Wera Joker wenches?

[shaggymutt1]

Has anyone used these?

 

[Fretters]

Not personally, but it's hard to find a good wench these days, ne'er mind a jocular one.

 

[garfunkle24]

Had them for a few years. Nice to hold and look at. Ratchet end is kind of coarse and draggy. Open end isn't as useful as you'd think and the zero offset is annoying. I wouldn't bother if I were you.

 

[McFarmer]

I ended up with a free one from some promotion. I keep it on a machine that requires it often, nothing special. It has the nut starter thing on it, kind of a pain.

 

[Gmonkee]

I love miracle widget tools and want a set of them. But being the owner of a fine setup of normal tools I certainly don't need them.

They are seriously overthought. The 'improvements' they carry do not appear to be really an advantage. If I found a set at the right price I'd have them anyway.

 

[decaf]

The opened end is better than a normal one i think. The best part is that you can hold a nut in it, that is great!
The zero offset comes handy sometimes, but i prefer 15 degrees angle on the head most of the times.

 

[monomach]

Honestly, I refuse to buy Wera products because their promotional videos are insulting to everyone's intelligence.

OH MY GOD I TRIED TO TURN A NUT WITHOUT A WERA JOKER, BUT I FUMBLED IT LIKE A RETARD, THE WRENCH TOOK OUT MY EYE, KILLED SEVERAL CATS, AND SOMEHOW ENDED UP VIOLATING MY GRANDMOTHER'S NAUGHTY SPOTS:

That video is infuriating. Same thing for the one I saw for the Zyklop.

 

[Fretters]

That video is infuriating.

That video is piss poor. Just watched it, (without audio). Oversize standard spanners coupled with a users inability to hold a spanner in place on a nut or bolt head must make for loads of fun in the real world, according to that video. How did people ever survive without these modern magical items.

 

[Tarheelgarage]

Wera Joker wrenches are a designer fail; an idiot had to invent those.

Video furthermore shows an idiot who uses wrong tool for fastener removal; why not use a socket instead?

Also video shows only one use of the racheting box end due to it being so poorly designed it is almost useless.

POS tool design

 

[RedneckWelder]

Honestly, I refuse to buy Wera products because their promotional videos are insulting to everyone's intelligence.

OH MY GOD I TRIED TO TURN A NUT WITHOUT A WERA JOKER, BUT I FUMBLED IT LIKE A RETARD, THE WRENCH TOOK OUT MY EYE, KILLED SEVERAL CATS, AND SOMEHOW ENDED UP VIOLATING MY GRANDMOTHER'S NAUGHTY SPOTS:

That video is infuriating. Same thing for the one I saw for the Zyklop.

And I'll add I hate the styling of many Wera tools. Looks stupid to me.

 

[Kracin]

considering i don't work on just things at home or on a car. there are more than a few cases where i could see these saving time.... being better, thats subjective, but saving time with having to monkey around with a poorly placed nut and allthread, yes.

can't say i'm a big fan of flat wrenches either, but they never killed anyone. it's just another wrench.

let's be honest though, yes for a few things they could have used a socket, but they could also have used about 30 other tools as well. they are comparing just wrench to wrench though, which is why they didn't pull out their socket sets they make also.

i think you guys are missing the point of the video and just trying to find a way to hate it. how is this any different from any other tool makers video who tries to show how their product would be superior in certain situations?

 

[Fretters]

they are comparing just wrench to wrench though,

I doubt that. That rusted bolt, for example. There's no way to get that much play between the spanner and head unless the spanner was some unit of size off, (either that or I've been spannering incorrectly for years, 'cos mine always fit what I'm working on peachily). That was just pure exaggeration for the promo.

 

[garfunkle24]

The opened end is better than a normal one i think. The best part is that you can hold a nut in it, that is great!

I've never used that feature purely because of the short length of the wrenches. Much easier and more secure to wedge a nut into the box end of a longer pattern wrench with some shop towel.

 

[Kracin]

I doubt that. That rusted bolt, for example. There's no way to get that much play between the spanner and head unless the spanner was some unit of size off, (either that or I've been spannering incorrectly for years, 'cos mine always fit what I'm working on peachily). That was just pure exaggeration for the promo.

youve never seen a wrench spread on a tough nut, the only ones that don't tend to do it are the super high dollar brands with special heads? it doesn't take much with the open end of a wrench on a stuck nut... it's happened to me more than a few times, they didn't claim they used the top brand on the market as a comparison.

sheesh, theres no pleasing 99% of this forum is there. unless it's something that has been done the same way for 100 years, or it's a truck brand tool then it has no use for anyone.

 

[RedneckWelder]

they didn't claim they used the top brand on the market as a comparison.

The video showed what looked to be a Snap On wrench from the style of the marking on the wrench.

Say what you will about Snap On, but their wrenches are generally acknowledged to be quite excellent wrenches. I can tell you mine work a hell of a lot better than portrayed in the video. If mine were that bad, then I'd throw them away.

Generally I find that my Snap Ons will take all the force I can dish out on them. If I was to throw a cheater bar on them, then I'd expect spreading after adding a lot more leverage.

 

[Fretters]

sheesh, theres no pleasing 99% of this forum is there. unless it's something that has been done the same way for 100 years, or it's a truck brand tool then it has no use for anyone.

Who mentioned truck brand tools? If a spanner is spreading, it ain't upto much, IMHO. That one in the demo was just a plain sloppy fit, however. That would likely have rounded corners on even a slightly tight bolt. It's not a case of being picky, fussy etc. Sloppy and misleading is just sloppy and misleading. My apologies if some of us actually have a tad of perfectionism, professionalism and pride in both what we do and how we do it.

Btw, never said the Wera stuff looked ****, just incase you're thinking that I'm picking on their gear, which I'm not. That promo video was still complete and utter bunkum, however.

 

[garfunkle24]

Hey Fretters, where are you from? I'm Sheffield born and bred, living in Canada now.

 

[RedneckWelder]

If a spanner is spreading, it ain't upto much, IMHO

Even the cheap wrenches I have aren't as bad as shown in the video.

That one in the demo was just a plain sloppy fit, however

Yep.

 

[Kracin]

it would be hard to tell without knowing how stuck something is, besides how many other threads are there touting how tighter of a fit some brands of open end wrenches are than other? i've seen plenty.

overall it was still a dramatization, unfortunately people put their entire basis for tools, good or bad, based on dramatizations meant to make one tool shine where another doesn't. it's marketing, they have a set time to make a point, and can't spend 20 minutes doing in depth testing on something. why not implore one of the many testers here on the forum to grab the tools and put them through their paces and find out what really happens?

i can think of a hundred situations where having a specialty wrench does no good, but i can also think of many situations where having one would help a whole lot. they aren't for everybody obviously, especially when you consider they wouldn't be much use when you need an offset head instead of flat.

 

[Fretters]

That's a more reasoned response. It's a fair point about showing what differences it can make in certain situations, (btw, I do actually quite like the look of those spanners), but you must admit, that was painful to watch in places. You'd slap a go'fer if you caught them doing some of those tricks.

Hey Fretters, where are you from? I'm Sheffield born and bred, living in Canada now.

One town over; I'm a Tyke. What's it like over there in comparison to here? I'm banking it can't be any worse.

 

[decaf]

if you guys dont want too buy a tool based on a video its up too you.
I think that they just wanna show it very clear, i admit that its exaggerated.
But plz dont judge a tool because of a video, that is even more stupid....whatever brand or tool it might be....

 

[garfunkle24]

One town over; I'm a Tyke. What's it like over there in comparison to here? I'm banking it can't be any worse.

Way less crime, way less unemployment, mechanics make good money here, winter *****.

 

[shaggymutt1]

These are expensive! Thanks foir all the input!

 

[panknuckshovel]

Honestly, I refuse to buy Wera products because their promotional videos are insulting to everyone's intelligence.

OH MY GOD I TRIED TO TURN A NUT WITHOUT A WERA JOKER, BUT I FUMBLED IT LIKE A RETARD, THE WRENCH TOOK OUT MY EYE, KILLED SEVERAL CATS, AND SOMEHOW ENDED UP VIOLATING MY GRANDMOTHER'S NAUGHTY SPOTS:

That video is infuriating. Same thing for the one I saw for the Zyklop.

Will agree on the video, and will agree that the wrenches do seem overthought as previously stated. The bottle opener is pretty freaking cool though.

 

[marnav1]

How much are a set of these ?

 

[maico]

And I'll add I hate the styling of many Wera tools. Looks stupid to me.

Much nicer than shiny bling....