I need help picking wrenches

[Fender1325]

I seriously need to upgrade my wrenches. I have chinese craftsman. They'll be going home and new ones will be at work.

Here's the rules. Polished, combination, open end has teeth.

I've narrowed it down to gearwrench, Carlyle, and wright.

I'd prefer a ratcheting set, but, the more I think about it, the more I remember taking box ends on really tight nuts and whacking it with a hammer to break loose. If a ratchet end could stand up to that I'd be all about it, but I doubt it. Thinking I might go for a quality standard set and a cheap ratcheting set later. Not sure.

I think the only gearwrench combos with teeth on the open end are the long xl's. I'm concerned long wrenches might get in the way in the engine bay. Thanks

 

[drtyler]

Go with the Wright, you won't be disappointed.

 

[turnthewrench]

Proto ASD if you need more leverage.

 

[John in OH]

Go with the Wright, you won't be disappointed.

Agree! Wright makes excellent tools and makes them in the USA (unlike Gearwrench and Carlyle) .... although I can't knock Carlyle. Wright quality is equal to SnapOn for about 1/3 the price.

I've always considered ratcheting combo wrenches to be a "specialty" tool. Too often the large diameter of the ratcheting head creates problems and the gearing can't take too much abuse. The ratcheting combos make a nice "second" set.

 

[Fender1325]

Yeah I'll go with wright. Summit has the best deal I've seen on the wright grip 911 (polished sae)

 

[woody 73]

Pick any one that you have a dealer of some kind/ or a brick & mortar store that can handle replacements if anything breaks.

If you happen to have a Napa store in your area they will replace the Gearwrench & Carlyle tools quick and easy.

As it so happens I have a wright dealer in town that will replace any broken tools.

your call...

 

[Mr_B]

wrightgrip set . job jobbed .

 

[1982fxr]

Wright

 

[JohnDeere1]

Carlyle because the Wright grips are too short they are shorter than any other wrench I own snap on, sk, bluepoint,Williams super wrench. The Carlyle look great and are very close to tool truck quality and warranty is easy and the extra length makes them very much like my Snap on wrenches go Carlyle and don't look back I love Wright and have alot of it but the wrenches are too short and the ones I have are satin finish and I hate them.

 

[Wamsutta]

I've narrowed it down to gearwrench, Carlyle, and wright.

Whatever you do, don't put a Snap-on wrench in your hand because if you do, those other three brands won't cut it anymore. What you don't know will save you lots of money.

 

[ChevyEFI]

On your non-ratcheting box ends: Look at whether the box end protrudes out a little bit. It comes in handy when a fastener is in a recessed area.

You may also have a preference based on overall length, and handle shape.

The open end Wright grip has good street cred. on this forum.

If you're at a tie, go for price, and put the money you save towards ratcheting.

Also, look at the features of the Facom 440 models if you care to.

 

[joel63]

Whatever you do, don't put a Snap-on wrench in your hand because if you do, those other three brands won't cut it anymore. What you don't know will save you lots of money.

^ I wish someone had told me that before I did that.

The first day in my automotive vocational class the instructor gave a big long lecture about tools. He only mentioned one brand. (guess which one)

Yes, in this case, ignorance is bliss and a lot more money in your pocket.

 

[willjogervais]

Carlyle because the Wright grips are too short they are shorter than any other wrench I own snap on, sk, bluepoint,Williams super wrench. The Carlyle look great and are very close to tool truck quality and warranty is easy and the extra length makes them very much like my Snap on wrenches go Carlyle and don't look back I love Wright and have alot of it but the wrenches are too short and the ones I have are satin finish and I hate them.
__________________
............Nothing Runs Like A Deere.............


if you want to get rid of your wright wrenches let me know!!

 

[1982fxr]

Whatever you do, don't put a Snap-on wrench in your hand because if you do, those other three brands won't cut it anymore. What you don't know will save you lots of money.

Huh? S-o beam is not near as comfortable as a Wright. Not even close.

Only complaint I hear about Wright is they are shorter, never been a problem for me but I have smaller friends who it would be a deal killer for so to each his own. I actually don’t mind them being shorter for the added clearance. If I really need the leverage I have other old wrenches to grab.

 

[derosa]

I've had the open ends of my xl gearwrench spread, they didn't deform as the but rounded on the corners first but it meant the grip feature didn't matter.

 

[kctyphoon]

Just throwing this out there, but Milwaukee's new combo wrenches are available for pre order now.. they look pretty good and are suppose to be professional grade wrenches.

Edit - scratch that, they are in stock now.. $129 for 15 piece sets..

Sae - http://www.acmetools.com/shop/tools/milwaukee-48-22-9415

Metric arriving soon - http://www.acmetools.com/shop/tools...WAUKEE-48-22-9515-productNameLink&cm_vc=PDPZ1

Product demo -

I'd say they are worth a look, Milwaukee has a habit of coming out swinging when they release new stuff.. prices are pretty attractive, I honestly expected them to be more expensive. Also, they come with the storage trays, and wrenches are suppose to have been designed to be more comfortable to use. New pry bars also available.

 

[bob15]

Proto ASD if you need more leverage.

did you actually read his post?


OP....Wright, nuff said.

 

[jd_1138]

Huh? S-o beam is not near as comfortable as a Wright. Not even close.

Only complaint I hear about Wright is they are shorter, never been a problem for me but I have smaller friends who it would be a deal killer for so to each his own. I actually don’t mind them being shorter for the added clearance. If I really need the leverage I have other old wrenches to grab.

The shorty stubbies and the longer wrenches both come in handy. Can use the shorter ones when clearance is an issue and the longer ones when you need more leverage.

My main set of wrenches are SK, but I bought a set of Pittsburgh Pro stubbies. Could perhaps buy the Wright regular length wrenches as your main set and then buy a cheaper brand for your stubbies and ratcheting wrenches or even ratcheting stubbies. lol

The Pittsburgh Pro ratcheting wrenches aren't horrible. My friend has them, and I've used them a few times.

It's like sockets; having shallow, regular, and deep is beneficial as they all have their place.

 

[Empty Pockets]

I'd go with Wright, good quality, made in USA. I have quite a lot of Wright tools, some since the 70s, never a failure and they have been worked hard

 

[wmm2]

I seriously need to upgrade my wrenches. I have chinese craftsman. They'll be going home and new ones will be at work.

Here's the rules. Polished, combination, open end has teeth.

I've narrowed it down to gearwrench, Carlyle, and wright.

I'd prefer a ratcheting set, but, the more I think about it, the more I remember taking box ends on really tight nuts and whacking it with a hammer to break loose. If a ratchet end could stand up to that I'd be all about it, but I doubt it. Thinking I might go for a quality standard set and a cheap ratcheting set later. Not sure.

I think the only gearwrench combos with teeth on the open end are the long xl's. I'm concerned long wrenches might get in the way in the engine bay. Thanks

I'm one of those who would "baby" the ratcheting wrenches by not hammering on them or putting too much torque on them. I know several members say they've never had any problem from their ratcheting wrenches, even though they've abused them. I'm cautious because the only ratchet (socket wrench) I ever broke was a good one that I hammered on to break a nut loose. I learned a couple of lessons from that.

So I'd agree with your idea to get a good standard combo set and a cheaper ratcheting set. I bought the HF pro ratcheting wrench set as a test, intending on upgrading to a better quality, if I liked the idea of a ratcheting wrench. They've come in handy, but I haven't needed to upgrade it yet. Mostly because I break the nut loose with a standard combo, and then spin it off with the ratcheting wrench.

If the Wright is long enough for you, I'd recommend the company based on my experience with their sockets and ratchets. My only problem with them is the chrome is so pretty, I hate to scuff it up by actually using it. (Trying not to turn into a tool polisher)

 

[B_Bimmer]

Of your options, Wright, no question. But I also would recommend Proto's ASD wrenches.

 

[Olafur]

Across the board in repairs, (automotive, construction, earthmoving, agricultural equipment) ratcheting wrenches can't replace regular wrenches. Because there are endless lines of fasteners waiting that the fat box end can't access. Period.

 

[48548]

Sk x frame wrenches.... I love them.

 

[Thax]

Of the choices you have listed , hands down Wright wrightgrip wrenches. I owned the Gearwrench XL and honestly just not that great, open ends spread , inconsistent box end broaching. Carlyle is a great tool brand but for the price of their anti slip wrenches you can get a set of Wright wrenches. The length of the Wright's are great , not too long or short. Long pattern and stubby wrenches along with ratcheting are what I consider specialties. Not trying to stir the pot but Williams USA mad wrenches fit the same rough criteria you stated , might be worth a look.

 

[vga]

I own and use full sets of MAC, Snap On, Blue Point, Matco, Craftman prof, Gearwrench ratching wrenches
All will get the job done

 

[coljar]

You narrowed it down to three brands, so they are the ones you want us to comment on. In my opinion, Wright is the best choice out of the three.

 

[LXCam]

Of the choices you have listed , hands down Wright wrightgrip wrenches. I owned the Gearwrench XL and honestly just not that great, open ends spread , inconsistent box end broaching. Carlyle is a great tool brand but for the price of their anti slip wrenches you can get a set of Wright wrenches. The length of the Wright's are great , not too long or short. Long pattern and stubby wrenches along with ratcheting are what I consider specialties. Not trying to stir the pot but Williams USA mad wrenches fit the same rough criteria you stated , might be worth a look.

I think you're the only guy here that agrees with my impression of the GW combo wrenches, they're pretty unimpressive and the open end just plain *****.

As for the OP's first post. Bud if your only going to have one set of wrenches, don't go with ratchet wrenches no matter whose they are. They don't fit many conditions and a good set are worth their weight in gold, but only as a second, third or forth set.

I'm a rat wrench fan in a big way. But none of those came into play before I had complete sets of good combo wrenches. And if I were to only buy one set right now, it's either be Williams or Carlyle since they're slightly longer.

Good luck.

 

[hangfirew8]

The first day in my automotive vocational class the instructor gave a big long lecture about tools. He only mentioned one brand. (guess which one)

I wonder how much of a kickback he got from the driver?

Whatever you do, don't put a Snap-on wrench in your hand because if you do, those other three brands won't cut it anymore. What you don't know will save you lots of money.

I have a few. Yawn.

Agree! Wright makes excellent tools and makes them in the USA (unlike Gearwrench and Carlyle) .... although I can't knock Carlyle. Wright quality is equal to SnapOn for about 1/3 the price.

I've always considered ratcheting combo wrenches to be a "specialty" tool. Too often the large diameter of the ratcheting head creates problems and the gearing can't take too much abuse. The ratcheting combos make a nice "second" set.

This.

Across the board in repairs, (automotive, construction, earthmoving, agricultural equipment) ratcheting wrenches can't replace regular wrenches. Because there are endless lines of fasteners waiting that the fat box end can't access. Period.

Agree.

 

[DadsTools]

Find an example of each of the three brands and feel the beams. If you're like a lot of others, Wright Grip wins hands down. I see all kinds of wrenches in my travels, and the Wright has the best feel to me than all of them. And you really can't beat the quality on them. The fit on nuts and bolts is superb. I prefer the satin finish myself.

Now, if I were to stray from the original three brands....the most comfortable wrenches for my hands are the old SK-Lectrolite raised panels, the older (the closer to early 1950s) the better, because the older they are, the beefier the beams. But that's just me. Good luck trying to find metric sizes in those old wrenches though.

Yes, some Snap-On tools are orgasmic. To me, the combos are not.

 

[WittHay]

The Wright's are a quality industrial wrench, Carlyle and Gearwrench are not in the same category. if you are wanting a longer US made wrench look at Proto ASD

For imported I would skip Gearwrench, it just a ordinary wrench made in China. Besides Carlyle, I would look at DeWalt made in Taiwan. Better open end than Gearwrench and thicker beams in the larger sizes and not as lobster clawish in the smaller sizes

 

[ssdave]

Of your 3 choices, Wright would be mine.

I like three other choices better. Proto 500 full polish with ASD. Snap-on Flank Drive Plus. SK Superchrome. More or less in that order, but there's not much difference between them, they're all 3 top of the heap. I also like my older matte finish Proto Professional about as well as Wright, or maybe a bit better. I sold my Wright when I completed my Proto sets.

 

[Yarpo]

I think you're the only guy here that agrees with my impression of the GW combo wrenches, they're pretty unimpressive and the open end just plain *****.

As for the OP's first post. Bud if your only going to have one set of wrenches, don't go with ratchet wrenches no matter whose they are. They don't fit many conditions and a good set are worth their weight in gold, but only as a second, third or forth set.

I'm a rat wrench fan in a big way. But none of those came into play before I had complete sets of good combo wrenches. And if I were to only buy one set right now, it's either be Williams or Carlyle since they're slightly longer.

Good luck.

I don't like or dislike the open end on their wrenches, its just kinda...there. What issues are you having with them? I've got a set, no issues but I've not used them much. Used the 13 and 15mm a bit on a head gasket rebuild without issue and then a large (15/16th?) to hold the nut on a brake caliper tool, but that's about it.

The Wright's are a quality industrial wrench, Carlyle and Gearwrench are not in the same category. if you are wanting a longer US made wrench look at Proto ASD

For imported I would skip Gearwrench, it just a ordinary wrench made in China. Besides Carlyle, I would look at DeWalt made in Taiwan. Better open end than Gearwrench and thicker beams in the larger sizes and not as lobster clawish in the smaller sizes

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003L1ZZVY/?tag=atomicindus08-20

People say they're made in Taiwan?

 

[WittHay]

^ I am not saying Gearwrench is a bad combination wrench, its just that the op seems to want a gripper type wrench for work. I think there a better choices for that purpose than Gearwrench

I am looking at the packaging for both 15pc SAE and metric wrench sets that i bought last year. It says "Manufactured in China for Danaher Tool Group" #'s are 81901 and 81902

The Canadian Tire stores up here, sell a house brand called Mastercraft. The Gearwrench and Mastercraft wrenches look similar

 

[Tonyuk]

If you can go without teeth in the open end then i recommend them facom 440's, use them everyday in work and they're the best i've found.

Teng tools have came out with an interesting open end design. Instead of having teeth that bite into the fastener its profiled like a socket to grip the sides;

The box end is also deeper like a facom 440.

 

[Wamsutta]

Huh? S-o beam is not near as comfortable as a Wright. Not even close.

Only complaint I hear about Wright is they are shorter, never been a problem for me but I have smaller friends who it would be a deal killer for so to each his own. I actually don’t mind them being shorter for the added clearance. If I really need the leverage I have other old wrenches to grab.

The SO beam is shaped wide and thin on purpose so that it's easy to roll over in your finger tips for switching angles while using the open end. They're the fastest wrenches I've ever used.

 

[Mr_B]

Yeh I not a fan of highly polished wrenches hence why one of my favourite wrenches are stahlwille and facom.
Snapon while very good are also over priced and hyped .
wright should be fine for OP's intended use and very decent for the price, Carlyle also pretty decent with easy napa warranty and more so when at sale price. The long no skip sets in roll up bags about best wrench offering from carlyle but OP may not want that length or may not like length of the standards as little shorter than some .

 

[tonyciambrone]

Get Satin WrightGrips, especially if you are anticipating smacking them with a hammer. Chrome is cool until it isn't. (flaking and chips)

 

[Yarpo]

^ I am not saying Gearwrench is a bad combination wrench, its just that the op seems to want a gripper type wrench for work. I think there a better choices for that purpose than Gearwrench

I am looking at the packaging for both 15pc SAE and metric wrench sets that i bought last year. It says "Manufactured in China for Danaher Tool Group" #'s are 81901 and 81902

The Canadian Tire stores up here, sell a house brand called Mastercraft. The Gearwrench and Mastercraft wrenches look similar

Agreed, I missed the grippy part.

I'll have to check mine, but I don't have the original packaging. I'm curious where they came from

 

[apdxyk]

Wright in satin here, and I have quite a few full sets from others.

P. S. Also, besides ASD, Proto has a 6-point combo wrenches in satin, e.g. J1210MHASD

 

[Fender1325]

Get Satin WrightGrips, especially if you are anticipating smacking them with a hammer. Chrome is cool until it isn't. (flaking and chips)

Good point