What are these Craftsman wrenches?

[dogzbody1]

I'm moving my tools to a new (to me) tool box and found these in at the back of my old box. They are some kind of speed wrench that allows you to rotate the open end without lifting it from the bolt or nut.

In SAE I have 3/8, 716, 1/2, 9/16, 5/8, 11/16, 3/4. That may or may not be a complete set, I think it is judging by other craftsman sets I have.

In metric I have 8, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16. I think this set is missing a few, perhaps 10, 13, 19.

Does anyone remember what these were called?

I'd like to fill in the sets (I have the completion bug), these are no longer in the craftsman catalog, are there any other sources? Alternatively I might sell these on, are they worth anything?

Thanks for any help that you can provide.

 

[Tree Cutter]

I think they are called Craftsman Quick wrenches. I have a set of them I never liked them. They seem gimmicky to me.

 

[Buckgnarly]

Yup speed wrenches, I think I have complete sets... now you are making me want to check!

 

[LandofRath]

I have one like that but its from Thorsen tool out of Oakland?
Its marks SPEED-HED

Further reading says it may have been from the 50's and they might have designed it as they submitted a patent.. interesting.

 

[mech-tech]

I also have one but of the Crescent brand.

 

[lilcraigford]

Craftsman "Quick" wrenches (as someone already said). My buddy has an older metric set like this one:

I never got the hang of using the open end. I'm sure you could fill in the missing sizes through eBay. Facom has a similar style called the "fast" wrench; this Toolguyd review popped up in my search results while looking for an image of the Craftsman set. The Facom:

 

[NUTTSGT]

I looked at those when Sears started carrying them back a few years. A salesman came and said something about them being a great new wrench. I told him they looked like a great way to bust a knuckle. He was about impressed with what I said as I was about the great new wrench.

 

[JonDick13926]

They look like some variant of what I always call a "ratcheting" open ended wrench. A different design than I'm used to seeing.

I've never seen one exactly like that before, but I imagine the idea behind it is the same. You can use the wrench to loosen to tighten a fastener more quickly by not having to completely pull the wrench head away from the fastener.

The Armstrong set (again, slightly different design) work great when I use them (typically for line fittings) but aren't meant for torque.

 

[Jim C.]

Sears/Craftsman actually offered a version of those wrenches in five different SAE sizes back in the 1960s. They were stamped with the =v= manufacturer's mark. I have a few of them and although they do generally work as intended, I think their overall premise is sort of gimmicky, and I never use them. My advice to the OP would be, "Save your money." If you don't have a full set, don't go out of your way to complete it. You yourself claim that your existing wrenches were "found" somewhere in your old box. That seems to imply that you forgot about them and were not using them. There's probably a reason for that, so why buy more? You mentioned possibly selling your wrenches. That's probably not a bad idea. Make room in your box for wrenches that you'll use.

Jim C.

 

[kctyphoon]

I have a set of them from 20 plus years ago.. that's the original "ratcheting" open end wrench. .. it allows you to reset the wrench without having to pull it off the bolt.. you use them the same way you would a ratchet.. husky recently released an updated version similar to them.

 

[unslow1]

They have their place like transmission bell-housing bolts but I rarely use them.

 

[Bagherra]

They are **** to me...

 

[taumac]

I have a set in SAE but wouldn't mind finding a metric set. I use mine on occasions.

 

[four.cycle]

"Quick Wrench" - I see them listed on Ebay frequently fairly cheap.

 

[John in OH]

I'm moving my tools to a new (to me) tool box and found these in at the back of my old box. They are some kind of speed wrench that allows you to rotate the open end without lifting it from the bolt or nut.

In SAE I have 3/8, 716, 1/2, 9/16, 5/8, 11/16, 3/4. That may or may not be a complete set, I think it is judging by other craftsman sets I have.

In metric I have 8, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16. I think this set is missing a few, perhaps 10, 13, 19.

Does anyone remember what these were called?

I'd like to fill in the sets (I have the completion bug), these are no longer in the craftsman catalog, are there any other sources? Alternatively I might sell these on, are they worth anything?

Thanks for any help that you can provide.

I have a set of these wrenches in SAE. I've had these for quite a few years but never use them as I think they feel awkward.

The chrome on my set has deteriorated with rust spots very similar to the one you have shown in your original posting. Makes me wonder who manufactured these and why the chrome doesn't seem to be as good as that on the regular Cman combos??

 

[Empty Pockets]

SnapOn made a similar wrench at one time. I have a 15mm version, Their web site no longer lists them

 

[egdede]

Though, to be fair, one thing they claimed with this model was flat side engagement!

 

[drink]

Are they combination wrenches? From what you have said they sound like combination wrenches. The picture cuts off the other half. They look like the ratcheting wrenches Sears was selling at one time and I don't know if they still sell them. I found some of the open end versions of them on eBay.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Craftsman-4...766706?hash=item2ee9d85db2:g:mD0AAOSwHPlWfsXX

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Craftsman-4...723956?hash=item5ae79a93f4:g:Nm0AAOxyrYFR1Dsu

Your wrench in the picture looks older than these.

 

[mopar_man]

Yea I have a set of them in metric somewhere. Lol They are combo wrenches the open works like a ratchet but I think they were called like speed open wrenches or something like that. I did not like the wrenches was awkward for me to use the open end, seemed to never be able to get a good hold of the bolt.
Think craftsman had them for only like a couple of years before they discontinued them.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[sberry]

I ended up with a couple, never found a use for them.

 

[leg17]

I have a set of them from 20 plus years ago.. that's the original "ratcheting" open end wrench. .. it allows you to reset the wrench without having to pull it off the bolt.. you use them the same way you would a ratchet.. husky recently released an updated version similar to them.

Actually Williams patented their "RATCHO" wrench in 1908.

 

[markharleypainter]

I had a set...took them back

 

[G_P]

I got a set of them as a gift around 15 years ago. I hate them. They work good on a fastener that is in good shape and out in the open. In tighter spaces or on bolts that are rusty, those things will have your knuckles bleeding in no time. Ratcheting gear wrenches are 100x better than these things.

I ran a wire through the box ends of mine and hung them in a corner to use as spares or if I need to make a custom bent box end wrench.

 

[disston]

I have a set made by Blue Point. Have never used them. But I think they are neat.

I've heard them called Speeder Wrenchers.