GearWrench Survey

[GearWrench Brand]

GearWrench Survey - Chance to Win a Set!

Tool users - we want to know how you really use your tools. Please answer this short survey and tell us how you REALLY use your ratcheting wrenches.

If you vote in the survey (above) AND provide comments below - we'll randomly draw 2 prize winners. We'll give each winner a set (2PC) of Double X pliers. Thanks for voting and providing comments!

Thanks!

Ian

 

[bigjon]

Tool users - we want to know how you really use your tools. Please answer this short survey and tell us how you REALLY use your ratcheting wrenches.

Thanks!

Ian

What survey?

 

[engnerdan]

Fixed

I sometimes use my gear wrenches to break bolts free, but generally will use a non-ratcheting wrench to break them free then use the gearwrenches. For tightening I will use my gearwrenches to give a final torque.

-Dan

 

[GearWrench Brand]

The survey is up now. Sorry - had some difficulty getting it to publish.

 

[eschoendorff]

I break fasteners free sometimes (thus, my sometimes vote). I only do it when I know they are fasteners in good condition and in relatively low-torque conditions. Then again, I keep my GearWrenches right next to my regular combo wrenches, so picking up another wrench to break a tough fastener free isn't that big of a deal. A tech who is in a situation where time is money might feel otherwise though...

I have heard of other users really wrenching on things with GearWrenches and never having problems....

PS... If I were to win something from GearWrench, I've always wanted to try one of the GearWrench flex head ratchets...

 

[philw]

If I'm breaking loose/tightening a fastener with a ratcheting wrench I try to put only enough pressure on it that if something slips/breaks then I'm not going to bust my knuckles. As soon as I reach the point where I think there is a good chance my hand will go flying if something fails then I reach for a breaker or standard wrench.

I apply the same idea to standard ratchets but tend to trust them a little more.

The majority of the time, at least for me, a fastener will come loose with a ratcheting wrench without applying a large amount of torque.

 

[wantedabiggergarage]

Your missing an answer.

THAT is the REASON, I bought the Armstrong brand Gearwrenches, with the box end and Gearwrench end.

Small bolts (1/4" drive size), that just get snugged down (15 foot pounds or less), I have no problem using a regular Gearwrench. Otherwise out come the Armstrongs and the boxed end.


Also, this way I have these for my personal, portable stuff, along with Snap~on, open end/flare nut end wrenches. Covers all my needs but stubbies.

 

[maximus96]

usually breaker bar for me first, i find the wrenches are too short to break the big ones.

 

[Namocsid]

I like my GearWrenches quite a bit, and feel comfortable putting a decent amount of torque on them to break loose or snug down fasteners. I think of them like a ratchet as far as duarability goes. For high torque needs or breaking loose really tough fasteners, i'll get the breaker bar.

 

[dps]

Having not grown up with these, I recently purchased a set, and love them. But if there's much torque involved I'll start and finish with either their open end, or if it's old/rusted/rounded I'll use a 6pt box or socket.

 

[chad s]

I dont do a lot of high torque work, not right now at least. Mainly assessembly and dissassembly of body panels for car resto. Im not afraid to use my Grearwrench's to break a bold lose, or tirhgten one down with it. I figure worse case scenereo, I take it to sears for a replacement, but in about 2 years of owning Gearwrench brand ratchet wrenches, I have not broken one. I have used them to break fairly rusted (but not severe rust) fasteners, with no failure at all.

 

[gotmud13613]

I usually go by the condition (rusted or new) of the nut or bolt I am taking off. 9/16" or smaller I feel the GearWrench can handle the torque needed, but the larger sizes I always break loose with a socket or boxed end wrench, then speed it off with my GearWrenches.

I seem to be reaching for my GearWrenches alot more than my combination wrenches

My vote is for sometimes, Depending on the size of the fastener.

 

[Nova72]

i use my ratcheting wrenches just like i would any other wrench. how ever im not extremely pleased with my craftsman low model wrenches and plan to swap them out for something with a finer ratcheting action soon. but i have had to warranty a few. especially the 12mm because it fits mustang driveshaft bolts.

 

[eschoendorff]

i use my ratcheting wrenches just like i would any other wrench. how ever im not extremely pleased with my craftsman low model wrenches and plan to swap them out for something with a finer ratcheting action soon. but i have had to warranty a few. especially the 12mm because it fits mustang driveshaft bolts.

If you mean the coarse ratcheting raised panel wrenches... then yeah, those aren't the best. if you get the full polish version, you'll wonder how you ever lived without them!

 

[blizazer]

I voted "sometimes". A set of double ended ratcheting / closed wrenches is on my shopping list.

 

[jhn9840]

The more I use my GearWrenches the more I like them. I recently assembled a bicycle and replaced a set of valve cover gaskets on a Briggs engine. They sure made things easy.

jhn9840
John

 

[Uncle Buck]

If I am using one and I need to use it in a high torque application and it fits the fastener I will use it. If the wrench cannot take the load I do not want it in my box anyway! I will use my Gear wrenches or any others I own as I have all of my wrenches through the years, one is going to have to prove it is not up to the demands of my work by failing before they start getting pampered treatment. I do not see my view as unreasonable because I do not abuse my tools and have not really broken that many tools in my years of wrenching. I will say though if I am working at the bench and encounter a fastener stuck that securely I could easily see going to a break bar or long handle ratchet or perhaps a longer wrench to gain the additional leverage the Gearwrench does not have, however if I am laying on my back under a car I will be more apt to push the Gearwrench harder and trust that it is up to the task.

 

[Fedwrench]

That's why I love your Gearbox wrenches, break the fastener loose with the regular box end and the speed it off with the ratcheting end. I wish you would come out with a shorter set about the same size as the original Matco proswing wrenches. There are times when the XL Gearbox wrenches are too long. With you regular gearwrenches, I'll usually try to see how tight a bolt is first but, use something else if it's really tight to break it loose. By doing this, I've only broken one Armstrong gear type wrench over the last several years.

 

[BrianJ]

My vote was for 'Sometimes'. Regular length are too short break the big ones, like maximus96 wrote, but, having picked up the x-beam, I'll be try them out on the heavy torqued bolts/nuts.

 

[kythri]

I wouldn't say "ALWAYS", but, I've never swapped away from one of my GearWrenches to a breaker bar/"regular" wrench to break something free. They take a lickin' and keep on...ratcheting?

 

[beardking]

I've only had my Gear Wrench set for a few months now, but I use them all the time on the couple of bikes I maintain. So far, I haven't come across anything that they couldn't get loose. My only worry so far with having to put much torque is that they are pretty thin and dig into my hand a bit.

 

[64merc]

If a fastener appears to be rusted I will break it loose first with a box wrench or ratchet before using a ratcheting wrench. Now, if it is a newer fastener or if it is one that I have removed and put back already I will just use the Gearwrench.

 

[DavidtheDuke]

It depends on the situtation. Even if the fastener is VERY TIGHT, I might not have the luxury of a regular fixed box end, as there is no clock-position which allows me to start tugging on. Since ratcheting wrenches allow for so many more position, sometimes I need to use them when I'd rather not. And to be honest if a ratcheting wrench is serviceable (reversible), especially if it is warrantied, I try not to spend my flat rated time even more by getting out a fixed-box end and/or breaker bar.

 

[SteveU]

Most things that are not real rusted I will just use the ratcheting end on if there is clearance to do so. Very tight or rusted parts I will use either a socket or a regular combination wrench and a deadblow hammer to rap on it.

 

[Nova72]

If you mean the coarse ratcheting raised panel wrenches... then yeah, those aren't the best. if you get the full polish version, you'll wonder how you ever lived without them!

haha. its funny you say that. the reason im now budgeting for a full set, is that sears was out of the one i had in 12mm and gave me one of their finer tooth ones as a replacement. so now im looking at an offset set with reverse in the fine tooth.

 

[billymade]

I haven't had any problems so far; the length is a issue on my standard gearwrenches but I just get out a ratchet, regular wrench or a breaker bar.

 

[ToolGlutton]

I use my ratcheting Gearwrench when the room does not allow a ratchet. In that case, I will try to get the fastener loose with the ratcheting wrench. However, if the fastener is frozen, I will used my regular wrench to get it loose first, then use my ratcheting Gearwrench to save time and effort.

 

[JB740i]

I normally grab ratchets first for most things. Anything up to 14mm I've been grabbing my gearwrench pass thru sockets, the small size makes it easy to get to things.

If one of those don't fit then I grab the Gearwrenches. Their ease of ratcheting will often ratchet when a regular ratchet doesn't have enough room.

 

[GDA]

I will use ratcheting wrenches when the torque'd item is relatively low like 40 lb ft or less; otherwise out comes the 6pt box wrenches and final torque is done with torque wrench and socket/crowfoot.

I always seem to grab for them first when working on small equipment stuff like lawn mower, power washer, and auto engine accessories/bracketry and the like.

I use my flex combo ratchets the most and given the above, I voted sometimes.

 

[wrenchr]

I have always broke bolts loose and never had one break!!!

 

[car99r]

I personally tear down a lot of older motorcycles that have been setting in a barn or outside for many years. I run into a lot of seized bolts and nuts. I recently bought a set of the Gearwrench brand ratcheting wrenches and love them so far. I have yet to encounter a bolt they would not remove.

With that said, I normally will torque the bolt with the Gearwrench and then if it does not break free with modern force I will grap for a breaker bar...

I use them consistenly for torqueing down bolts when assembling bikes all the time...

 

[paramudduck]

My grandpappy beat it in my head, "You always use solid metal to break stuff loose. You know boy solid like your head!"

So 40 years later and I still use a box or open end wrench, or a breaker bar to break stuff loose and ratcheting stuff to speed them off. Call it a Pavlovian reflex but I still flinch when I see some one use a ratchet to break stuff loose.

 

[Stuey]

I will usually use the open end of my ratcheting wrenches to break fasteners loose or tighten them down. Sometimes I'll bring out a ratchet, breaker bar, or longer non-ratcheting wrench.

I picked up a few X-Beam sizes, and so technically I do use ratcheting for high torque applications, but not the ratcheting side.

 

[Junkman]

I have found that they hold up to whatever I am wrenching on. I have found that they will break loose anything that I have tried to get loose. If it is too tight for the wrench that I have in my hand, then I break out the box wrench and my dead blow hammer. In old age, I don't have the strength that I once did, so the dead blow hammer works as my portable impact. I only wish that the larger sizes that are not included in the sets were not so expensive.

 

[G1K]

I use my 14 and 10mm most on the bike and most of the time I do use it to break fastners loose, and sometimes tighten (torque wrench most of the time). The thing I don't like about using the GearWrenches to break stubborn or very tight fastners loose is the almost knife egde on the handle. The edge makes it less comfortable to use than a breaker bar.

R

 

[musgofasta]

Love my gearwrenchs here. In thinking about it, I don't know how often I use them to break stuck bolts free. Usually I'm grabbing the rachet first, then gearwrench them off.

Since you're a company rep, I'd like to say I'm pretty DISAPOINTED with the flex-head gearwrenchs I have. At least for me, any time you start torqueing on a nut or bolt head breaks the head pivot point first, and the nut comes out of the wrench. I think it should be a lot stiffer. I'll be replacing them with the fixed head ones in the future.

 

[JayL]

I plan to use the Gearwrench XL X-Beam non ratcheting wrenches for breaking fasteners free . ( I already purchased the X-beams but have not received these yet ).

Sockets and breaker bars if more force is required.

Gearwrench Ratcheting wrenches to speed things up.

As for final tigthening more often that not I use a torque wrench.

 

[Lyaec350]

If I remember, I don't break the fastener free before using the ratchet wrench, but sometimes I forget (or wrongly assume that a specific fastener shouldnt have been torqued as tight as it is) and end up putting more force than I would like on the ratcheting end.

 

[GearWrench Brand]

The thing I don't like about using the GearWrenches to break stubborn or very tight fastners loose is the almost knife egde on the handle. The edge makes it less comfortable to use than a breaker bar.

R

Maybe you should check out our X-Beam wrenches. We have a regular combination wrench, a ratcheting wrench, and in the next few months, we will be adding a reversible ratcheting wrench and a flex ratcheting wrench to the family. You are not alone in complaining about the feel of the wrench!

http://www.gearwrench.com/catalog/wrenches/ratcheting/xl_x-beam/

Ian

 

[GearWrench Brand]

Since you're a company rep, I'd like to say I'm pretty DISAPOINTED with the flex-head gearwrenchs I have. At least for me, any time you start torqueing on a nut or bolt head breaks the head pivot point first, and the nut comes out of the wrench. I think it should be a lot stiffer. I'll be replacing them with the fixed head ones in the future.

Thanks very much for the feedback. Question - do you own the flex or locking-flex set? As you may know, we offer both, but they may not be available for purchase in the same locations.

Ian