German Long Wrenches ?

[maico]

So, it sounds like I can order a 15pc set of the Stahlwille long patterns for roughly $115 + shipping to the USA? That seems too good to be true.

I just created an account and it showed the total it'd be with shipping and it comes out $141.46 shipped. Great, just what I need another set of wrenches.

It should be less than that. Here is my invoice. I don't pay German sales tax because I'm a registered business. Nor should you if it's a non-EU sale

[Stahlwille ID6676 14/15 Sets: 7; 8; 9; 10; 11; 12; 13; 14; 15; 16; 17; 18; 19; 21; 22 mm Combination spanners
1862998 27.04.2015 euro 83,99]

83.99 euros is around $96 US on a credit card (my card gives a mid-market exchange rate as shown on xe.com)

How much do they charge for shipping ?
To the UK it's flat rate 12.95 euro for a big box.

 

[malykaii]

I can't get the stupid website in English for anything. Then I procede to realize it's the mobile site. Time to dust off the laptop and open it l up yo.

Oh wow, that price us WITH tax? At that point there's no reason to make my girl stuff them into a suitcase, just ship it strait to NYC.

Just looked into Carl Walter. Looks like a,hybrid of an elora and hazet, I dig it. A few items even come up on samstag. What, $9 or so a wrench when samstag wants $25 for stahlwille and $35 for hazet? I'm in, so what's the catch... SAE got discontinued right before I started fixing trucks or the long pattern is actually a not long at all? OMG SAE is available in satin chrome or phosphate phinish! Let me guess, yes that's it, the 1/2 is 175mm long... That's shorter than a regular craftsman raised panel. Oh, and the short version is 170mm, how does adding 5mm make it a long pattern... WHy waste time, and dies to make the same wrench twice. Lolz

 

[Adam.C]

AdamC... 20% of my tools are domestic and the remaining 80% are imports trying to look domestic. I am really just looking for something different to catch my eye for a change, but you might be right that what best suits my needs isn't made of unobtanium, but readily available. Hell, I think I might just buy the long pattern non ratcheting SAE gearwrench for $90 and get back to work lolz.

What about black?

View media item 41080
I refinished these. If you wanted something really unique and still functional, you could do a vinyl wrap (mossy oak?) or cerkote flat dark earth, or coyote tan? These are discontinued GSOEXM wrenches. Std length Snap On are longer than std length German tools and long pattern Stahlwile.

Btw, I purchased these on eBay UK for £40 missing 10mm and 17mm. I was able to source a GSOEXM17 for £10, but I haven't yet found the 10mm. For now I'm using a GOEXM10 (no flank drive plus).

 

[crbnfbr]

It should be less than that. Here is my invoice. I don't pay German sales tax because I'm a registered business. Nor should you if it's a non-EU sale

[Stahlwille ID6676 14/15 Sets: 7; 8; 9; 10; 11; 12; 13; 14; 15; 16; 17; 18; 19; 21; 22 mm Combination spanners
1862998 27.04.2015 euro 83,99]

83.99 euros is around $96 US on a credit card (my card gives a mid-market exchange rate as shown on xe.com)

How much do they charge for shipping ?
To the UK it's flat rate 12.95 Euro for a big box.

They drop the price of the set to 83.99 Euro then shipping is 40.80 euro. That does seem like a lot for shipping, but in total it's still better than the $251.60 that a not to be mentioned American site is selling a 13pc set for.

 

[apdxyk]

Just looked into Carl Walter. Looks like a,hybrid of an elora and hazet, I dig it. A few items even come up on samstag. What, $9 or so a wrench when samstag wants $25 for stahlwille and $35 for hazet? I'm in, so what's the catch...

The catch is - they have only short pattern, which is slightly shorter than Wright in equivalent size

 

[apdxyk]

And in my hands Wright feels the best, Walter has the reach in tight spot advantage, Stahlwille is addictive with no explanation

Walter also has what they call long pattern and their double box wrench is incredible

 

[malykaii]

The catch is - they have only short pattern

I downloaded their catalog. They do indeed want us to believe they sell a long pattern. In 9/16 flavor, the long pattern is literally 5mm longer than the short. Absolutly stupid in my opinion.

 

[malykaii]

Adam C, the problem with black is If you drop it while,under the hood, it's gone forever!

Williams sells their wrenches in high visibility colors like red and yellow. My last resort. Your right about unique, nothing quite like a yellow wrench.

 

[maico]

Karl Walter long pattern is a true unobtanium in the States. The best metallurgy, the thinnest ends, the impeccable laconic aesthetics. I love their phosphatised finish that makes them look unappealing for them tool thieves. Classy and functional.

Nicer than 1970s shiny disco bling !

 

[Bran Diezel]

I probably have 60 total sets of wrenches and I'm using Hazet as my number one set right now.

I got them from Jens Putzier, he has a website and he's a member here.

The SAE set you are going to have order the missing sizes to fill in the gaps but they are not very expensive.

Like I said they are slightly shorter but in my hands way more comfy, the edges don't bite, and the matte chrome feels better in my hands.

I do have the stahlwille box wrench set which I love too, the beams just feel better on the hazet.

If I knew what I knew now I would do a hazet wrench set and a master gear wrench 0 degree box wrench set for the stubborn stuff.

 

[superautobacs]

The SO strength statement is also untrue going on the Japanese magazine test results. Not that particularly matters. The top quartile performers can normally shear off automotive grade bolts before bending.

Not seen this, got link?

I believe he's referring to this: http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=2851084&postcount=696

 

[Olafur]

Thank you superautobacs - your input to this forum is invaluable!

 

[maico]

I believe he's referring to this: http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=2851084&postcount=696

Good link although the fact they can't spell Stahlwille correctly puts doubt in my mind

On the box end of the combination spanners there does seem to be a difference:

DEEN 64.1 kg
Nepros 61.8
Snap-On 51.1
Stahlwille 50.2
Hazet 48.8


The magazine tests I read where in Tokyo bookshops when I was visiting. I was to tight to actually buy them !
I remember the American and German wrenches were closely matched with Hazet a bit behind in the jaw surface hardness test. Nepros are clearly the premium brand

 

[Adam.C]

Good link although the fact they can't spell Stahlwille correctly puts doubt in my mind

On the box end of the combination spanners there does seem to be a difference:

DEEN 64.1 kg
Nepros 61.8
Snap-On 51.1
Stahlwille 50.2
Hazet 48.8


The magazine tests I read where in Tokyo bookshops when I was visiting. I was to tight to actually buy them !
I remember the American and German wrenches were closely matched with Hazet a bit behind in the jaw surface hardness test. Nepros are clearly the premium brand

So far I've seen a German magazine that rated the German wrenches the strongest, now a Japanese magazine that now rates the Japanese wrenches the strongest. Who are these authors? Olympic figure skating judges?

What I'd like to know is how strong a wrench should be. I'm with woodstockva. If the wrench easily shears the head of the bolt it is designed to turn, it's strong enough. If you can't produce enough torque to do this without a 3' cheater bar, then maybe we are asking more of our wrenches than we need? Who cares which one is strongest. These are all great wrenches.

I sorta like the sense from the beginning of this thread. Choose the long wrenches with the thin ends that are easy to turn and fit where you need them to fit. Or pick the wrench that is comfortable for you to hold. Or pick the cheapest set of these top wrenches. Or pick one you like the look of.

If I could have purchased Stahlwile wrenches for $100 a set I would have. Stahlwile are great wrenches. Even on special I think the Snap ons are twice that. Gedore have favorable features- long with thin ends. But they too are at least $200 a set from what I can see.

Just a caution- transatlantic shipping seems to be getting more expensive. And customs and duty is time and money. My guess is, Snap On would be more popular in Europe if it wasn't so expensive. In the UK, Snap on tools are almost as many pounds as dollar. That's about 50% more than we pay in the US. And most of us don't pay full price in the US.

 

[apdxyk]

here is another apple to orange series:

 

[malykaii]

Yet I remember an article by Hazet claiming that, well Hazet is strongest. No surprise.

I think the "13mm wrench test" thread is worth a read. It takes all kinds of open end wrenches and puts them through real world unbiased abuse. Then also the hardness and chrome gets tested.

Hazet wrenches came out being extremely soft with stahlwille being very hard. Stahlwille also did great in the abuse test.

 

[Monte]

re: the test from a german magazine

http://wiesemann.eu/_UPLOAD/files/Oldtimermarkt.pdf

 

[maico]

re: the test from a german magazine

http://wiesemann.eu/_UPLOAD/files/Oldtimermarkt.pdf

Thanks for that link. The Walther impresses, a quarter of the price of the SO but significantly stronger on the open end. The SO fanbois will start raging. The Stahlwille was mediocre

 

[malykaii]

And where does one buy these Walther wrenches?

 

[superautobacs]

Good link although the fact they can't spell Stahlwille correctly puts doubt in my mind

On the box end of the combination spanners there does seem to be a difference:

DEEN 64.1 kg
Nepros 61.8
Snap-On 51.1
Stahlwille 50.2
Hazet 48.8


The magazine tests I read where in Tokyo bookshops when I was visiting. I was to tight to actually buy them !
I remember the American and German wrenches were closely matched with Hazet a bit behind in the jaw surface hardness test. Nepros are clearly the premium brand

At times they spell in Jinglish instead of English.

Must've been the 2014 Factory Gear Magazine? I should dig mine out and scan those. That scan was from their 2008-ish magazine.

So far I've seen a German magazine that rated the German wrenches the strongest, now a Japanese magazine that now rates the Japanese wrenches the strongest. Who are these authors? Olympic figure skating judges?

The Japanese author at least tested German made wrenches; the German authors didn't include a single Japanese brand wrench!

The author of the Japanese magazine is a tool enthusiast just like ourselves. To satisfy his curiosity, he had an independent tool destruction test performed on various types of tools. The results were published into this annual tool magazine. This man owns multiple chain stores in Japan and guess what, they specialize in selling all the world-renown tool brands: Hazet, Stahlwille, Knipex, Wera, Facom, Snap-on, Nepros, Ko-ken, Deen etc. The majority of their sales are of import tools; not Japanese. Please keep that in mind.

 

[malykaii]

Tbs aachen is awsome, price wise. I see I can get the hazet 600na Sae set I need and the Stahlwille 14 Metric set (that I don't need) for only a little more than I thought I'd have to pay for just a Hazet set.

This makes the Hazet price more tolerable, and if I hate the Hazets, up on ebay they go. I'm not too worried now that Ive heard from a guy who switched from snap-on to Hazet rather than the more common German tool user. Thanks dude. (ordering tommorow)

So now I'll be sitting on Snap-on mm regular box end, Stahlwille mm deep offset box, and Hazet Sae regular box. My future Hazets will be lonely, guess I need some deep offset Sae to match!?!? This is prob how the 13mm wrench museum began.