Project Farm - Tests Combination Wrenches
- Thread starter Warstud
- Start date
The first test with the chamfer depth and the open end spreading were the only ones that interested me. Trying to bend or break a 12"/13mm wrench with a hydraulic press at many times what could be applied even with a wrench extender is worthless IMO. If if meets or exceeds a Norm like DIN that's going to be fine. JMO
The Wright wrenches were not the Wrightgrip 2.0. I have those and love them.
It sort of requires you to watch the video or skip to the end of the video
Something you learn when you're in the product design industry, is to test to the extremes. One can test to a DIN standard, and stop at the DIN standard limits, but when you test to failure, you get a better idea to see which is actually better.
You could make a wrench that will outlast all of them, it will probably be much thicker, heavier and uncomfortable but because it didnt break it must be better by that explanation. The thicness and hand comfort and durability in normal usage of the tool is always going to be a compromise, ditto many other tools like ratchets.
Also I'm not a SnapOn fan boi but anyone with common sense should be hesitant to just decide that GW is better than SnapOn, solely because we know from results that on the bulk of their product line Apex is in a race to the bottom -- if it kinda looks the same and costs less, SCORE!!
OTOH SnapOn really does make a constant, conscious effort to make their products durable and effective. The tool truck model-- especially at Snappy prices -- simply cannot afford to have techs talking about how SnapOn stuff is going downhill.
This does NOT mean Taiwanese (or even Chinese) tools can't occasionally outperform SnapOn, but rather that most tool companies look for COST SAVINGS while SnapOn really does seem to keep a constant eye on PERFORMANCE with cost a secondary consideration
Don't think that your Gearwrench wrenches TODAY will still be exactly the same construction in 2 or 3 years...maybe, maybe not
OTOH SnapOn really does make a constant, conscious effort to make their products durable and effective. The tool truck model-- especially at Snappy prices -- simply cannot afford to have techs talking about how SnapOn stuff is going downhill.
This does NOT mean Taiwanese (or even Chinese) tools can't occasionally outperform SnapOn, but rather that most tool companies look for COST SAVINGS while SnapOn really does seem to keep a constant eye on PERFORMANCE with cost a secondary consideration
Don't think that your Gearwrench wrenches TODAY will still be exactly the same construction in 2 or 3 years...maybe, maybe not
Snap-On = overpriced
JHZR2
Staff member
This opened my eyes a bit to MAC wrenches. Half the price of SO.
But when I look for sets they’re still pretty darn expensive…
I wish they would have used the newer Wright wrenches.
But when I look for sets they’re still pretty darn expensive…
I wish they would have used the newer Wright wrenches.
I agree. My bet is the Wright Grip 2.0 wrenches would have done extremely well. They might have taken the title.
Most of those wrenches except for the HF and the ones with a deep chamfer on the box end would be perfectly fine in normal use.
The more I watch this video the less useful it is at actually deciding which wrench is better, bending and breaking stuff to failure is not a very good measurement of the tools usefulness.
A couple of these wrenches have a thin wall, if you need to get a nut say close to the part like a throttle body, many heavier wrenches may not go, the thinner wall will and it is still strong enough in that small size to put over 160 ft.lb of force on it if that were even possible on such a small wrench but that was not taken into consideration.
IMO if it did well in the first and second test he did it will be a good wrench. Forget the rest of the test, in the real world they are meaningless.
The more I watch this video the less useful it is at actually deciding which wrench is better, bending and breaking stuff to failure is not a very good measurement of the tools usefulness.
A couple of these wrenches have a thin wall, if you need to get a nut say close to the part like a throttle body, many heavier wrenches may not go, the thinner wall will and it is still strong enough in that small size to put over 160 ft.lb of force on it if that were even possible on such a small wrench but that was not taken into consideration.
IMO if it did well in the first and second test he did it will be a good wrench. Forget the rest of the test, in the real world they are meaningless.
Years ago, the cheapest junk you can buy but the chrome plating looks okay but it is hiding porous cheap steel (more like pot metal).
This is the reason most Europeans generally don't go for highly mirror polished chrome tools, it is used by many brands to put lipstick on a pig.
This is the reason most Europeans generally don't go for highly mirror polished chrome tools, it is used by many brands to put lipstick on a pig.
This. Most of my problems with cheap tool is the precision / slip rather than bending and snapping them.
I am very pleased with mine. I dont' know how they compare with the german wrenches. But made in the USA, and high quality.
I get what Trav says about chrome. I think the Wright Grip wrenches would have come out on top. Some chamfer on the box end but not a lot.
I'll be honest.......I have the HF cheap set (have some more expensive Craftsman and SK also.) The HF cheapos get used around the house and on my cars quite a bit and I haven't had a problem with them. For the average DIY person, I think they're fine. If they slipped and started causing damage to drain bolt on car, etc. , I wouldn't use it them anymore, but haven't had anything bad happen yet (knock on wood.)
