Tool Review

Sorry, this isn't about the band Tool. Though it could be. Awesome! There. Now that we have that out of the way...

This is actually about tools. When I used tools less frequently it was hard to form a solid opinion about the different manufacturers. If you like to wrench on your car or bike every so often, like on the weekends, most any tool will do. Now that I use tools on a daily basis for several hours a day, I have formed some opinions. Not only that, I have actively sought out different brands of tools. I do this primarily because I have never trusted other people's opinions. I certainly don't trust my own biases.

This is about one of the most common and simple of tools found in people's tool boxes, the combination wrench. You can't get much more basic than a single piece of metal shaped to fit bolt heads and nuts in what is on one end an enclosed area and at the other is open ended.

We'll start with the one most people will be familiar with, Craftsman. I used to think these were good tools. I have a set that I use to work on my bike with and they suit the job fine. Solid tools with a lifetime exchange policy. Most people are within a fairly short drive of a Sears so return is not an issue. The problem is that Craftsman wrenches are heavy! So for the home shop they're fine. For someone who makes a living turning wrenches, they suck. I have one at work and am considering replacing it.

On the opposite end of the spectrum is another wrench that I have one of. Urrea does not have a lifetime warranty and they are made in Mexico. They are also considerably cheaper than the "big name" wrenches. It also happens to be a damn fine wrench. I'm not talking about it being good for the money, I'm saying it's actually good. It has a decent weight, nice finish, and is quite comfortable in the hand. I have to trust my tools and the Urrea gives me no reservations. The downside is that every time I use it I start craving margaritas.

I recently picked up a couple of metric wrenches for home by Westward. While I have yet to use them, they seem like a runner up to Urrea. Cheaper, made in Taiwan, but solid. And the black satin finish has a nice no-slip feel to it.

The wrench I grab more often than any other is one made by Proto. American made with a lifetime warranty. I like this better than the Craftsman. A better design. Definitely a no frill wrench meant for getting work done.

It's cousin is Blackhawk (by Proto). This is one of those deals where an American company opens up a plant outside the country and rather than completely ruin their good name they 'sponsor' the other company. Same warranty. Same tool, really. It's just made in another country and has a different name on it.

Then there is Snap-On. My initial opinion: It's just a god damned wrench and shouldn't cost so damn much! Then you hold one in your hand, turn a few bolts with it, and you're spoiled. It's no wonder people with Snap-On tools get so uppity about their stuff. Have you ever heard someone say of a Ferrari, "It's just a god damned car and shouldn't cost so damn much!"? Thus spake the man with a brand new Mustang. Seriously, Snap-On wrenches are just that nice. I am slowly coming to the conclusion that I don't really need a new wrench until I am willing to pay for a Snap-On. Anything less and it's just me being a tool whore. Their screwdrivers are shitty in my opinion (Craftsman screwdrivers are really shitty and import screwdrivers are super ultra shitty) but pulling a Snap-On wrench from the box makes you feel like Arthur extracting Excalibur from the stone. Tool fanatics could probably jack-off thinking about Snap-On wrenches. I'm not even going to sully the experience by trying to explain why they are so nice. I'm just saying that if you get a chance to take some for a test turn, don't even feign being nonchalant. But be kind and wipe your finger prints, druel, and DNA from it when you give it back. If you must steal it, beat the owner to death with a Craftsman so as not to misuse the sacred object.