Combination Wrenches

[T45]

Has anyone tested the USA industrial brands for rockwell hardness?

SK, Wright, Proto etc? Also interested in Bonney etc.

I've seen a wide range for other OEMs but much of the testing is from europe or japan and focuse on local brands. For whatever reason they always seem to test snap on (typically 45-50, so pretty solid tool steel) as a bench mark.

Any info or thoughts?

 

[gdocktor3]

I wish someone on here had one. It would help prove/disprove/answer/disappoint a lot.

 

[T45]

Bumping this thread, any enterprising GJ folks want to chime in

 

[bob15]

Several years I did a comparison of 1999-ish Williams Supercombo to a Snap On 4 angle wrench of the same vintage. The Snap on was harder. Somewhere on this site I posted the numbers.

Not really sure when I would be able to repeat the tests, with other brands.

 

[drtyler]

Does Rockwell hardness tell us much alone, or are there other factors that have to be considered?

 

[General Geoff]

Ask and ye shall receive

 

[KnurledNut]

Ask and ye shall receive

This thread is the first thing i thought of after reading the OP.

 

[Wamsutta]

Hardness in itself don't make the wrench strong. Hand files are very hard but they're brittle and you'll want to avoid dropping one.

 

[T45]

Does Rockwell hardness tell us much alone, or are there other factors that have to be considered?

Lots of variables

====================

Hardness (resistance to deformation)

Toughness (resistance to catastrophic failure)

Ultimate breaking strrength (function of quantity of material)

Ergonomics (dimensional shape)

Dimensional Accuracy (precision finishing, quality control)

Durability (ability to retain dimensional accuracy)

===============

Hardness impacts a variety of these.... eg Hand feel (elusive combination of ergonomics, dimensional accurcy, and harndess). Also harder steels hold dimensional accuracy longer, so tend to be more functionally durable (dont dent/deform from points). A couple of things not ovbious on the store shelf...so useful to know when comparing options.

13mm wrench test threads gets into alot of this...good stuff in there...but he never got to testing all of the options IIRC