To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!

Flare nut wrenches?

To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!

ihateminimumwage

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 26, 2012
Messages
3,960
I used the hell out of mine when I was working on trucks. Most will be SAE, I have an older USA Husky set of metrics that I've still only used the 10mm on car brake lines at home. Forgot I still had them home instead of the shop until now :lol:

Snap-On and SK are the brands that everyone recommends as the best. I have SK, which are fantastic. Also had a set of China Craftsman full polish flares that I sold (replaced with the SKs, but they never spread). Also have Gearwrench flex flare wrenches that I've had zero issues with, and have saved my *** a couple of times.
 

oldldh

Well-known member
Joined
May 22, 2012
Messages
3,700
Location
Fairhope, AL
I've got nine Craftsman Raised Panel Flare Nut Wrenches...

Both SAE and Metric...

So far, so good...

These are four years old, and are USA made...

Seems like I paid less than $ 35.00 for them...

They are adequate...
 

Attachments

  • 089.JPG
    089.JPG
    122.8 KB · Views: 254

Wamsutta

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 8, 2014
Messages
10,857
Location
Amarillo, Texas
You don't have to buy a whole set. Start with one or two wrenches in the sizes you'll use most. Check ebay for Snap-on.
 

RECox286

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 11, 2012
Messages
1,399
Location
South Joisey (yeah, that is part of the USA)
If you can afford it get SAE and Metric sets. Also, a set of

flare nut sockets (or "crowfoots") would be very adviseable.

I have C'man and some other mfg's, but if you can stick with

truck wrenches, they fit and feel better, though I've not had

any problems with the ones I have. Pay yer nickle, take yer choice.

Uncle Bob
 

Sk8Crash69

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 27, 2013
Messages
113
Location
Central New Jersey
I have an older SAE set of the Craftsman Raised Panel Flare Nut Wrenches and I was not happy with them. I also have both an Armstrong and Snap On set, those are both much better than the Craftsman in my opinion and about equal quality between each other.
 

Chris83

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 18, 2010
Messages
299
Location
Langley, BC
Got some of the craftsman raised panel flare nut wrenches in sae and metric. They work ok for the most part but they do spread on really tight fittings which at that point I'll use the snap on wrenches.

If it's something you find yourself using quite often buy a good quality set.
 

youngunn2008

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 22, 2016
Messages
75
Location
Alton, IL
Must have for heavy duty truck mechanics. Get good ones not cheap stuff. Sae and metric. I just bought snappys and won't ever regret it. Others spread
 

four.cycle

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 19, 2015
Messages
28,473
Location
Tacoma, Washington
Duro-Indestro 3-pc SAE flare nut wrench set 3/8" - 13/16" (??)
new NOS
$20 incl. shipping "buy now"
http://www.ebay.com/itm/DURO-INDEST...387911?hash=item3a76180187:g:kqAAAOxyrjZRwbnV
(* might be an error in the listing, because I don't recall Indestro having made a 13/16" flare nut wrench. might check with seller first to confirm.*)

Duro-Indestro 3-pc SAE flare nut wrench set 3/8" - 3/4"
new NOS
$12.99 + $7.80 shipping "buy now"
http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-3-Piece...125786?hash=item1a0ceecada:g:BzAAAOSw9N1VtWZ6

Snap-on - $8 and up for singles on Ebay
 

Jazz1

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 3, 2016
Messages
4,184
Location
Thunder Bay On.
No I can't seem to find a metric set will that matter? Or I they generally SAE

I have Mastercraft flare wrenches ,,,metric and sae. Yes it matters. Ask the girl in red shirt show them to you
 

Attachments

  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    19 KB · Views: 172
Last edited:

Sanny81

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 26, 2015
Messages
558
Location
New Jersey
Look on eBay for SK. They always are on there and I got my SAE and metric sets for like $15 each.
 

back2class

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 7, 2009
Messages
2,723
The consensus here through many many threads is this is the MOST critical wrench to have the best on. Reality is most pros could get by ok with second tier wrenches, and surely sockets, screwdrivers and such. But a few critical things like torx bits, hex bits, line wrenches and other items where small areas have tons of stress are the way to go. It's a small list...but worth it...100% if you are a pro. Think Snap-on...or maybe other top shelf.


The flip side of the Cliff Notes is don't bother with cheap import ones at all. Just don't. They are fine for big heavy wrenches....but not here.


The middle of the road I suppose is ok if not dealing with rusty or other ugly situations. I have SK in metric and I have found them great....but never have had to deal with nightmarish fasteners for them. Have Craftsman RP USA and seem ok as well for my needs. I assume Armstrong is in the same league as these. Ok for home use or occasional use as a pro maybe dealing with newer warranty work such as a dealer shop. But line wrenches are one of the few VERY FEW items I would say spring for the top shelf stuff on if you are working as a pro for reasons beyond warranty ease. Old threads see some complaints about SK spreading...as well as other mid brands.

...I think any pro, even if not needed maybe, should have the absolute best wrenches with open ends....lines being the most important....hex, allen, tripplesquare and maybe a few items I am missing right now. Everything else...just better warranty, easy payments that will make those items shine and worth the cost. Good choices on stuff like Armstrong, SK, Craftsman, Proto and even some Harbor Freight will serve a pro just as well at a fraction of the stupid SO prices. But yeah....don't cheap on the line wrenches....just don't.
 
Last edited:

cheechi

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 29, 2012
Messages
4,384
Location
Triad, NC
Every flare nut wrench thread comes down to SK or SO.

Others that are mentioned are Proto, Wright, Armstrong.
 
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!

redm18

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 21, 2011
Messages
166
Location
Center Point IA
I'm barely an amateur mechanic more like a hack but have been working on my own cars more and more. I never needed flare nut wrenches before nor have a owned them but I have been adding to my tool collection lately. After looking on here everyone says that flare nut wrenches are one tool where you cannot cheap out on.Basically everyone says Snap-On are great and SK are okay. Looking on eBay it seems like there is not a huge difference in price between SK and Snap-On for singles so I have been buying Snap-On. I have just been buying them one at a time BIN and have been paying about $13 shipped. At that price they may have a bit of rust and they probably are engraved but I figure once I get them all I will throw them in my bucket of paint thinner over night wipe em down with a dry rag then throw them in a bucket of evaporust over night then wipe em down with an oily rag and then throw them in the back of my box and never think about them again until they save my *** some day. By the way these are pretty much my first ever Snap-On tools and looking at them I can see what the fuss is about and these are probably gonna cost me more than just this set as i'm sure I will get the itch to add a few more Snap-On tools to the box.
 

NedNorton

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 14, 2012
Messages
608
Location
Colorado, USA
The consensus here through many many threads is this is the MOST critical wrench to have the best on. Reality is most pros could get by ok with second tier wrenches, and surely sockets, screwdrivers and such. But a few critical things like torx bits, hex bits, line wrenches and other items where small areas have tons of stress are the way to go. It's a small list...but worth it...100% if you are a pro. Think Snap-on...or maybe other top shelf.


The flip side of the Cliff Notes is don't bother with cheap import ones at all. Just don't. They are fine for big heavy wrenches....but not here.


The middle of the road I suppose is ok if not dealing with rusty or other ugly situations. I have SK in metric and I have found them great....but never have had to deal with nightmarish fasteners for them. Have Craftsman RP USA and seem ok as well for my needs. I assume Armstrong is in the same league as these. Ok for home use or occasional use as a pro maybe dealing with newer warranty work such as a dealer shop. But line wrenches are one of the few VERY FEW items I would say spring for the top shelf stuff on if you are working as a pro for reasons beyond warranty ease. Old threads see some complaints about SK spreading...as well as other mid brands.

...I think any pro, even if not needed maybe, should have the absolute best wrenches with open ends....lines being the most important....hex, allen, tripplesquare and maybe a few items I am missing right now. Everything else...just better warranty, easy payments that will make those items shine and worth the cost. Good choices on stuff like Armstrong, SK, Craftsman, Proto and even some Harbor Freight will serve a pro just as well at a fraction of the stupid SO prices. But yeah....don't cheap on the line wrenches....just don't.

I am in with these other guys. If you are going to be turning wrenches with any frequency, this is one of the places that you should spend the money. Save the headache associated with the cheaper wrenches. Buying used is a good way to go.

Cheers,
Chris
 
Last edited:

Beenman

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 20, 2013
Messages
486
Location
Pretoria, South Africa
Buy the best you can get.

I use flare nut wrenches alot. I started with middle of the road stuff and they lasted not even a few months before they started to "open up". I eventually had to settle on Stahlwille units (which are friggin' expensive in this country). They are very robust though and the still locate perfectly after many years of use.
 

ChevyEFI

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 2, 2012
Messages
8,692
Location
Phoenix, AZ
I had Napa double-ended flare wrenches that got me by for a long time.

Now, if I need one, I'll buy one in the specific size from Snap-On in a flare crowfoot. I'll probably re-use it and it's one of those tools that's nice to have in "the better brand" from the start.
 

back2class

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 7, 2009
Messages
2,723
This style can do mostly double duty as a line wrench....maybe a better place to start for a pro.
 

Attachments

  • 023.jpg
    023.jpg
    133.8 KB · Views: 119

oldtools

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 15, 2008
Messages
2,706
I have the Snap-On set. Very high quality and feel good in the hand. Wright also make very high quality flare wrench for much lower price.
 

n8n

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 11, 2014
Messages
3,607
Location
Curtis Bay, MD
I'm surprised that people here have had good luck with Craftsman RP flare wrenches - I haven't; exactly the opposite. The very first time I had to use my metrics the one I was using spread like... right, family friendly forum. You pretty much have to clamp vice grips over the head of them to keep them from spreading open.

Of course, I haven't run into a truly challenging fitting since I replaced all my wrenches with SK (metric) and SO (SAE)... go figger.
 

zakmartin

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 3, 2012
Messages
620
Location
Seattle, WA
I have a set of USA Craftsman Professional flare nut wrenches from the early 1990s that I believe were made by S-K. I've never had these things spread on me and feel no need to do the Snap-On "upgrade." They pop up used for stupid prices from time to time. The standard set is in a gray container, metrics are in a black one.

I have had spreading issues with my Craftsman USA RP wrenches, which I got back in the 1980s.

These are the ones you want:

$_1.JPG
 

Empty Pockets

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 21, 2015
Messages
4,942
Location
Rural New York
Years ago, I started with CM USA RP Flare Nut wrenches, As time went on, I replaced each as they spread with SO, Never a problem with SO
 

n8n

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 11, 2014
Messages
3,607
Location
Curtis Bay, MD
I have a set of USA Craftsman Professional flare nut wrenches from the early 1990s that I believe were made by S-K. I've never had these things spread on me and feel no need to do the Snap-On "upgrade." They pop up used for stupid prices from time to time. The standard set is in a gray container, metrics are in a black one.

I have had spreading issues with my Craftsman USA RP wrenches, which I got back in the 1980s.

These are the ones you want:

$_1.JPG

However those are no longer USA made so definitely aren't made by SK - if you think you can buy those new at Sears you can buy similar looking ones but they are made in China now :( now if you find those at a swap meet or something they're probably a good pickup but as with many Cman wrenches there is essentially no warranty as you won't get anything similar if you break one. So if buying new I'd go to the source (SK) for the warranty.

Sent from my 0PJA2 using Tapatalk
 

JBradley500

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 19, 2013
Messages
781
The middle of the road I suppose is ok if not dealing with rusty or other ugly situations. I have SK in metric and I have found them great....but never have had to deal with nightmarish fasteners for them. Have Craftsman RP USA and seem ok as well for my needs. I assume Armstrong is in the same league as these. Ok for home use or occasional use as a pro maybe dealing with newer warranty work such as a dealer shop. But line wrenches are one of the few VERY FEW items I would say spring for the top shelf stuff on if you are working as a pro for reasons beyond warranty ease. Old threads see some complaints about SK spreading...as well as other mid brands

I noticed when I was trying to decide between SK and SO that it was almost always the same guy bashing the SK wrenches in every thread I read. He had a bad experience and wasn't afraid to talk about it.
 

derosa

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 19, 2010
Messages
1,078
Location
Oceanside, NY
I'll chime in on not bothering with the cman raised panels. Only time I tried to use them they just rounded out the fitting, ended up using vise-grips and replacing the whole system. I figure when the time comes that I need them for my mazda I'll pick up some wrights or SO; cheap really didn't pay.

edit, just discovered mine are the Cman professional shown above, didn't remember that I hadn't fully cheaped out at the time and bought the better version; maybe the bigger sizes are better but mine still failed the only time I tried to use them. Look for better.
 
Last edited:

2mJps

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 20, 2012
Messages
1,797
Location
north central Mo
Must have for heavy duty truck mechanics. Get good ones not cheap stuff. Sae and metric. I just bought snappys and won't ever regret it. Others spread

I have 40 years in working on trucks and i wouldnt recommend even buying line wrenches were do you use them. Trucks that i work on have big lines were you dont often if ever need one. I dont work on new trucks their old rusty ones. I cant remember ever rounding the corners on a big line with a regular open end.
 

Strouty

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 21, 2010
Messages
38,208
Location
Southern Maine
Seeing this question pop up a lot over many years on the GJ, the consensus is almost always Snap On. Buy once, cry once, you can find great deals on used sets.

I also think that a lot of the people saying that they have no issues with other brands do not know what rust is.
 

2mJps

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 20, 2012
Messages
1,797
Location
north central Mo
I am wondering if a good set of flare nut wrenches would be a good investment? I'm going to be getting into the commercial transport truck line of work? Thanks guys.

I will give you some advice that will save you alot of money. Go around to some shops and tell the owner or the guy incharge that you want to get it to this line of work and ask if you could talk to some of his guys then find the oldest guy with the oldest tool box and ask him about what he has and what you need.
 

bigdav160

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 14, 2007
Messages
2,027
Location
Deep in the heart of Texas
I've seen several broken SK's in my shop. I'm not sure how much abuse they took to snap the ear off. I haven't seen any broken snappy wrenches.

I have a preference for individual wrench sizes that are tubing on one end and open wrench on the other.
 
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!
Top Bottom