Cheap and Thin Wrenches

[KnurledNut]

I have the Facom thin set. I bought it years ago, and I don't think there was much else available at that time- not counting tool trucks. The VIM set looks like they copied the Facom. I have the V8 tools set, I bought that first, and what I have is absolutely garbage- crudely stamped out of sheet, worst plating I've ever seen... I wouldn't pay $2 for them if I saw them first. I also have a Channellock thin adjustable that I bought after the Facom; an adjustable or two are probably the way to go if you're not going to use them regularly; I would've just bought it if it was available at the time.

V8 tools have always looked rough to me. But I've heard good things about their durability. Its my understanding that they use alloy steel in their wrenches. Have your wrenches failed somehow besides the beauty contest?

 

[M635_Guy]

I love how thin mine are, but they relatively often the angle isn't right for what I'm doing

 

[ronkz650]

I have the metric V8 set. The tools really look Chinese, and they are, but they work just fine when a thin wrench is necessary.

 

[GrayFlattop]

Most people will not "need" a thin wrench set but if you do there isn't a lot of other options. I repaired CNC machines for a long time and I always found a need for them, I have a set of the Facom thin wrenches and the set is great, not cheap but they've served me well.

If you are a normal home shop person without a dedicated need I have to imagine the Duratech, Olsa, etc. would be plenty. If you find that you use them way more than you thought then pass them down to a kid and buy a fancy set. Isn't upgrading part of the GJ creed?

Another vote for Facom thin wrenches. I’ve had a set for 20+ years and they are worth every penny.

 

[Southernbuild]

The jaws on the Channellock Thin Jaw adjustable wrenches are supposedly 2.5mm thick, at least according to Irega’s website, the company that manufactures the adjustable wrenches for Channellock.
That’s about half the thickness of a 10mm Snap-On Combination wrench.
Even the thinest forged wrenches I’ve come across, Check Nut wrenches, are usually thicker.
I think the only exception might be certain bicycle wrenches.

Are you mistaking the regular Channellock adjustable wrenches for the xtra slim versions?
The xtra slim versions have more than half the jaw thickness milled away in an extra step.

I'll measure it and let you know the thickness. Maybe it's thinner that I remember. It's definantly the milled down version, which I had to have a few years ago when I discovered it was available. It's just been waiting in the dark corner of a drawer for the perfect time to save the day!

 

[A&P mechanic]

I love how thin mine are, but they relatively often the angle isn't right for what I'm doing

To bump an older thread,

Who makes those pliers?

They look like a Knipex pliers wrench that milled down? I couldn’t find it in Knipex’s catalog.

I have an 8 inch Channelock thin adjustable wrench and several Park bicycle cone wrenches. What I reach for the most is my 5 inch pliers wrench because the jaws are thinner than the 8 inch slim channelock.

Just yesterday, I had an o-ring in a 90 degree air chuck (the kind for pumping up Schrader valves between wheel spokes) go bad, I used my 5 inch Knipex to remove a jam nut since my slim Chanel lock adjustable was to big and now I have the o-ring out.

 

[KnurledNut]

To bump an older thread,

Who makes those pliers?

They look like a Knipex pliers wrench that milled down? I couldn’t find it in Knipex’s catalog.

I have an 8 inch Channelock thin adjustable wrench and several Park bicycle cone wrenches. What I reach for the most is my 5 inch pliers wrench because the jaws are thinner than the 8 inch slim channelock.

Just yesterday, I had an o-ring in a 90 degree air chuck (the kind for pumping up Schrader valves between wheel spokes) go bad, I used my 5 inch Knipex to remove a jam nut since my slim Chanel lock adjustable was to big and now I have the o-ring out.

https://velo.outsideonline.com/road/road-gear/knipex-pliers-cone-wrench/

 

[A&P mechanic]

https://velo.outsideonline.com/road/road-gear/knipex-pliers-cone-wrench/

Thank you KnurledNut!