Where is the wrench. Wrenches sizes, features of use

open end wrenches

There are quite a few types of wrenches, as they are needed for different nuts, bolts and are used in different situations. Somewhere it is more convenient to use one type, somewhere else, it all depends on the size of the nut, how it is located, and how to approach it. Consider all the main types of keys, their sizes, shape, advantages relative to each other. There are many manufacturers in this market, therefore, prices vary greatly. We can say that there are no high-quality and cheap keys. A good thing is not cheap, this applies to them.

Open end wrenches(on 1 photo). This is probably the most commonly used type. It is called so because its ends resemble horns. Sold both in sets and individually.
These keys have two different sizes at the ends. For example, 8*10, 10*12, 13*15 and so on. The size range is quite wide, ranging from 4mm to 55mm.

One-sided open-end wrenches.

They are mainly used in industries, it is unlikely that this will be useful in everyday life. Sizes start from 36mm, maximum 95mm. You can work with force by putting on one side of the key metal pipe, which greatly increases the tightening force.

Ring wrenches bilateral.

They have two different sizes at the ends, for example, 17*19, 19mm*22mm and so on. Sizes from 6mm to 55mm. Unlike open-end, the ends are in the form of a ring, which allows you to turn the nut without breaking off, without constantly rearranging the key, and it will not break.

Single ended wrench.

It has a ring on one side only, for greater tightening force it can be used in conjunction with a pipe. Sizes from 30mm to 50mm.

Union impact wrench .

Has one ring. Unlike simple ones, drums are noticeably thicker. There is a special place for hitting with a sledgehammer or a hammer, they are mainly used for powerful tightening. Available in sizes from 27mm to 105mm.

On the one hand, these have a ring, on the other, the shape of an ordinary open-end wrench. The dimensions are the same on both sides. For example, 10*10, 12*12, etc. Combines the advantages of an open-end wrench and a box wrench.
Minimum size 5mm, maximum 32mm.

socket wrenches(tubular).

Good in cases where the nut is deep in the part, and it is simply impossible to crawl with other keys.
They usually come in two sizes different parties. They are simply in the form of a tube, this can be twisted with a simple screwdriver, there is a special hole for this, they are L-shaped, they resemble the Latin letter L in shape, it can be twisted without the help of foreign objects, just by hand, as the shape allows.
This also includes candle keys, also made in the form of tubes, especially for spark plugs.

adjustable wrenches.

Its main advantage is that it adapts to many sizes, has sliding lips. There are several types, small and large, up to 19mm, up to 30mm, up to 35mm, up to 46mm. Often the nut has custom size, or the necessary key was not at hand, then the adjustable one will completely solve the problem.

They are universal, the jaws are sliding, so they cover several diameters at once. Dimensions - from the smallest zero number, capable of clamping a maximum diameter of 28mm, to the largest number 5, this will already cover a 120mm pipe.
According to foreign nomenclature, sizes are marked in inches. For example, a key for 1 inch, 1.5, 2, 3 inches.
The shape of the jaws is L-shaped (straight) and S-shaped (rounded jaws). For capture round blank an S-shaped lip is better, as there are three points of contact, if the workpiece is flat, an L-shaped lip is better.

Star keys(Torx).

They come in the form to twist faster, there are also simple ones for manual use. As a rule, these are used to repair household appliances, in cars, cell phones.
I have sizes from T5 to T50. The smallest ones (T5, T6) are sold only in sets for cell phones.

Hex Keys.

Applicable for the repair of equipment, furniture assembly (4mm key for confirmation - furniture self-tapping screw). There are in sets and piece. Sizes from 1.5mm to 24mm.

sparkless keys.

Very specific. They are used only in explosive industries. They do not give a spark when they hit metal or fall, if the work is connected with gas, then these are used. They are easy to recognize by their color. It can be yellow, or the color of copper is reddish.

Hello everyone,

Truly, human imagination is boundless, so many tools have passed through me, but no, no, but you will be surprised. So this time, a very unusual adjustable wrench came to me for review, at least this one has not yet “fallen” into my hands.

All of us are familiar with open-end wrenches, box and adjustable wrenches, let's not forget about the "ratchet" for trimming heads, gas, etc.:

The key that arrived is a "cross" of the above, a kind of unknown little animal, but quite functional.
But in order.
The packaging is unremarkable, I would even say mediocre:

The key itself:

The size:

Weight:

The key is made, although somewhat rough, but strong - all working parts are made of thick metal.
It lies comfortably and “weighty” in the hand, the handle is comfortable with rubber inserts:

All "controls" are concentrated on the back side of the top of the key:

Switching the direction of rotation (Right / Lleft) was taken from the “ratchet”, and from wrench- a lamb (similar to a gear), which is responsible for reducing the jaws of the key:

We turn the lamb down (in the direction of the inscription "OPEN"), the lips are unclenched (Hussars be silent! :)

Turn up (CLOSE) - the lips are compressed:

small video

By the way, for the fact that there are inscriptions "OPEN / CLOSE" I am ready to erect a monument to the developers, because in the usual adjustable wrench - I regularly confuse the direction of rotation of the pedals (I think I'm not the only one).
Mixing, as you can see, is something else, but in this case it does not play a special role, because. putting on the subject of effort, a nut or bolt, the tool, as it were, self-centers due to the angles on the object being twisted.
The mechanism for transmitting rotation to the shaft along which the clamping parts of the key move:

It is not worth worrying about the fact that it is possible to unwind the screw in the OPEN direction so that the jaws fall out of the key; there is a blockage.
Depth 20mm:

In the product description, the size is 6-22mm
Here is the M6 nut inserted ( outer dimension 10mm):

and there is still a margin for information.
Nut M12:

Adapter 1/2 inch (this is the maximum size for a wrench):

Half-inch faucet no longer climbs:

Now for the application. Just found a task where the key, unexpectedly, came in handy. I came across a pressure reducer, on which a pressure gauge was installed, which began, on the sly, to leak and gradually flood the neighbors:

It was decided to completely get rid of the pressure gauge by putting a plug in its place. But bad luck, the gearbox is very inconveniently located, on the right fan pipe, on the left, the wiring pipes and the most unpleasant shut-off valve, which does not allow the handle of the key to move. wrench with right size divorce of sponges, well, I didn’t climb into this small space, I used the gas one:

After 20 minutes of twisting by centimeter, with constant turning over of the key, with the danger of it falling and remembering kind word builders, I remembered about the overview :), which is the best fit for this specific task (pay attention to the chips - the result of "work" with a gas key):

The key was tightly put on the plug (fully extended) and without problems, in the shortest possible time, completed the work. The return "ratchet" in this case turned out to be extremely useful:

Conclusion

In general, in my purely personal opinion, the key is very good. Can be used instead of cap and carob. Of course, it will in no way replace a completely adjustable wrench if you work not only with bolts and nuts, because. you can put it on only from above (well, or else, for example, use it to wind the adapter from 3/8 to 1/2 - there is such a need when connecting water to Bulgarian toilets :), but at certain moments, it can be very useful and versatile, t .To. the size is more compact than that of a wrench similar in extension, and the “ratchet” will come in handy. Moreover, IMHO, this wrench is better fixed on the nut than the adjustable wrench, due to the fact that it is put on exactly at the corners of the edges and their “licking”, as often happens with the adjustable wrench, does not occur here with great effort. Compared to a “ratchet” wrench with heads, the plus is that you don’t have to carry them with you and select the right one.
The bag, the keeper of the keys, hums pretty :)

That's all.
All good!

The product was provided for writing a review by the store. The review is published in accordance with clause 18 of the Site Rules.

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No auto repair shop can do without a wrench. To tighten nuts securely, there are many different wrenches, and this does not include narrow specialization wrenches.

But from this set, several main types of wrenches can be distinguished: cap, open-end, combined, adjustable and end wrenches, which are shown in the photo.

Varieties of keys

To know how to choose the right socket or wrench, you need to familiarize yourself with their varieties and properties. To do this, consider the most popular and sought-after types of keys.

Horn tool

The most popular and well-known wrench tool is open-ended. With its help, the nut is fixed with horns. Hence the name - carob.

However, in current standards it is referred to as a “wrench with open throat". The handle is located at an inclination of 15 degrees. to the handle. This position is the most convenient and allows you to work in particularly narrow places.

In addition, the handle can be positioned at an angle of 7 degrees between the handle and the ring. The combined method involves a different combination of angles: 15 degrees. from one edge and 70 degrees. from another.

Often, keys are equipped with two heads at once, and of different sizes. In this case, there is no need to purchase two keys. Among the shortcomings, one can single out a small space for interaction and with increased pressure, corners can be crushed, especially if the dimension of the key does not match the nut.

It is better to use only correctly selected and combined sizes. Thin horns will cause less damage to the corners.

To loosen old rusty fasteners, you need to use an impact wrench, which on one side has a special thickening for hammering.

Many wrenches come with a specific horn configuration. For example, one is shortened, the other has a protruding notch of a non-standard configuration. Here you can see two positive qualities: Fast action and minimal chance to blur the corners of the edges.

In simplified tool models working surface has protrusions or corrugations, which makes it easier to work with crumpled corners of the nut.

Cap tools

A modernized type of open-end wrench is considered to be ring or ring wrench, which leave a small contact patch, since the nut is wrapped around the head from above and the load is evenly distributed. And not 2 faces, but 6. In addition, the process of crushing corners is practically excluded. Due to the smaller head size, it is more convenient to work with it.

The ring wrench has a six or dodecahedral profile. The first is more convenient to use, the second has large area contact and the possibility of applying more force.

The head of the tool is either located in the same plane with the handle, or at an angle of 15 degrees, which are used in different conditions.

Little used are flat, more in demand - with a curved head. Some models are equipped with a ratchet or hinge.

The handle for greater convenience can be curved or in the form of a crescent.

combination keys

This option combines two types at once: carob and cap. They are endowed with only advantages without disadvantages, therefore they are more in demand and common than the rest. Combinations with other types are also possible. For example, with the end. But this is a less common model.

adjustable wrenches

According to the principle of operation, the adjustable one resembles an open-ended one, with the only difference that you can change the dimension by pushing the horns apart. They are mainly used in everyday life, and not in production, since their disadvantages include:

increased dimension of the head, which creates inconvenience in narrow places;
due to the formation of backlash, it is impossible to firmly fix the nut, as a result, the corners are smoothed out, and this can even lead to injuries;
a low level of strength does not allow you to create the necessary force;
the horns keep slipping.

Among the advantages, one can single out only the ability to adjust the dimension of the head. If necessary, you can replace it with socket wrenches that have interchangeable heads.

socket wrenches

In car repair, it is simply impossible to do without socket wrenches. Their design assumes the presence of a recess hexagonal shape from the butt. This recess is thrown on top of the fasteners and rotated in the right direction.

For ease of use, you should purchase a tool with a small lever and interchangeable heads different size.

When unscrewing the bolts, you will need to make a little more effort than tightening them, since the thread tends to turn sour.

Photo of wrenches and socket wrenches

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Wrenches by type are very diverse and may differ both in appearance and in the material of use (brand and type of metal or alloy).

A wrench is a tool that is used to tighten bolts, nuts, or faceted elements. Each type of wrench has its pros and cons.

First of all spanners differ in the shape of the working part - open-end, open-end, cap, adjustable, end.

The most recognizable and common type. For these keys, the capture of the part is carried out by elements that have the shape of horns. Open-end wrenches have two working parts of different sizes located at the ends of one handle. This is convenient because it reduces the number of keys required size at work.

Due to their versatility, open-end wrenches are very popular despite some drawbacks. One of the disadvantages is a small contact zone, only at two points, if the force is large, then the key tends to deform the edges of the part in the contact zone, if the horns of the key are thin, then this probability increases.

Ring wrenches

For these keys, the working part has a head start of a ring with edges on inside. Its design is more reliable than that of open-end wrenches, since the part is covered over the entire surface (that is, at least in six places), which practically eliminates the deformation of the corners. Ring spanners exist with two types of internal profile - with a 6-point profile and a 12-point profile. It is more convenient to work with a profile with 12 faces in a limited space, since it needs a turn of 30 degrees, a key with a 6-sided profile needs 60 degrees of turn.

More common are wrenches with an inclined head, when the working part is at a slight angle to the handle. Ring wrenches are available in different sizes, as are open-end wrenches.

Open-end wrenches (combined wrenches)

This type of wrench combines an open-end working part on one side of the handle, and a ring working part on the other side. This combination removes the shortcomings of each (both carob and cap) separately. combination keys are issued with one size of a working part from two parties (for example 13*13 mm).

Adjustable wrenches

Represent open end wrench with variable size between clamps. Such keys are quite popular in everyday life, because they replace almost all sizes of keys used.

But this type of key has its drawbacks:

The large size of the working part, which can interfere when working in tight spaces.
In the course of work and over time, sliding mechanism wears out, which leads to significant backlash, that is, to the inability to tightly cover the edges of the part.
The need to often adjust the position of the grip according to the size of the nuts, which is not always convenient.

Socket wrenches

This type of key is a hollow tube or cylinder with recesses at both ends. socket wrenches are of two types:

L-shaped socket wrenches

They have the same size on both edges of the working parts. This is done with the expectation that the nut (or bolt) can be deep from the surface and then the long part of the wrench is used, but more effort is required (due to the small leverage). If the part is shallow, then the short part of the key is used, respectively, due to the larger lever, less effort is applied.

I-shaped wrenches

This type of wrench has an L-shape and is used to work with bolts (screws, screws) that do not have external edges, but internal ones. Mainly used mainly in furniture assembly, repair household appliances and similar works.

TORX star key

These keys have the same shape as hex keys, only with the peculiarity that the end of the key is made in the form of an asterisk (the scope is different from electronics repair to repairing cars and some household appliances).

According to the types of metal, keys should be purchased from a chrome-vanadium alloy or a chromium-molybdenum alloy, all other types of metals or alloys do not show such good results when working, no matter how attractive they look.

With all the variety of types of keys, everyone can choose for himself what he needs in this moment or purchase a set. But it is worth paying attention to the fact that it is better to purchase quality products in order to avoid disappointment in the future.

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