Mechanics need hand tools that work and good tools are important for the home repairman, too. These wrenches are a recent development that combines the narrow, thin head of a box end wrench with the ratcheting action of a ratchet handle to make a small thin tool that works in tighter spaces than a conventional socket wrench with ratchet handle. It also allows faster manipulation than a conventional box wrench so it has a couple of good points. The ratcheting action lets the mechanic turn the fastener by placing the wrench on it once and then letting the handle slip back against the ratcheting mechanism to get a new purchase as the limit of motion is reached. Therefore the work goes smoother and faster, with less fumbling around, making the job less tiring.
The sort of miniaturization in these wrenches was beyond the mechanical strength of tool steel a few decades ago but developments in metallurgy and heat treating from the space age have allowed the development of smaller yet still strong tools.
These wrenches are Metric - denominated in millimeters 7, 8, 9, 10 ... as most fasteners are today. The wrenches are also available in SAE - Society of Automotive Engineers standard - denominated in fractions of inches ¼; 3/8; 7/16; ½ and so on. If you work on much stuff you will encounter both as the USA actually uses both size standards so if you are turning wrenches, you'll need both SAE and metric wrenches to pursue your work. It pays to be prepared so I have both types and recommend homeowners and general repair technicians have both, too.
The way the wrench works is it has a different size opening on each end with a reversing lever so each can be used without flipping the wrench over like some cheaper versions work. These wrenches have a compact head that is pretty strong and the handles have an offset to allow a little better wrist action than one of the straight types often seen.
You just never seem to have too much room when you are trying to manipulate fasteners and these are small enough that they can fit into some pretty small spaces making them very useful. The wrenches have fine tooth gears that allow a new tooth to be caught with a mere 5 degree handle swing. That is truly remarkable when many ratchets take 15 or 20 degrees before the next tooth is available to grab.
The Craftsman wrench set consists of five double ended wrenches with a different size on each end for a total of eight sizes. These eight sizes will work with about 90% of the metric fasteners you encounter.
The sizes are included are
7 x 8mm, 9 x 10mm, 12 x 13mm, 14 x 15mm, and 19 x 21mm. These 10 sizes will fit most metric fasteners you encounter around the house and vehicle. The wrenches are in a plastic caddy. You may have to buy a few separate wrenches because you find an 11mm and a 16 or 17mm fastener once in a while. But every mechanic has to cover the size ranges and these ten sizes give a good assortment.
This is a very versatile and handy set that is good for working on vehicles, bicycles, and motorcycles around the garage. The wrenches seem to be made of very good quality steel with proper heat treating and are polished smooth and plated for protection and easy clean up. I recommend this set for everybody's household tool kit. It sells for $39.99 every day from Sears. These wrenches come with Sears Lifetime Guarantee which says free replacement for life if damaged.
Tools may seem expensive at first glance but they pay for themselves very quickly when you use them to do a few repairs for yourself.
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
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