Non-standard wrenches. Wrenches and socket wrenches - the main types of keys and their combinations (115 photos)

Hello,

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:

The 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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There are more than 250 types of sockets and tool wrenches in the OBI hypermarket catalog. Products are sold individually and in ready-made sets at a price of 45 to 10,000 rubles per heading.

Features of choice

When buying products from this subcategory, the following nuances are taken into account:

. Manufacturing material.
. Design features.
. The size.

For the manufacture of quality tool using hardened carbon steel. This material is characterized by high resistance to moisture and strength. In addition to piece items, there are sets of several dozen devices with a hard carrying case.

By design features Distinguish between products with a ratchet and adjustable mechanism, horn and end tools. Products with a T-handle and an extended working part are designed for tightening bolts in hard-to-reach places Oh. Torque samples are also commercially available with a special device for controlling the tightening force of the nuts. Key sizes are indicated in millimeters or inches according to generally accepted international standards.

Order in the OBI store manual locksmith tools for home and industrial needs using your phone.

Payment and delivery methods

Purchase goods online with delivery

. You can pay for the order in cash or by bank transfer.
. You will coordinate the date and time of delivery with the operator by phone when confirming the order.
. The terms of the free service depend on the city, amount and weight of the product.
. Unloading goods, lifting and transferring are additional services and may be paid separately, check with the store operator.

Detailed information about the intervals and zones by city, the conditions for unloading and lifting the order are located, where you can independently calculate the cost of your delivery in advance, indicating the postal address and parameters for unloading.

Order and collect yourself where it is convenient for you

. When filling out the order form, indicate a convenient date and time for you to visit the hypermarket.
. You can pay for the purchase in cash or by bank transfer at the cash desks of the store.

Purchased goods can be picked up at any of the OBI stores in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Ryazan, Volgograd, Nizhny Novgorod, Saratov, Kazan, Yekaterinburg, Omsk, Krasnodar, Surgut, Bryansk, Tula and Volzhsky.

Wrenches are used to work with bolted connections. They come in several varieties, each of which is used for specific purposes. The choice of tool configuration depends on the difficulty of accessing the threaded connection. If it is in an open place, then any wrench, but if you need to dodge, then you need a special form of the tool.

Varieties of wrenches

First of all, the tool differs in size. Each one is designed for a specific hex nut. The key size is indicated by numbers that correspond to the diameter of the landing throat in millimeters. Foreign tools may have an inch designation, but they are practically not used in the CIS.

There are more than 10 types of wrenches, which are divided into the following groups:

Monolithic.
Adjustable.
Composite.
with a special profile.

Special keys can also be noted, but they are used very rarely and only in special designs. Most of these tools are almost never used, so they can be ignored.

Monolithic wrench

The monolithic wrench is a one-piece metal structure. This tool is the most common. It is mainly made of special steel, which includes chromium and vanadium. Monolithic type is divided into several subtypes:

Rozhkovy.
Union.
End.
Combined.

Rozhkovy

The open end tool is used for nuts and bolts from 3.6mm to 95mm. This is the most common key that is used in all areas, including car maintenance. Its design is a flat profile, at the end of which there are two axes for covering caps. threaded connections. The horn instrument is single-sided and double-sided.

One-sided has horns on only one side, while the second is a cut profile. Often, to work with a tightly clamped connection, a tube can be put on the second end of the wrench to increase the leverage of force, and to facilitate untwisting. The double-ended wrench has horns at all ends. Usually they are designed for nuts of different diameters.

Thanks to flat design wrenches are quite compact. The direction of their jaws has a deviation of 15 degrees. This reduces the risk of slipping and adds extra maneuverability. The disadvantage of the horn design is the fragility of fixing the joints. When untwisting with strong force, metal is abraded on the edges of the bolts. In addition, breaking off or expanding the horns is possible.

Union

The ring wrench has a size from 6 to 55 mm. Its working part is a ring with edges, which ensures complete crimping of nuts and bolts. When working with such a tool, the risk of licking the edges is eliminated. The cap design can also be one-sided and two-sided. The one-sided variation includes a tool in sizes from 30 to 55 mm. Flaw cap type is the need for open access to the threaded connection. If the nut is only a few millimeters from the obstacle, then it will not be possible to fix the key on it.

End

The working part of such a tool is a tube with an internal notch for fixing the edges. The wrench is used to loosen deep seated bolts and nuts. Reliability of fixation corresponds to the cap. Depending on the shape, there are tubular, "T" and "G" shaped. The former are a straight tube, with ends fitted to the edges and a small through hole in the center, which are used to thread the pin to facilitate turning. Such wrenches are called candle wrenches because they are used to change spark plugs in internal combustion engines. "T" and "G" shaped keys have 6 or 12 faces. Their curved shape is adapted to certain working conditions.

Combined

Such a double-sided tool has an open-end and ring spanner at each end. Available in sizes from 5 to 32 mm. A variant of the same or different sizes of carob and ring spanner. Such a tool is often included in standard kits for servicing motorcycles and other small equipment.

adjustable type

The adjustable wrench is more advanced, but not as robust design like a monolith. It can change the size of the girth of the working part, therefore it is suitable for a wide range of nuts and bolts. There are several subtypes of adjustable tools:

Adjustable.
Pipe.
Adjustable.
French.

Adjustable

Adjustable resembles a carob, but is more massive. Its feature lies in the sliding jaws. Such a tool is universal. It allows you to work with non-standard sizes of nuts. Changing the working width is done with a simple worm-type adjuster. Such a tool fixes only two faces, so it can lick nuts. It must not be hit with a hammer, as the worm adjuster may jam and bend, making further attempts to adjust the width impossible.

Trubny

Pipe wrench refers to universal tool. It comes in 5 sizes with a coverage range of 0 to 120mm. Adjustment is carried out using a clamping nut on one of the handles. The capture of faces is carried out by two sponges like a lever. The tighter it is clamped, the more reliable the fixation will be. There are several options for the shape of the lips. They are flat and rounded. The former work with ordinary nuts, while the latter can capture rounded connections.

Adjustable

The adjustable wrench also provides a grip on the lever system. To work with it, you need to apply a strong force, since its design is more primitive than pipe. The surface of the adjustable mechanism is serrated, which provides a tighter contact between the two handles. There is also a notch on the lips. It increases the reliability of the fit of the horns to the surface of the faces.

French

The french wrench is very old design. Despite this, it can be found in the tool kit of many motorists and mechanics. The French design was invented back in the 18th century. Since that time, the principle of tool adjustment has changed slightly. It should be noted that such keys suffer from the presence of backlash, which complicates the reliable fixation of the jaws. They do not tolerate shock, so if the nut does not give in, then it is best to use a tube to increase the leverage.

Composite type

Composite type is a socket head. On the one hand, they have 6 or 12 faces for fixing the nuts, and on the other, 4 faces for holding the knob. When assembled, the composite key repeats the design of the conventional end type. The advantage of the heads is that they fit under one collar. Thus, a whole set of end caps and one handle can fit in a small box. At the same time, it will present all the popular sizes that are required for work.

Handles of several designs can be used for heads:

Hinged.
With ratchet.
L-shaped.
With screwdriver handle.

The disadvantage of heads is that they do not fit everywhere. For hard-to-reach places, they are often unsuitable. This is due to the thick walls of the nest. In addition, when working with dirty and rusty joints, there are times when the head fits tightly on a nut or bolt, after which it is difficult to remove it. With force, the crank simply pops out of the mounting hole, while the nozzle remains in place.

Keys with a special profile

Special profile wrenches are male tools that fit into special holes on the bolts, rather than capturing their heads. There are hex and star wrenches. They have a small diameter and are mainly used for fixing furniture joints. They are also used for assembly and disassembly. household appliances.

The hex key is an ordinary L-shaped rod, machined into 6 faces. It is he who is used for conformation in the assembly and repair of furniture. Wrenches with a diameter of 1.5 to 24 mm are available. You can often find an even variation of the key in the form of bits for .

A star-shaped wrench is an L-shaped rod with a curly sharpening at the end, resembling the shape of a screwdriver. It is used to work with small bolts in household appliances and car interior elements. Small wrenches are used for disassembly mobile phones and tablets. Often, a special screwdriver is used instead of a torx type.

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 spanners are double-sided.

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.

Ring 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.

The wrench is a common tool used quite often. For something as simple as turning nuts or bolts, there are many variations of a wrench available, and that's not counting highly specialized wrenches. Just a simple enumeration of the types of this tool will take more than one minute, and each type has its own purpose, its own advantages and disadvantages that are important to know, here are the main types: open-ended, cap, combined (horn at one end, cap at the other), end , divorced.

open end wrenches

When it comes to a wrench, it is usually open end wrench comes to mind. At the open-end wrench, the nut is fixed between sponges resembling horns, which gave this key the name - open-end. Another name for this species, which is also used in GOST, is a wrench with an open throat.

wrench

The longitudinal axis of the head and the longitudinal axis of the handle are at an angle, usually this angle is 15 ° (there are keys with a different angle).

This was done to facilitate work in a limited space.

The angle between the axes of the head and the handle is also made different, for example, 75 °, while the angles are combined in one key.

Wrench with the same opening size on both sides,
with opening angles of 15° and 75°

Often, an open-end wrench has two heads (double-sided wrench), one each at the ends of the handle, for different sizes nuts. This halves the number of items in the set of such keys.

Open-end wrenches are widely used due to their relative versatility and simplicity, despite serious shortcomings. The main disadvantage of an open-end wrench is that there are only two small contact areas that are close to the corners of the nut. The pressure on these zones tends to crush the corners, if the size of the pharynx is slightly larger than the size of the nut, then the wrench will press directly on the two corners and crush them with force. The same will happen when the key is right size, but the effort will be much greater. With a decrease in the thickness of the lips, the likelihood of crumpling the corners increases.

An impact wrench used to loosen unyielding (stuck or rusty) nuts or bolts has a special thickening at the second end that receives blows from a hammer or sledgehammer.

Manufacturers offer open-end wrenches with a modified profile of the lips (horns). For example, in IBEX keys, one lip is shortened and has a small protrusion, while the other is made convex, and the notch has also been changed. Thanks to this modification, the key has two pluses at once. Firstly, speed - the key can be rearranged without removing the hook from the throat, but only slightly retracting it back. Second, the contact patches are farther away from the corners of the nut, which reduces the possibility of smearing the edges. The modification is simpler, it may consist either in creating a slight bulge of the working surface, or in its corrugation. Manufacturers claim that keys with a convex working surface you can even work with nuts or bolts that have crumpled edges.

Key IBEX (UNIOR)

Ring spanners

A cap wrench, also known as a ring wrench, is a more advanced type of wrench than an open-end wrench. Its design is devoid of the main drawback of open-end wrenches, which have only two small contact spots. The ring wrench head covers the entire nut and, under load, the pressure is distributed to all six faces of the nut or bolt, that is, instead of two contact spots, there are six of them, in addition, the contact spots are a little further from the corners, which almost completely eliminates corner crushing. The box wrench has a smaller head than an open-end wrench for the same nut and is generally more comfortable to work with.

The profile of the head of the box wrench can be with 12 faces (the most common option) or with 6 (TORX profile). A 12-sided wrench is more convenient to work with and only needs to turn 30° to work, while a TORX wrench needs 60°, so the latter may not be able to cope with screwing or unscrewing in a tight space. But with a TORX profile wrench, due to the large edges, the contact area is larger, and it is further from the corners of the nut. As a result, such a key can apply more force without fear of lubricating the corners.

The ring may lie flat with the handle (flat wrench), be inclined at an angle, typically 15° (bent wrench), or have an elbow (bent wrench). For different situations, a certain arrangement of the ring is optimal (sometimes the only possible one), but the most versatile can be called a key with a bent head, flat ones are almost never used.

Ratchet wrenches (more on them below) are sometimes made with a swivel head.

Like open-end wrenches, box wrenches are often made with two rings of different sizes.

Percussion modifications are produced that differ from percussion horns only in the head.

For cases where it is impossible to put the key on top, there is an option with an open ring (slotted key). Such situations often arise when servicing hydraulic and pneumatic installations.

The handle of the wrench, for working in hard-to-reach places, can be bent, for example, a motor (starter) wrench is bent in the form of a crescent (C-shaped), there are also S-shaped wrenches.

Combination wrenches

The combination of an open-end wrench on one handle, at one end, and a box wrench of the same size, at the other, created a key devoid of the shortcomings of each of them individually. Combination wrenches are the most popular and common. Of course, manufacturers are not limited to a combination of open-end and box wrenches, other types are also combined, for example, open-end wrenches with a socket, but if we talk about combined vein, without specifying which we are talking specifically about the rozhkovo-cap.

There are modifications with the head turned by 90°, in this case, when working, the palm rests against the wide plane of the head, and not against the narrow part.

Adjustable wrenches

An adjustable wrench, in simple terms, is an open-end wrench with a variable distance between the jaws. They are used more in the home than in the professional world, and are perhaps more common in the home than other wrenches.

The dislike of professionals for them is well explained by their significant shortcomings, namely:

Relatively big size heads can become an obstacle when working in a hard-to-reach place.
The backlash of the movable jaw does not allow the nut to be tightly compressed, as a result of which, with a relatively small effort, the wrench will smooth the corners of the nut and break off, while a person may be injured.
Over time, the moving jaw mechanism wears out, resulting in even more play.
Low strength does not create a large torque.
The need for constant adjustment of the position of the movable sponge.

And there is only one advantage - the variable distance between the jaws. Yes, and this advantage can be negated by a socket wrench with interchangeable heads or a bicycle one.

socket wrenches

Socket wrenches have a recess in the end, usually in the form of a hexagon, enclosing a bolt or nut, they are mainly used in automotive maintenance. Often these wrenches are L-shaped, with a hex notch at both ends. Moreover, the size of the notch is the same on both sides, that is, not like, for example, ring keys. This is due to the different functionality of the two ends, the long part can get deeply "hidden" bolts, but the lever will be shorter and it will be possible to create a small torque, covering the bolts with the short end, the long part creates a large torque. Knowing that more force is needed to unscrew the bolt than was applied during tightening, due to the souring of the threaded connection, when tightening, you can use the short part as a lever (if possible and the bolt is tightened strongly enough), and for unscrewing - the long part, this it will save you from a situation where a heavily tightened bolt or nut cannot be twisted.

The socket wrench can be with a dodecahedral recess, like a box wrench, with the same pros and cons compared to the TORX profile, namely: it only needs to turn 30 ° to work, it is more convenient for them to work, it will lubricate the corners of the bolt with less effort or with less bolt head wear. Sometimes six- and twelve-sided heads are combined in one key.

Keys are produced with the head attached to the handle through a hinge. In this case, the sizes of the heads, from the two ends, are different.

There is T-keys with one head; in the form of a cross - some balloon; with interchangeable heads, significantly reducing the dimensions of the set; Various attachments are available for interchangeable heads.

Manufacturers also offer the following options:

It has a very significant drawback - a very large head size, which limits its use.

Tubular wrenches

A tubular wrench is a tube, at the ends of which a hexagon is formed, holes are made in the tube for a knob (a rod that acts as a lever). The size of the hexagon, at the ends of one key, is different. Such simple keys are sometimes used to complete equipment and machines, in particular cars.

Sometimes manufacturers bend the tube, getting an L-shaped tubular wrench. They have the same hexagon size at the ends of one key, and the functionality of the positions is the same as that of L-shaped socket wrenches.

Variety tubular wrenches- a candle wrench (for automotive spark plugs) with a hexagon on one side.

Protruding parts of threaded connections, for example, strongly protruding parts of a candle, can fit in the cavity of the tube.

Ratchet wrenches

Union and socket wrenches have modifications with a ratchet mechanism (in other words, with a ratchet). The main advantage of a ratchet wrench is that you don't have to flip the wrench. Another important advantage is the very small angle that the wrench has to turn to screw or unscrew the nut. Ratchet mechanisms differ, in particular, in the number of teeth, if the mechanism has 72 teeth, then 5 ° is enough to turn, if 40, then 9 °, etc., the angle is 360 ° divided by the number of teeth. This is very important when working in very cramped conditions.

The disadvantage of a ratchet is that it is a weak point of the key and breaks under excessive load, at a significantly higher cost of such a tool.

Other keys

In this topic, it would be useful to mention other keys that are just as important as those described above. So, a bicycle key, familiar to many, used to be an integral part of any bicycle.

A spoke wrench is still a necessary part of a bicycle tool kit, but it has changed a lot.