What's your go-to wrench set? How often do you find yourself using a wrench versus sockets?Debating getting a flex ratcheting head combination wrench set + fixed box end set, versus a fixed combination set and those long flex ratchet head wrenches. I've been getting by with just sockets and a pliers wrench, but I'm going to be working on a bigger variety of stuff soon.
>>3003294a plain jane set of regular old oex are my most used end wrenches. 2nd is probably a tie b/w the ratcheting flank drives and the stubbies. and 3rd are double anglesif you work on old rusty shit the fdp is for real but chews things up if you care about thati wouldnt buy non reversing ratchets because you constantly have to flip the lever to get out of a blind corneri bought the extra long fdp meme sets and didnt like them. they were always hitting shit from being to longsame with the snazzy high performance double box end. they have their uses like u joint strap bolts but otherwise box ends are granpops wrenches from the silent era
>>3003297Thanks, why do you use a standard wrench over sockets or the ratcheting wrenches?
>>3003294Don't go off buying a ton of wrench sets. You don't need ratcheting and flex head shit, that's convenience/luxury stuff for actual car mechanics. On rare occasions you can slip one in somewhere tight in an engine bay so you don't have to remove extra shit. It's literally wasted money when you are starting out.Just buy a standard combination wrench set, it'll make due for 99% of stuff. My go to wrench set?Non-ratcheting Gearwrench Long Pattern. Sure their ratcheting stuff is absolute junk made in Vietnam, but their sockets and non ratcheting stuff was still really good and unsullied as of 4 or 5 years ago. Who knows now, they doubled their prices so maybe they haven't cheated out on them.
>>3003294i inherited my wrench sets so i dont know what brand they are. does it really matter? as long as it isnt made out of wet paper itll wrench good
>>3003301A good combination wrench has small narrow box and open ends. The box end will be canted, so the wrench doesn't lay completely flat while using it.Standard non reversible Ratcheting wrenches box ends are huge to account for the mechanism. They also have to be flat and not canted so you can flip them around to reverse. It makes them bulky and suckier to use in a lot of cases.There are occasions they are convenient to have. But most of the time you can just use a ratchet instead, which is preferable.Throwing a wrench on the head of a bolt while using a ratchet on the nut is a common use case. Or if you cant fit a ratchet, you throw a wrench in there to break something free. You aren't supposed to actually break nuts free with the ratcheting end anyways.What you use, and when is pretty apparent when you start getting into a project. And quite frankly your ratchet will continue to get the most use
>>3003308This. I've had some use out of my set of ratcheting wrenches, but mostly it's been just the regular combination wrenches that came with my socket set that has came in handy. I'd rather get decent ratchet with flex extensions and breaker bar and normal wrenches instead of ratcheting wrench. Get the special wrenches at the point you need them for a job.
>>3003308I was a master mechanic building and installing motors on site for five years.ratchet box end wrenches without a toggle are the best all around i guess, the toggle on a ratchet end wrench is annoying, and sometimes you do need the open end. would not recommend regular box end wrenches unless you are getting everything. the ratcheting ones today are not thicker, maybe a mm. that being said most of the smaller half of my regular wrenches were shaved thinner on the shop grinder. 90% of the time if im not using a bit driver im reaching for these. gladly replaced the 17/19 every year when it came apart from turning suspension bolts you should us a 1/2 impact on. these are thinner than any ratchet and socket, bite from a wide angle, absolute favorite.the thinnest-thinnest access is with a set of these sunex shallow sockets that have a 17 hex on the shank, so you can put the socket onto the nut or bolt, and then slide in a shaved wrench to turn it, or the flex head double end ratchet, which can work at a steep angle as well to get around or behind corners.absolutely everyone gorilla hangs off their ratcheting wrenches, you can abuse them as much as you want they will not break, you can hammer the other end with an airhammer.
>>3004257*im reach for these 90% of the time
>>3003308>>3004235I'm in agreement with these two. Just get some good quality open/box combination wrenches in both standard and metric. They will fit where ratcheting head wrenches won't. Then when you can afford it get a second set of each, because sometimes you need two wrenches of the same size when working on stuff. After that get some ratcheting wrenches, I kinda like the flat non reversible ones for general stuff. After that some short/thin hydraulic wrenches or double angle open end wrenches for real shitty hard to get to places and hydraulic lines...
>>3003294>Go to wrench setI just bought the individual sizes I need for the bolts on my car, and inherited a disaster of a tool collection from my grandfather, who would hoard random shit he'd find in a completely disorganized way.>Wrench vs socketsSockets when I can physically get to a bolt with a ratchet, or when I need some ungodly combination of extensions to reach it, wrench otherwise. Working on cars or complex machinery, you often don't have a choice, only one or the other will work for a particular fastener.
