I like the feel of the way a wrench like an open end-box end automotive mechanics tool cradles in my hand when held loosely and or firmly. When put into action, I like experiencing smooth edges and moulding to a soft or firm hand grip.
Not all hand wrenches are of the same quality, here then to find out more read on and discover it’s in the grip that’s going to make you enjoy wrenching for a Professional Career or for your own personal at-home shop use. Here are four types of hand tools to get a grip on.
I would just like to input here that becoming a well-trained mechanic/technician is not just for males, the female gender has so much to offer to the world of mechanical engineering from start to repair of the failure of engineered parts.
Here Female Gender Positioning in the so-called male environment of tools and hard knocks.
Find out how different brands of hand wrenches feel in your hands before buying. Put your grip on the different hand wrenches soft in hand and a strong grip feel for those tough jobs when pulling hard is required. Beware of rough or not enough rounding on edges when gripping.
I’ve been around for a while in the Automotive Trade since I was 22 years old and time has passed along to my current age of 73.
Yes, I have held and worked with many hand wrenches throughout my career and I am about to introduce probably four types of wrench hand tools that I have worked with but it is totally a personal choice and maybe not be for everyone. Here are the four tools to get the job done.
- Open End at Both Ends
- Open End and Box End Combination
- Box End on Both Ends
- Open End and Ratchet Box on The Other End
Not all hand wrenches are of the same quality, here then to find out more read on and discover it”s in the grip that’s going to make you enjoy wrenching for a Professional Career or for your own personal at-home shop use.
Here are four types of hand tools to get a grip on.
Types of Hand Wrenches
- Open End at Both Ends
- Open End and Box End Combination
- Box End on Both Ends
- Open End and Ratchet Box on the Other End
Open End at Both Ends
This hand wrench is very popular for nuts and bolts that can be loosened off or tightened without using excessive force. Is a quick grab wrench out of the toolbox that does not demand a heavy tightening action. So (tip here) not designed for Arm Wrestling Professionals or Gorilla strength individuals.
Open End and Box End Combination
A good all-around double-action end-hand tool. This wrench allows you to loosen stubborn nuts or bolts with the Box End and then continue loosening off with the Open End of the wrench and the same for the tightening procedure. Oh yeah for the Box End of the wrench, one can have Gorilla strength.
Box End on Both Ends
Working on two different-sized nuts or bolts that are partly seizing or just dirty contaminated bolt threads where grunt force is required without grabbing a second wrench. Just remember to have a quick look at what sizes of wrenches you will need to wrestle those tight threads.
Open End or Box End and Ratchet Box on Other End
Okay, things are getting easier here, especially if working in tight spaces where the movement of a wrench is limited. You may still have to or not use a box end wrench to crack the (bolt-nut) loose first then ratchet it out with the tool of choice to complete the job with ease.
Name Brand of Quality Hand Wrenches
My Choice of 4 Brands of Quality Wrenches
- Snap-on Wrenches
- Mac Wrenches
- Craftsman Wrenches
- Mastercraft Wrenches
Snap-on Wrenches
Why Snap-on wrenches as the first pick well that is my feel-good in my hand light grip firm grip hand tool. No snap-on was not my first choice of tool I had to work with others first to find my connection to the tools and how the feel of the tool resonated with me working through the job at hand.
Snap-on of course is a great product, but it does come with a price tag that can certainly deter one from buying at the moment. These are professional mechanics tools that were bought from a snap-on distributor tool truck, yes on wheels that come to you when called upon.
The feel of the wrench is smooth and rounded edges with a nice balance in your hand encased in a super chrome finish that will always make you want to clean them up after the repair has been completed. Oh did I mention a great warranty on snap-on tools too?
Mac Tools – Wrenches
This personally only here is my second choice of a preferred quality hand tool wrench. Why? because again the balance and the in-your-hand feel of the wrench with a slightly formed edge when firmly gripping the wrench for a tough pull.
Again a great super chrome finish with a luster that’s lifelong rounding off with a great warranty for a great product. Keep in mind the Mac tool is another expensive professional mechanics tool that comes to you in a well-stocked distributor tool truck.
Craftsman Wrenches
I can remember way back when I was just getting acquainted with wrenches and of course interested in the automobile and its working parts that needed to be fixed if one owned a car or a truck.
When one is young and you have bought your first car there is not much money left over after the gas tank is filled. So yes craftsman was my first set of tools which thinking back were purchased at Sears Canada oh! so many years ago.
Anyways a good hand wrench for those rough jobs with an okay polished finish with more of a course hand grip and bulkier style wrench, with a more reasonable price tag for just starting out in one’s journey of taking things apart and fixing to working condition again.
These wrenches had a reasonable warranty program on breakage under normal usage, whatever normal is. Also, they were cheap enough to buy upon somehow losing one?
MasterCraft Wrenches
This wrench became my downfall as later on in years for my coffee break from work I would go and cruise the automotive tools isles in this store. I do realize I was spending too many of my coffee breaks here, oh no, oh yes.
The 50% off deals were always my weakness in buying more hand tools and of course, air-operated power tools.
This is another Canadian-based store (Canadian Tire). Putting my thoughts to way back when I know if that colorful flyer with all those awesome deals wasn’t showing up in my mailbox I probably would have driven by this wonderful deal tempting outlet store.
Hey, Guys and Girls if you are kinda like me sometimes I couldn’t remember if I bought certain items at a great price because I would put the products in a storage place where I couldn’t see them.
What’s that old saying that is probably still pretty much alive, (out of sight – out of mind)?
Well, there’s one dear person to me (My Wife) that has a great memory and can tell me right quick that I had already bought that very tool at the same deal price eight months ago and I haven’t even taken it out of the box yet.
Tips for Choosing Good Hand Wrenches
- Number 1. How does the wrench feel in your hand a good balance?
- Number 2. How does the wrench look in your hand (Bonding)?
- Number 3. Does it scream out to you lets get wrenching
- Number 4. Can your bank account afford these wrenches or should you wait?
- Number 4. Keep money in the reserve to protect your investment with insurance coverage
Conclusion:
Okay, Girls and Guys if you like fixing cars and trucks and everything in between and you feel a sense of pride when you have completed the fix and it works great.
Then why not make a career of it, there are a lot of trade schools and colleges with great instructors just waiting to train you in all aspects of the Mechanical Trade.
It is the Mechanics of whether (cars, light trucks, heavy-duty trucks, buses, freight liners, ferries, cruise ships, or aircraft) and this is to name only a few areas mechanical knowledge is required to keep people moving forward.
So they can get to their line of work which they were trained in so as to put food on the table for their families.
If you would like to leave me a comment or a question about being a (mechanic/technician) I would love to respond to your thoughts.
Also if you have time head on over here to catch a glimpse at some more hand tools
Just below my little blue helper mechanic
Doug
