Ultimate Wrench REVIEW/TEST (Gearwrench Tekton Pittsburgh Craftsman Husky Kobalt Carlyle Crescent)
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Hey guys, in this video we are putting some of the most common cheap combination wrenches to the test to see if any of them are truly a better value than one another.
We decided to test these wrenches in an extreme torque test on a grade 5 fastener to see if they could shear off the head of the bolt. To our surprise only the Craftsman had the strength to do so and the rest failed. The main failure we saw was the jaws of the open end of the wrench flexing and rounding out the head of the bolt.
Based on performance and price we think the Craftsman (made in China) is your best bang for your buck as it showed the most strength in our test and has a relatively slim design making it practical for working in tight spaces.
If you're looking for a full polished wrench then we think the GearWrench is your next best choice as it features a really slim design, decent chrome and a good amount of bite. Overall a great wrench.
Thanks for watching guys. Any questions feel free to post them below.
fabricationguy...
My recommendation: 1. Measure the box end diameter and open end gap to see which has tightest fit 2. Test strength of the box end until failure with a torque gauge. 3. Tumble the tools together to test chrome hardness + scratch resistance or just use hardness tester 4. Do salt spray test to see which takes the longest to rust 5. Try returning each and rate customer service
Chamfer. Right now Carlyle non slip and icon anti slip have zero chamfer box ends. As well as genius long double box.
They are all in a league of their own because zero chamfer box means better purchase on fasteners.
@@sasquatchrosefartsZero chamfer does mean more contact and normally more torque, but you have to factor in the fact that the chamfer is there to make it easier to get the wrench on the fastener and there are other things that contribute to the quality of a wrench besides being able to turn the crap out of a bolt or nut.
To be fair, most chrome polished wrenches won’t realistically rust for several years if you take care of them and store them properly, and the warranty process can change vastly between different areas, retailers, or even the specific employee you talk to.
If there is no damage to the wrench, but obvious damage to bolt, which failed? Btw, I was taught that the open end is not for tightening down. The box end is.
Correct. I was wondering why he was using the open end.
I’ve been a diesel and ag techn for 8 years and all I’ve ever used for my main combo and flare but wrenches is craftsman.. can count on one hand how many times I’ve need to borrow a snap on which did get the job done.
Grow up with Craftsman. They are the best wrench from my experience. I have try many chrome wrenches from many different companies and the chrome on the open ended side always slip. It is not meant to be use to break a nut or bolt. I use the box side side to break it first then use the open end to work it out.
I feel like you put too much stock in the bolt manufacturer consistency. I could be wrong, but could have gone farther and done 3 separate bolts per wrench.
Too much inconsistency to be conclusive. The nut (threads) are severely deformed in the vise, you can see this on the sheared bolt example. Every nut would have been different depending on how much force the vise applied (evident when the sample slipped in the vise). The angle of the wrench to the fastener is inconsistent without a jig. The force on the wrench is not consistent when applied by hand (force vector needs to remain perfectly perpendicular to the bolt's axis of rotation). The bolts should be measured for head width consistency, shear test consistency and surface finish on the flats.
These are not critical considerations when using a wrench, but they ARE critical if you are going to compare wrenches - the test needs to be consistent and repeatable. Each test needs to be performed multiple times and averages taken, outliers eliminated etc. Identifying and eliminating variables is the key to good testing.
You should measure the opening with a micrometer and torque the bolt to a specified inch pound then measure how many degrees each turned and measure the opened end after and see if it streched.
... and measure the bolt heads
I’ve had a complete set of USA made Craftsman wrenches up to 1 inch in SAE and 20mm Metric since late 80s. I’m not a pro…but I’ve never broken a tool and they have always done the job just fine. I get that you are impressed by the smooth “Snap-On”-like finish of those cheap brands but Craftsman has always been damn dependable if used for what they are meant to do and not abused. To me, they are the right price for what you are getting and crude look aside that 9/16 wrench just kicked the crap out of cheaper tools that LOOK like the super expensive ones.
I think it's obvious that the reason the Craftsman did so well was because of its crude/rough finish inside its open end jaws, which obviously grips the bolt head better than a smooth finish. It's effectively a poor man's Flank Drive Plus or Wrightgrip. File/grind some serrations into the other wrenches and see what happens. Also, before declaring that all the other wrenches were disappointing, you should have had a control, such as doing the test with a Snap-on wrench (standard non "Plus" version). My guess is that it would have rounded the bolt head off too, rather than shear it. Open-end wrenches inherently suck, which is why you should only ever use them in situations where it's absolutely impossible to use a socket or box end wrench.
Good point!
On the other hand, the one snap on wrench would probably cost more than all the others combined LOL
I heard him say that the cheater bar was an abusive test, but I dont think anyone would even approach the torque needed to round (much less shear) a grade 5 bolt using just the wrench alone. Maybe if the head of it was messed up already, but still.
I think the video would have been much better if he had used a torque wrench or meter and then test the wrench by itself against the torque required to shear the bolt with a breaker bar.
Edit: I actually want to ammend my second paragraph by saying that just the other day I rounded a grade 8 bolt with a crescent wrench, but that was my fault because it was not adjusted correctly (and because I was too lazy to go back to the toolbox to get a socket...). I still think that rounding a bolt off with a normal size wrench that is manufactured for a specific size bolt is going to be difficult unless the bolt is already damaged.
@@woodworkerroyer8497 you got a good point, man.
I agree with your premise that the rough surface texture gave the Craftsman an advantage.
I do not agree that modifying the other tools with a file would make the test "better." The design they each chose is the way they should be tested.
If you fail because you chose a smoother surface then that is reality.
Same with pliers and serrations on the jaws. They make a huge difference in gripping and modifying a set of jaws to try and swing the test to make another brand better is not good testing methods.
Agree. And that fine toofer ratchet that aint got no strongness when "I dun putee this here pipe on her" could have been solved by....USING A BREAKER BAR.. to break loose
maybe you cant see it from behind the pipe on the wrench. but out of all the wrenches you tested. the craftsman was the tightest on the fastener. when you began to turn the wrenches i could see the distance between the tip of the wrench and the bolt head was smallest on the craftsman. i think the super tight fit had alot to do with the outcome. it would allow for the tightest grip on the bolt head and make it least likely to round off. this is what i noticed. the craftsman had the best fit and the least slop of all the bunch. i have husky wrenches and can verify that they also grip bolts very well. having broken and sheared plenty myself.
Wish you would have mic'd these out before and after
I've been buying a lot of duralast tools from autozone over the last year. They are definitely not the best but they are pretty darn good! My reason for going with duralast is because there are auto zones almost in every decent sized town so warrantying a broken tool is very easy and convenient.
How "easy and convenient" is that busted hand that puts a mechanic off sheet for 6-8 weeks ?" Itza bahhhgin ! "
I don't think they exchange in-store, double check that
Same here duraast for me
I got 5 autozones near me
The Craftsman isnt chrome plated.
So, its opening is essentially only sized once.
Not related to this test, another benefit is it's form and finish are more suitable for greasy/oily hands.
Craftsman was the best quality for the dollar (almost) always. And the cheapest and easiest to replace.
Broke a couple, but lost more than i broke.
So long, old friend...
No wait... i still have nearly every one i ever bought.
Me: Bought craftsman wrenches last night
*Watches video
:)
The test is unfair because the bolts were not the right size
The wrench should fit thigh without play
So or none of those wrenches was the right size so useless or you bought the wrong size of bolt
A good wrench will not fit a rusted bolt without tapping little bit using a soft hammer
Daniele I’m pretty sure they were the right size. But the truth is all wrenches have a little variance. I’ve seen a view reviews where they measure the opening and they are never 100% exact.
The wrenches were all the right size. You can see on the label on the bag the bolts came in that they were standard 3/8" bolts, which have a 9/16" head. See this chart - i.pinimg.com/736x/18/cb/66/18cb6658e76cf5e175687e1d2245d06b.jpg
I've never encountered a wrench that fits tight without any play, and I've used everything from cheap Chinese wrenches on up to top of the line wrenches from Snap-on and Mac. Ironically, the only way you'll ever get a wrench to fit tight with little-to-no play is by using the _wrong_ size wrench, such as a 1/2" wrench on a 13mm fastener.
@@MaximRecoil Which is probably BECAUSE they don't want people hammering the wrench onto the bolt LOL
good video man, I knew craftsman was going to win. Sears stil open in my area they have a shit ton of craftsman tools starting at $1 !!
Thanks for the video. For me, Craftsman always made good stuff even the Chinese made tools are surprisingly strong. I compared the craftsman double-x pliers to three other brands and they came out on top in strength. People always slam Craftsman for going overseas but this is just the reality we live in. Everything changes and if you are not the CEO of a tool maker, you are not in any position to change the reality. If you want made in USA tools, they are still available, you just have to pay a lot more for them.
I agree I would never use an open end wrench with a cheater bar plus if I had a built that was that tough I’d use the box end and then onto a breaker bar I’ve used craftsman all my life and only had to replace the 3/8s drive ratchet but being stupid I used a cheat with a 1-1/4 socket with adaptor Lol. I think I’ll stick with craftsman ( knowing how to use a tool right is half the battle ) 😀
another reason to keep my craftsmans, I have a mix of us and china craftsman wrenches and about 3 full sets of each 1/4, 3/8 and 1/2 craftsman us sockets. Just to note though I saw another demo that showed a Tekton wrench had a perfect fit on a bolt.
@K Will nice to know people still like Tekton LOL
I have seen a bunch of videos on wrenches lately and this is the first time ANY Chinese tool of any kind beat a Taiwanese or USA tool with the exception of the bolt or wire cutters Wranglerstar made a torture test video on. (The German cutters broke while the Chinese ones cut a grade 5 or 8 bolt)
What happened to Duralast?
You're test did nothing should have used a micrometer to see the before and after on the open end other then it don't look like it caused any damage I bet they did open up. And also all wrenches where not a good fit they where not the right size for bolt. And no actual numbers or evidence showing one is stronger then the other
I agree with the micrometer and torque points, but whether the wrenches fit the bolt perfectly is part of the manufacturing process. It is an important point for a buyer/user, but only in feel. If a sloppy fitted wrench can apply more torque without rounding off the boly than a perfectly fitted one, then it really doesn't matter if it "feels good" or not.
@@woodworkerroyer8497 yep
I dont think I have ever tightened a bolt with the open end of a regular wrench, 10+ years of mechanic work. Ive always used a ratchet or a ratcheting wrench or the closed part of a 6 point wrench or a flared wrench. I think Ive used larger adjustable wrenches more than the open end of a regular wrench. Very interesting results but a very strange way to test out wrenches. It does look like the china craftsman are as strong as the USA ones which is pretty awesome.
i know from my own work in the trade, husky is the softest wrench ive ever used.
Just curious, but any difference between the older Husky wrenches and the newer husky wrenches?
I was dieing for you to take the box ends to failure!
seems like what you measured is tolerance. the craftsman definitely fit the tightest. does that mean every set it like that? maybe! but to know for sure you'd have to see how many thows difference the open end is from set to set.
Man I’ve been looking for U.S.A. made craftsman everywhere and I’ve only have had bad luck
They should have their new factory in Texas finished late 2020 and hopefully we’ll start seeing USA Craftsman soon after.
@@theidahooutlaw yeah only good thing from sears is craftsman. probably would cost as much as snapon if made in usa
@K Will I got my set just before you and at least one or two of the sockets in my (I think USA set???) were useless because they slipped past QC with a rounded over front edge. The part the bolt head fits in was peened over somehow so the bolt didnt even fit in, much less turn! I went to replace the last one and the guy in the store kept trying to charge me for the replacement!
I was like, "no, that is the one I brought in for the LIFETIME, no questions asked warranty, not the lifetime buy-a-new-one-for-more-than-the-original-anty!
I have a full set of U.S. Craftsmen metric and SAE for sale. Message me if you’re still interested
Ebay!!!
I have entire sets of steel craftsmen PRE china, made in USA, and they are fantastic wrenches
1:07.. strength isn't the biggest determining factor for me.. I think we all know they're generally going to be as strong as the next.. but length, clearance fit .(how bulky).....andfit n' finish... will all matter more..
Also no one really uses the flat of an open-end wrench to put the most torque on the fastener.... you use the box end for breaking Fasteners and torquing fasteners..... the open-end is to take off a loosened bolt or put on a loose bolt until it seats...but, if an open-end is the only way that you can get a wrench on it you use one with a V groove.... most of the reason for Tool or Fastener failure is using a tool incorrectly or using the wrong tool...iny-who..... good luck with that
I just bought a 14mm Gearwrench ratcheting wrench to compare with a 14mm Pittsburgh brand from Harbor Freight. I am surprised at how poorly made the Gearwrench is. The hinge is crooked, and the metal of the hinge sides is thicker on one side than the other. Looking at them both side by side, the Pittsburgh/Harbor Freight is visibly the better product, hands down.
Here is my assessment, the reason why the craftsman did so well, is because its not fully polished. The last place you want a fully polished anything in a wrench is in between the jaws of the open end of the claw. I have some older craftsman USA made wrenches that have never given me a problem...........those tools will stay with me forever.
I wonder though ... once the wrench flex from use, is that wrench not weaker after the flex?
Eventually, it would probably weaken, but leaf springs and other springs can go years getting much more flex than that wrench and not break.
The issue is whether the steel used in the wrenches is good enough to allow the jaws to flex back or if it is too brittle and they just snap off.
On the grade of steel used in these wrenches, you are probably right, it will break eventually, if it doesn't just bend and not go back.
Depends on the steel used and the heat treatments.
Suggestion. Next test make sure the bolt heads stay seated all the way at all times.
That was an interesting demo. I expected the Husky to do a lot better. I expected the Harbor Freight special to fail. I was
impressed with the Craftsman.
Barry
He should try the black husky wrench from home depot
If you are/were able to show how much torque is applied to the wrench at the point of failure or rounding out that would be interesting.
please test old usa s&k and craftsman wrenches
Only people that don't know how to use a wrench would even think about using an open end to tighten or loosen a bolt, it is just not done it is NOT strong enough. How about testing the box end with a torque setting to see the real strength of the tool. Open ends are only used after you have loosen the bolt with the box end.
Once the wrench jaws slip, the jaws likely open up a little and won’t grab the bolt as tightly.
Looks like the inside of the craftsman is textured the others aren't.. not sure if that makes any difference.. but it's made in China so I'll leave it on the shelf
first mistake, using cheap Home Depot bolts made in china. Buy good bolts that are sized correctly, wrenches will fit better
Not really because things you work in may not always have the best bolts built with it
If all of the wrenches are using cheap bolts its gonna be a fair test
On several of the tests the jaw was blocked by the vise jaw, which may have prematurely caused the wrenches to slip.
OMG all these comments about "dont tighten with open end, thats for loosening...use the box end for tighten".
Bruh, here's how it goes:
1. Use the box end if at all possible
2. When you cant use the box, you have to use the open end, loosen OR tighten
3. The tighten test is the exact same as loosening a seized bolt. Which wrench will actually put more turning work into that faster, into the flank and not into the corners, and not flex out.
Good lort, tighten with box but then loosen the same bolt with open end because the open end is for loosening, even tho u have room for the box lol 😅
Some folks always gotta complain, and some folks butt hurt from Ghina craftsman hahs 😂
I love my cheap wrenches, and even use them professionally. They work good for certain tasks. that said, even if your a weekend warrior, just buy American made Wrightgrips. You can find the sets on different sites, and they are fantastic wrenches. Videos here on TH-cam show them neck and neck with Snap ons Flank drive. No damage to the head and snaps them off everytime. You'll never need another set....when it comes to the cheap ones, maybe as spares, or to throw in a carry bag for the junkyard, or in the car just in case, that's all they're really good for
The Den of Tools did a better comparison using a torque meter.
I only wish you tried the box side Craftsman on a Grade 8. 😄😊
Because I just bought a 27mm to try and pull a bearing out of a Sienna front wheel knuckle.
Went with the 70 percent higher Craftsman.. Because it was much thicker than the other Lifetime wrenches I saw today..
I figure I would break those with the cheater bar..😆
I rarely use open end of wrench. I good comparison would be to torque down bolt then round off bolt head woth open end. Then come back to see if closed end can finish taking the bolt out. That's a common problem a mechanic sees haha
Husky is still the best in th world
Lol okay
another problem with cheap wrenches,which i have plenty of,, is the thickness of the beam,,,if its really thin it will "cut" into your hand while loosening or tightening and hurt... a thicker beam ,"craftsman" will not hurt like a thin beam will,,,say what u will about chinese wrenches, they are at least usuable while any "tool" from INDIA is scrap metal in disguise..i wish this vid have been finished off by getting some USA made craftsman,snap-on,mac, thorsen,etc and tested them ....
Measure the bolt head to start with.
Measure the gap between the two sides of the wrench.
The Craftsman seem to fit the bolt head the best when you started.
Was it the bolt or the wrench that gave the right fit?
Yep, i also noticed the Craftsman fit the bolt head the tightest. The other wrenches had more play to start with. Why do these manufacture have such loose tolerances?
I work in my families auto shop, none of the tool truck brands are worth the price. All of the tool boxes are full of snapon, mac and matco tools. ask any mechanic at our shop and they will tell you that gearwrench is better and cheaper. the tool trucks will tell you that you pay for quality. this is the same mindset that you should go to a dealership over a small shop such as our shop because the dealership is more expensive. do not listen to a single person that any tool is better than any other brand. our small shop uses from snapon to pittsburgh tools. they all get the job done. we use pittsburgh tools to work on our tow trucks which take massive BOLTS not fasteners. stupid language. they are bolts not fasteners. the tow trucks take massive torque on huge bolts and we use cheap and expensive tools. do not listen or look for brand, use what you can to get the job done.
im surprises chinese craftsman is still good. Probably not as good as Made in USA ones but still
If they are not as strong, is getting adjustable wrench better ?
Adjustable wrenches are convenient. It really depends on the application. Your bicycle? Sure.. I wouldn’t use it for heavy duty applications. Like bell housing bolts on a transmission.
Pittsburgh is good depends how use them
Do craftsman against DeWalt.
Craftman is Chinese but specs are American cause it looks just like my old craftsman wrenches.
Craftsman also weighs as much as two of the other wrenches.
It’s not the polishing, it’s the heat treatment. Also the box end is for high torque use and these wrenches could all twist off the bolts.
Ok craftsman it is. Good bye every other brand
Great idea, but no torque measurements renders your efforts pointless…!
why do none of them fit that bolt right lol
What about tekton heard their amazing.
I'm not sure why you commented this. He tested it and it failed the test.
I think the test was faulty since there is no torque meter to tell how much force was applied. And I have a hard time believing that a Chinese made, zombie company owned, product would outperform a Taiwanese made product owned by a company that makes other products in the US and SEEMS to care about their customers and products.
I'm not surprised that most of these wrenches couldn't snap off that bolt, but that the Chinese Craftsman was the only one that did is weird.
I'm NOT saying good products CAN'T be made in China, just that they usually aren't (like 99.9999999% of the time!)
@@woodworkerroyer8497
The test if faulty because he is using the wrong wrench sizes lol.
Anyone who shits on Tekton Tools is either stupid, or a total schill. Do not waste your money on the "big boys". I sold 99% of my snap-on stuff and have only used Tekton tools for years.
u need a wright grip for this test
@@NunYa953 is that true man???? Amazing if what you said is true, because I just ordered a 16 mm flexhead wrench , I hope you are right man.
1. This is an absurd test. 2. You guys are a dime a dozen on TH-cam.
chrome vs oily hands is no Bueno mi amigo
All you guys are the same. Destroy tools on youtube. I said it before with everybody else, unless your a metallurgist, what exactly are you trying to prove? That you've got money to burn? Why dont you throw a snapon, or mac on that bolt? I'll bet they do the same thing. It's the cheap bolts that are inconsistent. Using a cheater bar is a backyard mechanic trait. You use a box end to break a bolt free. The open end is intended for tight spots where a boxend wont fit.
Tekton got Exposed.. LOL
guess since it's same for all maybe some value in this test
Here is an actual wrench test
th-cam.com/video/187rUPMegdQ/w-d-xo.html
You are leaving out a discussion of metallurgy. That is the biggest reason for the slipping.
Not a good test for open end, should of used box end
This doesn't show or prove anything...we have no idea what kind of pressure each wrench starts slipping at. What a waste of time. Get some pointers from project farm if you want to do tool reviews.
What does “pressure” have to do with getting the job done? He performed the test with a gross display of misuse of a wrench. I have never stopped in the middle of a tough job and said “if I only had more PSI on this wrench the stuck faster would come off in a more optimum fashion.” This isn’t an engineer circle jerk session, it’s a guy messing with some wrenches.
Same crap over and over trying to test wrenches.....
dude seems the bolts are the issue here
The best part about craftsman, old and new i guess, is how fat they are. They don't flex. The worst thing about craftsman, old and new i guess, is how fat they are. They don't fit well in tight areas.
At the end of the day... Superwrench. Kunuckle smasher, Pro ASD, Wrightgrippy, Thorsen I beam,Bonney, and...FD++ $$$ Strap-In. Leave the toys for the gurl scouts and B-words. Cub scout will be prohibited soon. Anti-bearetic slur !
Kobalt is crap. A fluke it worked for you. I bought a set from Lowes. They were like butter broken from using one time. Lowes is junk and they wouldn't refund or replace either.
if you can dodge a wrench you can dodge a ball...
this is stupid. you are just testing each wrench to failure, without some kind of psi measurement this is pointless....bleh
Not a good test at all
A lot democrats down below LMAO
What exactly does a guy want, a snapped off bolt that was already stuck pretty bad he has to get out or at least a head to work on even if it's rounded? I want the open end wrench to fail before the bolt does. The best open end wrench is the one that puts the most torque out before it flexes and fails, not the one that rips the head off the bolt.
fantastic insight