Snap-On flared nut wrench, question

[Tempest978]

Having recently rounded off a brake union nut on one of my cars, I took advice from several people (as you do), and was told that I should have used Snapon tools instead of my much cheaper "Made in Germany" Elora wrench.

OK, ordered a set from the UK Snapon dealer, received the wrenches and noticed an odditiy, that I just wanted to run past you guys.

What do you make of the jaws of the 11 mm wrench on the picture below? Send it back to Snap-On, or will it do the usual high-quality work that everyone else swears on when using Snap-On tools? Just scared it may open up the jaws.

Thanks for comments

Tempest978

 

[le6920]

I am having a hard time seeing what you are describing. DOes the bottom wrench also have this problem?

 

[ImportTuner]

The jaws on the top wrench are off centered ... top portion is thicker than lower portion ... think it is a defect; went and looked at mine and the jaws are all centered ...

 

[dxdexter]

All mine are centered. It looks like it was off center when broached.

 

[83diesel]

I would not worry about it considering SO will warranty it when it breaks and a good SO dealer will warranty the defect if you show him how it is off centered.

 

[Fedwrench]

I'd say factory defect. I only see a possible problem if clearance around the fitting was an issue. However since it will probably work just fine, will the dealer warranty it? Given the price of Snap on, perfect is good enough.

 

[krusty the clown]

i would want it replaced

 

[Jononon]

Ouch. That's definitely a problem. I'd get it replaced, that's one tool you really don't want to spread. Having said that, I would want a refund, and then use the Eloras, but I'm cheap.

 

[Merkava_4]

I can clearly see that the open end was broached off center; that's pathetic of SO to miss that. I turned in a 12mm combo wrench a year ago that had its box end broached off center. These wrenches from SO are supposed to be perfect.

 

[ToolmanTom]

I would get it warrantied. and you should have no problem sending it back. call them or e-mail them and they will send you out one right away and they will pay all the shipping. after you get your new one, you can return your old one. I am 99.9% sure thats what they will do.

 

[nissan_crawler]

There's no way in hell I would accept that. I took back my 3/8" ratchet I had just bought because you could see a ding in the metal from before it was plated. I exchanged a new plier I bought because there was a bubble on the grip on the handle. Screw that, for the price I expect a perfect tool. The chrome on my 2" crowfoot is chipping too, that will be getting turned in. Ironically, the Craftsman ones that get used way more often, aren't.

 

[Moose-LandTran]

i have a set of Elora flare nut wrenches. in fact, all my wrenches are Elora and i've yet to have a problem from any of them. if you rounded a nut with an Elora wrench, you'd round it with a Snap-on wrench. the tolerances on Elora tools are so precise that a lot of the time there's no "slack" room beteen then nut/bolt and the the jaws/ring of the wrench.

it'll be a long time before i replace my Elora wrenches with Snap-on ones.

 

[Tempest978]

Thanks for the opinions so far. Thought so that the wrench (top one in my piccie) didn't quite look right. I'll contact Snap-On UK on Monday and see that I can get a new one.

Tempest978

 

[le6920]

Yes, I see what you are talking about now. Looks like an 'error' for sure.

 

[Joe B.]

You should try to sell it on Ebay as a 'collector’s item'. There are plenty of Snap~on super fans out there that would love to get this to put on the mantle over their fireplace.

 

[eschoendorff]

You should try to sell it on Ebay as a 'collector’s item'. There are plenty of Snap~on super fans out there that would love to get this to put on the mantle over their fireplace.

That's a sad reality.

In other Snap on news, i have a Snap On 3/4" deep impact socket that I have used a grand total of 2 times... covered in surface rust! And i store that socket right next to my cheap HF ones that have yet to rust - or break. I thought that I would get that Snap On one in that size (because it's the one I use the most) just for durability. I was blown away when the damn thing started rusting!

 

[Junkman]

I would assume that the HF still have a protective coating on them, and the SO doesn't. Any bare steel will rust, especially when the moisture is heavy in the air. There are times during the winter that the moisture in the air is so bad in my garage, that I put the heat on just to dry it out, even though I am not out there working. Cold steel will draw the moisture to it from the warm moist air, and that is the way it has always been. It doesn't matter what the brand, unprotected steel will always rust when it is in the presence of moisture.

 

[shamrock12]

Well, I finally ordered a set of Snap-On metric line wrenches. It is something that I've been considering for a long time but decided that now is the time. So today the big brown truck showed up. Immediately after opening the package I could tell that there is problem with the wrenches. It seems that most of them are off-centered! The 9-11mm wrench is the worst one. Not only is it wayyy off-centered, it also appeared to be wider (not the thickness, but the surface area of the wrench head) than Tempest978's wrench. Needless to say I am extremely disappointed. How could this happen? It looks like Snap-On got these wrenches from a foreign supplier and re-badge it.

Obviously I am going to call them next week about it and see what they have to say. I just find it hard to believe that this $210 set is defective. Have anyone else had similar problem? Or were all of yours centered as it is supposed to be?

I've tried to take some pictures, but it's hard to get a good picture with the plastic film wrapped around the set. (I didn't want to open it since there is already a problem with it)

 

[stricht8]

Return them and get a set of MAC line wrenches? I got a set a couple of months ago and they are a thing of beauty.

 

[Merkava_4]

I can see one single line wrench out of 5 million being like this, but a whole set is despicable. I hope to you don't wind up keeping them. Hell ... maybe I should go out and check my line wrenches.

 

[billymade]

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[Uncle Buck]

i would want it replaced

Yup, me too!

 

[shamrock12]

They definitely will be returned at the least. But I am hoping that they would have replacement that are not defective. I was able to get some pictures this time with a high tech camera. So be prepared before you see the pics.

1st picture shows how much off centered the 9 and 10mm are

2nd picture shows a better shot of 13mm which is off centered (upward)

3rd picture shows the 11 and 12mm ends which is also off centeted

4th picture shows a better shot of 14mm end which is also upward from the center

5th picture shows the 18mm end, although hard to notice but it is off centered

6th picture shows the 16mm end, same thing as with the 18mm end

The 15/17mm wrench look ok but I could tell that it is not perfect. The 19/21mm looks centered to me. (Both not shown in pictures)

 

[Merkava_4]

The 9 x 11mm wrench is the worst!

 

[billymade]

I wonder what is up with their quality control? Maybe their quality standards are falling off or were not that high to begin with? From the example of the Hazet wrench video; it seems like they should be more consistently made (machined) but maybe they have a different production methods then the germans. Disappointing regardless of how they are made; ultimately with a high quality tool and premium pricing you want them to be perfect or at least machined correctly!

 

[SteveV]

I plan on referring to this thread next time someone on this board says that only Snap-On's wrenches can truly grip a nut properly, and that other wrench brands, like Craftsman, aren't manufactured to tight enough tolerances, and will round off a nut.

My $30 set of Craftsman professional flare nut wrenches seem to have much tighter quality control than these $160 Snap-On sets.

 

[ToolmanTom]

I justt looked on the Snap-on web site just too see, the picture actually shows the same "defect", which leads me to believe that they are designed that way. maybe to make them stronger?

 

[DavidtheDuke]

I justt looked on the Snap-on web site just too see, the picture actually shows the same "defect", which leads me to believe that they are designed that way. maybe to make them stronger?

Hmm, it's possible that maybe the way stress is applied to the wrench, that centering is optimal. That would make us all look like ditto heads eh?

 

[billymade]

From a "gripping" on the fastener standpoint it may not affect the performance of the tool at all; as long as the machining is correct and accurate. Strength and longevity may be another issue entirely; we maybe bothered because they lack perfect "symmetry" that would normally be seen in box end wrenches. The more I think about it; I think I have seen this issue before in peoples toolboxes at the body shop I worked at. It maybe more apparent because it is a wrench "between" a box and a open end ...visually more obvious! Call customer service and see what they say. I will be interested in knowing what their response will be... I have a sneaking suspicion they maybe this way normally, not a "defect" but a "feature".... I agree, I would like them in the "center" though!

 

[Fedwrench]

I only have my set to judge by but, mine aren't perfectly centered either and I think that may be the way they're made. At any rate, I don't think a flare nut wrench's ability not to round a fastener or spread under load is a result of the open end being perfectly centered. I do understand that perfect is good enough given the price of Snap on tools. I'll still reach for my less than perfect flare wrenches when I need to lossen a tight fitting. They haven't let me down yet.

 

[Merkava_4]

I just looked on the Snap-on web site just too see, the picture actually shows the same "defect", which leads me to believe that they are designed that way. maybe to make them stronger?

Being the tilted angle they're showing that wrench at ... it looks to me to be broached on center.

 

[ToolmanTom]

Being the tilted angle they're showing that wrench at ... it looks to me to be broached on center.

You need your eyes checked.

 

[Merkava_4]

You need your eyes checked.

I need a lot of things checked.

 

[ToolmanTom]

I need a lot of things checked.

Me too...Douh!

 

[shamrock12]

Just for kick, I checked around on eBay and it seems that nearly all of them are well centered. So I would think that mine is defective.

 

[DavidtheDuke]

Just for kick, I checked around on eBay and it seems that nearly all of them are well centered. So I would think that mine is defective.

Nearly all of them? I suspect a human makes the hole then.

 

[Uncle Buck]

I think those are either the greatest optical illusion I have ever witnessed, or as messed up as they look!

 

[paramudduck]

Personally I vote for messed up as they look.

 

[Worsedog]

I justt looked on the Snap-on web site just too see, the picture actually shows the same "defect", which leads me to believe that they are designed that way. maybe to make them stronger?

Hmm, it's possible that maybe the way stress is applied to the wrench, that centering is optimal. That would make us all look like ditto heads eh?

But if you look closely the thicker side is the side that would be taking the most load tightening rather than loosening in most instances.

 

[ToolmanTom]

But if you look closely the thicker side is the side that would be taking the most load tightening rather than loosening in most instances.

or you could flip it over.