combo wrenches, first post, building a tool collection

[JimJamRustlin]

Hey all! Recently I installed a rouge monster rack in my basement for powerlifting, what a project! Anyways, the experience allowed me to acquire some tools that I didnt have before, namley a bosch rotary hammer and a sawzall (for cutting horse stall mat). More over, the whole project made me realize that I need to build my own tool collection instead of borrowing from dad, friends, and renting. Thanks to my tax return ive stocked up on the "basics," i.e. tape measure, 16oz hammer, hacksaw, couple screwdrivers and an adjustable wrench to name a few tools.

For my next "big" purchase looking to get a set of combo wrenches both metric and sae. With these I want to buy once cry one so to speak. I'm not a mechanic, these will be for home projects and maintenance. However, I do value quality.

Looking at the 17pc Facom fractional set on ultimate garage. any other another recommendations in a similar price range? wanted to shy away from gear wrench. I realize that these are a tad shorter than other brand wrenches, but should be just fine for around the house. dont think ill be doing anything that requires extreme leverages.

thanks all and i look forward to learning a lot on this board. jimjam

 

[nutsnbolts]

I have heard great things about SK and I love the look of their wrenches. If you don't buy these, I just might

http://www.ebay.com/itm/SK-14-pc-SA...290514?hash=item43e769f812:g:7ZwAAOSwo3pWesGE

http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-S-K...064607?hash=item3f5c3740df:g:-BMAAOSwX~dWsSTj

 

[JimJamRustlin]

thanks brother ill def have to check them out!!

 

[CobraChevelle]

take a look at Williams or wright tool.

 

[Davefr]

You won't go wrong with SK, Proto, Williams or Wright (my favorite).

Quality is commensurate with the tool truck brands but you won't be paying the huge price premium for dealer services.

 

[fras_auto]

Wright proto s&k are good my personal fav is carlyle (napa) best finish i have ever seen on a wrench

 

[martin666]

Williams ( USA ) Wright, Proto, for a DIYer these brands will last your lifetime and then some

 

[drtyler]

The Facom 440 wrenches are very comfortable to use. If you are ok with the short length, go for it.

Any of the above mentioned wrenches are fine choices too (SK, Williams, Wright). I would also recommend the Hazet 600N series sold by Jens Putzier Tools.

Hey all! Recently I installed a rouge monster rack in my basement for powerlifting, what a project! Anyways, the experience allowed me to acquire some tools that I didnt have before, namley a bosch rotary hammer and a sawzall (for cutting horse stall mat). More over, the whole project made me realize that I need to build my own tool collection instead of borrowing from dad, friends, and renting. Thanks to my tax return ive stocked up on the "basics," i.e. tape measure, 16oz hammer, hacksaw, couple screwdrivers and an adjustable wrench to name a few tools.

For my next "big" purchase looking to get a set of combo wrenches both metric and sae. With these I want to buy once cry one so to speak. I'm not a mechanic, these will be for home projects and maintenance. However, I do value quality.

Looking at the 17pc Facom fractional set on ultimate garage. any other another recommendations in a similar price range? wanted to shy away from gear wrench. I realize that these are a tad shorter than other brand wrenches, but should be just fine for around the house. dont think ill be doing anything that requires extreme leverages.

thanks all and i look forward to learning a lot on this board. jimjam

 

[JAKE-THE-TOOL-MAN]

Facom is good, like others I would suggest the Wright grip wrenches, Proto, or SK long combos

 

[Adam.C]

Knipex plier wrench

 

[shockwave]

I would say wright or snap on if you want Usa made and hazet 600n are still my favorites and stahlwille is good for a little cheaper too

 

[JimJamRustlin]

awesome feedback all, looks like I got some researching to do!

 

[bcradio]

Good suggestions here. Nothing new to add.

With the right tools, a power rack should be a piece of cake to install. I just did mine not too long ago.

Good luck with your search.

 

[JimJamRustlin]

just got the 14 pc non-polish wright SAE combo set. thnx for steering me twoards a USA brand! If I like them ill probably pick up the metrics next. also splurged and added some knipex wire cutters in there. was a good day!

 

[toolaholic]

I have the geodore combos I got cheap when Amazon had them priced low. They are real nice.

 

[firworks]

just got the 14 pc non-polish wright SAE combo set. thnx for steering me twoards a USA brand! If I like them ill probably pick up the metrics next. also splurged and added some knipex wire cutters in there. was a good day!

I'm sure you will like them. They are so nice. Consider the full polish for the metrics. The satin are nice but man the full polish are just beautiful, and the finish holds up to abuse at least so far. I've skimmed them on the driveway while working and they don't show any marks.

 

[JimJamRustlin]

I'm sure you will like them. They are so nice. Consider the full polish for the metrics. The satin are nice but man the full polish are just beautiful, and the finish holds up to abuse at least so far. I've skimmed them on the driveway while working and they don't show any marks.

yah thats what I was thinking too. its not unreasonably priced for the 15 pc full polish metric set on amazon. at least that way I could tell the difference between the two sets!

thanks again guys, I watched a video on the wright grip feature and holy cow, those wrenches can shear bolt heads off and not slip if you apply enough torque. im super greatful for the recommendation

 

[JBradley500]

If youre just going to change your oil and put furniture together and stuff like that you probably don't need to spend too much money. Maybe the new Tekton sets would be fine. If you're looking for USA made and higher quality then i'd probably go Wrightgrip, Supercombos, then SK's.

 

[Davefr]

yah thats what I was thinking too. its not unreasonably priced for the 15 pc full polish metric set on amazon. at least that way I could tell the difference between the two sets!

thanks again guys, I watched a video on the wright grip feature and holy cow, those wrenches can shear bolt heads off and not slip if you apply enough torque. im super greatful for the recommendation

Welcome to the forum. With your Wright purchase, you qualify as a GJ tool aficionado.

Stick around, there's tons of great info here.

 

[bonneyman]

Facom is good, like others I would suggest the Wright grip wrenches, Proto, or SK long combos

Agreed!

 

[derosa]

yah thats what I was thinking too. its not unreasonably priced for the 15 pc full polish metric set on amazon. at least that way I could tell the difference between the two sets!

thanks again guys, I watched a video on the wright grip feature and holy cow, those wrenches can shear bolt heads off and not slip if you apply enough torque. im super greatful for the recommendation

Skip amazon and check out toolbarn, they have the 18pc metric set in the satin finish for 165.00, cheaper then the 15pc set on amazon. Personally I find I really like the feel of the satin finish over the shininess of the polished.

 

[fastbike02]

I'm shocked no one recommended Harbor Freight

 

[four.cycle]

S-K, Wright, Williams, Proto - all top-notch.
watch Ebay listings - Saturdays and Sundays is when the sellers really flood the listings. be patient. if it's a screamin' deal grab it - sometimes the sellers have no clue as to actual value and list stuff way cheap - buyers snap those deals up in a hurry.
(example: S-K 3/8" socket set (complete, in box) sold Sunday for about $30 within two hours of its being posted.)

use the "advanced" search over to the right of the main "search" button.
USE the "exclude words" option to weed out all the stuff you do NOT want to see otherwise you'll be buried with listings.

I haven't seen any real killer deals on CE wrenches in a few days, but keep your eye on the "Ebay hot deal" thread here also.

BK

 

[JimJamRustlin]

to whoever recommended the wright wrench set...wow. they are amazing. ill be ordering the metric full polish set next. in line with my "building a collection" theme, just got my first wera screwdriver. blown away as well. this journey will not end cheap haha

 

[JimJamRustlin]

wright grip metric set in bound, full polish. am very stoked. growing up my dad just had **** tossed in a bag with no organization, its nice to have the roll up denim.

thanks again guys. no need to post another thread about 3/8 socket sets as someone put one up earier this week. for my DIY, non-professional needs, have my mind made up on the SK 3/8 set and the facom combo metric/sae 1/4 set on ultimate garage.

 

[Empty Pockets]

wright grip metric set in bound, full polish. am very stoked. growing up my dad just had **** tossed in a bag with no organization, its nice to have the roll up denim.

thanks again guys. no need to post another thread about 3/8 socket sets as someone put one up earier this week. for my DIY, non-professional needs, have my mind made up on the SK 3/8 set and the facom combo metric/sae 1/4 set on ultimate garage.

Welcome to the forum.

My Wright wrenches and sockets have lasted me over 4 decades. I've been well pleased with them, and I've had good experiences with Wright customer service, as well.

 

[kctyphoon]

I'm just curious if you have a budget, or have looked at the prices of what people have recommended yet. You might wanna check out stuff like gearwrench, dewalt, tekton, craftsman, even husky or kobalt.. they make a few different styles and they will work just as well for 99% of the people out there and will leave you some money for other things.. just my suggestion - but if you don't have a socket set yet, that should probably be your first purchase.. look into mechanics tools sets.. just my 2 cents.. it's your money so spend it however you see fit, but a premium top tier brand is extreme overkill for most non mechanics.. the quality difference is very marginal for what many people will ever need.. some of the gearwrench stuff, and the dewalt wrenches are extremely nice for the money..

If you still wanna splurge, check out the ratcheting proto spline wrenches.. they are VERY nice lookng and American made if that helps.. see for yourself.

A cheaper "similar" option would be the dewalts.. they share photo's anti slip design (Stanley black and decker owns both companies) and are extremely nice for the money when on sale. The ratcheting sets go on sale as low as $39 - regularly $99.. the standard combos are also very nice, a little longer and sell for like $29 or $19 at their lowest.. many people have been very impressed with the dewalt wrenches. I own both of their sets.
Here's the ratcheting versions.

For standard combo wrenches, check out the mac tools precision torque series. Also one of the best looking premium wrenches IMO.

and if you wanna drool, check out this guy's tools box tour. He's a member here, but not very active on the board these days....

 

[JimJamRustlin]

Typhoon, I have researched most non-US brands, including the ones mentioned above. I think out of all of them, I like gear wrench the most for some things. For instance, I'm looking at a socket set that is 1/4" drive metric and SAE, regular and deep sockets and I think its $90! Not bad from what I'll be doing. For my bigger sockets I'll buy from Wright Tool b/c I am just that impressed with their quality/warranty.

Mentioning ratcheting wrenches, I'm looking at the Wera joker wrenches for these if I do need ratchting capability, but between a full wrench/socket set I doubt i'll use them (maybe?). So the trend is $200-$300 total per "set" or "thing" that I'm purchasing to build my collection about every month. Anything over that amount is hard to justify for my needs. When looking at tools, I do look at US, German, European made vs Chinese made. I also take into account the aesthetics, ergonomics, and design quality of the tools I'm purchasing.

I got the full polish set in for the metric wright wrenches yesterday. they are sick.

But ultimately my friend you are correct, I could go to lowes and buy some kobalt stuff that would've done the job for me. but hey. im happy with my wright wrenches so far! (except for the 1 1/4" wrench, its warped/bent, had to email them to send back in, wasn't too happy about that, lol).

 

[gdocktor3]

Search Craftsman USA on Ebay. Quality stuff made in USA with no questions asked warranty. Do yourself a favor and stay away from SK, Proto, Wright, Williams, etc. As great as they are, the overall cost just doesn't make sense for a person in your shoes. Here is a perfect example of a starter set for someone like you. http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Craftsm...:g:KkgAAOSwo8hTm3u4&item=221717361576&vxp=mtr

You'd have to be crazy to pay that much for those wrenches to use on home repairs and stuff like that. If you're willing to spend $200+ dollars on 17 Facom wrenches, you would be better off buying used Snap On or Matco stuff on Ebay. Your dollar will go way farther and the tools are probably better. Just my .02 cents...

I was in same position as you about a year ago. Check out my write up I did on it http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=315245

 

[brownbagg]

on a cheap brand for common stuff, I have always like the "Great neck" brand.

 

[nikerret]

I've been trying to upgrade my tools. When possible (usually meaning when I can afford them), I buy COO USA. Shamefully, I let a great deal stop me from getting really good combination wrenches, but I still got good wrenches that will probably be passed on, to my son, unless I switch careers to a wrencher.

I paid less than $108, for all 52 wrenches, new, from the local Sears, on sale. Not made in USA, but just couldn't pass up the bang for buck. Comes with a lot of larger sized ones and ten midgets.

 

[chipss36]

Just throwing this one out there, I have the SK wrenches in standard and metric, and got a standard set for christmas, problem is I already had the same set, but did not want to say anything, so I could make a great deal on em if you go SK.

 

[kctyphoon]

Have to say it - but these days even cheap wrenches look great.. This all 4 sets of Dewalts, (and a couple HF ratchets).. Two of the HF magnetic strips are being used to magnetize the entire set on the right for some ultra compact storage in this cheap HD tool cart I said I wouldn't buy. They don't move or shake at all, and I can lift one out without the rest moving.. Was thinking of making a thread about it since it worked so great. Each closed end is touching / resting against an 18" magnetic strip that I intend to stick to the front and rear inside walls of the drawer with 3M mounting tape. Every wrench has a magnetic draw to each one it touches.. So that's 20 wrenches on the right side, 20 more in the organizer tray, and room to spare in a not very big drawer..

 

[JimJamRustlin]

nice pics all!! yah i have the cheapie dewalt socket set in 3/8 right now i got for $19, not bad! its on par with husky or a little under id say. ill def look at their wrenches for a travel/car set. SK also makes nice tools too, I was thinking about doing thier all inclusive 3/8 socket set if i dont buy the wright short/deep sets individually over the next year.

pic of both wright sets