snap-on flank drive vs flank drive plus

[kooldino]

I'm currently debating between the Flank Drive and Flank Drive Plus sets myself. The sizes I care about most are 8-19mm.

I plan on getting a Knipex plier wrench regardless, but unfortunately it won't easily fit in most engine bays I work on.

I like the additional grip that the FD provides, but I didn't know if the FDP really gave you that much more. Plus I don't like the idea of chewing up my hardware and paying even more for the privilege.

 

[mrshaun]

in 8 years I have never had a complaint from anyone about noise from a wrench.
Now I know that they work and it has been proven.
Do not use them on chrome fasteners ie harley or aluminum stuff as they will scar the fastener.
what application makes the noises?

 

[Art From De Leon]

Noise, What kind of enviornment are your working in where it is quiet enough to hear the suppossed noise. The only noise I would associate with removing a fastener would be the squealing of an rusted nut or bolt coming loose, or the popping sound when you a bolt grabs.

As far as the Flank Drive Plus making a mark, the Snap On catalog warns that this may occur.

 

[ukvauxtech]

The noise is intentional it's the wrench trying to scare the bolt loose!!!
GRRRR!

 

[mrshaun]

The noise is intentional it's the wrench trying to scare the bolt loose!!!
GRRRR!

now I like that.....

 

[Adam McLaughlin]

That is pretty good: Get out bolt, get out! Grrrrrr!

Ha Ha Ha

Adam

 

[GBNZ]

How much are the wright tool flank drive+ wrenches?

 

[greenreese]

I have 7mm-25mm FDP wrenches and many other sets of wrenches without Plus. It does work but there are downsides to it. They sometimes snag when you are putting them on a nut, making it slightly more difficult to use them in a fast on-off motion. They also mark up/knurl fasteners when used with decent force.
I also think the 62% more turning power is kinda ********. I did a little test in my basement with two 17mm aluminum nuts locked against each other on an axle that was clamped in a vise. I used a Craftsman raised panel wrench and a SO FDP wrench. The SO is about 2 inches longer than the CM. To get the CM to slip around the corner I had to put a pipe over the end. I simply couldn't pull hard enough by myself to get it to slip. I could however, get the SO to slip without a pipe.

The only way the FDP makes noise is if you put a very slight turning force on it and pull it off the fastener really fast, so that the flutes/ribs/whatever just kind of bump up and down. But you have to be purposely trying to do this.

 

[Busted_Knuckles]

I was buying some flank drive plus "lost" replacements last week, and my girlfriend (who happens to be a gearhead) asked me about the difference between the two. I told her, I didn't know why they even make the regular wrenches, when in comparison how well the "plus" work on marginal, corroded or very tight fasteners. Unless I was assembling "art work", for the life of me, I don't know why you would even own any other wrench (unless you just didn't know about them), and I'm not a big SO guy, but Ive never seen anything that even comes close to the peformance of those flank drive plus combos, price doesn't even matter...just my 2-cents. I think Ive had mine going on 17 years ? I love them!

 

[Big Bad Jon]

in 8 years I have never had a complaint from anyone about noise from a wrench... Do not use them on chrome fasteners ie harley or aluminum stuff as they will scar the fastener.
what application makes the noises?

I guess some are a different breed of end users here.

 

[Merkava_4]

THIS IS THE SOUND I HEAR WHEN I USE THE FLANK DRIVE PLUS WRENCHES - IT'S THE GUIRO!!

 

[MadMark]

Wow, your wrenches have talent, Do they sing when you drop them too?

 

[Merkava_4]

Wow, your wrenches have talent, Do they sing when you drop them too?

LOL!!

 

[2chipped]

Hey merck, do they dance and play around in your drawers.hehe btw you could call cartalk and descibe it to them.

 

[Big Bad Jon]

Hey merck, do they dance and play around in your drawers.hehe btw you could call cartalk and descibe it to them.

From what I understand... when Merk turns the lights out, the wrenches get into the red lube of love.

 

[pmohr]

What I've noticed with the FD+ wrenches is they can be somewhat difficult to get on a fastener, most noticeably tie rod ends; the open end seems to fit so snugly that it can take some force to get the wrench on there. Never had that problem with any other wrenches I've used doing alignments.

For any other use, they seem quite nice, though it's rather rare that I've needed to use the open end of a wrench on anything (other than alignment work); usually there's enough space to at least get the box end on.