Wiha vs Wera Hex L-Key Holding Feature Comparison

A comparison of the holding features that are offered by both Wiha and Wera in their hex L-Key product lines.
Full Review: www.germantool...
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Wera 022210 - Metric Set with Holding Function (KC Tool): bit.ly/2tenKrI
Wera 022210 - Metric Set with Holding Function (Amazon): amzn.to/2yIc7a8
Wiha 66990 - Metric Set with Holding Function (KC Tool): bit.ly/2tewpKI
Wiha 66991 - SAE Set with Holding Function (KC Tool): bit.ly/2BkDZ7a
Wiha 66992 - Metric and SAE Sets with Holding Function (KC Tool): bit.ly/2ClDGIG
Wiha 66990 - Metric Set with Holding Function (Amazon): amzn.to/2BuToEC
Wiha 66991 - SAE Set with Holding Function (Amazon): amzn.to/2BhhL65
Wiha 66992 - Metric and SAE Sets with Holding Function (Amazon): amzn.to/2AX3heU

[@rayc1503]

3 years on and my Wera are still as good as the day I brought them. Well worth the money. I brought them because of the colour coding 😊

[@MrGeri95]

Still okay?

[@eppie1073]

same question here.

[@rayc1503]

Definitely still Ok, I use them quite often too. Only minor issue is the latch which holds the folding holder has worn. It opens from time to time. I have both the Wiha & Wera. My preference is mainly Wera. Their tools feel slightly better quality. Hope this helps 👍

[@MrGeri95]

@@rayc1503 yes it's helps a low, I order it asap. Can I ask, what is your work?

[@rayc1503]

@@MrGeri95 Heating and Plumbing as well as Electrics. The stubby were set are quite robust and a little lighter in the tool bag.

[@mghumphrey]

Wore out some Wiha, bought Wera, three years later in still using the Wera.

[@rcg9573]

I’ve tried both and much prefer the Wiha mainly because the Wiha keys across the size range have much more precise fits in the fasteners versus the Wera keys that almost all have a sloppy loose fit in fasteners regardless of the key size used. Have had no problem with the durability of the Wiha magic ring function either.

[@ToolTeardowns]

Good video, but I can't agree with your final choice. I like the finish better on the Wiha, but even with that, my choice would be the Wera because of the ball retainer. From my experience with impacts and ratchets, ring retainers wear out before ball retainers. From my experience, ball retainers on tools like ratchets don't need any kind of regular lubing unless they're subjected to very corrosive environments.

[@MrBoowashere]

I had the wiha ones and the magic ring wore out quite quick on some of the smaller sizes.

[@GermanToolReviews]

Thanks for the feedback. I was thinking that they would eventually wear out, hopefully wiha can sell the clips individually in the future.

[@evi0blackeagle]

Same thing happened to mine about half years use

[@jimmyc7269]

Looks like the spring and ball on the Wera would be a lot harder to wear out than the Wiha, and the other comments seem to confirm this.

[@tonywallick1337]

I build a machine at work that uses almost entirely socket head cap screws. I use color coded compact wihas and love them.

[@6900pilot]

The wera set is still the nicest I think I have the stainless steel set and I love them

[@ccmogs5757]

Agree although i normally prefer WIHA :]

[@ccmogs5757]

The 2 dislikes are Bondhus employees .............good comparison vid. :]

[@chriscas-ToolAficionado]

CC Mogs, Lol. That's a good guess!!

[@mrjodoe]

wera is better because of hex plus. More input torque possible without rounding the hex up

[@ccmogs5757]

............17 :(

[@stefantrethan]

I like Wiha tools normally, but that magic ring is silly. I think it takes away a lot of precious engagement surface. Luckily it can be ground off, along with the ball end. :-) This is an advantage over the milled Wera-Hex plus, you can not refresh a worn end, or maybe just once before it becomes too short. I realize most people will not bother with this, but I like hex stock allen keys, with no ball end, no matter if they are T handle, screwdriver handle, or L keys, because they offer the most strength, and can be ground back. But the Wera Hex-Plus profile is good too, I wish they had used resistor colour codes....

[@sparkypdx]

I just ordered the SAE & Metric set for everyday carry. Like you I will probably grind off the ball ends. I bought the Wiha because of SAE and the cool flip out holder.

[@JS-tu1ti]

I own the Wiha set as well. Very happy so far. I will let you know how they hold up.

[@guts2044]

How are they.?

[@marcowens3522]

How are they?

[@JS-tu1ti]

They have held up well. I have 3 sets now. I primarily use the M5 and larger keys. The only annoying thing is that the retention of the holder seems to fade particularly on the smaller keys. So you go to fold it up and the small keys end up pointing in strange ways instead of folding flat. They do sell the plastic holder separately so if it bothers you enough you can replace it cheaply. Otherwise, I have been really happy.

[@HunGredy]

I have the Wera set right now, and honestly I like it a lot more, the Wiha one feels like it will stop working one day, I might even go as far as saying it is more susceptible to damage the inside of a fastener. That said, I wish Wera came up with a similar holder desing, that one is a win for Wiha.

[@Papperlapappmaul]

The Wiha sacrifices too much contact area for the retention feature and will probably wear out rather quickly with regular use. It's probably fine if you only use them when you actually need the retention feature, though. And by the way, great channel! I'm glad I saw your comment on one of uncle bumblefuck's vijayos and got curious.

[@timheadlam9090]

The Wera anything is a toy compared to Wiha.

[@mdr________]

Thanks for another great vid! I really appreciate your continued updates and comparisons of the various hex drivers. Keep up the great work.

[@koffibanan3099]

Never seen the wera set with the holding feature, looks good. Just broke the 2,5mm of my Wiha prostar set (short offset set) :( Stubborn cantilever brake bolts...

[@julianreverse]

I'll go with Wera!

[@Dime_Bar]

I go with your mom

[@rcg9573]

@ Hungry Horse - all the male inmates go with your mommy loser, while your daddy watches as he plays with himself. 😆😆

[@myzdmymn]

i ll go with wera but wiha’s holder seems nice too

[@adamaj74]

No, you got this one wrong. I have both sets and the Wiha wears out, quite quickly I might add. I bought the Wera set first, then decided pick the Wiha set up out of curiosity. The reason I got the Wera first is because I just didn't like the look of the Wiha design, that little groove and ring looks wrong, not sure how to describe it. It just looked like a bad design, like it wouldn't hold up, and it didn't.

[@GermanToolReviews]

Thanks for your input. I plan on doing a follow up at some point to see the durability of each set. I thought about setting up a test jig to automate this, but I figure a year or so of use should be enough to see which one will hold up over time.

[@adamaj74]

Sounds great. I should add that I use my tools excessively, on a daily basis. But I still think they should have lasted and not worn out.

[@donniemccrorie19]

I've got the Wiha magic ring sets in the compact foldable kit in both sae and metric. I've stripped out enough fasteners with the magic ring sets, that I'm willing to carry the full size Wera sets. Have not stripped out a single fastener since switching to the Wera sets. Thx for the comparison, but the Wera set is the best.

[@GermanToolReviews]

Thanks for your input. I do need to probably do a followup when the rings wear out. I haven't used them enough to see that yet, but I'm sure I will. I bet the smaller ones wear out faster than the larger ones.

[@nespecificiran]

I bought Wiha keys and after 15 days of using them the balls on a 5mm key were damaged and the edges were damaged...And Wihas balls, due to the small surface area, damage the screw and weigh in.That's my experience!

[@GermanToolReviews]

Thanks for the feedback. I may do a followup endurance test for these to see how many insertions it would take for them to fail.

[@nespecificiran]

German Tool Reviews that will be awesome test, I can't wait to see that.For me Wera is no 1...

[@sachellebabbar9005]

I've had my Wihas for ten years and while I don't like the set, I can say with certainty that the only way the ball end would get damaged is through abuse. Ball ends are for convenience, not for breaking bolts loose. They are low-torque and designed to spin bolts out after they have been broken free. That said, I have not damaged mine, but I have also worked with Bondhus for years prior and read their instructional materials on usage of the ball ends, so i know what to do and what not to do. They also don't put ball ends on their smallest sizes for a reason.

[@erikjohansson1814]

Wera is my choice.

[@jackreed3445]

I would think that the Wera ball type might fail at a certain angle due to only having the ball on one side whereas the Wiha has the ring contacting on all sides of the hex. jack

[@albertaoridge]

wondering why you cut the Whia package open with scissors instead of just pulling apart the two pieces of plastic away from each other? all you have to do is pull each piece away from each other at the gap which surrounds the entire packaging

[@diemman70]

For dramatic effect.

[@joehughes8551]

If you live in the UK halfords sell the wiha set as a halfords brand for £20

[@MrBoowashere]

can confirm this is true

[@RockShoxLoon]

The Wiha set are £14.99 on Screwfix atm

[@rayc1503]

Wera are £20 from toolstation. Wera are the clear winner.

[@RockShoxLoon]

@@rayc1503 Not the holding feature ones. I bought a set of the regular Wera ones, this video put me off the Wiha set.

[@tombrear2693]

Which one do you prefer? Great video!

[@MrJesustrance]

Great video I have own my Wiha set metric and SAE for about two years they still hold up I work on Blowmold sidles with a lot of Hex bolts. I have broke one 4mm but it was my fault putting a cheater bar on it. I prefer my Wiha over the Wera on Allen wrenches. Just for the fact of the holding feature and carry feature

[@reycoreiswan9337]

Please also test ,,HexSpezial from Stier,,

[@marklane2359]

Thank you so much, very well explained, took me ages to work out what the HF stood for on the wera. 😂🤣

[@bricofast]

Germany tools the best quality 👏👏👏

[@asembler]

These are “German” only in name - both are made outside of Germany - Wiha in Poland and Wera in Czech Republic, so nothing German about them really other than the corporate ownership and marketing bs.

[@bricofast]

@@asembler não percebi nada sou português ,mas essas marcas são alemãs , não importa onde são feitas ,todas as marcas dos USA ou alemãs ou japonesas de renome hoje em dia são feitas na China ou Taiwan e não deixam de ser Americanas alemãs e japonesas ,onde são produzidas não importa a tecnologia está lá na marca em questão , Portugal produz o carro Volkswagen na fábrica Autoeuropa em Portugal e não deixa de ser uma marca alemã.

[@SeriousSchitt]

@@asembler Fuck, that's what I was waiting to read! :(

[@sXeHandBanana420]

Have you gotten a chance to use Wiha's 9.5" New England-style linesman pliers? I'm curious how they compare to other German brands like Knipex. Thanks

[@nijuy3]

Very nice GTR!

[@nishantvarhade8561]

Very nice brother

[@francis8062]

Best are Usag, Beta and Facom

[@zandersinger]

Tear and wear!! No no no, I think you'll find it's wear and tear ;)

[@GTRliffe]

you won’t need too lubricants on either one allen screw with oil will give enough lubricant for a year

[@BlindBatG34]

Great review as usual. I worry that you are developing a L key obsession. :)

[@dropzonewarzone5251]

That's an addiction. there's probably a 12 step program for L key addicts.

[@miztrusa]

Was considering Wera but i have 2 friends at work that have em and both have some of the sleeves stay inside the holder???

[@macvos]

Just buy the (cheaper) version without the sleeves

[@asembler]

These are “German” tools are German only in name - both are made outside of Germany - Wiha in Poland and Wera in Czech Republic, so nothing German about them really other than the corporate ownership and marketing bs. I would be interested to know how they hold up against the likes of PS Swiss or the US rivals (like Bondhus).

[@SeriousSchitt]

Exactly, I wanna know how they stack up to Bondhus?

[@diemman70]

These two are the best beating out PB Swiss and lots of other cheaper brands. Project Farm did a whole video about them and I’d recommend watching it.

[@vBDKv]

You cant go wrong with either.

[@SeriousSchitt]

Well apparently you can, from what I'm reading in the comments!

[@dragonlaker]

any update on this vid?

[@rayc1503]

Buy the Wera Set colour coded & the Hex Plus feature along with the ball bearing to hold the Hex screw. I've been using my Wera 3+ years and all good from me. 👍

[@SeriousSchitt]

How do these things stack up to Bondhus?

[@macvos]

Probably comparable in quality (when comparing the Bondhus top-end line), but the Wera Hex Plus keys for most seem to work better when facing slightly worn-out fasteners.

[@mmmmmlemons]

Interested to know why people use L keys when hex socket bits and a ratchet are much quicker and easier to use imho. Maybe when access is very limited?

[@sammeehan4323]

mmmmmlemons working in maintenance you can carry more tools as an l key than ratchet setup. I wish I could carry my toolbox everywhere with me

[@mmmmmlemons]

Ahh, makes sense. Didn't think about that as I don't need to travel with my tools. Thanks.

[@frankkraaijvanger4937]

I have a toolbox with me to work on various locations. Another reason is price. the tools are lost or stolen, the pain is less. Weight is also an isue when you work on location. For the more serie work I have two Makita battery powered machines with me.

[@GermanToolReviews]

My experience in dealing with field technicians is that they prefer L-Keys because of the weight required to carry all the in-hex sockets.

[@erikjohansson1814]

I find I have more feeling using normal hand tools when doing precision work. Space constraint can be a reason too at times.

[@emypena]

Project Farm already tested this... Wiha comes first

[@khernatify]

If it comes to durability, wiha magic ring is simply rubbish, wera keys are a lot better generally as well, got addicted to wiha ergostar holder though, and they're lighter so I use just standard ball end set, especially since holder on it's own is available for about £12.

[@lewisrudd2274]

Does the holding feature on the wera set put a scratch/ mark the bolt.

[@GermanToolReviews]

No I didn't see any.

[@lewisrudd2274]

German Tool Reviews ok thank you

[@sachellebabbar9005]

Thumbs down due to no real comparison of the holding performance. I have the Wihas and they are inconsistent. Bondhus ProHold FTW.

[@GermanToolReviews]

I tried to use a strain gauge to measure the forces but I didn't have anything accurate enough on the low end to measure it. Would need something like in the milligram-force range.

[@SeriousSchitt]

sachelle babbar: FTW? Pleas explain the meaning.

[@macvos]

@@SeriousSchitt "for the win", meaning "the best"

[@unpeacemaker6519]

Қытайдың кілітін алдым міне 10 жыл болды қолданып жүргеніме

[@volodymyrautomation1544]

You can speak less? i`m from Ukraine.

[@macvos]

Use the mute button and enable captions