stubby wrenches

[Sugarfryz]

for all the people who have stubby wrenches, is it worth getting a brand from the tool truck? They're about 300 bucks. I don't need them often, but in certain situations they certainly would make my life easier.

I was just gonna go with sunex, cus they're good tools at a great value. I don't see myself ever breaking one because I won't be torquing on it, and in the same light I don't see rounding being that big of an issue cus not much force is applied anyway.

Seems to me like a cheap wrench would be fine, what is the forums opinion? 300 bucks for a snap on set seems ridiculous.

 

[LXCam]

I got my sets from northern on sale for like $10 a set. And they work great with no issues and even look pretty damn decent. You're never going to put the torque to them so I just don't see the need to spend that kind of coin.

 

[bobcatdan]

SK. About the best range I know of with SAE up to 1" and metric up to 24. Those large sizes are very handy.

 

[gdocktor3]

I have stubby standard and ratchet wrenches, but very rarely use them. Just buy the Sunex and be done with it before someone jumps on here and changes your mind.

 

[T45]

Seems to me like a cheap wrench would be fine, what is the forums opinion? 300 bucks for a snap on set seems ridiculous.

Depends on how much you use them and what for. craftsman pro used to have some good/decent usa sets for fair money (up to 1 inch).

One thing I will say is that the truck brands have various sizes of short wrenches, which are not all stubby and some of them are much more usefu and therefor valuable than generic stubby wrenches.

Whether or not you need them is really up to you.

You can also look at something like stahlwille series 13 in the small sizes which are short and handy, but not obstruction type wrenches.

Having a short wrench for obstructions is useless if they have lobster claw open ends and glazed donut levels of hardness. So keep that in mind as well.

 

[Pontiac787]

SK. About the best range I know of with SAE up to 1" and metric up to 24. Those large sizes are very handy.

I also have th SK and am happy with them.

 

[oxycodone]

I also have th SK and am happy with them.

Ditto.

 

[Tom.C]

I have stubby standard and ratchet wrenches, but very rarely use them. Just buy the Sunex and be done with it before someone jumps on here and changes your mind.

This.

 

[johndeereman]

I have a stubby ratcheting set from sunex and they have been great so far. though they are not used every day.

 

[fasteddie313]

I have sets of metric and sae that are so cheap they don't even have a brand on them iirc.. They are chrome though..

Using one wayy up in tight spot one time my hands and the area was pretty oily, roughing it up with my angle grinder did wonders for my ability to control it..

I also have a set of metric ratchet stubbies, gearwrench flat style that I got in this set..
I actually use them a very lot for quick assembly and dissasembly of things I'm prototyping. They are very handy for quick work because you can swing them faster, easier, and in smaller areas..

Also.. Sometimes I'll even use a secondary prybar against a stubby if it's tighter than I can get torque on the short wrench, like wastegate piping..

 

[67King]

I have SK in metric and standard. Love them, use them much more than I expected to.

Also have Williams ratcheting stubbies. Very nice, but of more limited use since the ratcheting mechanism makes the box end so big.

 

[M6erfan]

Like the OP, I dont use mine often but I have older USA Craftsman full polish metric & SAE sets. I cant remember the last time (if ever) I used the SAE wrenches but I do use the metrics from time to time. Glad I have them when I need them.

I agree with no need to spend a lot. Tool truck brands? This type of tool would be the last thing I would recommend spending tool truck money on...

 

[four.cycle]

You're never going to put the torque to them so I just don't see the need to spend that kind of coin.

^ Excellent point.

The only thing I own that would qualify as "stubby" would be double-end box and offset double-end box wrenches, and it's just not possible to put a whole lot of arm into a 4-inch long 9/16" wrench.

 

[Sugarfryz]

I have stubby standard and ratchet wrenches, but very rarely use them. Just buy the Sunex and be done with it before someone jumps on here and changes your mind.

Like the OP, I dont use mine often but I have older USA Craftsman full polish metric & SAE sets. I cant remember the last time (if ever) I used the SAE wrenches but I do use the metrics from time to time. Glad I have them when I need them.

I agree with no need to spend a lot. Tool truck brands? This type of tool would be the last thing I would recommend spending tool truck money on...

Sounds like a done deal. I'm all for spending money on quality tools, but not when I don't need to. Not saying I don't buy some expensive tools for the hell of it, I am a tool guy after all. I was all gung ho on having Snap on everything when I first started as a tech, but that got old real quick.

 

[toolman9w]

I have stubby standard and ratchet wrenches, but very rarely use them. Just buy the Sunex and be done with it before someone jumps on here and changes your mind.

Yep.

 

[K-Dog]

My stubbies are Gearwrench.

As has been said, they are stubby so by their very nature you really are not going to get all pissed ape and torque the life out of them. They are really for that cram your hand inside that small opening sort of thing.

 

[Fedwrench]

I would look at what cripe distributing has available. They used to have a good selection of KD Full polished stubbies in sae & mm for not much money.

Gearwrench often has specials where you buy a metric stubby set and you get the sae one free.

Don't forget Tekton.

 

[rsanter]

I have the craftsman metric and snap on stubbies. They are really nice to have for tight spots.
Remember that you can't really apply a ton of torque to them so any brand that has a good fit on the fastener will be fine.
If I didn't already have the ones I have I would have grabbed the Kobalt ones when they were $10

Bob

 

[geartow]

i have the sunex shortys . in my opinion they are best tool for dollars spent. like has been said you dont have the leverage to break them

 

[byoungblood]

I bought a set of Williams metric and SAE off of someone here 5-6 years ago. I actually use them far more than I thought I would. They come in handy for backing up a ratchet or another wrench in a tight spot, or for low torque fasteners.

 

[maintguy]

I have the Pittsburgh set. followed by certain sizes in Craftsman industrial,SK,,

 

[Bill Ramsey]

...They come in handy for backing up a ratchet or another wrench in a tight spot...

Exactly. Much of the time, you just need to hold onto something and keep it from spinning. I have Lowe's Kobalt (Taiwan) small sets and they've served me fine for the rare times I need them. But they're definitely one of those tools like crow foot wrenches - when you need them, there is no substitute.

 

[Strouty]

I buy cheap long wrenches and cut them to the length I need. Sometimes I even bend them into odd shapes for clearance.

 

[Sugarfryz]

Exactly. Much of the time, you just need to hold onto something and keep it from spinning. I have Lowe's Kobalt (Taiwan) small sets and they've served me fine for the rare times I need them. But they're definitely one of those tools like crow foot wrenches - when you need them, there is no substitute.

I need those too. Honestly I can see crows foot being worth spending money on at least, you can torque those and round some fasteners

 

[WittHay]

I find that angle wrenches are more useful than those short combination wrenches from GearWrench or whoever.

Years ago Snap-on made short combination wrenches that were thinner and a hair longer than present day. They were handy wrenches. A little shorter than Craftsman raised panels

 

[cheechi]

I have stubby standard and ratchet wrenches, but very rarely use them. Just buy the Sunex and be done with it before someone jumps on here and changes your mind.

this right here. There have been one or two times that I really needed a stubby and a handful where it was just a little more convenient. You can't put enough torque on stubby wrenches to really matter, so long as they fit the fastener they are fine.

I have a stubby ratcheting set from sunex and they have been great so far. though they are not used every day.

much more useful than regular stubby for my use. I really like the reversible Williams also but reversibles are bigger enough they might not be ideal for everyone who needs a stubby.

 

[Jim C.]

I have a complete set of SAE Craftsman professional stubbies and a partial set of metric Craftsman professional stubbies. They're nice wrenches. Pretty sure they were made by SK. I bought them AFTER I had a real need for a couple sizes. I struggled through the job and decided then and there that I was going to buy some stubbies, so I did. Well, since buying both sets I don't think I've used them for much more than backing up a fastener that I was turning with a ratchet or another wrench. More than once I've thought about selling them, but then talk myself out of it. As soon as I sell them, I'll need them again.

Jim C.

 

[brandon523]

I've got the Snap On 10mm - 19mm set. I basically got them for free last year. I like them a lot, but agree they're not something that is used daily. I actually like to use them for adjusting tie rods during alignments. Since they're short I can get them in easier and if there's enough room can just spin the wrench on the tie rod, without having to take it off to readjust as I would with a standard wrench. I'm thinking about buying the SK 20 - 24mm stubby set.

I agree though, if you're not going to use them that often, go with a cheaper brand.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Empty Pockets]

I have both metric and SAE from CM. I don't use them often, but there are times when a lack of space to work makes them quite handy. If I was buying them today, I'd prolly go with Sunex or Tekton, and be done with it. Snappy tools are great, but for that aplication they are a little overkill

 

[Moparman390]

I got the Husky 12 piece SAE + Metric set when HD was clearing them out for $7, that was practically free, they work like stubby wrenches. Doubt they will ever break as stubby wrenches don't get as much leverage put on them by their nature. I'm very happy with my find.

 

[oldldh]

Bought both Sunex Stubby sets from Amazon...

$55.00 Total...

Work like a champ...

 

[Angry welder]

I have the stubby Gearwrench in both Metric and SAE. I have no complaints about them so far, so no don't spend the crazy money on Tool truck brands because they are rarely used and your not putting the torque load on them that you do "normal" sized wrenches.

 

[johninct]

Buy some 4-way angle head wrenches too.

 

[smuro04]

Gearwrench or Sunex, look for the BOGO deals, and be done.

 

[decableguy2000]

I have an older Northern branded set, used rarely. Fit and finish are good, and are easily replaced if lost or damaged. I do use the 7/16 every day, with 0 issues unless I misplace it. Get what ever brand you want ,at what ever price point you want.

 

[nbpt100]

I buy cheap long wrenches and cut them to the length I need. Sometimes I even bend them into odd shapes for clearance.

I can only recall one time where I had to use a stubby wrench and I did what you did. That was 25 years ago. Often you can find a way around although It may not be as easy or convenient.

If you are a professional auto mechanic I can certainly see buying a mid grade set for that odd time it makes your life easier.

One way you could get a lot of force on a stubby is if you hit it with a hammer. Probably an air hammer because you likely could not get a conventional hammer near it.

 

[nczo6]

I have standard and metric non ratcheting huskies that work fine in the rare case I need them. I also have blue point ratcheting standard set that are great as well, I would just check ebay for some sunnex, tektons, or any of the brand that is somewhat decent for around 30 or so bucks.

 

[pi_guy]

I got my sets from northern on sale for like $10 a set. And they work great with no issues and even look pretty damn decent. You're never going to put the torque to them so I just don't see the need to spend that kind of coin.

I disagree many times have used a short wrench with a standard one as a cheater and got me out of tight spots. I have filled out the missing sets and larger wrenches at this point in time. The short open ends goes to 1 5/16 and if you have a ratchet or impact gum on other side it works fine.
I have them all use them more than standard ones, the short double box fits in more places. Had them since the early 80's can not think of any I have broken, lost 2- 7/16 & 10mm but over 30 years not bad.

 

[DFB]

Craftsman full polish both SAE 3/8"-3/4" and Metric 10mm- 19mm rarely use them. Look awful purty though

I once had a set of stubby SAE drop box ends. Those I like a lot and often used. Lost now in a transition.

 

[Sanny81]

I got an 11pc SK set for like $60 on eBay...look for the deals, they're out there.