13 Brands of European vs U.S. Wrenches Hazet, Wera, Snap-On, Mac, Proto & More

[@TorqueTestChannel]

I hope our European friends appreciate the European posting time of this video :P BTW, we ordered a Facom 2 months ago and it's still not here

[@Tankliker]

Maybe make "blast from the past" episode where viewers send you wrenches from brands that don't exist anymore.

[@pmrpla]

Of the big European ones I think you've only missed Facom. Not all of this brands are manufactured in Europe though, some are made in Taiwan or Argentina, like Bahco. Stahlwille is one of Germany's top tool brands and used in aviation, so wierd score 😕

[@TorqueTestChannel]

@@pmrpla Yeah not all our wrenches came with country of origin on them or packaging, which is weird. Must be a U.S. law. So we often just mentioned the country the brand is if it doesn't say for sure.

[@pmrpla]

@@TorqueTestChannel yes, I believe it's a US law and in Europe brands can choose not to mention it but I've found that when it's made in Europe they'll usually say it for marketing purposes otherwise it's probably from Taiwan.

[@Ovatione]

I agree with Pedro, stahlwille should preform better. Wera joker 6000 should preform better than the 6003 aswel. Thanks for including the European countries.

[@Wised1000]

90% of the time when an open wrench slips, its not the wrench, its the nut.

[@Doktorvollcrass]

Yes 😂😂😂

[@-KetTune-]

@@Doktorvollcrass Europeans dont push the open end wrenches to the limit. We have bunch of other tools.

[@CheeseMiser]

But not here

[@kuchenblechmafiagmbh1381]

Funfact according to these German tool brands: All of them are located in Wuppertal-Cronenberg (Wera, Stahlwille and also Knipex) which is an outskirt in the south of Wuppertal and closer to Remscheid than Wuppertal and Remscheid is the home of Hazet, Gedore and Heyco. And just a few kilometres more western is Solingen which is very well known for it's knife-/blademakers, for example Eickhorn is there who make the Bundeswehr's KM2000 (Combat Knife 2000), also the Bayonet 2000 used by Dutch and Canadian Army, Tondeo (who make popular hairdressing scissors), Zwilling (Kitchen knives), Wilkinson Sword has a production site there.

[@naftyloescher]

Die gute alte Kuchenblechmafia :DDD

[@Liguehunters]

@@naftyloescher Wie man sieht ist der Tresor eigentlich schon auf. Es handelt sich nur noch um sekunden.

[@Fr4cturedMind]

These locations sound made up lmao.

[@grossmeister1181]

@@Fr4cturedMind They're not, his facts are true. "Wuppertal" is the "valley of the river Wupper"

[@boblordylordyhowie]

Walter Werkzeuge is also there and produce a lot of tools for Aldi and also produced tools for the local mining operations, which is why they started up there.

[@GeneralPoison]

Sorry, the Bahco aren't made in Sweden.. they moved their manufacturing (of most handtools) to Argentina in the 80-ies, and haven't returned since..

[@testaccount2343]

Bahco is made in Taiwan

[@qtprot]

Yup, unfortunately not sweden anymore. Still have their OG Sweden-made tools at home, big time difference

[@GeneralPoison]

Taiwan sounds reasonable... Think they make saws and some variants of pliers here in Sweden now...

[@TheOystei]

@@GeneralPoison the snapon hacksaw blades are actually bacho's, and the highest end bacho ratchets are snap on with bacho grips. but their regular ratchets are nothing special.

[@Averna222]

I'd have to double check when I get to work, but I believe my bahco pipe wrench was made in Spain.

[@oj2372]

Why I love my Hazet wrenches: The profile makes them really comfortable. The finish makes them less slippy compared to shiny ones

[@louisspataro278]

I worked on Mercedeses exclusively for 20 years or so and I came to rely on Hazet sockets and wrenches. They really fit the fasteners nice and snug and generally were significantly cheaper than Snappy. Thanks for the video.

[@nikthepenguin7854]

Hazet is like Snappy for Germans.

[@tigervv6437]

Original Mercedes-Benz tools and special equipment are mostly manufactured by Hazet. I work at a Mercedes-Benz specialist in Europe and we have standard tools from Snap-On, but all original tools are Hazet.

[@tigervv6437]

@polar bear Generally, yes. But mostly special tools.

[@mrtopcat2]

@@tigervv6437 That is interesting. As far as I knew, mostly Airlines were using Snap-On in Germany and perhaps some small shops. There aren't many Snap-On dealers in Europe to begin with. I started building my Snap-On's collection in Germany, so I was customer at one of those dealers. I later moved to the US and now have really built my Snap-On collection. I like Hazet very much, but their ratchets seem bulky. Snap-On has the nicest ratchets in my opinion. Also in my opinion Snap-On has by far the nicest and by far highest quality tool boxes in the industry.

[@kurtwagner16]

@@tigervv6437 not just for mercedes, vag too

[@PropperNaughtyGeezer]

I love Hazet. A little expensive for hobbyists but ideal for the professional workshop. If you break it, you send it to Hazet or give it to the Hazet man and you get a new one.

[@burgitech8643]

It won't break, as it is quite elastic, as you have seen...

[@YaksAttack]

This makes me feel a lot more content with my recent purchase of a standard and metric set of Proto wrenches to replace my cheap gear wrench set. They are so nice to use

[@Mis73rRand0m]

I've had a smattering of hand-me-down Proto tools for years and have never been disappointed! I'll gladly support them properly by doing the same as you soon.

[@potatoboy792]

I love the proto set, I ended up buying the wright set which are extremely similar to the proto satin ones. All our shop owned tools are proto otherwise I would've gotten the proto ones 😭

[@ecpruthless]

i went back n forth on buying proto or wright....ended up going with proto due to the extra length on each wrench....prob cant go wrong either way, wright tools are supposed to have the death grip

[@adampetten1009]

I have some proto and its top notch.

[@benjurqunov]

Proto seems often overlooked as the top performer it is. Excepting their ratchets which are excellent albeit clunky design & bulky. I'll buy Proto any day.

[@eugenenalpin6058]

The King Dick jokes and puns in this video are some of the best deadpan comedy that I've seen in a while

[@johncande1]

After they tested it, it became Broke D**k. Sorry, I had no choice.

[@MrTL3wis]

"I broke my Dick!"

[@randomviewer3494]

as a european, nice to see some more european stuff too. Gonna be interesting to see the results at the end of the video :)

[@ratchetwise440]

Didja see how them bloody MG-Triumph(queens favorite male appendage) performed ? As expected. Shoulda got the Taiwan Rolls-Royce---Britool. What was pretty impressive was Hazet. They're popular in Central America ,with the Oligarchs

[@KolyanKolyanitch]

As a european, I've never seen those brands in my life, and I work with wrenches every day.

[@ratchetwise440]

@@KolyanKolyanitch Um what brands ? Kroma Banadim or farfergnutenz ?

[@KolyanKolyanitch]

@@ratchetwise440 nah, kromabanadium is everywhere, looks like they own every other companyXD

[@vasili1207]

@@KolyanKolyanitch same

[@mechanicmike7954]

I'm German. I mostly own Gedore and Wera. I have a very old Heyco set too. (How old? It says "Made in West Germany" on it. So older than 30 years🙂. Maybe older than me.) I am very surprised by the Stahlwille results. Always struck me as a quality brand. Expensive too. The more you know... Keep up the good work. Great videos!

[@simonh6371]

I bought a set of Draper but old with the magic words ''Made in West Germany'' on them too. Nowadays Draper are not really high quality as they outsource to the Far East. Also some old W. Germany pliers, and a Draper (Schroeder) hand drill. All of them are immaculate with zero rust, they were unused when I bought them, so-called ''new old stock''. I believe the quality was better back then, even here in England a common expression is ''they don't make stuff like they used to''. For other tools I go Swedish, like my old Bahco adjustable spanner from the 70s (now they outsource to Spain, France and Taiwan which isn't bad but I just prefer original Swedish), Sandvik saw, and Oberg files.

[@Giovanniko1]

I have a plastic travel clock I bought in Greece when working as a mechanic in the 1980's. It says West Germany on it too. The coolest thing is that's it's still ticking. I change the AA battery once every 3 years or so.

[@hydraman5]

When I was an apprentice in Sheffield,England in 1980 I was issued with Gedore and Heyco.still got them.mostly!

[@grahamleiper1538]

I inherited a Hazet socket set that I'm guessing predated West Germany markings (my grandfather retired in the 1970s and this was from before then - he definitely wasn't buying tools in the '90s).

[@frankblack1481]

I was surprised by the ‘Steel Willy’ too but I always thing the thin beam and c-section of German wrenches mean they are never intended for the 200lb gorilla. Maybe that’s copium but I have snap-on as well and the thin wall and slim fit of the Stahlwille and Hazets are always my preference.

[@tntfreddan3138]

I have an entire tool box from Bahco. Both Metric and Imperial sockets, a 10-piece set of wrenches. I'm actually really happy with it. The man who founded the company which later became Bahco also invented the pipe wrench and adjustable wrench.

[@PaulG.x]

Stilson McCrescent?

[@TheRealDr.Mabuse]

@@PaulG.x Johan Petter Johansson patented his version of said wrenches.

[@mothbreeder641]

@@PaulG.x They don't work or look similar at all.

[@cockiesun]

In the NL we call an adjustable wrench a 'bahco'.

[@dukefx32]

Finally, the video I've been waiting for. Those Stahlwille numbers were def. not what I was expecting. Most of my wrenches are Stahlwille. They have the tightest tolerances of all my wrenches beating even the few Hazets I have. I also have Gedore, but only the German made ratcheting ones. Either Stahlwille standards have dropped or you got a bad batch. I wish I had a setup like that to test them out myself, but in practice the Stahlwilles never slip without any cheater bar and always require a lot of fastener cleaning due to tight tolerances.

[@autobootpiloot]

I have noticed with my openbox 13 wrenches the box side is very strong but the open side is mediocre.

[@dukefx32]

@@autobootpiloot the open ends are standard and have no special features or useless gimmicks like a V groove or anything. I think it's the tolerances and careful engineering that gives them a good grip and long life. They are rather on the soft side (which is also proven in the video) and should never break. I've seen a video where they used a really long extension and the jaws got flattened a bit, but that's it.

[@LabiaLicker]

Yeah very surprised. Brands like Stahlwille can't afford to have a bad batch. That said, I feel very comfortable saying Stahlwille make the best non-digital torque wrench money can buy the Stahlwille Manoskop.

[@ChargerE49VC]

I have some Stahlwilles 14 series from the mid-80's, and yes, I do believe their standards in their open ends have not been as good as in the past. I bought a boxed set 3 years back and first wrench I used was 10mm open end. It slipped just like here. Thinking I got a dud, took it back and sure enough: same thing (at what I believe wasn't a huge torque load). Ever since I've had a few others from the set do the same thing. I use my US made wrenches on all my open end application s from then on. They (Willys) seem to 'Feel' softer but maybe I'm imagining that.

[@xerxes456]

I agree with you. Was Sthalwille a copy from china mine have a great grip with rounded nuts to

[@CrookedSkew]

Massive kudos for testing all those European brands - very comprehensive! Thank you.

[@kenm724]

I absolutely love my Proto Wrenches. I’ve sworn by them since I got a set 4 years ago. I have a box full of other wrenches that never get used anymore 🤣

[@proscriptus]

I've been eyeing them for years, but I feel like it's going to be a lot easier to justify the expense now.

[@kenm724]

@@proscriptus we ended up with a handful at work and that was what got me hooked.

[@sakariaaltonen7428]

I guess they perform nice if you have lots of room to work with. As seen in the table above, the ones that got most torque before slipping were USA made bulky-as-hell hand cannons. Absolutely gigantic girth. Perhaps good for securing the barn doors for Texas Longhorns but other than that, forget it. Time for the good old grindstone when it needs to fit inside a machine, no?

[@25centsapop]

I've said it before and I'll say it again... proto has a certain place in my heart for their open end wrenches. It's all my dad had and has given me and I'll always love them

[@williamstevens4172]

I've used both Wright and proto wrenchs professionally, and from personal experience it comes as no surprise they're up at the top. I was fortunate and exposed to the brands as an apprentice

[@Belidonk]

As someone from the city of Remscheid, home of Gedore, Matador, Heyco, Cimco, Hazet and many more I enjoy your channel. BTW The german tool museum is located in our city too. I think you would enjoy a visit of the Werkzeugstadt Remscheid("the Tool City") :D

[@TheXJRMAN]

Man I lament our manufacturing industry in the UK, we had 2 regions that were the equal, in Birmingham and Sheffield, home of the finest steel. Britool, Churchill, Mole, King Dick, Bedford, Sykes Pickavant, Gordon, Williams, etc etc. Their tools are still around but almost all of them have long gone. So sad.

[@feieralarm]

Considering how popular Stahlwille is in aircraft maintenance, I'm actually a little surprised about their fairly loose tolerances.

[@sebastianhjdbejyu]

maybe accidentally get an imitation bad copy? Stahlwille actually belongs to the most stable. Experience value and tested.

[@TomiBorchert]

stahwille original or nowadays tools? there's a difference. old ones last longer and are better.

[@fujimotosan9123]

​@@TomiBorchert martensite cures by the years or extreme cold. Some pros deep freeze new steel parts and tools -20F for days before using them to convert remaining bainite domains. Then they will be like the old ones as the steel swells when bainite is largely present

[@philipp594]

There are norms for tolerances. 0 tolerance makes it really hard to get onto fasteners especially ones that oxidised.

[@jaakkopontinen]

All brands will get tarnished by poor quality runs or altogether. A business cannot stay in operation without finding balance of quality vs cost. This is even more unavoidable for businesses in a competitive field like wrenches.

[@jonathansherwood5841]

All of us guys out there winced when that wrench snapped. A broken King Richard does not make for a good day, but it does make for good KZbin content! 🐺🔧

[@Ginos_Driveway]

Finally tested Proto Anti-Slip, my favorite wrenches. They are so worth the money

[@TorqueTestChannel]

We tested them in our 6pt vs 12pt vs spline wrench video and they did best there too. Fun fact, a lot of commenters hate that video, under the impression spline wrenches are just for spline bolt heads. But brands sell a whole lotta spline wrenches into shops, and we aint out here working on jet aircraft.

[@manga12]

@@TorqueTestChannel so based on the results if one can afford it go for proto? even though some of the usa made is not as tighter tolarance?

[@Mis73rRand0m]

it's pretty clear that the "spring" action on some wrenches negates the extra "take-up" from the .05mish slop. I've been praising Proto for years and they seem to never disappoint.

[@TorqueTestChannel]

@@manga12 Proto or Wrightgrip 2.0. The Wright seem to slip less and slipped zero when it maxed this thing out, where as the Proto was moving but has a tighter clearance on the opening. Just no way to translate that somewhat slipping into numbers when both did max it out without completing rounding it.

[@ScoutersGames]

@@TorqueTestChannel the funny thing is that the proto and Mac wrench are the same it’s like comparing Mac and dewalt which is why I buy from the SBD family especially for wrench’s if I feel my wrench about to slip I know that I need something like heat or pb blaster to help lossen it

[@helloarigato]

I'm shocked by the Stahwille's poor score 😢. Would love to see you test another one in case that one was a lemon

[@wingtip76]

I would choose Stahlwille over any brand of tools everytime.

[@zandkapel]

@@wingtip76 comes to me a surprise as well, i have been using mine professionally for 15 years, together with snapon, gedore, hazet, kraftwerk, beta, custor and stahlwille is to me the gold standard, only hazet comes close

[@microcolonel]

Dude, if it's a solid material hand tool, there should be no lemons... that's what quality control is for.

[@karlscher5170]

The original is called StahLwille. The producers vought a cheap chinese fake vrand.

[@andreashabeck1155]

​@@karlscher5170 on the wrench it says "StahLwille", they just made a mistake on the chart

[@free2chasehappy]

Please add more Japanese tools to the test! I am a big fan of their ratchets! Amazing quality and very competitive price!

[@greg-mot]

Brand?

[@free2chasehappy]

@@greg-mot brands like Tone, KTC (Nepros), Koken, Vessel, etc. Check them out, I think you will be satisfied.

[@gerardarbiol1664]

Ktc nepros tone asahi

[@leotam3372]

@@gerardarbiol1664 Koken as well

[@WHATDATTOOLDO]

Nepros rats just have nice crome that's about it.. koken rats tho those are nice ratchets

[@jmmtcidc]

That insert thing on the Wera has teeth and is hardened. It’s advertised to help prevent slipping by biting into the fastener. It would be interesting to see if it makes a difference.

[@feanor5037]

This. I'm a massive Wera fan but was so disappointed with the Joker spanners (without the insert) the first time I used them, they just seem to be very good at rounding off nuts - so I wasn't surprised by this result. So I also would love to see if/how much the insert makes a difference!

[@__________f9433]

Wera spanners are garbage. I bought a set and been using as primary set for last three years. They are sooo garbage and expensive

[@hiddenInsight486]

I have a 4pc set with the inserts (work provided), I like the feel and have not had any slipping or rounding issues, but they are overly thick and don't always fit in the space I need them to fit into

[@steveg2479]

I use the ratcheting ones for construction/ carpentry, and they are great for that. Horses for courses I suppose.

[@jothain]

Wera Joker is by far the worst hand tool I've used in recent years. Awful abomination of design. They're huge sized, angles are just bad and they're even unergonomic to use. I got to use them for a while and ditched them and got back to Stahlwille. I just couldn't stand to use Joker's. Wera makes good stuff, but Joker is an absolute joke.

[@TrackstarBR]

I have the Proto wrenches but with the 6 point box end and the Wright wrenches. I grab the Wright most of the time but I love the Proto too. I’m the only one in the shop without tool truck wrenches. From the test and ranks it looks like I made a good choice by saving some money but still going USA made.

[@mmillect]

As much as I enjoy my Proto tools, there's something special about Wright. I don't own any Wright wrenches, but if the lottery ever works out for me... I do have some ratchets and sockets though, I like their 1/2"+ drive impact sockets, and my favorite is their double pawl ratchets.

[@djosbun]

Agreed 100%!

[@ihavethedocuments2580]

Back when I was still in the trades I thought Mac were the best truck tools for the money, though I was never a auto tech. Proto are engineered for Industrial work, but they are fantastic for automotive likewise. Proto and Wright tools make truck tool fan boys blush.

[@77gravity]

Your testing shows why I will ALWAYS use a ring spanner when possible. Next comes a socket, and open spanner is the last choice.

[@KindredBrujah]

Apparently he doesn't test the box spanners because they'd all strip the bolt head before failing.

[@matchesder]

The Stahlwille (you pronounced correctly) Open Box 14 have weaker jaws than the much shorter Open Box 13. These should hold much more. You may try them in opposite direction. I‘m not sure if Hazet sells different sets overseas but the set 600spc should contain wrenches of the 600N series they are longer and stronger than the 603 you tested. The strongest I know are the 600lg and Gedore 7XL.

[@davidparker9676]

The Proto results are impressive. I have had great luck with Heyco wrenches, they don't look impressive but they work great!

[@guest6423]

If you're putting extensions on your wrenches, and bringing fasteners to near failure, this test is really important to you. For people who use tools correctly, and observe proper torque limits, less so... but this is the Torque Test Channel. More important for most users would be comfort and ease of access in tight spots. The tight tolerances praised can also be a liability, because, while that's good for reducing fastener rounding, it also makes it more difficult to get the wrench positioned onto the fastener, especially when access is difficult. I'm certain that my cheap, beat-up wrenches would fare miserably in these tests, but they always do the job.

[@19ghost73]

This was the STAHLWILLE "Open Box 14"-series wrench, which has a slimmer / more narrow open end than the HAZET-wrench. That's why the jaw/open end opened earlier = yielded less torque. The better comparison would have been the "Open Box 13"-series wrench, as it has a jaw/open end very similar to HAZET. In short: STAHLWILLE "14" for tight quarters, "13" for full strength. Or any other German wrench for that matter. ;)

[@Robde84]

I noticed my stahlwille 14 series has quite a thick head compared to 13 series. The 13 is much stronger. I noticed as soon as I started using 14's they were a bit soft. I like the box end though 👍

[@hadial-saadoon2114]

My Hazet and Stahwille sets are still kicking after 45 years. You can't beat the ergonomics of them, and the offset box wrenches are excellent for awkward placements. I'm retired now but have always preferred them to my SnapOn and Mac sets.

[@TheOystei]

Surprising the King Dick actually broke. Is there any possibility to check with another one if this is a isolated bad unit or just a bad product?

[@efreeze287]

With that hardness rating it's no surprise, maybe something went wrong in the heat treating process

[@Matt123a]

Clearly false advertising, for if it was the king dick, it would be the hardest and last the longest. That's what she said.

[@dainsmart6237]

​@Chase Williams hope not, im from Sheffield England where they are made they have always made out standing tools .

[@KPV_UK]

@Chase Williams now owned by Silverline / Toolstream

[@vasili1207]

@@dainsmart6237 have a old set from 70s proper Sheffield steel best in the world

[@valefur72]

In Italy we use Beta and USAG brands. Both very good.

[@scottshawn70]

Im blown away by the extremely high pricing of the MAC for such a low ranking.. but also amazed at the high ranking of the Harbor Freight Icon for a low cost.

[@brostelio]

The fact that there's a channel with this title just made my day. Not because I'm a mechanic, but because it reminds me that some people are truly awesome.

[@NP-rh3dt]

Didn't surprise me that Proto came out on top. Even their non ASD wrenches are fantastic. I work in heavy industry so brands like Proto, Wright, and Williams are most of what we use.

[@bf3forevergreene165]

I’m thinking of gettin wright wrenches and possibly sockets would you recommend them?

[@duck0fdeathc336]

Wright tools are great best big wrenches on the market if your talking 11/2” n above @@bf3forevergreene165

[@Ronis88]

Don't change jaw direction! That messes with tests.

[@malkierie]

Guys as a professional mechanic I have found your real nuts and bolts torque testing of Fasteners and what grips them best to be invaluable when it comes to expanding the tools that I'm putting in my toolbox

[@antonioremedios5779]

My Heyco’s have never let me down. Having used both finishes, i really fell in love with the euro sand blast finish.

[@texasforever7887]

That sand blast finish look is different. At first glance my first impression though is its made of cheap low quality metal as the only tools I've every seen with similar look is cheap Chinese no name junk tools. Although that is just from the look as I have never held one but for looks alone my brain screams cheap junk. I would recommend any European tool company looking at the US market avoid that finish at first for that reason.

[@fookorf]

@@texasforever7887 as if you yanks are known to have high standards.

[@LawpickingLocksmith]

Love your hardness test making this channel perhaps the most trustworthy!

[@garychlastawa8277]

I have a set of Wright tools wrenches and I really like them. I ordered them off haus of tools. It said "extended lead time " when I ordered them. I thought it would be a couple months maybe, took 6 months to get them. Had some extra money ay the tome and really wanted some made in USA wrenches. Glad I bought them.

[@lkchild]

I’m shocked at the King Dick - that must have been faulty. If you do another test can you include Britool?

[@kirstenspencer3630]

The open grain of the break surprised me too. Also fracture line showed no tearing. Kinda dangerous up on a conveyor with an unexpected failure, not to mention the TIME IT TAKES TO GO OUT TO THE SERVICE TRUCK TO FIND ANOTHER WRENCH.

[@dainsmart6237]

The real ( Britool England ) not britool expert Taiwan 👍🏻 definitely then we will have a proper chance and settle the score USA vs England 🇬🇧😊 good old days🥹

[@nervsouly]

I'm shocked I watched a video where a guy broke his dick.

[@rvarsigfusson6163]

Broke a tool when tighten a bolt in a tight place..... nocked me out when I hit my self in the eye.

[@nervsouly]

@@rvarsigfusson6163 is the eye ok?

[@joshuavillnave3804]

I notice a 9:54 in the video you have 3 different proto combination wrenches. I'm having a hard time finding the one at the bottom that has the new proto logo with larger size marking, do you know how I can get these?

[@bonzibuddy5327]

I work on ships and abuse my tools daily, those williams supercombo wrenches are by far the best wrenches I have ever used. They feel great, they're a little bit longer than average so theres more leverage, you can double wrench them and beat on them with hammers all day long and most important I've never had one slip. Coud not recomend the williams super combo enough

[@marksolheim9690]

I tell everyone the same, they don’t have any quit in them and you won’t be disappointed if you hold one.

[@Nanan00]

We use those proto wrenches in our shop and those things are damn nice. When wrenches get to large bolting range we typically go with wright wrenches for a few reasons but price is a big one, the wright wrenches are half the price of the proto ones which adds up quickly when the wright ones are still around $100 for a 1 5/8".

[@jozsefizsak]

The objective data is very interesting and useful but in the case of wrenches, subjective criteria are very significant as well, in particular comfort, assuming one is not wearing leather gloves. Also, how often would we apply a lot of torque on an open end wrench if there is clearance for the closed end to be used? Anyway, great channel!

[@timothydavis1894]

I made the hex test block for Mac and made the precision rounded bolts. Didn't know that's what it was for until I saw some videos about it.

[@egx161]

There’s a good reason spanner wrenches come in so many flavors. They each have their application. I don’t buy sets but individual wrenches from a panoply of manufacturers. Yes, the Williams superCombo is an excellent wrench but I also love Hazet long thin wrenches. Most of my collection is USA and Germany.

[@mbeezy4704]

This is what I needed at 3 o'clock in the morning coming back from a bar. Brilliant!

[@ashleywebb2736]

Bladderrd and disappearing down the wrench rabbit hole😂😂 men are all the same. Still beats disappearing down the dirty women rabbit hole, so to speak

[@k.kristianjonsson1537]

Bahco is not what it used to be. My Bahco tools are more then 50 years old. "In 1999 American Snap-on took over Bahco and in 2005 the company merged with Herramientas Eurotools S.A. The following year Bahco's factory in Enköping was closed and nowadays Bahco's famous wrenches are manufactured in Spain"

[@nosebeersforbreakfast]

The Williams wrench is exactly the same as my CAT wrenches I bought from my local dealer. They work awesome and are significantly cheaper than snap on, they sure are nice on the hands with the rounded edges.

[@jaycarva]

Excellent job TTC, I would love to see how the Euro brands stack up in the flare nut test against the others you've already tested.

[@carlomaxdarold9434]

Interesting video, thanks. Maximum torque is not the only parameter to judge a wrench, but that's a good point to start. Just for info, Beta #52 is made in Italy, while #42LMP is not, for industrial choice. The right tool to compare is historical Beta #42, 100% made in Sovico, Italy. Anyhow, well done!

[@echalote0man]

if you can get you hand on it, you should try a facom. the newer ones have non slip design and as a mecanic i use them every day. I will be curious to see them against other brands

[@rvarsigfusson6163]

Like them too..... bought it some 25-30 years ago.

[@Wonderwrench]

I worked as a ASE Master auto tech for well over 20 years and can count on one hand how many times I used an open end wrench to torque or un-torque fasteners. Sockets or box end wrenches always come first when possible. Open end wrenches were sometimes used to speed install or removal of the fastener previously broken loose but rarely. I can see the need to test open end wrenches but give little weight to the results. One thing I find missing from your testing is open end spreading during testing. I would guess most if not all wrenches spread during testing and are now paper weights.

[@stonewp]

The Stahlwille result is surprising. That’s what I have for my nice wrenches and they work great. However, I never use the open in of the wrench unless the box end won’t fit. The Stahlwille has a narrower open end than my other wrenches which allows it to fit into more places, but likely contributes to its low score. The flank drive and other gripping heads are a non-starter for me. If I need extra grip I’ll choose the box end or a socket rather than marring up the head of the fastener. Depends on what you’re working on though.

[@karlscher5170]

Pay attention. The brand in the video writes Stahwille missing the L. Fake brand.

[@stonewp]

@@karlscher5170 the wrench in the video is stamped STAHLWILLE with both L’s.

[@karlscher5170]

@@stonewp Yet the Logo was wrong

[@stonewp]

@@karlscher5170 which logo are you looking at? The wrench looks authentic.

[@karlscher5170]

@@stonewp the one in the video graphics

[@afellowinnewengland6142]

Wow, awesome collection of brands! So excited to see iconic brands like Mac, King Dick, Hazet and Cornwell represented. This made my weekend. I’ll be honest though- I value the box end performance as much as the open end. Can we flip them around and do a second video testing all of them? Perhaps King Dick can make a comeback!

[@TorqueTestChannel]

They all can break a bolt head with a box end

[@afellowinnewengland6142]

@@TorqueTestChannel Are you saying you tested them all and that's what happened- or you THINK that will happen? Project Farm got some combination wrenches that definitely rounded the bolt head with the box end in his test. Not all are created equal and some have too much taper.

[@TorqueTestChannel]

@@afellowinnewengland6142 Didn't he use washers to push the wrench off the head to not have full engagement? This is required because otherwise they all break the hardware. We've tested this i the 6 vs 12 vs spline testing, we needed to 30% round the hardware to get data

[@afellowinnewengland6142]

@@TorqueTestChannel That's a fair point about the washers. I guess from my vantage as a retired tech- I've experienced stripped bolts on older vehicles in the rust belt with certain brands using the box end. Usually smaller stuff. Usually doesn't happen with my Snap-On or USA Craftsman stuff (yeah yeah I'm old) but I've had some horrible experiences with other brands. Knowing how much slop there is on the box end and confirming it holds well is important to me. However, I can see your point that under ideal circumstances they might all break the bolt. Perhaps Project Farm was on to something trying to replicate the bolts we might deal with in the real world. Think you could do a better version perhaps by either rounding the bolts or rusting them? Appreciate you taking the time to respond!

[@davidweston9115]

King Dick isn't a brand anymore. It's like RCA or Bell and Howell. The company is gone, but the heirs still license their name for a very cheap price to factories in China who have no recognizable name. It's just a name they stamp on chinese junk and sell to folks who are not aware the factory in England shut down years ago, the employees abandoned, and the last of stock of good English tools and machines to make them sold at auction. So no, there will be no comeback!!! It's as dead as the Concorde and the SR-71 blackbird. This even happened to Polaroid. But after about 15 years of this some old Polaroid employees got enough money to buy the name back for themselves and now they don't license it to any garbage purveyors anymore. But the new Polaroid film is no good. Even these well meaning guys can't get the good chemicals and couldn't get the rights to the real recipes from the crook who took down the original Polaroid company in the first place.

[@gutsngorrrr]

Wow, The King Dick breaking like that, I have never seen that happen. I believe the company has been taken over recently and a lot of the tools are no longer made in the UK. like so many other great British company names, that used to stand for quality ruined by greed.

[@lutherburgsvik6849]

That would explain why they have a different aesthetic to the KD spanners I'm familiar with which always had a distinct look to them.

[@heybabycometobutthead]

@@lutherburgsvik6849 Yep, they used to be matt chrome finished like Gedore tools, I've never seen polished chrome tools from them which makes me think that's been outsourced abroad.

[@hypergolic8468]

@@heybabycometobutthead Yes: I'd agree, looks to be an outsourced thing, it's the sort of cheap spanner failure you'd see form a cheap Chinese set. And these days' it's allowed to put "Made in England" on if some small part of the manufacturing was done in the UK - like polishing the tool! Whatever: that was an appalling demonstration for the brand, and I have King Dick spanners that have really had some force put on them and they have not let me down. The question I have now is: would I purchase more?

[@typhoon-7]

It didn't looke anything like a real KD. I've been working on trucks here for decades and have used Halfords Professional tools. Never had an issue with them.

[@jonbeargenx]

I like my Hazet tools. They are slim and light. Easy to get in difficult to reach places.

[@pequod1]

Facom, Teng and Unior would be good to see, along with some of the Euro hardware store brands (Biltema, Halfords etc)

[@4kirb]

Halfords Professional/Advanced Set are amazing value, given that halfords will replace them if they break doing the job they were designed for.

[@firesurfer]

I always headed for the mall when I found myself in France. Straight to the tool section. I have a fondness for Facon.

[@patmat.]

Agree about Facom, just made the comment.

[@alan-sk7ky]

@@firesurfer ditto, spanners and socketry (3/8) here ;-) thus far I have managed to stop myself going into the bent tube spanner things I just cant see what i'd do with them that a socket or ring end wont etc.

[@ES-jk9nr]

I also saw Unior and Facom missing , only know hazed and gedore from the others

[@larrysayre824]

I just quit my job after 40 year's, working in a garage with so many different types of tools. I can remember some mechanics having accounts with as many as 3 different tool companies. I believe no there only a couple of the companies left with snap-on ruling The business. Snap-on has a lifetime warranty, but they can deny a replacement, to be honest it was a lot easier to get craftsman tolls replaced. I always had a craftsman wrench or socket available, I'm sure you know the reason never break the best when you can get a cheap replacement I guess now that craftsman is out of business their replacement will be Pittsburgh. Nice video and remember always safety first, I watched a mechanic replacing a u-joint loose a eye. While taking out old joint at the vice a needle bearing hit the edge of his eye, instead of stopping and flushing out the eyes he continued until later that night when he had to go to the hospital and found that he had rubbed the bearing under the eye at which point damage it beyond repair.

[@jeffreycaban5107]

Good showing by the Proto, Williams, and Cornwell Wrenches. Glad to see USA made still means something special.

[@KindredBrujah]

They feel kinda like your car engines. 500 horse power, but barely 5% performance gain over a 200 horse power European car.

[@Mimer6]

Bahco was the best tool before, when it was a Swedish brand with Sandviken steel. The problem was that they were more expensive than cheap low quality brands. In 1999 the American Snap-on Group Company bought up Bahco and lowered the quality to the standard of American crap tools and now only the Bahco brand remains and not the quality tools that Bahco made before.

[@johnpenwell6402]

Nice showing by Hazet, I have a socket / ratchet set from them that have held up well to use and abuse. I like the satin finish the German tool companies go for, dings and scratches don’t stand out like they do on a high polish tool. If you do a 4th round with those new MAC wrenches I’d suggest also trying out Icons other anti-slip wrench. Their ratcheting box end uses a different grip design than the fixed box end you guys have already tested.

[@TheBlaert]

The Wera Jokers are really useful in certain situations. Relatively expensive but I couldn't do without mine

[@Compasscard]

They make also decent screwdrivers and very very good bits. Some nifty tools for hard to reach places too.

[@ftkinney]

I see the Joker line more of specialty wrench just like I have a set of ultra thin Snap-On wrenches that you couldn’t compare to the rest of these wrenches.

[@TheBlaert]

@@ftkinney yeah as I say they're useful in certain situations.

[@theharbingerofconflation]

same

[@thesoundsmith]

A year later, and nobody noticed - the Williams @7:19, the math says $160 for 16 pieces, that's TEN DOLLAR PER WRENCH, not sixteen, as he says...

[@waynemccuen8213]

I've never found wrenches this humorous before. Thank you. Gr8 vid.

[@jaredappleseed7037]

Idk who recommended this list but I've been a Maintenance mechanic for 16 years and the best wrenches I've used are "wright tools" and armstrong which isn't around anymore but I believe wright still is

[@TorqueTestChannel]

Wright has been included already and mentioned here

[@jaredappleseed7037]

@Torque Test Channel oh excuse me ill stay in the truck then I see you have this handled

[@svn5994]

Wright was tested many months ago...

[@jaredappleseed7037]

​@Svn could've added batch #2 or #4 or wtf ever to avoid comments like these for new comers but again what do I know I'm not a youtuber 🤷

[@gamerjay6624]

Yeah i think Armstrong were part of the Danaher group, I bought Allen (same company) spanners years ago and they've been really good spanners, what i think this test didnt really cover was how a lot of spanners are used for different applications , like i have thin wall spanners for bulkhead fitting, heavier spanners for general work and long length spanners for when i want to skin my knuckles!

[@carbostar]

Started an apprenticeship in 1969 , I remember buying two sets of open-ended Britool spanners, later on in life I would complimented the spanners, with Britool sockets, these tools have never let me down, Williams I would rate , but If I had to chose , my Britool's everytime , I have a of mixture of spanners that have found there way into my possesstion tool jumbles and the like, some are good while others probably un branded are just blinking dangerous, thanks for the video I found it very informative.

[@hootsl99]

The only reason I am up at this ungodly time of day is because I went and saw John Wick 4 for my birthday.

[@MrShooter4]

I just happened to roll out of bed for a bathroom break and saw the notification for this video. So here I am.

[@litesp]

Happy Birthday!

[@LilasTools]

Happy birthday 🎉

[@rustydogrustydog9191]

Happy birthday, how was it?

[@Ligby]

Frig ur birthday. Hope the movie was fun tho

[@MrZimmaframe]

Halfords Advanced Spanners In England a very popular spanner set would be the Halfords Advanced spanners, they are more of medium budget brand that a lot of people in England have and use, by mechanics and home DIYers. I would happily send you a few spanners if needed. Other more budget spanners that get used by a lot of people are US Pro/ Bergen and then more premium Snap-on and Mac (already tested I see).

[@Built4Track]

Totally agree... Am I the only Brit that's never seen let alone handle a king dick?

[@Savagetechie]

The Halfords advance also have a lifetime warranty.

[@autumn5592]

Yes, I second Halfords Pro or Advanced. I have 2 sets of wrenches, and they are pretty much all I use. I do have some Snap on wrenches (gifted), and some vintage Britool, they are better in my experience, but I've never gone wrong with Halfords stuff.

[@jic1]

@Chase Williams I doubt it, because if they were, it would probably be all over the branding and website. The site doesn't say where they are made, which I assume means China or Taiwan.

[@jic1]

You consider Snap-on and Mac to be "budget"?

[@ruquik]

Just an FYI, The Mac Knuckle saver you tested is no longer in production. The sharp box "beam" was discontinued several years ago. What you get now from Mac tools is the Proto wrench you tested but branded at Mac Tools Knuckle Saver.

[@Hold3n916]

This is awesome, would love to see a comparison of Japanese wrenches in the future too 👀

[@77appyi]

other good EU spanners are Facom and Elora.. the Facam 440 jp gets bonus points as the ring end is designed to fit into a recess, and the open end, as well as the 15 degrees offset, has a little swan neck effect Facom is now part of Stanly and is also sold on the Mac van but the best Facom tools are still made in France

[@BadCactusJones]

I must admit I had my hopes up for King Richard. Only because I like the name. I'll have to find an adjustable wrench or something.

[@David-yf5fo]

Wiha has a line of combination wrenches now. On the American side, Wright, SK, and Martin are absent in this round.. Do we like wrenches that spread or break? If they spread, are they now out of tolerance?

[@thedarkknight1971]

It WOULD have been interesting to see what Halfords Professional tools would have ranked... Here in the UK we have a Car parts store - 'Halfords', and they have their own range of 'Professional' tools (spanners/wrenches, ratchets, sockets, screwdrivers and more) and all come with a Lifetime Guarantee (no receipt needed, just take broken tool in and they'll swap it)... 😎🇬🇧

[@KindredBrujah]

Based on the quality of most of the Halfords umbrella brands, I think there's about a 50% chance they're actually quite good and 50% chance they're dreadful.

[@thedarkknight1971]

@@KindredBrujah Yeah I'd agree, years back their basic tools and such were awful, but, the past 30 odd years, a dozen or so friends and I in our little 'Biker group' have been using Halfords 'Advanced' (formerly known as 'Professional' range of tools, and barring the occasional ratchet failure (though instantly swapped for new at the store) all tools have worked well (even taken some abuse too lol. This is why I thought about how Halfords Advanced tools would stack up against other known tool Brands... 🤔

[@goddamnfuturama]

We have a Swedish low-cost brand, Biltema, who actually has a 10 year warranty on most of their tools. I don't know if you have tested them before (I just stumbled onto this channel) but I would like to see how they perform. I could help you get your hands on some tools if needed.

[@nickdecker2350]

Japan has some cool ones too. Especially with sockets! KOKEN is up there with the best of them and even supply a lot of the larger impact sockets for most of the industrial brands out there. Also would make for good content because they cold forge their sockets vs hot forging that most of the american brands do so it would be cool to see some comparisons of that aspect of the tool design

[@nealblackburn8628]

if you need a socket Koken need to be in your final three

[@1997Bastiaan]

For this test you should have used a Stahlwille model 13 wrench. Its open end has a different design and doesnt give way as easy as model 14 wrenches. Maybe test it in a later video?

[@БудаПешт-в4й]

Для 17 ключа, толщина рожковой части у 13 модели 5,8 мм, а для 14 модели 7,5 мм

[@71wicker]

I don’t agree with using an open end for hard use, you would use the box end.

[@countryracer69]

I have a set of old original Williams SuperWrenches. By far my favorites of the hundreds of wrenches I have. I keep them in my race war wagon for two reasons. 1 is they are just straight up great. 2 is they weigh half of similar size in snap-off, mac, especially craftsmen, and all the cheaper lines too. I'm sure they wouldn't do quite as well as the top ones in this group. But I wouldn't trade mine for any of those! Lol especially King pricks

[@PaulSteMarie]

I would recommend getting a set of adjustable parallels and a mic for the jaw measurements. You'll get much more consistent and accurate results. You insert the appropriate parallel, expand it to fit the wrench, and then mic it. The problem with slide calipers in general is that those inside jaws are a bit flexible and getting them square consistently is difficult at best.

[@phalanyx3478]

This is how I mill accurate keyseats with re ground endmills. Adjustable parallels are witchcraft in the machine shop.

[@monsterman51]

I purchased a set of Williams some 30 something years ago and have never had a problem with them. They were used as my truck set, to be used on construction sites. I still use them.

[@williampeasley]

I would love to see a series on breaker bars

[@LabiaLicker]

Agreed. Wera make a very interesting breaker bar

[@williampeasley]

@@LabiaLicker everything they make always has an interesting style

[@svn5994]

+1 ClientGraphics is the only person to do a real BB test and his channel is dead.

[@williampeasley]

@@svn5994 i love his content I’m so sad that he stopped posting

[@ihavethedocuments2580]

I've had old style proto ratchets, and they were unquestionably the strongest ratchets I have ever used. That wrench test does not surprise me a bit. Hate to say it, but they along with wright tools are the best American made, and perhaps world wide.

[@reconbbs360]

I'd love to see Mac Tools Precision Torque's on the channel. Pretty sure they are rebranded FACOM wrenches. I have a set and I absolutely love them. Replaced my Williams Super Combo's with them. Chrome started chipping off after only a few months of use. Also felt too wide in my hand.

[@arnold9861]

Pretty happy with my entire GEDORE tool collection!

[@LabiaLicker]

Thanks so much for making this. And can confirm your assessment of the Wera spanners are spot on.

[@danielm4326]

Thank you so much for this video series!🥰 Can you please also consider the following brands: 1) Facom (EU) 2) KS TOOLS (EU) 3) KAMASA TOOLS (EU) 4) Teng Tools (EU) 5) YATO (EU) 6) PELA Tools (EU) 7) Wiha (EU) 8) SONIC Equipment (EU) 9) VIGOR Equipment (EU) 10) MEEC TOOLS (EU ‐Cheap) 11) Stanley ???!!! 👀 Add to that list, do a Part 3! 🙌 Proto is king.👑 🤤

[@tonybennett1306]

I agree. But I would also add Elora to the list, assuming they haven't been on here before.

[@BurgerBoyBenny]

And Sidchrome from AU, also an SBD brand

[@barryknight9546]

Why was the Bahco spanner the only one you used round the wrong way?

[@nathanwest2304]

I would be curious about lux tools, proxxon and some other european brands frankly, I never was really impressed by gedore, but stahlwille was really a big surprise, I expected a lot more of that brand

[@firesurfer]

Gedore was always a cheapie wrench. I was able to get a set for under $30, 20 years ago. It's just for beating up, not for serious work. They also have good, better, best sets that come and go with the wind. Gedore does sell good stuff, but we mostly don't see it in the US.

[@DarkSession6208]

Proxxon is just nuts. Never failed on me, really good ergonomics. I got 2 sets of wrenches and everything else from their lineup.

[@pequod1]

Does any individual actually buy Gedore? Historically it was cheap for consumers but I only ever see their tools bought by organisations now.

[@randydewees7338]

I guess I'm a bit skeptical about the premise of this test. I took a look around at user reviews of Stahwille and it's hard to find any bad ones, and those are the usual odd ball ones concerning shipping, cost, and other non-function aspects. I did not find any that complained about function. Almost all reviews simply rave about how the wrenches feel, look, and work. I have two Stahwille sets in metric - combination and deep ring. These have been excellent in my machine shop. I've never had one start to roll or slip. Good ergos, and better in every way than my random pile of US and Taiwan wrenches. In general, I do not encounter many stuck or over torqued fasteners in my line of work. If I do, I don't use an open end wrench to break them loose. Perhaps in the crazy world of auto repair this max torque thing with an open end wrench is important. My SAE sets are Armstrong, with random US for sizes larger than 7/8". Never had any regrets about them either.

[@Fekillix]

Proxxon is nice but when all their hand tools are made in Taiwan it doesn't feel very European.

[@rogersmith9776]

I have been swinging on my Hazets for over 35 years as a heavy industry fitter and trust them whole heartedly. Stahlwille tend to have a narrow section, great for working on the car but hard on the hands in heavy industry

[@jeremycahillcorbeil9845]

I’d like to see mastercraft and/or maximum wrenches get tested. It’s the Canadian Tire home brand (one may think of it as a harbor freight equivalent)

[@gabrielc6252]

15:09 that extension handle applies unwanted side-torque on the wrench

[@billm7166]

The wera makes the best torx bits I was surprised about the wrench till I seen the design then I understood

[@davidparker9676]

Wera tools have been recommended highly but I can't get over the styling, they look cheap.

[@billm7166]

@@davidparker9676 the t6 and t8 torx is recommended by every knife youtuber but since I live in the Philippines they are expensive for me when I can get a new micro bit set for $1.50 and surprised how good this set is they fit my knife perfect my old set was more $ and stripped out the t6

[@InsanePacoTaco]

To me, the wera wrench may not deliver the ugga duggas but it seems rather useful in its minimal throw for tight situations you'd probably end up needing to use a wrench

[@jamiemorgan1]

I have a set of Hazet and Caterpillar (rebranded Supercombo) spanners and very happy with both sets 👍

[@mikeremix8025]

Why not Facom ?

[@BurgerBoyBenny]

And Sidchrome, also from SBD

[@golic7123]

. . . well done for being so meticulous, consistent and thorough Just a little story for ya - Ive rebuilt a few bikes, rapaired cars & stuff . . . and am a keep regular 'Hobbist' user, rather than mechanic/professional - but i was give a set of Snap-On's sockets, spanners and case way back in late 80's i think (or, early 90's) and all sizes have stood the test of time, repeated use & sometimes abuse, and are still perfect in operation So over time they've proven themselves to be bloody good value! Cheers for this interesting Vid !

[@Fedwrench]

Great Job as always but, surprised that you omitted FACOM & USAG from the European brands. Perhaps you can include them in a future test along with Japanese Brands Tone, KTC, & Nepros. I would also like to see MAC tools' precision torque series wrench tested. Keep the videos coming!!!!

[@jic1]

He says in the pinned comment that he ordered a Facom, but it hasn't arrived yet.

[@kittytrail]

Facom and USAG are the same wrenches (and ratchets) from the same factory and the same production line, only difference is the branding for different markets and the price as USAG tends to be a little cheaper in Euroland. same for the pliers coming out of the french Stanley/Bost factory and branded, with different finishes and handles colours, Facom, Expert, USAG, Stanley FatMax (only those marked "Made in France" though) and Mac in the US and probably some DeWalt branded ones in some markets. there's still some old stock Britool and Bost available for cheap from online retailers. 😼