Best adjustable wrench?
 

After watching this, had to run to my rollaway...whew! All my craftsman are the old made in USA stuff. Anyway, interesting video...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyOd05PUix4

I have two of the Irwin adjustable wrenches. I bought them when I broke a hydraulic line on an excavator down inside a woods I was working in. Sadly I lost all of my old school Craftsman wrenches in crawl spaces :( . My favorite by far is an old Diamond adjustable wrench I've had for over 25 years.

I have a few really old Diamond Tool and Horseshoe tools. The adjustable wrenches are bulletproof.

Snap On. I've had my 12" for 40 years and it's still the best one I have. Of course I try not to use an adjustable wrench or the open end of a combination wrench if possible.

I have a few old made in USA adjustable wrenches. They don't rank space in my toolbox. I hang them on a nail in a cabinet. I use them mostly for my propane bottle. I have a fixed wrench for that as well, but I never remember the exact size. It is a large nut, so no worries about rounding it off.

I have open end wrenches from 6mm to 38mm, so adjustable is a rare use item.

Any long time car wrench will agree with your post.

I have a big Harbor Freight wrench that's 15 years old. I'm thinking in the 2' long range.

I use it for steering tie rod work. Not much is unmovable with it. However, if the truth be told, it's the torch that does the real work if things get tough.

Not cheap, but these Knipex have replaced adjustable wrenches for me (in most cases)

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1636586044.jpg

The adjustable wrench section in my toolbox.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1636600014.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1636600014.jpg

^^^How did you bend the handle? ;)

I've always liked the black finish on an adjustable wrench. Looks more purposeful. I have 3 that are black.

Get a cheap combination wrench that fits the shutoff valve, and hang it on a hook at the valve location. This is a pretty important safety measure.

I am unconvinced. The open end of a combination wrench is often faster and easier to use. Mechanics care about speed/efficiency. The open end slips onto the fastener quickly and easily. If the fastener has to rotate multiple turns, the open end gets the fastener removed more quickly. IMHO.

Faster, yes. Stronger though? Nope. I've had some bolts that were really tight and had to really lean into them to break them loose. I've had the open end open up on me when a bolt is really tight.

Then we gotta get into those fancy high fallutin open end wrenches that are designed to sort of ratchet.

Speed box wrench.

Always a situation though where an adjustable wrench is a good choice.

I love project farm! His testing is intelligent, innovative and best of all, anal. Love this guy.

I have an old USA made 8 or 9" Craftsman adjustable and it's a decent wrench. Don't use it all that often but it works well. the best adjustable wrench ever made?

15" Craftsman, hands down. These things are precision, nearly zero slop or play and are stronger than anything you'll be loosening. I have 2 of them, best possible wrenches for all 911 oil lines. They seem to grip tighter on torque if that's possible, they are hard to get off after loosening. Rolling the knurled adjuster is practically sensual. No better wrench of any kind for handling large nuts.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1636669787.jpg


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1636669787.jpg

It's sweet you have metric AND English adjustable wrenches.

^^^
Yeah! But can ya use it as a hammer? That's the true test of quality :)

That and putting a 2' pipe on the end because you just can't get enough leverage to break something loose without it.

Shaun's look like they were made for a cheater pipe. Plus they are forged.

Exactly! What's the point in having that nice tapered handle if you're not gonna put a cheater pipe on it?

And since I don't see any marks on the side I can only surmise that they have never been used as a hammer. I think that's a flagrant foul or something.

^^^
Strike that! Upon further review, I can clearly see marks on the side which would imply that it has indeed been used as a hammer. Shaun will not be charged a timeout.

Open end wrenches are weaker than box end, sure. But pro mechanics use good tools, and everybody prefers to use the box end to break a fastener loose. Adjustable wrenches are, generally sort of crap. It would indeed be nice to have a high quality one. Something made by the Germans.

^^^
Or in this case, one made by Milwaukee (I think it tested the best didn't it?)
And ya can't use an end wrench as a hammer... unless it's at least a 1 5/8 or better. Those make a good hammer.

I've found the Japanese mfg'd Top 8" adjustable to be excellent.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1636683210.jpg

While that is true I find open end wrenches round off bolts almost as easily. Especially when they are old and worn like mine are. In practice most of the time the closed end is used.

That black Wescott crescent wrench is a thing of beauty. I don’t know why it’s curved? I rarely use it, but when I do, the precision of it is amazing. Last time I did use it, it was to install the inner tie rods on the 330. It worked like a charm, as there’s no slop or play in it.

Closed and wrench FTW. But when that fails, you call in the pipe wrench.

I'd suggest big vice grips as an interim. They're like the duck tape of tools!

But seriously, after experiencing a few of their pliers, I'm lusting over the Knipex adjustables...

Is there any actual use case for using one of these in automotive work?

Did you bother reading post #13?

Got some big old USA ones. Garage sale scores. Make a damn fine hammer in a pinch.

And the propane nut too.

And for a random non critical nut of nobody is watching.

Didn't read thread.
Why not a 30mm and 36mm wrench?

I have a collection of Diamalloy by diamond horseshoe I think they make the Snap on ones
or maybe Snap on bought them? They'll take a beating for sure
Cheater pipe story my first mechanic job there was a 6' rigid pipe wrench in the office with a bent handle. After a bit I asked Larry the wrench owner how it got bent He said 10/ cheater pipe with a backhoe pushin it Got the nut off though

Picked up these two wrenches at an estate sale.

With the one on the left, you just close it around the nut and slide the silver part up to lock it in place.http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1636917943.jpg

The one on the right looks to be a BMC wrench made in binghamton ny. I just found one in an estate cleanout. They are local to me. interesting story. My dad bought his tahoe from them in 99
http://progress-is-fine.blogspot.com/2015/09/vanished-tool-makers-bmc-manufacturing.html

The best i have found is an actual “Crescent” brand. Always work well.

Thanks porsche930dude, I didn't even know how to begin an internet search for either of them.
One down, one to go.