-Krome or even genuine Allen brand would be fine.
That twisty thing is junk IE'sHO.