To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!

Large wrench sets

cummins12ver

Member
Joined
Oct 3, 2015
Messages
15
Well guys, I got a question for you. I'm looking to get some wrench sets that include a wide range of sizes (3/8-1-1/2, and 10mm-24mm). Problem with this is, with so many beautifully crafted wrenches these days it makes it very hard to decide. I will say my recent encounters with the snap on truck and there warranty are a beautiful thing. But no way am I paying for a wrench set straight off the truck. Way to much for me to sink into one or two wrench sets. But I like snap on (minus the price tag), but love my sk and wright wrenches just as much. Looking up the price on the sk set from 1/4-1-1/2 it's right in the mid 500$ range. Not bad I don't think. But I thought about going with the Wright wrenches because of the obvious open end gains. But can only find a kit going to 1-1/4". For the equipment at work that is kind of an issue. But this kit comes to a wallet saving 250$ or so. But then I'm lacking the sizes up to 1-1/2". I haven't even asked what the comparable snap on set would cost. And may not want to. But what do you guys think and recommend? I have a variety of tools from harbor fright to snap on. And have a love affair with many and most. But is it worth having large size wrenches with the gripping open end? Or get smaller kits with the gripping open end and fill in the larger sizes with standard wrenches? If I could find a Wright set going to 1-1/2" I'd be all over it. And could have the best of both worlds. But so far no dice. I would like to have to clean and nice wrench sets to be my "main sets" that I grab each time. Right now I have a mixture of different sets all ranging in size. So lets here it, what's your favorite large wrenches that you use?
 
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!

xela456

Well-known member
Joined
May 22, 2014
Messages
344
I own the Wright 751 I believe which is the set you spoke of. If you buy that set your only 4 wrenches away from your set. This set can be gotten for around 200-240 on eBay new and Epstein's has the the rest of the wrenches in singles I'm willing to bet you will be way under the 400 mark going with Wright.

PS my vote is for satin finish lol
I don't care for suprekrome

Edit: I also own the 752 which is metric from 10-22 (metric wrench sets ****) still it was only 130
 
Last edited:

scissorman

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 7, 2014
Messages
662
Location
Pleasanton, Ca.
I currently own a Snap-on "set" from 3/8"-1 1/2". I bought the larger wrenches one at a time and some even on E-bay for far less than off the truck. The flank drive plus wrenches stop at 1 5/16" and everything above that is just a flank drive. I am very happy with them and would do it all over again if needed.
 

Fastbird

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 28, 2007
Messages
694
Location
Fort Wayne, IN
I have the Craftsman Pro sets to 1 1/2" and I believe 30mm. Rarely use them, but no e to have just in case.

On my LG G4
 

drink

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 18, 2015
Messages
1,115
Location
Confused State
Well guys, I got a question for you. I'm looking to get some wrench sets that include a wide range of sizes (3/8-1-1/2, and 10mm-24mm). Problem with this is, with so many beautifully crafted wrenches these days it makes it very hard to decide. I will say my recent encounters with the snap on truck and there warranty are a beautiful thing. But no way am I paying for a wrench set straight off the truck. Way to much for me to sink into one or two wrench sets. But I like snap on (minus the price tag), but love my sk and wright wrenches just as much. Looking up the price on the sk set from 1/4-1-1/2 it's right in the mid 500$ range. Not bad I don't think. But I thought about going with the Wright wrenches because of the obvious open end gains. But can only find a kit going to 1-1/4". For the equipment at work that is kind of an issue. But this kit comes to a wallet saving 250$ or so. But then I'm lacking the sizes up to 1-1/2". I haven't even asked what the comparable snap on set would cost. And may not want to. But what do you guys think and recommend? I have a variety of tools from harbor fright to snap on. And have a love affair with many and most. But is it worth having large size wrenches with the gripping open end? Or get smaller kits with the gripping open end and fill in the larger sizes with standard wrenches? If I could find a Wright set going to 1-1/2" I'd be all over it. And could have the best of both worlds. But so far no dice. I would like to have to clean and nice wrench sets to be my "main sets" that I grab each time. Right now I have a mixture of different sets all ranging in size. So lets here it, what's your favorite large wrenches that you use?

Sears did have some Craftsman Industrial combination wrench sets but they are temporarily unavailable. If you call them they might be able to get you the sets you need. The sets they had listed are black oxide and you might only need to fill in the 1-1/2" wrench. They have full polished sets and other sets in the industrial catalog but you will have to fill in some missing wrench sizes. I don't know how much they cost at the moment either.

http://www.sears.com/deals/GDOs.html


http://www.sears.com/craftsman-professional-use-16-piece-inch-black-oxide/p-00948991000P

http://www.sears.com/craftsman-professional-use-22-piece-metric-black-oxide/p-00948992000P
 

derosa

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 19, 2010
Messages
1,078
Location
Oceanside, NY
I picked up the 18 piece wright metric set for 165 which completely covers your metric need. Off of amazon I individually bought 1/4-7/8 for 70.00, but the rest of the wrenches will run another 300.
 
Last edited:
OP
C

cummins12ver

Member
Joined
Oct 3, 2015
Messages
15
I own the Wright 751 I believe which is the set you spoke of. If you buy that set your only 4 wrenches away from your set. This set can be gotten for around 200-240 on eBay new and Epstein's has the the rest of the wrenches in singles I'm willing to bet you will be way under the 400 mark going with Wright.

PS my vote is for satin finish lol
I don't care for suprekrome

Edit: I also own the 752 which is metric from 10-22 (metric wrench sets ****) still it was only 130

That's wouldn't be too bad. I'll have to see if I can fill in the sets. Metric I'm not so worried about, 24-30mm range I should be safe. Anything over that is what you use a cresent (or what I call a "metric wrench") for haha. I honestly like the full polish... Personal preference lol. Although I can't stand the standard length sk, gotta go long pattern!
I currently own a Snap-on "set" from 3/8"-1 1/2". I bought the larger wrenches one at a time and some even on E-bay for far less than off the truck. The flank drive plus wrenches stop at 1 5/16" and everything above that is just a flank drive. I am very happy with them and would do it all over again if needed.
Mind sharing a rough estimate of what you have into them? The one thing I would love about them is the warranty. Driver comes once a week and replaces anything you need no questions asked...where with the other options I must send them off as no one local carries them.
Pretty sure everything Craftsman is now china junk so beware of that when buying.
Exactly why I didn't even bring them up. Although like many I grew up with my first set being rp c-mans I keep there use to a minimum and have found I like my sk and wrights better
 

scissorman

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 7, 2014
Messages
662
Location
Pleasanton, Ca.
I bought my 13/16" - 1 1/2" with the exception of 2 of the wrenches from my Snappy dealer and that was $1400 worth of wrenches. The 3/8"-3/4" set I bought from a forum member along with the 10-17 metric set for $200.
 

drink

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 18, 2015
Messages
1,115
Location
Confused State
These sets might be what you need. The SAE set has a 1-5/8" wrench in it though.
 

Attachments

  • 52-644 Armstrong Met.jpg
    52-644 Armstrong Met.jpg
    151.8 KB · Views: 54
  • 25-652 Armstrong SAE.jpg
    25-652 Armstrong SAE.jpg
    146.5 KB · Views: 41

drink

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 18, 2015
Messages
1,115
Location
Confused State

Attachments

  • 25-642 Armstrong SAE 15 pc set.jpg
    25-642 Armstrong SAE 15 pc set.jpg
    151.9 KB · Views: 28
  • 52-638 Armstrong Met 18 pc Wrench Set.jpg
    52-638 Armstrong Met 18 pc Wrench Set.jpg
    151.3 KB · Views: 30
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!
OP
C

cummins12ver

Member
Joined
Oct 3, 2015
Messages
15
Other requirements, USA made. And good warranty. That's my other worry with wright, how easy do they warranty stuff? And how quickly? SK was very pleasant to deal with. A little slow, but the particular item was on back order.
 

amolaver

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 10, 2009
Messages
834
My experience with wright was warranty done in one phone call. They mailed me the ratchet kit, no muss, no fuss. I'd guess any single socket/wrench/ratchet would be similar.

ahm
 

Cap'nJake

Active member
Joined
Sep 26, 2015
Messages
31
Location
Mid-MO
I have the non ratcheting wrenches from gearwrench. I would put them on par with sk.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk
 

53chevy5

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 17, 2016
Messages
126
I just picked up some crecents up tp 2 inches from menards . Used em a few times, far from so but far from their price too and seem like a good wrench.
 
OP
C

cummins12ver

Member
Joined
Oct 3, 2015
Messages
15
Contacted wright directly about a full sae and metric set...gotta say kinda disappointed with the customer service lady. Really seemed like I was interrupting her Facebook experience as she didn't seem happy to help me. Contacted a local distributor to get a quote. We'll see what they can do. But after the customer service lady at wright acted the way she did I feel warranty may be a hassle if I ever break one. Also looked for a local sk distributor and didn't come up with any. Although I've dealt with their customer service and they were very very friendly. But again, would have to ship the tool off to be warrantied. Not terrible but leaves you without the tool for a week or two. It's really leaning me to just go to snap on....which I hate to say. Not that I don't like there products but it'll cost an arm and a leg. Really wish there was a wright or sk tool truck local that could help me out here...
 

Sam'sAutoParts

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 27, 2013
Messages
2,075
Location
Northeast PA
For some reason not all dealers are listed on the SK website, I know mine is not. Maybe PM some members that are local to you and ask if they know of one.
 

Dave455

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 19, 2013
Messages
5,800
Location
Sussex, England
Some general thoughts that may help - I reckon that Snap On make the best wrenches out there! Sure, some folks dislike some features about them, but I havn't found better! If you like them, buy them, but...

Even if you use large sizes a lot, it's always the smaller sizes that seem to show the most wear. Consider buying the best in the smaller sizes, and something a little cheaper in the larger. Snap On and Wright would be a good combo here!

How much do you really use the open end, and how much torque do you use? I use the open ends rarely, and then mostly for quicker repositioning on an already loose fastener. If you are thinking of things such as pipe unions, a proper set of flare nut wrenches will work better then a fancy open end!

If buying a set, do you really need all the sizes? Snap on sell very complete sets, which is nice, but I have NEVER used a 20 or 25mm wrench, and seldom a 23? If I was selecting, I'd have bought 21,22 and 24, and maybe used the saved cash to add a 27, all of which I do use!

These fancy teeth and suchlike that you find in the open ends seem to work well, but they are not always appropriate! I have some SAE Snap On combo's that I picked up on special. Lovely tools, but never use the open ends since the only SAE fasteners I touch now, tend to be on classic cars, which I don't want to mark!

I have larger wrenches by Snap On, Stahlwille, Hazet, and older Britool! Each has a different style, but I love 'em all!
 
Last edited:

Empty Pockets

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 21, 2015
Messages
4,942
Location
Rural New York
I have an assortment of Snappy, Craftsman USA, Wright and SK. All work as advertised. Probably the best thing you can do is to find wrenches that are comfortable and fit your hands. In most cases, I go to my Wright wrenches first, more because they fit my hands best.

You can never go wrong with a QUALITY tool
 

mach2mack

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 15, 2016
Messages
93
Location
WA
I just sold my set of craftsman pro series wrenches 1 1/2 - 1/4 They have the sizes you need. I've never had a problem with any of my craftsman tools.

 
OP
C

cummins12ver

Member
Joined
Oct 3, 2015
Messages
15
I haven't bit the bullet yet. Still doing as much research as possible. I have 6 different wrench sets in my tool box at work currently. One older NAPA USA made set from 1/4"-1-5/16", harbor freight extra long patterns from 7/16"-1", same set in metric from 10mm-27mm if I remember the sizes right, my wright grips from 7-24mm, Sk double open end wrenches from 6-32mm and a set of Carlyle's from 7mm-18mm. I'm partial to metric as much of the work I do on john deere equipment and my truck on the weekends is all metric sizes. At any rate, I must say normally when reaching for a wrench out of my drawer I go to my harbor freight extra long patterns if I'm working in their size limits. I really like the length mostly. After that I kinda lean towards the Carlyle again if I'm working on smaller metric stuff. When I get to bigger sizes I have to go to the Napa USA wrenches or my sk set if metric. All my large wrenches from 1-3/8" to 2" are also harbor freight. I guess what I really want to do is clean up my wrench drawer and have a complete set that are comfortable, nice, and that can be used and not worry about breakage. Although I don't use the open ends often it is nice to have the gripping power although I've got by all these years without it, it is a nice feature to have. And as i don't work on anything shiny and special I don't have to worry about the marring that that creates. I guess it truly comes down to wanting a quality made USA wrench that is comfortable. Which for me my wrights are the most comfortable wrench I've used. I've also worried about warranty, but I've only ever broken one wrench, or tool for that matter. And that was my 10mm extra long pattern Pittsburgh. And that was with my full strength braced under a rig just reefing on the box end to get a 12 point starter bolt out. Took it in and they replaced it without the blink of an eye. And when it comes to me breaking something even if I have to ship it off for replacement so what, it'll rarely happen anyways. So I really need to go simple and think about the fact that I don't need to over think this. Just find something that I feel most comfortable with and go with it. I doubt I'll ever break a quality tool anyways unless it's faulty or abused. So that's where I'm at. Kinda on the fence between sk and wright tools though. I really really like those two out of all of my tools. They just feel right in my hand
 
Last edited:

drink

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 18, 2015
Messages
1,115
Location
Confused State
Hmmm....SK and Wright are made in the USA. I've been looking at them lately just to figure out what they have and how much they cost.
 
OP
C

cummins12ver

Member
Joined
Oct 3, 2015
Messages
15
I really like both my sets. Only complaint is that SK's standard pattern wrench is to small for my liking, and wright doesn't offer a extra long pattern. If they did, I would have ordered those already haha
 

ihateminimumwage

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 26, 2012
Messages
3,960
Williams (Snap-On Industrial) makes extremely nice USA wrenches with a thick beam and the FD+ style "teeth" in the open end. Length is the same as Snap-On.

They're what I use at work (5/16-1" & 7mm-21mm). I sold my SAE Snap-On wrenches in favor of the Williams thicker beam (Snappy's felt like pulling on a dull knife blade when putting weight into them). The larger sizes get heavy though.

Here's a couple pictures of my 1"
Picture226_zps40630dd5.jpg

Picture225_zps8ba90342.jpg

Picture223_zpsb7508761.jpg


And 9/16"
Picture213_zps72b15f6b.jpg

Picture212_zps0170644c.jpg


Price through ToolsDelivered is excellent as well:
$220 for 7mm - 24mm
http://www.toolsdelivered.com/Williams-MWS-18A-Hand-Tools-Wrenches-Combination-Metric-Sets

$227 for 5/16" - 1-1/4" (Chrome & Teeth go up to 1-1/4")
http://www.toolsdelivered.com/Williams-WS-1172SCA-Hand-Tools-Wrenches-Combination-SAE-Sets

Larger wrenches are satin finish, and around $40+ each, so pick and choose what you'll use. I don't think I ever used my 1-3/8" or 1-7/16", but used my 1-1/4", 1-5/16" and 1-1/2" when I was working on trucks.
Williams USA 1242 1-5/16"
Williams USA 1244 1-3/8"
Williams USA 1246 1-7/16"
Williams USA 1248 1-1/2"

http://www.toolsdelivered.com/Williams-1248-Hand-Tools-Wrenches-Combination-SAE-Chrome-Finish
 

Gfleck067

Member
Joined
Mar 11, 2014
Messages
17
I just got priced out from Matco today for 1-5/16. Threw 1-1/2 would be about 800$ for the 4 wrenches.

They also sell Armstrong for like 60-80$ a wrench from 1-5/16-2" I ordered a 1-5/16 to see if I like it and go from there

If I had a choice I would look for the older snappy wrenches. The round ones. I seen 3 very large guys hanging off one to break a bolt loose and the wrench didn't spread open. It is just hard to find them
 
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!
Top Bottom