Can someone explain this wrench to me?
- Thread starter rmorse
- Start date
matt stott
Well-known member
"ratcheting" open end. It will only engage in one direction, so it acts like a sort of ratchet.
Budman01
Well-known member
Craftsman has a set very similar, I have them
gdocktor3
Well-known member
I've never used any "ratcheting" open end wrenches. Do they work well and are they practical for professional mechanics?
LB-1911
ALLIANCE MEMBER
matt stott
Well-known member
Some of our guys swear by them. They can come in handy for leveling machinery. Like when you need to adjust 40 fine-thread leveling feet on a row of conveyors in a factory- can't get a socket or a box ratchet around the foot bolt, and doing this with an open end can take forever- these make that specific job much much faster (if you cannot un-weight the thing you are leveling, anyway).
matt stott
Well-known member
like this photo (not mine, random internet photo). Someone will say "I need you to raise this line by .75". Lots and lots of feet to adjust.
<a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/user/mstott/media/tools/Simplimatic-Automation-Pallet-Conveyor-Line_zpsrs6txgjs.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/mstott/tools/Simplimatic-Automation-Pallet-Conveyor-Line_zpsrs6txgjs.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo Simplimatic-Automation-Pallet-Conveyor-Line_zpsrs6txgjs.jpg"/></a>
<a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/user/mstott/media/tools/Simplimatic-Automation-Pallet-Conveyor-Line_zpsrs6txgjs.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/mstott/tools/Simplimatic-Automation-Pallet-Conveyor-Line_zpsrs6txgjs.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo Simplimatic-Automation-Pallet-Conveyor-Line_zpsrs6txgjs.jpg"/></a>
I've been using a set of craftsmans for about 8 months and they do have their place .It took
A little getting use to because they won't engage in one direction without flipping it over but once you get used to that ,they aren't bad.The craftsmans are a longer wrench than the standard wrenches which is good for better leverage also.The boxed end works like any other wrench.
A little getting use to because they won't engage in one direction without flipping it over but once you get used to that ,they aren't bad.The craftsmans are a longer wrench than the standard wrenches which is good for better leverage also.The boxed end works like any other wrench.
BaMaDuDe87
Well-known member
I thought it was a beer opener
fatfillup
Well-known member
Have seen them in many brands including snappy. Very hard to sell though as others have stated, once you get used to them, they can be handy.
DFB
Well-known member
I don't believe they are readily available anymore but you could probably find some used or maybe even NOS somewhere ebay
I have two sets one Metric and one SAE best thing about them is that they are longer than the basic craftsman raised panel combination wrench.
http://www.searsoutlet.com/7pc-Open...E/d/product_details.jsp?pid=99686&mode=seeAll
I think Gearwrench has or at least had some that came with a ratchet style box end too
KM223
Well-known member
They work really well when you can't fit a ratcheting box end wrench in a tight space where the fastener is close to an object. I don't get to use mine often but when I need it I'm thankful.
Bagherra
Well-known member
I picked up my set from Sears on Closeout, I think I paid 15.99 for them.
Haven't used them ever...
Haven't used them ever...
gdocktor3
Well-known member
For a second I thought about picking up a set....
Until I read this. I'll likely never use them either...
KMdef9
Well-known member
They work great for those fasteners you can only get an 1/8 of turn (because of clearance), then need to flip your wrench over and turn again, flip, turn, flip turn. I've only used them for engine bay stuff.
Another situational tool.
KM223
Well-known member
Are you saying you need to constantly flip this kind of wrench? That is not how mine work at all.
four.cycle
Well-known member
DFB said:
There are plenty of them listed on Ebay in Craftsman and other brands. The design goes back to the early 1900s - they've been made by a number of different manufacturers trying to come up with that proverbial "better mousetrap".
?????
KM223
Well-known member
This is how my Snap On set works.
rsanter
Well-known member
Yes and they are great.
You use the box end to break the fastener loose and then the speed or ratcheting end to get the fastener out faster than having to remove the wrench and put it back for each move.
I have the one from snap on. They made them for years and I love them. Speeds things up nicely
Bob
homebuilt burner
Well-known member
I have a set of line wrenches with ratcheting open ends on the other end. They work great for injector lines on diesel engines. Break the line loose with the line wrench end then turn them off with the ratcheting box end. Mine are Mac tools brand, but they do not make them any longer.
No, he's saying that if you had a 'regular' open-ended wrench with really tight rotational clearance for the wrench handle you may have to wrench about 1/8 turn, remove wrench from fastener and flip wrench over, go about 1/8 turn, remove wrench from fastener and flip wrench over, repeat about 100 times.
With these style open end wrench, put wrench onto fastener and wrench 1/4 turn, 'ratchet' the wrench back to the original starting position, wrench another 1/4 turn, repeat 50 times.
I have the old CM set, and it's been my experience that those cases where you have to flip the wrench over for clearance you can't 'ratchet' with these wrenches either. So you need a regular wrench to get them out. Also you have to keep them aligned with the fastener, which I'm not always good at.
I've only used mine a few times in maybe 15 years I've owned them. Just don't care for them myself. And they are SAE, and most of what I work on is metric now days.
I've only used mine a few times in maybe 15 years I've owned them. Just don't care for them myself. And they are SAE, and most of what I work on is metric now days.
frankthezapper
Well-known member
I need one now for the bottom nut under my injector pump; I used every 13mm I have, every combination of length, offset, angle, and thickness, to get into the NO clearance zone to get the nut off, I'm gunna hunt in Dad's old toolbox, I know he had some from that well known tool supplier "K Mart" when I was a teenager and they were "the latest thing"...
I must admit I'd forgotten them till I read this thread! Wish me luck!
I must admit I'd forgotten them till I read this thread! Wish me luck!
WWheeler
Well-known member
I don't believe they are readily available anymore but you could probably find some used or maybe even NOS somewhere ebay
I have two sets one Metric and one SAE best thing about them is that they are longer than the basic craftsman raised panel combination wrench.
http://www.searsoutlet.com/7pc-Open...E/d/product_details.jsp?pid=99686&mode=seeAll
I think Gearwrench has or at least had some that came with a ratchet style box end too
Sears still sells Craftsman open end ratcheting wrenches...
http://www.sears.com/search=craftsman open end ratcheting wrench
When they were still USA made they used to be called a "Quick Wrench"
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?LH_PrefLoc=2&_nkw=craftsman quick wrench&rmvSB=true
DFB
Well-known member
Quick Wrench!
Now that's a name I could remember
So all the smooth polished ones now are Chinese then?
dr_clyde
Well-known member
I have a set or two floating around I got cheap. I used them exactly once, on a V twin evinrude boat motor. It worked excellent, and I'm glad I had one.
They would be pretty far down on my list of needed tools, but they are handy once in a blue moon.
They would be pretty far down on my list of needed tools, but they are handy once in a blue moon.
bob15
Well-known member
Brass fittings and brake/fuel line fittings are places those wrenches will shine.......think fuel fittings going into carbs that are too tight to turn by hand, but you really don't need a full wrench flat to turn the fitting either.
Mac Tool used to make them as well. I think Snap On had them as well, or it might have been under the Blue Point name.
He's talking about using open-ended wrenches. When you have a scant amount of room flipping the wrench gets you to the next spot of the nut to turn another 1/8th and then flip and so on.
Well I can't speak for what SO offers or the one the OP posted. But I do own what CF and GW offers and they **** a mighty set. What a complete waste of cash and space as far as I'm concerned.
ihateminimumwage
Well-known member
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- Jan 26, 2012
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I have one Snap-on DOE of this style (7/16" x 1/2") speed wrench. Bought it for a repeated need, but can't remember what that is now. Used it a bunch when I bought it, but not at all in like a year.
A quick youtube search for Speed Wrench popped this video up, that might be a good visual example for some folks:
A quick youtube search for Speed Wrench popped this video up, that might be a good visual example for some folks:
toplessHO
Well-known member
no the design shown doesnt need flipped,only when reversing direction of fastener
Davegvg
Well-known member
Like any other tool when you need it its worth its weight in gold.
Fast action wrenches are invaluable on marine header bolts where you can't fit a socket and will do the old "fliparoo" 1000 times before you are done with a set.
Have Facoms and Britool set.
Uncle Dave
Fast action wrenches are invaluable on marine header bolts where you can't fit a socket and will do the old "fliparoo" 1000 times before you are done with a set.
Have Facoms and Britool set.
Uncle Dave
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sberry
Banned
I never found a use for them. Ok if someone gives them to you. Not something I would give up big bucks for.