Is there a reason why the tests are done measuring PSI instead of ft-lbs?? 1400 psi means what exactly in foot pounds? It can vary depending on the setup. Also the widely adopted torque rating for an M10 bolt (16mm Head Size) is around 82 Nm or like 60 ft-lbs. Which should be fairly easy to achieve for any mechanic. My point/advice is buy what fits in your budget, because if you follow proper techniques, you don't have to worry about a wrench slipping, unless you are using a cheater bar like the above video shows (in every wrench failure.) But what about stuck bolts? Just use heat, works better than any penetrating oil normally. And if it doesn't, there is a tool for that....
...like those "universal" socket wrench sockets?... Remember those things? I think they still sell them. Saw a TV commercial the other day for one that was being discontinued (so "buy now before they're gone forever"). The ones we had actually worked for really weird shaped things like wing-nuts and stuff like that, but it didn't work at all for most bolts. Only really worked for 3 exact sized of bolts if you got the wrench perfectly centered, but everything in between would strip the bolt and/or damage the socket itself.
Great info. I was gifted a Metrinch set (sockets and wrenches) when they came out (and had graduated and on my own about the same time) in the 90's. They were my go to set to keep in the truck for road trips and most repairs. Misplaced the set during a move in 2000 so tracked down another set on the only on-line shopping source at the time; E-Bay for about $100. A couple years later the first set resurfaced. Fast forward 20+ years and it's always been a go-to set when I'm working on a vehicle. i.e. rear axle swaps, complete front end rebuilds, etc. I've probably broken a couple 1/2" breaker bars and broken/replaced/upgraded the kit's ratchet a half dozen times. The wrenches and sockets have been bullet proof. While my tool collection has grow and improved greatly this box always comes out and is opened for use. I will say thank goodness for cordless electric and ratcheting wrenches these days.
As a guy who owns a lot of Snap On stuff but has recently been in search of sanely priced quality tools (Wright, Sunex, ICON, Quinn,Knipex etc) I just love seeing the ICON do so well. The koolaid some Snap On purists have been sippin on is simply pathetic. Yes, Snap On is no doubt a premier tool manufacturer. That said there are others who are just as good for a lot less money. But you have to pull your head out and discover there are others options. Thanks for the great videos
Snap On was popular with gearheads at my university, but probably mostly due to exclusivity. They're good to great tools. They're also expensive and hard to purchase unless you work at a factory where the Snap On truck routinely stops (the Boeing plant had Snap On trucks making weekly scheduled visits). The convenience factor of a good-to-great tool available essentially on your doorstep meant that, while eating on your lunch break, you could pick up a replacement or new tool to make your job significantly easier. Hence, the cost is much less of an issue even for skilled/unskilled laborers and salaries that matched. Perhaps that also added to status and mystique to poor college students. The farmers and contractors I worked with were usually a better judge of cost/performance. They swore by USA made Craftsman wrenches (really any hand tools that didnt have moving parts). Ryobi battery power tools (because the batteries were so cheap). If you were to poll the most talented Mechanical Engineering colleagues I graduated with, they're probably about 5% USA made everything (even if it sucks), 60% Harbor Freight, and 35% everything else. The Harbor Freight colleagues are not purists; cost and convenience is their primary driver but Harbor Freight holds a special spot because they're probably a 60/40 split on being a complete hit or a complete miss, and virtually all of it is priced in the "complete miss" territory. So especially for people doing a lot of diverse jobs requiring specialty tools, they're a great option that doesn't require much research. Said friends tend to spend disproportionate amounts of money on garage space, houses, vehicle lifts, etc.
My father owned a garage for over 60 years. When I started working there I sampled a lot of tools and SnapOn were clearly superior in almost every way except for price. Having the sales truck come by once a week and take care of you on credit didn't hurt either. Things have changed in the tool industry and now there are other good options. At some point I realized my SnapOn tools were too valuable to carry around in my car so I bought a cheap set of Craftsman for that. I've used them for a lot of work and they worked perfectly OK even though they weren't as pleasurable to use. I was always of the opinion that you could study each tool type and there were different price levels that would be acceptable for that particular tool. That still works but there are more options now. Applying that reasoning there are still a few tools that I prefer buying from SnapOn but there are more and more that I find acceptable from lower price manufacturers.
I wonder why Americans have this problem. How to chose your tools if i lived there i just would buy from the closest store so i cuold get the warranty right away if something went wrong. Id buy from auto zone or home depot. In latin america we use cheap tool and even if we wanted the best there is no way to claim the warranty
@@adrianchavez819 Well you clearly don’t understand that many Americans happen to be auto technicians and rely on their tools to make a living. This is why Snap On dealers exist. They come directly to your place of work for warranty and tool sales so you don’t have to waste your valuable time traveling to a brick and mortar store for that. Also, you can’t rely on some cheap autozone/Home Depot soft China tool when you are working in a shop 5-6 days a week. They don’t last like American or Japanese made steel(‘meaning they wear and lose tolerance, thus stripping fasteners). So it’s not just about warranty. Snap On and other tool truck brands also make tools you can’t get from the cheapo places. America is vastly different from your country in every way possible. Now the less expensive economy stuff does have its place for DIY. That can’t be argued. The Taiwanese are stepping up their game and it’s good to see. However, tool trucks offer a service that’s hard to overcome.
I've had my Metrinches for 35 years now. I got mine on blow-out from Sears when they became "Brand Central". I had already owned a small set Metrinch box wrenches previously and loved them, so when I found this set at Sears buried in a tub full of tools for $36. for the 64 pc 1/4" and 3/8" kit, I jumped on it. I replace their ratchet wrench with a top-of-the-line Craftsman w/sexy handle, added a couple of 3/8" wobble extensions to the kit and it's never let me down since.
I've been heavy with the Metrinch tools for over thirty years too. I find there's really only two places to get them--through a company in Germany or through a company in Australia. I've been buying more via the guys in Australia. I'm not really worried about warranty as I've never broken one of their tools in the time that I've owned them, but I agree with you that there is a good case to be made for buying a top-notch ratchet.
Done so many alignments with that Milwaukee set of wrenches, lot's of seized jam nuts and inner tie rods that would not have broken loose without that anti-slip design and a little heat sometimes for good measure. 😉
At a factory i worked in some years ago, we used to buy large size (2" and up) wrenches from Harbor Freight, the reason being is that those wear the ones to be abused, on one occasion we were trying to release a 50 ton punch press that got jammed due to the set up man not adjusting the clearance incrementally he just guessed and the dies hit and locked the press down in the TDC, we put one of the wrenches on the adjusting screw added a pipe for leverage and pushed on all that with a forklift while cycling the press, it came unlocked and amazingly the wrench survived that force. Sometimes those "cheaper" brand wrenches can take a beating
That's the best part of having a cheap set of tools around, you can literally beat the crap out of them and not feel bad at all. Gotta beat on it with a 20 lb. sledge? Who Cares! Cut it in half to fit into a tight spot, hell yeah!
Shade tree/TH-cam DIY mechanic here. I have a mix of Icon and Quinn. The affordability of the tools and the quality of tools make it so I can buy tools to fix and work on my car myself. It's also nice to see that they aren't half bad either...
I agree. The DIY mechanic will probably never need the SnapOn, Wright or other premium tools. One exception is an adjustable wrench. I bought Proto adjustable because they never failed me at work. They never fall out of adjustment and didn't ruin a fastener.
They are definitely an OEM that advertises a design like that on their website, however if it's an unprotected design or licensed design that Milwaukee or Icon for instance asked their wrench factory to use, you wouldn't see that factory advertising it on their website.
@@TorqueTestChannel I’ve looked through nearly every major Taiwanese tool manufacturer’s website, Infar is the only I can recall showing this open end design. Also, their “stock” wrenches also use the same font as the ICON/Carlyle wrenches.
Loved your long term use test on the Icon set you did from couple years ago. Though, disappointed that the no slip ridges/teeth were wearing down. Your recent short of the Icon ratcheting socket wrench being overpriced (comparing to that whole case wrench set) was eye opening. Ty
@MrSubaru1387 You're spot on about them being for DIYers or weekend mechanics like myself. I like seeing all these tests of different types of wrenches and sockets. I was genuinely surprised to see how much grip these Icons had. I know a couple old heads who have Metrinch case sets they bought over 20 years ago and still use em today. It's interesting how well they worked. The ones that bother me the most are the "Universal Spline". Those truly suck and are just a gimmick.
Thanks for this, this is great. Between TTC and Project Farm, it's great to see the agreement in much of the testing. Future test suggestions, I'd like to see the regular "slip" Icon's and Carlyle's tested to see how they do vs. the non-slip designs.👍
Agreed. It also further demonstrates how good Todd over ar PF is at coming up with real-world test rigs - even without as much technical measuring equipment, he knows how to put things through their paces. Really great to see the commonalities in the results!
@Ben C since when is being a mechanic a prerequisite for conducting product tests on things like chainsaw blades and leaf blowers? His methods are a little goofy sometimes but he has integrity, which I personally appreciate. Not sure who pissed in your cheerios but you've got a pretty narrow world view, man. Lighten up - a person doesn't need to be an "expert" to gather data and voice their opinion on something.
@@AllThingsMech kinda interesting at how often project farm and the torque test channel get mentioned on legit mechanics sites. Like Facebook, TH-cam etc. That's a lot for an Amazon employee
I’ve had my Metrench wrenches for over 25 years. Hands down the best set I’ve ever owned. The only part that broke was the ratchet. The hand wrenches have never failed me. Worth every cent!
The worse part of URREA brand is at one time they were known as PROTO Tools Mexico before locals buying out PROTO and back then PROTO knew how to make world class tools before Stanley bought the brand
I own some Urrea tools, they are pretty decent (quality on par with Gearwrench). I also own alot of Proto, they still make excellent tools, most of which are US made
Wright wrenches still on top! I've always been surprised that you don't see more people repping them . They've always had snap on quality or better for half the price and made in the USA
glad the icon went well. these are the only wrenches I use at work. also have their larger set 20-24. I will be buying their mountain wrenches due to ease of warranty and them all being the exact same. coworkers have waited weeks for their mountain and matco branded mountain wrenches to come back. I'd prefer to walk in the store with no questions asked. i love the Icon line even though all I do is get bullied at work for it lol
I know right, you over here being a savvy shopper buying good tools then you hear people like MrSubaru come out and call your tools "A wannabe tool brand" and "if you wanted to go cheap then why not go all the way and get the OEM off amazon" like ouch... thats not fair, mad cause their snap on has to defend its throne.
@@dirtyvinyl8817 yea it's just how it is. I almost want to buy the icon tool box just to piss them off lol. Though I will most likely be purchasing a used snap on box
@@extrasteez5727 Might want to consider the US General boxes if Harbor Freight offers those in the size you want. They're not as featured as the Icons, but the cost savings is pretty damn solid.
@@dirtyvinyl8817 I have had 2 cheap wrenches beat my snap ons. Husky and ICONS. When the snap on slips i just use a husky or ICON. Granted they are the older normal style snap ons no flank drive crap.
This is interesting, because I noticed in your 6 point vs. 12 point vs. spline test, that Gearwrench's open end held a lot of torque. I use gearwrench quite often and have noticed they are occasionally difficult to get on and off of bolt heads.
@@TorqueTestChannel a list of the best Taiwan tool manufacturers would be EXTREMELY helpful. Would be nice to support quality toolmakers from a country with an uncertain future. Also a list of Taiwan companies to avoid would be good, although possibly outside your scope. Thanks again for the honest work. Guys like you and Project Farm do a great job of verifying tool quality.
Wright wrenches have been good performers for me, and other testing websites have also ranked them near the top. While being much more affordable than Snap-on. And back when I bought them years ago, much easier to order Wright online than it was to find a snap-on truck. I see the Matco are on the thin side and good performing, I'll need to remember that.
I expect that most people who buy the "top" wrench don't care if it gouges the nut or bolt, since it needs to come off & would likely be replaced with a new one anyhow. Great tests as always !
yeah because that wrench would likely be coming out because the fastener is already severely damaged or corroded and does not have access to a closed end or socket.
If a nut or bolt ever gets to that point it was time to replace it, probably clean the threads of whatever part it went too. Most cases if I push a fastener that hard, something is going to snap first.
These test don't really play into real world applications, no one is putting 200 psi on a 16mm bolt using a open ended wrench. I've never seen torque specs that high for 16mm, so while this test shows what doesn't slip, its not really realistic. Opened ended wrenches are used when you can't get at a bolt with a socket, or the box end of a wrench ( like around a tube, etc) If you use the tool as it was meant to be used, 247ft-lbs for a 16mm is for a grade 10.9 bolt, no car or automotive application is going to have this in a place you need an openended wrench to access.
You underestimate the troubles some mechanics find themselves subjected to at the end of a shift, finding a nasty surprise that makes a 10 minute job into a 3 hour affair. Especially with corrosion welding things together.
I was a heavy equipment mechanic and I loved Icon. Watch PF video comparisons too. Does just as well as Snap-on for 1/3 of the price and I don't have to wait for a truck to get something fixed/replaced. I don't get people who would rather spend $1000s on essentially the same stuff just because it says "Snap-on"
I have both Wright and Carlyle. Prefer the Wright, but it’s really convenient to just have to go to the local Napa. In rural America Napa’s are about the closest place for stuff. Had to warranty a Carlyle ratchet. They did it no questions asked like the Craftsman used to be.
I was sold the Carlyle as being the tools that are going to be the closest to the trucks and that was before. I have a small collection of them, but they were always so expensive compared to Craftsman, and to be honest, I expected tools from AutoZone, ORielly, and NAPA to be kind of meh. It seemed like you'd be better off getting the same quality from Northern Tool. Now it seems like ICON is around it will probably be the prosumer choice of people that buy in brick and mortar. The nice thing about Carlyle is that they have tools by unit instead of requiring returning a complete set.
As far as damaging bolts, I wonder if yall should start testing what damage it does to a Grade 2/3 bolt when torquing to spec and not going to failure.
Why there no grade 2/3 bolt on a car so pretty useless test And for such cheap bolt no need for extreme torque the gonna snap way before it reach the damaging point
@@legros731 Same reason they use coupling nuts to test everything, the softer bolts *should* test the designs of the different style wrenches and be less forgiving than a grade 8 or a 12.9 would. You can damn near tighten a grade 8 with vise grips without damaging the bolt head, but not so much with a soft bolt. And I'm not discussing going to a failure amount of torque, but whatever amount of torque that particular size/thread bolt calls for. If a wrench design can tighten a bolt to its specified torque without leaving damage, I call it win.
@@legros731 It's a way to exaggerate differences that might be hard to otherwise cause on purpose. It's kind of like when people compare graphics hardware on benchmarks running at 800x600 resolution, even though you know those guys are running games in 4k these days. I'd like to see it, because exaggerating differences is a sort of redneck T-test, in that you can account for chaos in test results without having to to hundreds of trials, because bigger destruction is easier to measure. However, a test on grade 5 and 8 bolts makes sense as well for the obvious real-world results, at least in an automotive context. We do also have to remember that fasteners exist on many more things than just cars.
@@legros731 There are other things out there besides cars man. You do know where your food comes from right? FARMS! lots of farm equipment use grade 2 bolts. You may laugh at that but honestly when grade 2 is used in the right place they become much easier to deal with. Basically you just snap it off and your done. No worry being there is a nut and bolt combo everything falls right apart making life easy.
I have had the Carlyle wrenches shown in this video for about 7-8 years now. Although the biting issues do come up once in a while, they have done really well for me. Especially the 21mm and 15/16” wrenches. Plus they are generally pretty easy to get warranty swapped
I was taking my trusty, rusty grill apart, and needed a 9/16" wrench. Since the nut on the bolt was right up against something, a ring wrench wouldn't fit. I tried about 10 different open wrenches - all kinds of brands usa and foreign - everything slipped, even a snap on. Rust, heat and moisture had it seized up good. I remembered that Wright had sent me a catalog and a free wrench. 9/16" WrightGrip! Worked like a charm. I'll definitely remember that.... Wish I had the whole set!
This the best before you buy video but for wrenches. I have not seen any videos like this before on TH-cam. I bought Huskey due to the fact it was easier on my wallet while building my set. You have given me options when I up size my toolbox at work.
Well. As the proud owner of a nice Milwaukee "no slip" design wrench set, I was appropriately nervous about watching this...but very glad I did. Not sure how they stack up against the true "trade" options, but for my home workshop and budget, absolutely on the money. Thanks for this, I'ma go tell my mates how my tool is way better than theirs! 😄😄
I love wrenches lol. I have an Icon anti slip ratcheting set, Snapon FD+, Wright grip 2.0, and Milwaukee sets. As someone else said, the ratcheting ones are longer and have a different tooth design. I’d say less aggressive. Would be curious to see them next. Love the Milwaukee set- I have carpal tunnel and the I beam design is very comfortable. If I had to do it over I’d go with the Milwaukee set- they’re what I reach for first. Would also like to see Capri Tools wave design wrench in here. I have the stubby set and they’ve taken off what my Milwaukee couldn’t. I would highly recommend them. I don’t believe anyone else uses the anti slip/extractor style design on a stubby wrench set.
Wow. What a great video. Defining the problem of contact points. Revealing the similarity of design between Icon, Milwaukee, and Carlyle. The metrics. And great graphics. Definitely won my subscription.
the thinness of HF wrenches is unbelievable helpful in rare scenarios. I have had to put away the craftsman set and go for the HF set because they would fit in the given space.
@@joeyf504327 idk man idk why buy cheap wrenches because they will fit when you can modify a nice one to fit? I work in a machine shop so odds are if i gotta cut one up for something its going to get used again and again, if your working in an auto shop i would think it would be the same, i wouldn't want to ruin one wrench out of a complete set for one job but I have no issues cutting down like my 3/4 proto so it's now weaker because i had to make the head smaller to fit somewhere but i just ordered another single one so my set is complete and I have the specialty one i need for the next time thats my logic. I buy USA made whenever i can too but thats more to support local manufacturing and they feel good then i need them.
This was a great, very informative video. I commonly run across large diameter very soft tubing/hose-ends that were installed by the manufacturer as a 1-time, 500,000 mile-minimum life span fasters that must removed, reused in some cases, but only if they remain in like new condition after disassembly. The quality of the wrenches used disassembly make all the difference on a 15spd transmission cooler line, or a main-air-pressure line/pipe from the compressor to the dryer. Being able to disassemble and reassemble components with precision is paramount.
I’ve had a small tool set of Metrinch since mid 90’s. I’m not fond of the open end wrench, but the box end is money. I absolutely love my Metrinch set. It’s been my go to since new. I work mostly on metric stuff.
I couldn't have said it better. Got my set back when it was still on TV and still use the same tools to this day. They've been through 8 cars and 2 motorcycles worth of maintaining, repairing, rebuilding, and even building, and nothing has given out yet. Aside from the obvious (lots and lots and lots of 12&13mm on old Beetles), I'm not even sure when I'm working on metric or imperial anymore. Just eyeball it, grab what fits, and work.
@@ImnotgoingSideways I think you can and did say it better. Much better. :) Only thing that I have broke is the ratchet selector lever…I used a giant pipe slide of the handle for a breaker and I broke the lever’s leg. I never replaced it because it still works just fine. I do have to replace my 14mm wrench, I think I left it in a vehicle I sold. I’ll have them til I die for sure.
@@Todd66 I have to agree with you guys that Metrinch socket sets are awesome. I've basically had a set that I bought at Sears my first year in college in 1994 and still have a good amount of the set still. However I've used them for everything over the years including as my work socket set in the trades and over the years I've lost a few sockets and wrenches du to my carelessness in my younger working years. I treat what I've got left kinda like gold lol. Actually thinking about spending the money on a new set but when I search haw to get some the sites available to buy them seem a bit sketchy. Oh and the only thing that ever broke in my set was the ratchet selector tab as well. And even though the ratchet still works. Just Love my Metrinch set and wonder why they are not still popular today.
I am reading these good reviews all the time when i started to look up metrinch. I just bought a set on craigslist. Can't wait till i get it in the mail.
Have had a Metrinch set since the 90’s and they’ve always worked great. Was pretty spendy back then ($300ish) but I’ve gotten my money out of it and then some. Would recommend
Same, I bought a set in Sears some time back then and they've held up really well. The 6-point box end cam lobe style works great unless your in a really tight spot, in which case a 12 point works better. Only part I broke was the ratchet which they replaced for the $10 shipping/handling.
Same! I bought mine in the 90s and they’ve been my go to wrenches ever since. They’re great on the road when you don’t want to carry separate metric and standard sets.
Great video! I've had the Milwaukee Maxbites for a few years, and quite like them, but I only use an open-end wrench when I absolutely must. The Milwaukee's often grab onto the fastener so well that it takes some effort to remove them. I got my Milwaukee's before Icon came out with their version - had they both been available, I still would've bought the Milwaukee's because the metric Milwaukee kit is 8mm to 22mm, while the Icon is 6mm to 19mm. But the Icon's are longer - I think either the Milwaukee, Icon, or Carlyle are all good sets, and am glad to see they all performed well in your tests. Thanks for the video!
the reason why i love my milwaukee wrenches even though there's two other very very similar wrenches out there, is because the rounded edges of the wrench body it self, both icon and Carlyle have almost square edges on the wrench body, the Milwaukee isnt and i personally think the chrome is better on the milwaukee, the icon and carlyle seem noticeable duller and the Milwaukee has what i call a "gun metal chrome"
Ended up picking up the Milwaukee set since it is very complete and relatively affordable. Definitely happy with the purchase after using them for several months now.
I've got the exact set your icon wrench comes from and the ratcheting box end set as well, had them both about a year now. I'm just starting my journey as a mechanic and didn't wanna go too crazy on tools to start with but didn't want to cheap out completely either, I thought the set would be a good fit for that. Honestly been pretty happy with them so far, I figured I'd eventually replace them with snap on or something else better but I think I'm just gonna run them until they start breaking. Pretty impressed with how they performed here.
Don't bother with Snapon, overpriced for the same if not only marginally better performance. Both Snapon and Icon have lifetime warranties with Icon being a third the price most the time, and with more locations to get replacement tools at rather than trying to flag down/contact a Snapon dealer truck. That Snapon name tax is pointless.
Well i have the snap ons the older non flank drive and the ICONS will keep going after the snap on slips. I am also using the old normal open end ICONS as well. Non of that fancy non slip crap for me. So to me the icons are worth more then the old snap ons. Next best part is the icons boxed ends have no taper to them so even the box end out holds snap ons. Like my a lot! I have no need to buy anymore snap on wrenches. Not sure why you would either.
I gotta say, I have a Metrinch set and have had awesome luck with it. Have used them to remove some of the nastiest rusted bolts out of cars for years. Haven’t failed me yet.
Metrinch set owner here, bought mine somewhere in the early 90s. They haven't failed me and saved me many times working on other people's messes of cammed out damaged nuts. My only complaint is the blow molded case
@@OneMechanic not saying snap on was the winner just that they invented the flank drive and all the other are copy of the original design the snap on is less aggressive and don't mar as much the fastener while working as good or better than the other
Just want to give some credit to the very well done test and time spent on the entertaining narration. A lot of tongue in cheek references that I do appreciate.
Dear Torque Test Channel, Love the videos - very informative, educational and equally entertaining. I was wondering if it was possible to do a video comparing cordless tyre inflators? The Milwaukee does a nice m12 and m18 model, but does it top the leaderboard against other big competitors out there; would love to see the results! As always, keep producing the great quality videos!
I think it's cool you give props to project farm. He's such a great guy that's super honest and painstakingly does an amazing job coming up with different ways to test everything under the sun. I'm sure you know all that which is why you took the time to mention him. I'm going to tell him that. Cheers.
Maybe it's just because I like cheap tools, but I'd love to see some of the different tiers of Pittsburgh tools in tests like these. They have a lot of sets for less than $20 including standard Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh pro, and even a universal set that works sort of like the metrinch wrenches. I'd be interested to see if there's really much of a difference between all of their cheap sets or if they're all basically the same
I don’t put nearly as much trust in HF quality control as you do clearly, I see wrenches like that and think about buying them is similar to paying to lose my front teeth.
@@alexmills1329 To be fair, HF has some decent stuff, especially depending on usage. I don’t like their wrenches, and this video helps back up why, but HF is an affordable brand for a lot of people that don’t need pro quality.
i love the cheap tools as well. i see alot of 10mm or 13mm bolts and use either the standard pittsburgh wrenches or the more expensive ratcheting ones. most times i see the tolerances on the ratcheting ones are worse, that is the open end of the wrench (not the ratcheting end) seems like there is much more play and the open end rounds over easier.
I’d like to see Cornwell on there if y’all get the opportunity. They’re what live in my wrench drawer, they’ve always treated me well I think, but I’d be curious to see how they measure up.
My dad used only one specific brand of tools in his career as a top certified auto mechanic. I now am one of the few groups of people in this nation that makes these hand crafted tools. The intense manufacturing operations that go into their products are amazing. Daddy would have been proud of his little girl making his favorite tools.🔧
If I am not mistaken, the purpose of the v-groove is to allow the nut to sit deeper in in wrench. This reduces the load toward the tip of the open end. The v groove is not meant to support an additional side of the nut. Would love to hear what you guys think.
I've been watching a lot of tool test channels lately and Icon really seems to be a fantastic tool brand often out performing most high end name brands. I'm impressed
I know the Pittsburgh is thin, and I bought it just for that. I've ended up using the sets I bought so many time, simply because they can slide between tight spaces.
Working in the equipment industry and dealing with hydraulic hoses the icon/carlyle/Milwaukee design although obviously wouldn’t cut it in automotive does have a definite advantage on stubborn hydraulic hose assemblies. It’s not that damaging a hose is a good thing but your almost always using the open end of the wrench that and your often replacing the hose anyway so the optimal grip definitely does have its place.
Glad to see the Icon's placed well. I noticed on the ratcheting and standard wrenches that there's two different jaw designs. Not sure if you'd be interested in testing the ratcheting ones. They're also very long compared to regular wrenches. They've served me well as a diesel tech so far.
The icons are on sale for $69 now. I also have the craftsman overdrive set. Very impressed with both. But craftsman has the extra teeth in everthing open end. 6 point boxed end. And all of the sockets.
should also have tested the german 'wera' wrenches, i have a couple of them, they are weird looking with hardened steel inserts in the open end wrench end. superb grip on the bolt heads!
I really appreciate that you have the price included in the like spead sheet. Cause for me an amateur hobbiest/handyman/dude that wants to do things and not waste money on garbage tools, i can look at the results at the end and see the relation between price and quality(which in this case is pretty direct)...cause sometimes im ok with buying cheap tools. And just knowing that spending mid money will get me a mid tool is awesome
Id like to see this test on a 13-14mm size. Seeing that inner tie rods that have seized jam nuts on them is where i feel like I see high torque on the open end of a wrench the most, as an automotive tech. 👨🏼🔧 🔧
My solution to the lock nut seized to the tie rod bad enough that the wrench on the tie rod rounds has always been to lock Vice grips around the rod so they’ll hit up against the sway bar or lower control arm of whatever then feed the lock nut lots of PB blaster and heat till I can get it moving, then work it back and forth till it starts turning…and if you want the next guy to thank you, grease the hell out of the threads when you replace a tie rod end…your mileage may vary, I’m down south now (started up north) so the rust isn’t so bad.
@@mmix224 no problem! You don’t have to get them that hot, usually MAP gas does the trick, don’t gotta break out the acetylene. It’s really funny at my shop, I’m the least experienced tech in terms of time, but the most experienced in terms of dealing with seized rusty crap…a funny one happened a couple weeks ago, completely unrelated to the tie rods…had a F250 with broken lug nuts in the rear(the nut part had broke off and it was just the cone holding the wheel on) so we pulled the axle, undid the hub where it mounted to the axle, took the whole wheel and brake off, then we’re staring at this big ole deep dish caliper with the back of the lug studs at the bottom, too deep to get a grinder or anything in, and so hard that a drill bit wouldn’t touch it…so I’m like ‘I’m gonna go home and grab my acetylene rig.’ (We don’t have shop acetylene, which is stupid) And the other techs are like ‘no, that’s like a 400$ hub, you’ll mess it up.’ So…we started trying to burn these studs out with a carbide burr…which was stupid slow, did that for like 3 hours, didn’t even get the first one…and I’m like ‘screw this, I’m getting my torch’ got it, they’re both geeking out cause they think I’m gonna screw up the hub, I just blew like 1/2 inch through the center of each stud and got the edges hot enough to take the temper out, knocked the edges off with an air hammer chisel, and pushed beat the studs out with a punch, didn’t touch the hub…other techs are like ‘holy shit you’re pretty good with that thing’ and I’m like ‘thanks’…but in the back of my head I’m thinking ‘I know mechanics up north who would’ve skipped this whole taking off the wheel ordeal, torched the lug nuts out from the front, not touched the wheel, not touched the stud, and been done with all this shit in 30 minutes.’ 😂
Don't forget ball joints where you need a wrench to get off as well. I've found V groove wrenches and adjustable wrenches are the best for this and also work better where you need line a wrenche too.
Great Wrench Testing, Really Comprehensive Results that would be hard to dispute. Thanks for the unbiased results, as always. Your one of my go to channels before I make a purchase, how did it do on TTC. 👍🏻👍🏻
FWIW and FYI, I took my calipers to Harbor Freight to see if there was much difference between sets. What I found was the satin "rough finish" (that seemed to be the only differentiation.) wrenches were MUCH closer to spec. No idea why, but the Mitutoyo doesn't lie!!
I miss working at HF. I loved being able to confidentially tell skeptical customers our products were comparable and oftentimes better value for money than their DeWalt, Husky and especially Snap-On.
For giggles you should find one of those 90s Craftsman wrenches where the open end would slip in one direction like a ratchet. FYI my dad bought some and they were terrible. I think they were called "Craftsman ratcheting open end wrench".
Another great video. Would love to see some Halfords Advanced tools being tested from the UK since you mention you're testing tools from Europe etc. They have a lifetime guarantee and also have 'Surface Drive Plus' which claims to give more torque without slipping. Would be interested to see how they stack up against the competition!
I got two sets about 30 years ago that included sockets and still use them all the time. I doubt very much that anything this guy tested can beat Metrinch in the real world.
I'll never give up my Flank drive plus. And I have a ton of them. But if I had to do it over again I would probably just stick with wright. I have quite a few or the wright grip as well. Especially in the jumbo sizes being a diesel tech. Me and another mechanic put a wright grip against a snap on while on the truck. The snap on dealer was impressed. Made in U.S.A is all it's cracked up to be...Most of the time.
The Metrinch does look good as far as providing torque without destroying the fastener prematurely, and potentially working as SAE and Metric (worth a test?). Doubt I would ever drop the coin on it. Maybe someone will copy the design some day at a lower price with better customer support.
I've had great luck with my Carlyle wrenches and sockets, my local Napa has gave me great deals on them and have always gotten me what I needed when I needed it.
My quibble with this and many tests like this on other channels is that you're evaluating based on pushing the tools to a failure load. Very few people use an open end wrench at loads that are the result of adding a breaker bar and then pulling on it with two hands. I'm still using wrenches and sockets I bought at K-Mart 50 years ago. I've even had breaker bars on them occasionally. I'm not against doing these tests to failure but the reviews would be more useful at sussing out the best bang for the buck if there was also a rating for when they are used at high-normal loads. Not everyone buys tools to rebuild locomotives.
I didn't know there was an Icon version available now. That's great. Craftsman made some that were originally a USA-made set for Christmas. Several months later Craftsman made them a standard set, but made in China. The company that designed them, also made the first USA sets and sued, claiming Craftsman stole their design and took them to be Chinese-made. Shortly before Craftsman quit selling them, they started selling individual wrenches. The metric set went to 18mm and the inch set went to 3/4". I bought the metric set and almost bought the inch set, just to get the 3/4" wrench to use for 19mm, but then the single 3/4" wrench became available and I bought it to go with my metric set. I never did buy the inch set, as I already had too many inch wrenches. The Craftsman version is thinner than usual, for easier access. Craftsman described them as being long reach or extended reach, but they are exactly the same length as the standard length Craftsman Professional wrenches, which ended up getting their own Chinese-made copy line too. The non-slip Craftsman wrenches really do grip better and are thinner, so they can come in handy.
Hey man, can you test the Park Tool MW16, included in the MW-Set.2. Made in the USA this is always sold as The Best shop tool for Bike Mechanics. it comes with great Life Time warrenty! But with my Adjustable Wrenches i kinda had the problem the metal jaws are too soft. This brand and marketing is huge in the Cycle world. Please add this brand 2 tests:).
My best friend from high school gave me a Metrinch set for a graduation present back in 1999. I've been using them since, and I actually really like them. I use them for pretty much everything. They're my go-to toolkit for going and doing.
If anybody is looking at this now, the icon 14 piece set is currently is on sale, and during periods goes on sale for 99$. Which is only 7.07$ a wrench. I picked a set up for work and are comparable to the snapon set that I had for years. Great bang for buck, only down side is you cannot buy individual wrenches from icon/ harbor freight. But, still a great deal.
Neat to see MetrInch on here. I got a set of sockets/wrenches from an auction in like-new condition. I figured it was just going to be a joke tool. Turns out I use that set MORE OFTEN than others for general home repairs. Not everything is high torque, and the kit can turn most bolts just fine. When I have a job to do, the Metrinch set usually fits, and makes it easy to get most jobs done with just 1 tool set.
I have had metrinch since 1996. Their loose fitting designs tend to shy people away. IMO, the open end of the wrench is just ok. But the close end side of the wrench and their sockets are 2nd to none. I wouldn't trade for anything else.
One thing to note is that the Milwaukee has by far the best feeling handle grip of any wrench I’ve used,. That’s got to be worth something. For example, Mac wrenches are blocky and particularly bad about hurting your hands when putting serious torque into them.
@@CP-mb7ly I own probably $50k in snap-on, $20k in Matco, any maybe $5k in Mac tools, $5k in Milwaukee. Hardy a fanboy. Just a professional mechanic with his opinions
Being a motorcycle technician, the snap on open ended wrenches have proven invaluable for really sticky chain adjusters. Instead of slipping and rounding they bite hard.
Have you thought about testing the consistency of the hardware you test with? I wouldn’t be surprised if there are significant differences in the thread clearance, surface finish and material hardness which could dramatically impact your results. This would allow you to estimate the uncertainty of your process, then you could apply error bands to the specific results which could demonstrate minimum test result differences that indicate a better product. Just a thought from someone who’s daily work revolves around eliminating measurement uncertainty. 😊 EDIT: Eliminating is the wrong word. Identifying, quantifying and calculating measurement uncertainty is more like it.
Multiple tests are often done with the same equipment, and the different results are taken in to consideration before presenting that 1 result. Additionally, when numerous tools are tested and then an earlier tool is re-tested, sometimes weeks or months later, similar results are achieved. For the purposes of what's being done, what you see here is more than reasonably accurate or representative. Test equipment is also checked/tested/calibrated. The tiny differences that what you're talking about would make, are they really going to change the results by anything worth bothering with?
@@superspeeder indeed, but what actually is "significant" with thread clearance etc? and again, would it actually make any difference worth noting? Do you really think those things would have changed these results so much that they're actually in the wrong order on the results chart of each test? As was mentioned at the start, multiple tests were done with each tool.
@@chrisdavidson911 significant is a subjective term, but without testing we simply don’t know. A lot of this information is likely available in published standards for fastener manufacturing, but why bother with the theoretical approach when you can just test it? The answer could be that the contributions are so small they are of no concern, but again, without testing you don’t know. We should never assume for anything we can test.
A socket completely encapsulates a fastner for the best option,wobbles and extensions move your hands into a clear and open zone. 2nd option is a plierswrench for lower torques and open area for swing. 3rd option is a ratchet wrench,followed by a boxed end. Lastly an open end wrench,and for last chance is a metal bender aka adjustable wrench. Finally a hot wrench when no other option available. Used Snap-on's are expensive, proper grade metals in the correct areas as thin as allowable....and will last a lifetime . After nearly 40 years and have never broken a wrench. Its always good to have a decent set (craftsman) to heat and bend for specific tasks.
I love that you give project farm a shout-out and link vs making it a competition. We're all after the best tools. Thank you for the regular testing!
They tend to review completely different types of products
Project outhouse is a joke
@@robertcasey3528 nope
@@robertcasey3528 is a joke
Is there a reason why the tests are done measuring PSI instead of ft-lbs?? 1400 psi means what exactly in foot pounds? It can vary depending on the setup. Also the widely adopted torque rating for an M10 bolt (16mm Head Size) is around 82 Nm or like 60 ft-lbs. Which should be fairly easy to achieve for any mechanic. My point/advice is buy what fits in your budget, because if you follow proper techniques, you don't have to worry about a wrench slipping, unless you are using a cheater bar like the above video shows (in every wrench failure.) But what about stuck bolts? Just use heat, works better than any penetrating oil normally. And if it doesn't, there is a tool for that....
Not gonna lie, when those new wrench designs came out I thought it was just a marketing gimmick. Thanks for doing these comparison tests!
Oh you and me both. Us showing the results sometimes make it look like we know what's going on, but often we go into this knowing as much as you guys
Why would you consider lying in the first place? Just curious. They're just tools!
It’s just a figure of speech, gramps.
...like those "universal" socket wrench sockets?... Remember those things? I think they still sell them. Saw a TV commercial the other day for one that was being discontinued (so "buy now before they're gone forever"). The ones we had actually worked for really weird shaped things like wing-nuts and stuff like that, but it didn't work at all for most bolts. Only really worked for 3 exact sized of bolts if you got the wrench perfectly centered, but everything in between would strip the bolt and/or damage the socket itself.
@@mediocreman2 _Oh you sweet innocent child, the world is built by men wielding tools...._
Great info. I was gifted a Metrinch set (sockets and wrenches) when they came out (and had graduated and on my own about the same time) in the 90's. They were my go to set to keep in the truck for road trips and most repairs. Misplaced the set during a move in 2000 so tracked down another set on the only on-line shopping source at the time; E-Bay for about $100. A couple years later the first set resurfaced. Fast forward 20+ years and it's always been a go-to set when I'm working on a vehicle. i.e. rear axle swaps, complete front end rebuilds, etc. I've probably broken a couple 1/2" breaker bars and broken/replaced/upgraded the kit's ratchet a half dozen times. The wrenches and sockets have been bullet proof. While my tool collection has grow and improved greatly this box always comes out and is opened for use. I will say thank goodness for cordless electric and ratcheting wrenches these days.
As a guy who owns a lot of Snap On stuff but has recently been in search of sanely priced quality tools (Wright, Sunex, ICON, Quinn,Knipex etc) I just love seeing the ICON do so well. The koolaid some Snap On purists have been sippin on is simply pathetic. Yes, Snap On is no doubt a premier tool manufacturer. That said there are others who are just as good for a lot less money. But you have to pull your head out and discover there are others options. Thanks for the great videos
Snap On was popular with gearheads at my university, but probably mostly due to exclusivity. They're good to great tools. They're also expensive and hard to purchase unless you work at a factory where the Snap On truck routinely stops (the Boeing plant had Snap On trucks making weekly scheduled visits). The convenience factor of a good-to-great tool available essentially on your doorstep meant that, while eating on your lunch break, you could pick up a replacement or new tool to make your job significantly easier. Hence, the cost is much less of an issue even for skilled/unskilled laborers and salaries that matched. Perhaps that also added to status and mystique to poor college students.
The farmers and contractors I worked with were usually a better judge of cost/performance. They swore by USA made Craftsman wrenches (really any hand tools that didnt have moving parts). Ryobi battery power tools (because the batteries were so cheap). If you were to poll the most talented Mechanical Engineering colleagues I graduated with, they're probably about 5% USA made everything (even if it sucks), 60% Harbor Freight, and 35% everything else.
The Harbor Freight colleagues are not purists; cost and convenience is their primary driver but Harbor Freight holds a special spot because they're probably a 60/40 split on being a complete hit or a complete miss, and virtually all of it is priced in the "complete miss" territory. So especially for people doing a lot of diverse jobs requiring specialty tools, they're a great option that doesn't require much research. Said friends tend to spend disproportionate amounts of money on garage space, houses, vehicle lifts, etc.
My father owned a garage for over 60 years. When I started working there I sampled a lot of tools and SnapOn were clearly superior in almost every way except for price. Having the sales truck come by once a week and take care of you on credit didn't hurt either. Things have changed in the tool industry and now there are other good options. At some point I realized my SnapOn tools were too valuable to carry around in my car so I bought a cheap set of Craftsman for that. I've used them for a lot of work and they worked perfectly OK even though they weren't as pleasurable to use. I was always of the opinion that you could study each tool type and there were different price levels that would be acceptable for that particular tool. That still works but there are more options now. Applying that reasoning there are still a few tools that I prefer buying from SnapOn but there are more and more that I find acceptable from lower price manufacturers.
I wonder why Americans have this problem. How to chose your tools if i lived there i just would buy from the closest store so i cuold get the warranty right away if something went wrong. Id buy from auto zone or home depot. In latin america we use cheap tool and even if we wanted the best there is no way to claim the warranty
@@adrianchavez819 Well you clearly don’t understand that many Americans happen to be auto technicians and rely on their tools to make a living. This is why Snap On dealers exist. They come directly to your place of work for warranty and tool sales so you don’t have to waste your valuable time traveling to a brick and mortar store for that. Also, you can’t rely on some cheap autozone/Home Depot soft China tool when you are working in a shop 5-6 days a week. They don’t last like American or Japanese made steel(‘meaning they wear and lose tolerance, thus stripping fasteners). So it’s not just about warranty. Snap On and other tool truck brands also make tools you can’t get from the cheapo places. America is vastly different from your country in every way possible.
Now the less expensive economy stuff does have its place for DIY. That can’t be argued. The Taiwanese are stepping up their game and it’s good to see. However, tool trucks offer a service that’s hard to overcome.
@@nordicpride9708 well i am a mechanich myself and just don't understand that part but like you said different countrys economy and many more things
I've had my Metrinches for 35 years now. I got mine on blow-out from Sears when they became "Brand Central". I had already owned a small set Metrinch box wrenches previously and loved them, so when I found this set at Sears buried in a tub full of tools for $36. for the 64 pc 1/4" and 3/8" kit, I jumped on it. I replace their ratchet wrench with a top-of-the-line Craftsman w/sexy handle, added a couple of 3/8" wobble extensions to the kit and it's never let me down since.
I've been heavy with the Metrinch tools for over thirty years too. I find there's really only two places to get them--through a company in Germany or through a company in Australia. I've been buying more via the guys in Australia. I'm not really worried about warranty as I've never broken one of their tools in the time that I've owned them, but I agree with you that there is a good case to be made for buying a top-notch ratchet.
Done so many alignments with that Milwaukee set of wrenches, lot's of seized jam nuts and inner tie rods that would not have broken loose without that anti-slip design and a little heat sometimes for good measure. 😉
The Urrea go/no-go part killed me 🤣💀
Those Icons looking kinda nice.
You could say the URREA performance was piss-poor...
At a factory i worked in some years ago, we used to buy large size (2" and up) wrenches from Harbor Freight, the reason being is that those wear the ones to be abused, on one occasion we were trying to release a 50 ton punch press that got jammed due to the set up man not adjusting the clearance incrementally he just guessed and the dies hit and locked the press down in the TDC, we put one of the wrenches on the adjusting screw added a pipe for leverage and pushed on all that with a forklift while cycling the press, it came unlocked and amazingly the wrench survived that force. Sometimes those "cheaper" brand wrenches can take a beating
Wow. Wtf????😂😂😂😂
That's the best part of having a cheap set of tools around, you can literally beat the crap out of them and not feel bad at all.
Gotta beat on it with a 20 lb. sledge? Who Cares! Cut it in half to fit into a tight spot, hell yeah!
"I mean, it's like they don't ev- Milwaukee! Now if you like specialty jaws..."
i love this channel's dry humor.
Shade tree/TH-cam DIY mechanic here. I have a mix of Icon and Quinn. The affordability of the tools and the quality of tools make it so I can buy tools to fix and work on my car myself. It's also nice to see that they aren't half bad either...
I agree. The DIY mechanic will probably never need the SnapOn, Wright or other premium tools. One exception is an adjustable wrench. I bought Proto adjustable because they never failed me at work. They never fall out of adjustment and didn't ruin a fastener.
Literallly just bought the Icon anti slip wrenches yesterday (while also wishing there was a vid for it here), happy with my choice now
Is it worth the extra 10$ for the anti slip jaw thing?
The ICON, Carlyle, & Milwaukee are coming from Infar Industries, as far as I can tell.
They are definitely an OEM that advertises a design like that on their website, however if it's an unprotected design or licensed design that Milwaukee or Icon for instance asked their wrench factory to use, you wouldn't see that factory advertising it on their website.
@@TorqueTestChannel I’ve looked through nearly every major Taiwanese tool manufacturer’s website, Infar is the only I can recall showing this open end design. Also, their “stock” wrenches also use the same font as the ICON/Carlyle wrenches.
Loved your long term use test on the Icon set you did from couple years ago. Though, disappointed that the no slip ridges/teeth were wearing down. Your recent short of the Icon ratcheting socket wrench being overpriced (comparing to that whole case wrench set) was eye opening. Ty
@@emilja.4205 you’re welcome 👍🏻
@MrSubaru1387 You're spot on about them being for DIYers or weekend mechanics like myself. I like seeing all these tests of different types of wrenches and sockets. I was genuinely surprised to see how much grip these Icons had. I know a couple old heads who have Metrinch case sets they bought over 20 years ago and still use em today. It's interesting how well they worked. The ones that bother me the most are the "Universal Spline". Those truly suck and are just a gimmick.
Thanks for this, this is great. Between TTC and Project Farm, it's great to see the agreement in much of the testing. Future test suggestions, I'd like to see the regular "slip" Icon's and Carlyle's tested to see how they do vs. the non-slip designs.👍
Agreed. It also further demonstrates how good Todd over ar PF is at coming up with real-world test rigs - even without as much technical measuring equipment, he knows how to put things through their paces. Really great to see the commonalities in the results!
@Ben C since when is being a mechanic a prerequisite for conducting product tests on things like chainsaw blades and leaf blowers? His methods are a little goofy sometimes but he has integrity, which I personally appreciate. Not sure who pissed in your cheerios but you've got a pretty narrow world view, man. Lighten up - a person doesn't need to be an "expert" to gather data and voice their opinion on something.
@Ben C I regret to tell you that real people buy those Amazon specials all the time. And even if they do suck, testing them is important.
With project farm, TTC, and holdener, nothing in the automotive industry is safe from testing!
@@AllThingsMech kinda interesting at how often project farm and the torque test channel get mentioned on legit mechanics sites. Like Facebook, TH-cam etc. That's a lot for an Amazon employee
I’ve had my Metrench wrenches for over 25 years. Hands down the best set I’ve ever owned. The only part that broke was the ratchet. The hand wrenches have never failed me. Worth every cent!
The worse part of URREA brand is at one time they were known as PROTO Tools Mexico before locals buying out PROTO and back then PROTO knew how to make world class tools before Stanley bought the brand
~Urrea,
I just met a girl named Urrea, and suddenly that name will never be the same to me...~
Piss acid brand lmao
@@RetiredEE Are you taking the piss??
I own some Urrea tools, they are pretty decent (quality on par with Gearwrench). I also own alot of Proto, they still make excellent tools, most of which are US made
Take your “my buddy told me so now it’s facts” story somewhere else bruh.
Proto still makes good tools.
Wright wrenches still on top! I've always been surprised that you don't see more people repping them . They've always had snap on quality or better for half the price and made in the USA
glad the icon went well. these are the only wrenches I use at work. also have their larger set 20-24. I will be buying their mountain wrenches due to ease of warranty and them all being the exact same. coworkers have waited weeks for their mountain and matco branded mountain wrenches to come back. I'd prefer to walk in the store with no questions asked. i love the Icon line even though all I do is get bullied at work for it lol
I know right, you over here being a savvy shopper buying good tools then you hear people like MrSubaru come out and call your tools "A wannabe tool brand" and "if you wanted to go cheap then why not go all the way and get the OEM off amazon" like ouch... thats not fair, mad cause their snap on has to defend its throne.
@@dirtyvinyl8817 yea it's just how it is. I almost want to buy the icon tool box just to piss them off lol. Though I will most likely be purchasing a used snap on box
@@extrasteez5727 Might want to consider the US General boxes if Harbor Freight offers those in the size you want. They're not as featured as the Icons, but the cost savings is pretty damn solid.
Fools can’t be reasoned with. Icon makes some good stuff.
@@dirtyvinyl8817 I have had 2 cheap wrenches beat my snap ons. Husky and ICONS. When the snap on slips i just use a husky or ICON. Granted they are the older normal style snap ons no flank drive crap.
This is interesting, because I noticed in your 6 point vs. 12 point vs. spline test, that Gearwrench's open end held a lot of torque. I use gearwrench quite often and have noticed they are occasionally difficult to get on and off of bolt heads.
Gearwrench seem to be all over the place, my one recomendation or trend is buy their Taiwan stuff.
@@TorqueTestChannel a list of the best Taiwan tool manufacturers would be EXTREMELY helpful. Would be nice to support quality toolmakers from a country with an uncertain future.
Also a list of Taiwan companies to avoid would be good, although possibly outside your scope.
Thanks again for the honest work. Guys like you and Project Farm do a great job of verifying tool quality.
@@RetiredEE lol
Inconsistencies with bolt head diameters, especially the Chinese trash from the big boxes.
Ive noticed that too. Not always a bad thing but gets aggravating tho.
Everything TTC covers is worth watching. Three thumbs up.
Wright wrenches have been good performers for me, and other testing websites have also ranked them near the top. While being much more affordable than Snap-on. And back when I bought them years ago, much easier to order Wright online than it was to find a snap-on truck. I see the Matco are on the thin side and good performing, I'll need to remember that.
I expect that most people who buy the "top" wrench don't care if it gouges the nut or bolt, since it needs to come off & would likely be replaced with a new one anyhow. Great tests as always !
yeah because that wrench would likely be coming out because the fastener is already severely damaged or corroded and does not have access to a closed end or socket.
If a nut or bolt ever gets to that point it was time to replace it, probably clean the threads of whatever part it went too. Most cases if I push a fastener that hard, something is going to snap first.
These test don't really play into real world applications, no one is putting 200 psi on a 16mm bolt using a open ended wrench. I've never seen torque specs that high for 16mm, so while this test shows what doesn't slip, its not really realistic. Opened ended wrenches are used when you can't get at a bolt with a socket, or the box end of a wrench ( like around a tube, etc) If you use the tool as it was meant to be used, 247ft-lbs for a 16mm is for a grade 10.9 bolt, no car or automotive application is going to have this in a place you need an openended wrench to access.
You underestimate the troubles some mechanics find themselves subjected to at the end of a shift, finding a nasty surprise that makes a 10 minute job into a 3 hour affair. Especially with corrosion welding things together.
I was a heavy equipment mechanic and I loved Icon. Watch PF video comparisons too. Does just as well as Snap-on for 1/3 of the price and I don't have to wait for a truck to get something fixed/replaced. I don't get people who would rather spend $1000s on essentially the same stuff just because it says "Snap-on"
I have both Wright and Carlyle. Prefer the Wright, but it’s really convenient to just have to go to the local Napa. In rural America Napa’s are about the closest place for stuff.
Had to warranty a Carlyle ratchet. They did it no questions asked like the Craftsman used to be.
I was sold the Carlyle as being the tools that are going to be the closest to the trucks and that was before. I have a small collection of them, but they were always so expensive compared to Craftsman, and to be honest, I expected tools from AutoZone, ORielly, and NAPA to be kind of meh. It seemed like you'd be better off getting the same quality from Northern Tool. Now it seems like ICON is around it will probably be the prosumer choice of people that buy in brick and mortar. The nice thing about Carlyle is that they have tools by unit instead of requiring returning a complete set.
As far as damaging bolts, I wonder if yall should start testing what damage it does to a Grade 2/3 bolt when torquing to spec and not going to failure.
This. Cause damaging bolts is not cool if it obviously be avoided.
Why there no grade 2/3 bolt on a car so pretty useless test
And for such cheap bolt no need for extreme torque the gonna snap way before it reach the damaging point
@@legros731 Same reason they use coupling nuts to test everything, the softer bolts *should* test the designs of the different style wrenches and be less forgiving than a grade 8 or a 12.9 would. You can damn near tighten a grade 8 with vise grips without damaging the bolt head, but not so much with a soft bolt.
And I'm not discussing going to a failure amount of torque, but whatever amount of torque that particular size/thread bolt calls for. If a wrench design can tighten a bolt to its specified torque without leaving damage, I call it win.
@@legros731 It's a way to exaggerate differences that might be hard to otherwise cause on purpose. It's kind of like when people compare graphics hardware on benchmarks running at 800x600 resolution, even though you know those guys are running games in 4k these days. I'd like to see it, because exaggerating differences is a sort of redneck T-test, in that you can account for chaos in test results without having to to hundreds of trials, because bigger destruction is easier to measure. However, a test on grade 5 and 8 bolts makes sense as well for the obvious real-world results, at least in an automotive context. We do also have to remember that fasteners exist on many more things than just cars.
@@legros731 There are other things out there besides cars man. You do know where your food comes from right? FARMS! lots of farm equipment use grade 2 bolts. You may laugh at that but honestly when grade 2 is used in the right place they become much easier to deal with. Basically you just snap it off and your done. No worry being there is a nut and bolt combo everything falls right apart making life easy.
I have had the Carlyle wrenches shown in this video for about 7-8 years now. Although the biting issues do come up once in a while, they have done really well for me. Especially the 21mm and 15/16” wrenches. Plus they are generally pretty easy to get warranty swapped
I've been watching tool comparison videos for years and I've never seen a one this good and technical. Phenomenal review and comparison! Thanks!!
I was taking my trusty, rusty grill apart, and needed a 9/16" wrench. Since the nut on the bolt was right up against something, a ring wrench wouldn't fit. I tried about 10 different open wrenches - all kinds of brands usa and foreign - everything slipped, even a snap on. Rust, heat and moisture had it seized up good. I remembered that Wright had sent me a catalog and a free wrench. 9/16" WrightGrip! Worked like a charm. I'll definitely remember that.... Wish I had the whole set!
9 1/6 on a grill ?
Love the shoutout to PF. Both of this and the PF channels are great and honest. I like that there is a respect there.
0:38 I personally LOVE the “FRANK drive plus” version the best. 😝 😂
This the best before you buy video but for wrenches. I have not seen any videos like this before on TH-cam. I bought Huskey due to the fact it was easier on my wallet while building my set. You have given me options when I up size my toolbox at work.
Well. As the proud owner of a nice Milwaukee "no slip" design wrench set, I was appropriately nervous about watching this...but very glad I did. Not sure how they stack up against the true "trade" options, but for my home workshop and budget, absolutely on the money. Thanks for this, I'ma go tell my mates how my tool is way better than theirs! 😄😄
Awesome to see you shout out one of my other favorite channels, the ever-awesome project farm
I love wrenches lol. I have an Icon anti slip ratcheting set, Snapon FD+, Wright grip 2.0, and Milwaukee sets. As someone else said, the ratcheting ones are longer and have a different tooth design. I’d say less aggressive. Would be curious to see them next.
Love the Milwaukee set- I have carpal tunnel and the I beam design is very comfortable. If I had to do it over I’d go with the Milwaukee set- they’re what I reach for first.
Would also like to see Capri Tools wave design wrench in here. I have the stubby set and they’ve taken off what my Milwaukee couldn’t. I would highly recommend them. I don’t believe anyone else uses the anti slip/extractor style design on a stubby wrench set.
Wow. What a great video. Defining the problem of contact points. Revealing the similarity of design between Icon, Milwaukee, and Carlyle. The metrics. And great graphics. Definitely won my subscription.
the thinness of HF wrenches is unbelievable helpful in rare scenarios. I have had to put away the craftsman set and go for the HF set because they would fit in the given space.
A grinder will make any wrench a thin wrench
@@Spacecadet3890 but who wants to grund and cut expensive wrenches ?
@@joeyf504327 idk man idk why buy cheap wrenches because they will fit when you can modify a nice one to fit? I work in a machine shop so odds are if i gotta cut one up for something its going to get used again and again, if your working in an auto shop i would think it would be the same, i wouldn't want to ruin one wrench out of a complete set for one job but I have no issues cutting down like my 3/4 proto so it's now weaker because i had to make the head smaller to fit somewhere but i just ordered another single one so my set is complete and I have the specialty one i need for the next time thats my logic. I buy USA made whenever i can too but thats more to support local manufacturing and they feel good then i need them.
@@joeyf504327 every bicycle shop sells 2mm thick metric wrenches from 13mm-29mm just in case u need a really thin one
Good stuff. Nice to see you're friendly with Project Farm, one of my favorite channels.
Just because you gave my man Project farm some love, you earn my subscription!!! looking forward to consuming your content bro!
Jesus
This was a great, very informative video. I commonly run across large diameter very soft tubing/hose-ends that were installed by the manufacturer as a 1-time, 500,000 mile-minimum life span fasters that must removed, reused in some cases, but only if they remain in like new condition after disassembly. The quality of the wrenches used disassembly make all the difference on a 15spd transmission cooler line, or a main-air-pressure line/pipe from the compressor to the dryer. Being able to disassemble and reassemble components with precision is paramount.
I’ve had a small tool set of Metrinch since mid 90’s. I’m not fond of the open end wrench, but the box end is money. I absolutely love my Metrinch set. It’s been my go to since new. I work mostly on metric stuff.
I couldn't have said it better. Got my set back when it was still on TV and still use the same tools to this day. They've been through 8 cars and 2 motorcycles worth of maintaining, repairing, rebuilding, and even building, and nothing has given out yet. Aside from the obvious (lots and lots and lots of 12&13mm on old Beetles), I'm not even sure when I'm working on metric or imperial anymore. Just eyeball it, grab what fits, and work.
@@ImnotgoingSideways I think you can and did say it better. Much better. :)
Only thing that I have broke is the ratchet selector lever…I used a giant pipe slide of the handle for a breaker and I broke the lever’s leg. I never replaced it because it still works just fine. I do have to replace my 14mm wrench, I think I left it in a vehicle I sold. I’ll have them til I die for sure.
@@Todd66 I have to agree with you guys that Metrinch socket sets are awesome. I've basically had a set that I bought at Sears my first year in college in 1994 and still have a good amount of the set still. However I've used them for everything over the years including as my work socket set in the trades and over the years I've lost a few sockets and wrenches du to my carelessness in my younger working years. I treat what I've got left kinda like gold lol. Actually thinking about spending the money on a new set but when I search haw to get some the sites available to buy them seem a bit sketchy. Oh and the only thing that ever broke in my set was the ratchet selector tab as well. And even though the ratchet still works. Just Love my Metrinch set and wonder why they are not still popular today.
I am reading these good reviews all the time when i started to look up metrinch. I just bought a set on craigslist. Can't wait till i get it in the mail.
Nice to see you shout out Project Farm :D. You guys both do great work!
Have had a Metrinch set since the 90’s and they’ve always worked great. Was pretty spendy back then ($300ish) but I’ve gotten my money out of it and then some. Would recommend
Same, I bought a set in Sears some time back then and they've held up really well. The 6-point box end cam lobe style works great unless your in a really tight spot, in which case a 12 point works better. Only part I broke was the ratchet which they replaced for the $10 shipping/handling.
Same. I have actually bought a few more sets to just have around as I have multiple tool boxes/go bags for different things.
Same! I bought mine in the 90s and they’ve been my go to wrenches ever since. They’re great on the road when you don’t want to carry separate metric and standard sets.
You and project farm are the best when it comes to testing tools
Great video! I've had the Milwaukee Maxbites for a few years, and quite like them, but I only use an open-end wrench when I absolutely must. The Milwaukee's often grab onto the fastener so well that it takes some effort to remove them. I got my Milwaukee's before Icon came out with their version - had they both been available, I still would've bought the Milwaukee's because the metric Milwaukee kit is 8mm to 22mm, while the Icon is 6mm to 19mm. But the Icon's are longer - I think either the Milwaukee, Icon, or Carlyle are all good sets, and am glad to see they all performed well in your tests. Thanks for the video!
the reason why i love my milwaukee wrenches even though there's two other very very similar wrenches out there, is because the rounded edges of the wrench body it self, both icon and Carlyle have almost square edges on the wrench body, the Milwaukee isnt and i personally think the chrome is better on the milwaukee, the icon and carlyle seem noticeable duller and the Milwaukee has what i call a "gun metal chrome"
Ended up picking up the Milwaukee set since it is very complete and relatively affordable. Definitely happy with the purchase after using them for several months now.
I appreciate the work that goes into these. Although I’m sure it’s different levels of fun until it slips 🤕
The kind of gut-wrenching fun where you close your eyes ahead of time.
Infar is the manufacturer of those icon, Carlyle, and Milwaukee wrenches. As well as the channellock and ingersol rand wrenches
I've got the exact set your icon wrench comes from and the ratcheting box end set as well, had them both about a year now. I'm just starting my journey as a mechanic and didn't wanna go too crazy on tools to start with but didn't want to cheap out completely either, I thought the set would be a good fit for that. Honestly been pretty happy with them so far, I figured I'd eventually replace them with snap on or something else better but I think I'm just gonna run them until they start breaking. Pretty impressed with how they performed here.
Don't bother with Snapon, overpriced for the same if not only marginally better performance. Both Snapon and Icon have lifetime warranties with Icon being a third the price most the time, and with more locations to get replacement tools at rather than trying to flag down/contact a Snapon dealer truck. That Snapon name tax is pointless.
Their pliers wrench is also worth picking up. Just wish they made more sizes
Rule of thumb, when one fails, just upgrade it a wrench at a time
Well i have the snap ons the older non flank drive and the ICONS will keep going after the snap on slips. I am also using the old normal open end ICONS as well. Non of that fancy non slip crap for me. So to me the icons are worth more then the old snap ons. Next best part is the icons boxed ends have no taper to them so even the box end out holds snap ons. Like my a lot! I have no need to buy anymore snap on wrenches. Not sure why you would either.
I gotta say, I have a Metrinch set and have had awesome luck with it. Have used them to remove some of the nastiest rusted bolts out of cars for years. Haven’t failed me yet.
Yeah I bought a 1/4" & 3/8" Drive socket rails of metrinch years ago and believe them to be everything that they claim to be.
Metrinch set owner here, bought mine somewhere in the early 90s. They haven't failed me and saved me many times working on other people's messes of cammed out damaged nuts. My only complaint is the blow molded case
I can say the same with the Carlyle sets, these non-slip jaw designs have been game changers.
Im glad to see that the Wrights are still on top. What about the Mac Precision Torque, Dynamic, Olsa and Capri wrenches?
Or snap on for that matter they invented the flank drive tech all other are just copycat
@@legros731 actually I think it was Wright bit I'm not 100% sure. Either way they both are on top of the Torque Channels best performers.. 😁👍
@@OneMechanic not saying snap on was the winner just that they invented the flank drive and all the other are copy of the original design
the snap on is less aggressive and don't mar as much the fastener while working as good or better than the other
Just want to give some credit to the very well done test and time spent on the entertaining narration. A lot of tongue in cheek references that I do appreciate.
Dear Torque Test Channel,
Love the videos - very informative, educational and equally entertaining.
I was wondering if it was possible to do a video comparing cordless tyre inflators? The Milwaukee does a nice m12 and m18 model, but does it top the leaderboard against other big competitors out there; would love to see the results!
As always, keep producing the great quality videos!
I think it's cool you give props to project farm. He's such a great guy that's super honest and painstakingly does an amazing job coming up with different ways to test everything under the sun. I'm sure you know all that which is why you took the time to mention him. I'm going to tell him that. Cheers.
Maybe it's just because I like cheap tools, but I'd love to see some of the different tiers of Pittsburgh tools in tests like these. They have a lot of sets for less than $20 including standard Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh pro, and even a universal set that works sort of like the metrinch wrenches. I'd be interested to see if there's really much of a difference between all of their cheap sets or if they're all basically the same
I don’t put nearly as much trust in HF quality control as you do clearly, I see wrenches like that and think about buying them is similar to paying to lose my front teeth.
@@alexmills1329 To be fair, HF has some decent stuff, especially depending on usage. I don’t like their wrenches, and this video helps back up why, but HF is an affordable brand for a lot of people that don’t need pro quality.
@@alexmills1329 HF is good for the tools that do their job or don't, like a screwdriver, or an impact socket.
@@JakeNaughtFromStateFarm considering Icon comes from HF and they were super high up the list I’d say they have some decent stuff
i love the cheap tools as well. i see alot of 10mm or 13mm bolts and use either the standard pittsburgh wrenches or the more expensive ratcheting ones. most times i see the tolerances on the ratcheting ones are worse, that is the open end of the wrench (not the ratcheting end) seems like there is much more play and the open end rounds over easier.
I’d like to see Cornwell on there if y’all get the opportunity. They’re what live in my wrench drawer, they’ve always treated me well I think, but I’d be curious to see how they measure up.
My dad used only one specific brand of tools in his career as a top certified auto mechanic. I now am one of the few groups of people in this nation that makes these hand crafted tools. The intense manufacturing operations that go into their products are amazing. Daddy would have been proud of his little girl making his favorite tools.🔧
What tools are they? I want them
@@philhunt1442 it's the snap on by just hearing those words lol
Whut?
If I am not mistaken, the purpose of the v-groove is to allow the nut to sit deeper in in wrench. This reduces the load toward the tip of the open end. The v groove is not meant to support an additional side of the nut. Would love to hear what you guys think.
I'll take a butchered fastener in my hand over a rounded-off fastener that didn't come apart!
what about a butchered fastener that you just installed
I've been watching a lot of tool test channels lately and Icon really seems to be a fantastic tool brand often out performing most high end name brands. I'm impressed
I know the Pittsburgh is thin, and I bought it just for that. I've ended up using the sets I bought so many time, simply because they can slide between tight spaces.
Working in the equipment industry and dealing with hydraulic hoses the icon/carlyle/Milwaukee design although obviously wouldn’t cut it in automotive does have a definite advantage on stubborn hydraulic hose assemblies. It’s not that damaging a hose is a good thing but your almost always using the open end of the wrench that and your often replacing the hose anyway so the optimal grip definitely does have its place.
Glad to see the Icon's placed well. I noticed on the ratcheting and standard wrenches that there's two different jaw designs. Not sure if you'd be interested in testing the ratcheting ones. They're also very long compared to regular wrenches. They've served me well as a diesel tech so far.
@@ShainAndrews what do you mean?
@@ShainAndrews you can buy them directly from Harbor Frieght, you have to call
@@ShainAndrews I've never lost one. Because they're so prized, I make sure after every job my tools are back where they belong.
@@ShainAndrews U buy a new one? Also u shouldnt be losing tools
The icons are on sale for $69 now. I also have the craftsman overdrive set. Very impressed with both. But craftsman has the extra teeth in everthing open end. 6 point boxed end. And all of the sockets.
should also have tested the german 'wera' wrenches, i have a couple of them, they are weird looking with hardened steel inserts in the open end wrench end. superb grip on the bolt heads!
Project farm tested some were jokers. Interesting results
I really appreciate that you have the price included in the like spead sheet. Cause for me an amateur hobbiest/handyman/dude that wants to do things and not waste money on garbage tools, i can look at the results at the end and see the relation between price and quality(which in this case is pretty direct)...cause sometimes im ok with buying cheap tools. And just knowing that spending mid money will get me a mid tool is awesome
Id like to see this test on a 13-14mm size. Seeing that inner tie rods that have seized jam nuts on them is where i feel like I see high torque on the open end of a wrench the most, as an automotive tech. 👨🏼🔧 🔧
Oooo, that's a good example
My solution to the lock nut seized to the tie rod bad enough that the wrench on the tie rod rounds has always been to lock Vice grips around the rod so they’ll hit up against the sway bar or lower control arm of whatever then feed the lock nut lots of PB blaster and heat till I can get it moving, then work it back and forth till it starts turning…and if you want the next guy to thank you, grease the hell out of the threads when you replace a tie rod end…your mileage may vary, I’m down south now (started up north) so the rust isn’t so bad.
@@cnf6045 thx for that tip! I work on cars in excess of 150k miles all the time doing alignments.
@@mmix224 no problem!
You don’t have to get them that hot, usually MAP gas does the trick, don’t gotta break out the acetylene.
It’s really funny at my shop, I’m the least experienced tech in terms of time, but the most experienced in terms of dealing with seized rusty crap…a funny one happened a couple weeks ago, completely unrelated to the tie rods…had a F250 with broken lug nuts in the rear(the nut part had broke off and it was just the cone holding the wheel on) so we pulled the axle, undid the hub where it mounted to the axle, took the whole wheel and brake off, then we’re staring at this big ole deep dish caliper with the back of the lug studs at the bottom, too deep to get a grinder or anything in, and so hard that a drill bit wouldn’t touch it…so I’m like ‘I’m gonna go home and grab my acetylene rig.’ (We don’t have shop acetylene, which is stupid) And the other techs are like ‘no, that’s like a 400$ hub, you’ll mess it up.’ So…we started trying to burn these studs out with a carbide burr…which was stupid slow, did that for like 3 hours, didn’t even get the first one…and I’m like ‘screw this, I’m getting my torch’ got it, they’re both geeking out cause they think I’m gonna screw up the hub, I just blew like 1/2 inch through the center of each stud and got the edges hot enough to take the temper out, knocked the edges off with an air hammer chisel, and pushed beat the studs out with a punch, didn’t touch the hub…other techs are like ‘holy shit you’re pretty good with that thing’ and I’m like ‘thanks’…but in the back of my head I’m thinking ‘I know mechanics up north who would’ve skipped this whole taking off the wheel ordeal, torched the lug nuts out from the front, not touched the wheel, not touched the stud, and been done with all this shit in 30 minutes.’ 😂
Don't forget ball joints where you need a wrench to get off as well. I've found V groove wrenches and adjustable wrenches are the best for this and also work better where you need line a wrenche too.
Finally somebody testing Milwaukee wrenches. I was starting to convince myself that Milwaukee was paying reviewers to not include them
Great Wrench Testing, Really Comprehensive Results that would be hard to dispute. Thanks for the unbiased results, as always. Your one of my go to channels before I make a purchase, how did it do on TTC. 👍🏻👍🏻
Some feathers got ruffled in the last few days about snap on and icon. Been fun to watch.
I've noticed that the standard long pattern gearwrench and 120xp have different slits. Wonder how those make much difference
FWIW and FYI, I took my calipers to Harbor Freight to see if there was much difference between sets. What I found was the satin "rough finish" (that seemed to be the only differentiation.) wrenches were MUCH closer to spec. No idea why, but the Mitutoyo doesn't lie!!
As always great stuff. Maybe there should be a dyno test for those so called high flow air blow guns in the future
Awesome testing! This is exactly what I was wanting to see. Thanks TTC
I miss working at HF. I loved being able to confidentially tell skeptical customers our products were comparable and oftentimes better value for money than their DeWalt, Husky and especially Snap-On.
I never encountered where I need open end to loose a nut. Always use box end or flare nut wrench.
Same here.... just in safety ..... but Falcon from France is a really nice to go fast.
For giggles you should find one of those 90s Craftsman wrenches where the open end would slip in one direction like a ratchet. FYI my dad bought some and they were terrible. I think they were called "Craftsman ratcheting open end wrench".
I have a few of those wrenches only. Not sure where the rest went to.
Ratcheting feature was a joke.
Ive already gotten a icon wrench out of a sealed carlyle wrench set.
Love to see you test wera joker spanner!
I've been in camp Metrinch for the past 20 years and I couldn't be more pleased.
Another great video. Would love to see some Halfords Advanced tools being tested from the UK since you mention you're testing tools from Europe etc. They have a lifetime guarantee and also have 'Surface Drive Plus' which claims to give more torque without slipping. Would be interested to see how they stack up against the competition!
I've abused my metrinch set for nearly 40 years and never had one break. They are still my go to wrench when I can't use a socket.
I got two sets about 30 years ago that included sockets and still use them all the time. I doubt very much that anything this guy tested can beat Metrinch in the real world.
Please test made in the USA, Proto!
I'll never give up my Flank drive plus. And I have a ton of them. But if I had to do it over again I would probably just stick with wright. I have quite a few or the wright grip as well. Especially in the jumbo sizes being a diesel tech. Me and another mechanic put a wright grip against a snap on while on the truck. The snap on dealer was impressed. Made in U.S.A is all it's cracked up to be...Most of the time.
The Metrinch does look good as far as providing torque without destroying the fastener prematurely, and potentially working as SAE and Metric (worth a test?). Doubt I would ever drop the coin on it. Maybe someone will copy the design some day at a lower price with better customer support.
I've had my metrinch set since the 90s, best set ever. Work on old stuff, it's a must have!
I've had great luck with my Carlyle wrenches and sockets, my local Napa has gave me great deals on them and have always gotten me what I needed when I needed it.
My quibble with this and many tests like this on other channels is that you're evaluating based on pushing the tools to a failure load. Very few people use an open end wrench at loads that are the result of adding a breaker bar and then pulling on it with two hands. I'm still using wrenches and sockets I bought at K-Mart 50 years ago. I've even had breaker bars on them occasionally. I'm not against doing these tests to failure but the reviews would be more useful at sussing out the best bang for the buck if there was also a rating for when they are used at high-normal loads. Not everyone buys tools to rebuild locomotives.
He includes the prices, ppl can see that pittsburgh fails pretty easily but kobalt and icon are a great value
I didn't know there was an Icon version available now. That's great. Craftsman made some that were originally a USA-made set for Christmas. Several months later Craftsman made them a standard set, but made in China. The company that designed them, also made the first USA sets and sued, claiming Craftsman stole their design and took them to be Chinese-made. Shortly before Craftsman quit selling them, they started selling individual wrenches. The metric set went to 18mm and the inch set went to 3/4". I bought the metric set and almost bought the inch set, just to get the 3/4" wrench to use for 19mm, but then the single 3/4" wrench became available and I bought it to go with my metric set. I never did buy the inch set, as I already had too many inch wrenches. The Craftsman version is thinner than usual, for easier access. Craftsman described them as being long reach or extended reach, but they are exactly the same length as the standard length Craftsman Professional wrenches, which ended up getting their own Chinese-made copy line too. The non-slip Craftsman wrenches really do grip better and are thinner, so they can come in handy.
Hey man, can you test the Park Tool MW16, included in the MW-Set.2. Made in the USA this is always sold as The Best shop tool for Bike Mechanics. it comes with great Life Time warrenty! But with my Adjustable Wrenches i kinda had the problem the metal jaws are too soft. This brand and marketing is huge in the Cycle world. Please add this brand 2 tests:).
My best friend from high school gave me a Metrinch set for a graduation present back in 1999. I've been using them since, and I actually really like them. I use them for pretty much everything. They're my go-to toolkit for going and doing.
Nice to hear that some EU tools are coming - over here we certainly lack proper testing and review channels
Will be good to see how Halfords Advanced compares. A rust test would be good as some tools rust as soon as they are removed from the packet.
Been using my metrinch set for over 20 years. Can’t comment on customer service but the tools work great
Gotta give Nepros, the Japanese Snap on a go
I've been using Carlyle tools for a few years now and they have served me well. I was glad to see one put to the test.
All of the ICON tools I've tried so far have been a good value. The Carlyle also, but a bit more expensive.
The milwaukees where worth the $ 500 between reg and ratcheting.
If anybody is looking at this now, the icon 14 piece set is currently is on sale, and during periods goes on sale for 99$. Which is only 7.07$ a wrench. I picked a set up for work and are comparable to the snapon set that I had for years. Great bang for buck, only down side is you cannot buy individual wrenches from icon/ harbor freight. But, still a great deal.
Neat to see MetrInch on here. I got a set of sockets/wrenches from an auction in like-new condition. I figured it was just going to be a joke tool. Turns out I use that set MORE OFTEN than others for general home repairs. Not everything is high torque, and the kit can turn most bolts just fine. When I have a job to do, the Metrinch set usually fits, and makes it easy to get most jobs done with just 1 tool set.
I have had metrinch since 1996. Their loose fitting designs tend to shy people away. IMO, the open end of the wrench is just ok. But the close end side of the wrench and their sockets are 2nd to none. I wouldn't trade for anything else.
One thing to note is that the Milwaukee has by far the best feeling handle grip of any wrench I’ve used,. That’s got to be worth something. For example, Mac wrenches are blocky and particularly bad about hurting your hands when putting serious torque into them.
u best be joking
@@schlomoshekelstein908 Milwaukee could literally release red pieces of feces, and fanboys would swear how good it is.
Fanboys smdh
@@CP-mb7ly I own probably $50k in snap-on, $20k in Matco, any maybe $5k in Mac tools, $5k in Milwaukee. Hardy a fanboy. Just a professional mechanic with his opinions
@@ILYxIW weird flex but ok
Being a motorcycle technician, the snap on open ended wrenches have proven invaluable for really sticky chain adjusters. Instead of slipping and rounding they bite hard.
Have you thought about testing the consistency of the hardware you test with? I wouldn’t be surprised if there are significant differences in the thread clearance, surface finish and material hardness which could dramatically impact your results.
This would allow you to estimate the uncertainty of your process, then you could apply error bands to the specific results which could demonstrate minimum test result differences that indicate a better product.
Just a thought from someone who’s daily work revolves around eliminating measurement uncertainty. 😊
EDIT: Eliminating is the wrong word. Identifying, quantifying and calculating measurement uncertainty is more like it.
Multiple tests are often done with the same equipment, and the different results are taken in to consideration before presenting that 1 result. Additionally, when numerous tools are tested and then an earlier tool is re-tested, sometimes weeks or months later, similar results are achieved. For the purposes of what's being done, what you see here is more than reasonably accurate or representative. Test equipment is also checked/tested/calibrated.
The tiny differences that what you're talking about would make, are they really going to change the results by anything worth bothering with?
@@chrisdavidson911 yes, that’s why I used the word “significant”.
@@superspeeder indeed, but what actually is "significant" with thread clearance etc? and again, would it actually make any difference worth noting? Do you really think those things would have changed these results so much that they're actually in the wrong order on the results chart of each test?
As was mentioned at the start, multiple tests were done with each tool.
@@chrisdavidson911 significant is a subjective term, but without testing we simply don’t know.
A lot of this information is likely available in published standards for fastener manufacturing, but why bother with the theoretical approach when you can just test it?
The answer could be that the contributions are so small they are of no concern, but again, without testing you don’t know. We should never assume for anything we can test.
A socket completely encapsulates a fastner for the best option,wobbles and extensions move your hands into a clear and open zone.
2nd option is a plierswrench for lower torques and open area for swing.
3rd option is a ratchet wrench,followed by a boxed end.
Lastly an open end wrench,and for last chance is a metal bender aka adjustable wrench.
Finally a hot wrench when no other option available.
Used Snap-on's are expensive, proper grade metals in the correct areas as thin as allowable....and will last a lifetime .
After nearly 40 years and have never broken a wrench.
Its always good to have a decent set (craftsman) to heat and bend for specific tasks.