Archived from the Tools In Action forum (Hand Tools). This thread is read-only.
I was just browsing around Channellocks website and Amazon.com and got to thinking about some of the new style fit everything box style ratchet wrenches and was wondering what everyone opinion was on them.
I have a couple of Gearwrenches Quadbox wrenches and they work pretty well. I would really like them in an offset wrench but that would interfere with their ability to incorporate all 4 sizes in the same tool.
Over on amazon,(couldn’t find on Channellocks website) I found Channellocks offering a Uni-Fit 4-In-1 Ratcheting Wrench set that claims to fit
SAE, Metric, External Torx, Spline, Square, 6-Point and 12-Point Fasteners plus Rounded Hex in
SAE sizes: 5/16, 3/8, 7/16, 1/2, 9/16, 5/8, 11/16, 3/4-Inch
Metric Sizes: 8, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, 17, 19mm
Which is a lot more than my Gearwrench set claims to.
So, what I’m thinking is that this may be to good to be true, but I find myself wondering if Channellock would put out a tool with that much of a compromise. What do you think?
Never put my hands on one, but I sure wouldn’t hesitate to give it a try. Regarding your question, I dunno. Channellock is one of those companies that care a lot about quality, but you can’t always bank on that. I’m guessing in a worst case scenario $36 won’t break you.
Conductor562 wrote:
Never put my hands on one, but I sure wouldn’t hesitate to give it a try. Regarding your question, I dunno. Channellock is one of those companies that care a lot about quality, but you can’t always bank on that. I’m guessing in a worst case scenario $36 won’t break you.
I may pick up a single tool, their larger size, as on occasion I do come across 3/4″ square nuts. Most of the other items they claim to fit are just not things I run into often at all.
By all means let us know how it performs.
I have bookmark one of my FB friends website and he gave me this easy search engine of amazon. It helps comparing items using this staff tools.
I bought a set from Halfords and they are fantastic quality and look identical to snap on. 🙂
Wayne Burgess wrote:
I bought a set from Halfords and they are fantastic quality and look identical to snap on. 🙂
How do they fit on the differing(SAE vs Metric) sizes of fasteners? Can they shift a really stuck nut or are they more appropriate for for lighter work?
I have metric and Imperial sizes and they have been brilliant I am a heavy handed guy and no problems at all using them on very heavy work the kind that involves 17 stone of muscle and a rusty nut and bolt.LOL 🙂
Wayne Burgess wrote:
I have metric and Imperial sizes and they have been brilliant I am a heavy handed guy and no problems at all using them on very heavy work the kind that involves 17 stone of muscle and a rusty nut and bolt.LOL 🙂
Maybe you didn’t understand the question, I was referring to Channellocks offering of a Uni-Fit 4-In-1 ,
Which claim to fit 16 sizes of multiple drive styles both Metric and SAE with just two wrenches.
Over on amazon,(couldn’t find on Channellocks website) I found Channellocks offering a Uni-Fit 4-In-1 Ratcheting Wrench set that claims to fit
SAE, Metric, External Torx, Spline, Square, 6-Point and 12-Point Fasteners plus Rounded Hex in
SAE sizes: 5/16, 3/8, 7/16, 1/2, 9/16, 5/8, 11/16, 3/4-Inch
Metric Sizes: 8, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, 17, 19mm
Which is a lot more than my Gearwrench set claims to.
So, what I’m thinking is that this may be to good to be true, but I find myself wondering if Channellock would put out a tool with that much of a compromise. What do you think?
Yep I missed the point by a country mile LOL 😀
Wayne Burgess wrote:
Yep I missed the point by a country mile LOL 😀
Which wrenches were you referring to?
ratchet wrenches or ratchet spanners as we call them.
Wayne Burgess wrote:
ratchet wrenches or ratchet spanners as we call them.
Do Halfords have a house brand, or does some other company manufacture them? We don’t have Halfords here in the States and I am totally clueless about them.
I have an ancient Craftsman set of both metric and SAE, a couple of Snap-ons in metric 10+11,12+14mm and my newest set the Gearwrench Qaudbox set that I carry for daily use. The Cman set is really big and bulky and kind of defeats the purpose of a ratcheting box end wrench with the size of the things,(and this style is no longer in production having been replaced with a new more compact style) they have a really coarse action, The Sanp-ons are great and I have not had any problem with them, the Gearwrench set has held up so far and they work OK, they have a reversing lever that is really tiny and can be a pain for me to flip sometimes, but I guess that is the compromise I make for not having to carry enough individual wrenches that cover the sizes the Grearwrench set covers.
I don’t even have any ratcheting box ends anymore. I phased them out when Gearwrenches came along. They always seemed clunky in most situations I was using them for. Before I get a sermon about how useful they are let me be clear that I’m not saying they aren’t without use, the Gearwrench design just fit my needs a lot better.
Conductor562 wrote:
I don’t even have any ratcheting box ends anymore. I phased them out when Gearwrenches came along. They always seemed clunky in most situations I was using them for. Before I get a sermon about how useful they are let me be clear that I’m not saying they aren’t without use, the Gearwrench design just fit my needs a lot better.
??? Gearwrench makes ratcheting box wrenches. When Danaher spun off the ratcheting box wrenches from Matco to form Gearwrench they were their flagship product. Are you referring to another one of their products?
This is the kind of thing I was on about. 🙂
Wayne Burgess wrote:
http://www.halfords….tegoryId_165572
This is the kind of thing I was on about. 🙂
They look like they could be rebranded Gearwrenchs, where were they manufactured?
Not a clue pal but they are tough as old boots and smooth as as silk. 🙂
Was browsing around the internet and came across A&E Tools who it appears still produce ratcheting box end wrenches in the USA through their Kastar brand. If I recall correctly they are the contract manufacturer for Snap-ons ratcheting box wrenches
i am wondering how to use this item
ian magic wrote:
i am wondering how to use this item
You’re wondering how to use a wrench?
Pick up some of the kobalt ratcheting crossforms. Best and last set of wrenches you will ever buy.
ChaseRogers wrote:
Pick up some of the kobalt ratcheting crossforms. Best and last set of wrenches you will ever buy.
Oh grasshopper, there is a world of combination wrenches out there for those willing to seek them out with an open mind and a big budget. I wouldn’t trade my Proto ASD combos for a farm in Georgia if I couldn’t get another set. Proto also released a new line of ratcheting combos last month I believe that are supposed to be the finest ratcheting combos on the market. They run around $500 for a 15 piece set (5/16 – 1-1/4) and if you need metric too your into them a grand, so I may be awhile finding out, lol.
Snap-On’s Flank Drive+ wrenches are the best in the business for damaged fasteners. Wright also makes a Wrightgrip wrench that is fantastic for this purpose. Mac has their knucklesavers (same as a Proto ASD), Matco has Optitorque, and the list goes on and on. You think power tools are an expensive habbit? You can drop a good years salary on the Snap-On truck and not get everything you want. Tools are an addiction. You’ll never stop buying tools! They get in your blood. There’s something about them that completes me as a person. Before you know it your wife will pull up your account and go into a ravenous fury over the $500 charge from the tool vendor of your choice and at least once she’ll ask you how many ratchets she’s worth in alimony. You’ll start equating everything to tools. You’ll think “damn, for what I spent on that fucking bedroom suit I could have gotten those ratcheting combos and that sweet roller chest I’ve been wanting”. Sometimes it’s hard to be a tool junkie. Welcome to the party! lol
I have never heard of pro to. Do they sell those in stores or just online.
Proto is an expensive industrial brand. They’ve been around since 1907 making them one of the oldest hand tool manufacturers in the country. Up until 1948 they were known as Plomb. They were sued by the Plumb tool company and forced to change their name. They were the first company to market the combination wrench in 1933. Proto covers a lot of government contracts and is a primary supplier to the Army, Navy, Air Force, NASA, and just about every other government entity that uses tools. They’re extremely popular in industrial places like plants, refineries, railroads, etc. As an individual you almost have to order them online as the only places that carry them typically are supply houses that charge an arm and a leg. Zorotools.com has a good selection at reasonable prices and toolup.com sells them cheaper than anyone else, but their stock is usually limited. eBay is a good source for them as well. If you have some time and don’t need the tool now you can usually bide your time and get something cheap. I got a $300+ set of retaining ring pliers for $75 brand new. Until you know what your buying always cross check the eBay price against Zoro or toolup to make sure you’re getting a bargain.
Oh ok thanks!
I love hearing all these industrial brands that are awesome but I never know about. I feel like I gain so many more options haha
I’m something of a Proto historian. I’m by no means an expert, but I can carry on a conversation about them. There’s a lot more information out there than there used to be, but theres still a lot you have to learn by word of mouth. The problem is that a lot of the people that worked for Plomb are long gone and took a lot of the info with them. I collect the WAR FINISH stuff, but there isn’t much of it left out there. I’m working on a review right now of some of the Proto ASD combos. They’re awesome wrenches.
I would love to see that!