Stahlwille combination spanners??

[Dave455]

Alfajuj - Can you talk more about the features they have that you believe make Open-Box 14s excellent? Just curious what you think the key features are.

Thanks

I can if it helps!

The shape of the wrench is great - nice to use and no sharp edges!

The finish is really practical. I love Snap On chrome, but it does show marks with use. The Stahlwille satin finish is very durable, and if anything it polishes slightly with use!

The balance of the No. 14 wrench is superb, but you really have to try one to understand!

In fairness, I like my Snap On, Stahlwille, Hazet and old Britool combination wrenches. They are my most used tools, are all good, but all different! Choosing between is hard!

 

[Flash21]

Thanks dave455!! Question is if you could only keep one set of metric spanners, what would you keep? I know it is hard and good thing is is theoretical!!

 

[Dave455]

Thanks dave455!! Question is if you could only keep one set of metric spanners, what would you keep? I know it is hard and good thing is is theoretical!!

That is a tough one!

The reason I have wrenches by different manufacturers is that here in the U.K. I need Whitworth, SAE and Metric, and I like to be able to tell them apart quickly!

My favourites are the Britool! Shape, size, finish, everything is perfect, plus they are proven over many years! But... these are "old" Britool dating from the early 70's and are simply not available anymore. I only own a complete set in Whitworth / BS, and would love some in metric, but they are not out there! Sadly, with Britool the era in which they were made is critical. Combination wrenches from the early 80's are good, but there were pattern changes and they are not as good!

So, that leaves us with the other 3! I think overall the Snap On are the best. I think they are the best made, certainly the best finished, and would be my undoubted choice for aerospace applications!

However, their beautiful finish can get marked with repeated use over time. Now I know many will argue that use (as opposed to abuse) will not damage a decent tool, and they are correct, but wrenches do get dropped from time to time, or scraped against other components, and that will take it's toll on the Snap On!

So, limited to one set only, specifically for automotive work, specifically new, probably the Stahlwille or the Hazet. Which is precisely what I have! I bought a set of Stahlwille's, (up to 19mm) some years back and they have been great. I've added some wrenches in the larger sizes by Hazet, simply because that was what a local dealer had in stock, and they've been great too! Stahlwille's have deep offset on their long wrenches, but not their short, with Hazet it's the other way around!

In an ideal world of mega workshops and big budget's I'd probably have both,
and if I stepped onto a Snap On truck and he had complete sets of combination wrenches on 'special' for £99 I don't think I could resist buying them as well!!

 

[Alfajuj]

Good luck with that!

I have to agree with you on being torn between the Stahlwilles and the Hazets. I'm a huge Hazet fan and it's the dominant brand in my metric tools, while almost all my SAE stuff is Snap-On.
Despite drinking the red S/O kool-ade and the blue HZ kool-ade in equal doses, when I reach for a metric combination wrench, more often than not it's the Stahlwilles that I grab!
They have a really nice texture and shape and feel and balance. They aren't as pretty as the Hazets, but they have their own unique presence. And for some reason, they'
re supernaturally light in weight.
The texture is just something you need to try for yourself. It's kind of silky while the Gedores are like holding a piece of sandpaper.

I don't worry so much about the scratches on the snappies, that's more or less their natural state. Eventually they will develop an even surface made up of ten thousand small scratches.

 

[Flash21]

Great commentary, thanks!!

Guys that have both Stahlwille Open-Box 14s and Hazet 600Ns...

Of the two series, who has consistently the thinner ring / box ends?

Which have better broaching?

Do you see an advantage over one or the other in terms of the 10 degree stepped offset of the Stahlwille vs. the 15 degree angled offset of the Hazets? What is better all around? I assume the 15 degree angled is better since that is more "standard" with most manufactures, therefore curious why Stahlwille has a 10 degree angle that is more of a stepped shape.

 

[Monte]

Great commentary, thanks!!

Guys that have both Stahlwille Open-Box 14s and Hazet 600Ns...

Of the two series, who has consistently the thinner ring / box ends?

Which have better broaching?

Do you see an advantage over one or the other in terms of the 10 degree stepped offset of the Stahlwille vs. the 15 degree angled offset of the Hazets? What is better all around? I assume the 15 degree angled is better since that is more "standard" with most manufactures, therefore curious why Stahlwille has a 10 degree angle that is more of a stepped shape.

Hi,
if you PM me your adress i can send you some Hazet + Stahlwille + Gedore samples free of charge under certain circumstances....