Ratcheting box-end wrenches (was: wrench caveat)

["John Hertzman" <johnhertzman@domain.elided>]

In AD8-0678 Richard Bies adds to the discussion discussion of DIY,
writing There is a very neat type of tool called a "gear wrench" (may be
a trade name) -- at any rate, much like a box-end, except that the
"teeth" ratchet within the box -- one side up, ratchets one way; other
side up, ratchets the other way.  Voila!  Just the thing..... and goes
on to mention certain difficulties caused by the one-way,
flip-to-change-direction construction. (Russ Neely had discussed a couple
of variants of them in AD8-0426 during the January tools thread).

 

Both Sears and Snap-on make variants on the theme, the mid-level of the
three Sears types called GearWrench (one word, two caps) the entry-level
Sears and all the Snap-ons simply called ratcheting box wrenches and the
Sears top level called Reversible Ratcheting Wrenches.

 

Most of the Snap-ons and all of the entry-level Sears are double-ended
box wrenches, (which means that generally one end of each pair will be
useless on an Alfa, but thats life) of a three-ply riveted laminated
construction, the box and pawl captive in the middle level of the
sandwich; both companies sell them both in flat styles and with 25-degree
offsets, and Snap-on also makes them in a single-ended screwdriver handle
offset configuration and in a single-ended hinged T-handle form (think
Alfa distributor wrench) which looks like it might be a lifesaver in some
difficult situations. The flat Sears has to be reversed as Bies
mentioned; the 25-degree offset Sears is reversible (at a slightly higher
price) and Snap-on doesn't mention reversibility or non-reversibility,
from which I would infer that they probably are. The other Sears types
are combination wrenches, a ratcheting box on one end and an open-end on
the other.

 

Both the Sears entry level and the Snap-ons are catalogued as open-stock,
buy-the-one-you-need; the midlevel Sears GearWrench is listed only in
seven-wrench sets, either regular-length or stubby, (so again you get
some an Alfa can't use) for $49.99, with different ranges  8, 10, 12,
13, 14, 15, 18 mm in regular, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 19 in stubby. The
top-dog Sears (standard length only, in seven-wrench 8, 10, 12, 13, 14,
15, 18 mm sets) have a reversing button, no flipping needed. Both the
mid- and upper level Sears are fully polished and bright-plated (snazzy
toolbox!) and have fine-toothed pawls requiring only five degrees for
tight spaces.

 

Prices? Snap-on charged $7.50 for the catalog, and didn't include prices,
from which I infer the old line that if you have to ask you can't afford
it. Sears current tool catalog lists $4.99 to $7.99 for the individual
flat laminated one-ways, $6.99-$9.49 for the individual laminated offset
reversibles, $24.99 and $34.99 respectively for the five-wrench sets,
$49.99 for either of the seven-wrench midlevel GearWrench sets, and
$79.99 for the seven-wrench reversible set, which is also available on
sale in the store in the current store sale flier for only $89.99, a $30
saving, it says, on the $119.99 regular price. Some Sears tool prices are
the same in the store and the catalog, some aren't. If you have the time
for the luxury of cross-checking, it sometimes pays.

 

And no, I didn't do all this just for the digest, I wanted to pin down
the choices for my own prospective uses. If it is useful to someone else,
that is gravy. The listings are on pages 41 and 44 in the current Sears
tool catalog, pages 161-162 in the current Snap-on catalog.

 

Cheers

 

John H.

   
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