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For installing towel bars, tightening door handles, or assembling IKEA furniture, the household toolbox should have many hex wrenches (usually known as the brand name Allen wrench). We asked three carpenters to test 11 top models. Our favorite set is the TEKTON 25282 26-piece long arm ball hex wrench set (approximately $17).
These hex wrenches (also called Allen wrenches) are very suitable for narrow places, and their easy-to-use housing allows even the smallest wrenches to be easily removed and replaced. Backed by a lifetime warranty.
*At the time of publication, the price was $17.
To be honest, most of the actual wrenches we tested are of similar quality, so what sets TEKTON apart is the excellent housing (one for metric sizes and one for imperial sizes, also known as SAE). Unlike other test devices, the TEKTON housing holds the wrenches tightly enough so they will not fall, but they have a flexible enough grip that they can still be easily removed. Surprisingly, few wrench sets have passed this baseline test.
In addition, the TEKTON box is the only box that can be folded and opened, especially the small wrench (the hardest to take out) can be easily accessed. TEKTON has a longer than normal length and ball head design, both of which make them particularly useful in narrow places. The package includes a complete selection of metric and SAE sizes (13 each), and provides a lifetime guarantee.
These are more expensive than our main option, and the boxes cannot be folded open, so it might be a bit awkward. Nonetheless, they are better than the other suits we tested.
If TEKTON is not available, we also like Bondhus 20199 L-Wrench Double Pack (approximately $20). These also have a lifetime warranty. According to the manufacturer, they are made from a proprietary material called Protanium Steel, which, according to Bondhus, is 20% stronger than the chromium vanadium made from TEKTON. After testing, we came to the conclusion that this extra durability has no impact on standard internal tasks. The Bondhus housing holds the wrench firmly in place, but does not fold, so smaller wrenches are more difficult to remove.
Folding suits are useful-easy to carry and not easy to lose-this suit beats other suits with its low price, comfortable handle and lifetime warranty.
For portability, a set of foldable hexagon wrenches is very good. Our favorite is Bondhus 12522 Gorilla Grips (approximately $14). They are the cheapest we have seen, but they have the most comfortable handles and the most useful features. We like the way that the wrench can also be stopped at a 90 degree angle to the handle, which helps to loosen or tighten the screws quickly. These are also included in the lifetime warranty.
These hex wrenches (also called Allen wrenches) are very suitable for narrow places, and their easy-to-use housing allows even the smallest wrenches to be easily removed and replaced. Backed by a lifetime warranty.
*At the time of publication, the price was $17.
These are more expensive than our main option, and the boxes cannot be folded open, so it might be a bit awkward. Nonetheless, they are better than the other suits we tested.
Folding suits are useful-easy to carry and not easy to lose-this suit beats other suits with its low price, comfortable handle and lifetime warranty.
I have been using a hex wrench for many years. First, he worked as a carpenter, foreman and work supervisor during the 10-year period of building high-end residences in the Boston area. Secondly, as a tool author/commenter, I have published articles on Fine Homebuilding, This Old House, Popular Science, Popular Mechanics, The Journal of Light Construction and Tools of the Trade. I am a contributing editor among them.
For this guide, I also consulted Marc Lyman, editor of HomeFixated.com, a website dedicated to tools and home improvement. For more than 10 years, Lyman has been writing and reviewing tools.
Through our research, we found that the most useful type of hex wrench is the L-shaped long arm ball-end wrench. The long arm model has a better reach than usually found on hex wrenches, and the ball head allows the wrench to engage and rotate the fastener at an angle of up to about 25 degrees. As Lyman tells us, "These work well when the tool clearance is minimal." Due to its portability and better ergonomics (you won’t lose a single wrench), the folding kit is also useful, but They are usually a bit bulky.
For the individual wrenches, we found that the storage system is very different. As Lyman puts it, “Use a [set] with a wrench holder with clear size labels like Bondhus or TEKTON instead of the'one bag of wrenches' method.” Because many hex wrenches are too small to stand alone Mark the size, so it helps when the enclosure has clear size markings and they stay in order. When storing, the wrench should be held tightly, but at the same time it should slide out easily when pulled. I have used suits in bags, but they will eventually become messy.
As for the specific L-shaped wrench design, it is best to have a long arm and a ball head. The long arm is what it sounds like; the wrench is longer than usual. Compared to the short arm Elkind set ($8) I own, the TEKTON we recommend is about 30% to 40% longer on average, depending on the wrench. As for the ball head, the end of the long arm is spherical to keep the angle of the hex head tilted-the wrench can insert (and turn) the fastener up to an angle of 25 degrees. These two functions make these wrenches ideal for hard-to-reach places, such as tightening the fixing screws under the toilet paper holder.
Quality kits-including metric and SAE long arms and ball heads-are priced between US$15 and US$25. Some packages are more expensive, such as Snap-On ($40, metric only), PB Swiss ($75, metric only), and Wiha ($30-40), but when there are enough high-quality models, These prices are difficult to justify. Unlimited lifetime warranty in the lower range. We are looking for high-quality tools here, but it does not make sense to spend nearly $80 on two sets of hex wrenches.
After searching all common places (big boxes, tool retailers, manufacturer websites), we found that the selection of wrench sets that meet all the criteria for long arms and ball joints is quite limited. We eliminated any apparently flawed sets, such as these Harbour Freight wrenches ($7) with unreadable size markings.
The foldable hexagonal kit is easy to carry, and because the body becomes a handle, you can put more charm after turning. If you only have one kit, the L-wrench is more versatile (the folding kit is difficult to match the towel bar and TP bracket), but the folding kit is also very good. We narrowed the scope by only looking at composite handle folding kits from well-known manufacturers. Metal, such as these Elkinds ($5), are not expensive, but they are terrible to hold.
For specific tests, I asked two other old carpenters to help; Aaron Goff, who has 12 years of high-end renovation experience, and Mark Piersma, who has 14 years of experience. The three of us analyzed the selected kits and used them in a store environment. When we decided on our favorite ones (considering the situation of TEKTON and the handles of Bondhuses, it turned out not too difficult) I used it around the house for about eight months because I wrapped a complete intestine-and transformed me A 100-year old farmhouse. I hung the towel bar and TP bracket, adjusted the door hardware and assembled them together for assembly. I also made a fuss about the children's bicycles, repaired their toys, and a hundred other small things that hex wrenches used to make.
These hex wrenches (also called Allen wrenches) are very suitable for narrow places, and their easy-to-use housing allows even the smallest wrenches to be easily removed and replaced. Backed by a lifetime warranty.
*At the time of publication, the price was $17.
There are many good hex wrenches in the range of US$10 to US$20. To be honest, the difference between the wrenches is very small, so it is this situation that really makes TEKTON unique.
There are many good hex wrenches in the range of US$10 to US$20. To be honest, the difference between the wrenches is very small, so it is this situation that really makes TEKTON unique. Like the others, it is made of rubber material with the wrench size clearly printed on it, but only the TEKTON box can be folded and opened like a book, with a small wrench on one side and a large wrench on the other. This makes it very easy to remove a specific wrench. Also, for most other situations, you either have to work hard to get them out, or they just fall by themselves (which is really annoying). TEKTON wrenches are held firmly in place when stored, but they are easy to pull out when they need to be used. The TEKTON bracket also has a small ring for hanging the device on the pegboard (most of them don't have this function).
Amazon’s customer feedback is also very positive, with 4.7 stars out of 65 reviews (out of five stars) (three stars is the lowest rating). Professionals and DIY enthusiasts have commented, and they are generally impressed by the overall quality of the wrench and the practicality of the ball head.
We also tested 26 Eastwood suits ($9 plus $5 S&H) and found that it is exactly the same as the TEKTON suit. Although it is currently $2 lower than Tekton, the full price listed on the Eastwood website is $20, which is reduced to $9 after a discount. The Eastwood suit is currently a better deal, but due to the stability of pricing, we are more confident in recommending the TEKTON suit.
With an excellent case and a lifetime warranty, we believe that TEKTON is the right choice for home use at a reasonable price.
TEKTON wrenches are made of chrome vanadium steel, but there are other wrenches, such as our Bondhus runner-up set, made of more durable materials (at least according to the manufacturer). We tried to break TEKTON with moderate force, but failed. This increased durability may have an impact in industrial environments where tools are used in high-torque situations every day, but for people working from home, even the radical DIYer will never feel the difference. With an excellent case and a lifetime warranty, we believe that TEKTON is the right choice for home use (at the right price).
Another defect that is not unique to TEKTON, but all L-shaped hex wrenches is that to use them, you need to take them out of the casing, which may cause them to be confused or lost. The smallest nine wrenches are not sized, so the five SAE and four metric items in this set can easily be confused with each other.
These are more expensive than our main option, and the boxes cannot be folded open, so it might be a bit awkward. Nonetheless, they are better than the other suits we tested.
If TEKTON is not available, we like Bondhus 20199 L-Wrench Double Pack (approximately $20). These also have lifetime guarantees, but the situation is weaker. Without the ability to fold and open, it is not easy to remove a single wrench, especially a smaller wrench. In other words, the Bondhus wrench has never been stuck in the housing or dropped. This is a good case; it just opens without folding. Otherwise, we are deeply impressed by the durability and value of this set of products. Like TEKTON, Bondhus Wrench has a high feedback score on Amazon: 4.8 stars (out of 5 stars) and more than 125 reviews.
Bondhus wrenches have higher durability. They are made of a proprietary material called Protanium Steel, and according to Bondhus, they are 20% stronger than chrome vanadium tools such as TEKTON. It is certainly comforting to know how strong these wrenches are, but the increased strength is unlikely to have an impact on the standards of home use.
We also tested the Bondhus 20399 ($25), which looks the same as the 20199 set, but they are color coded using gold and SAE silver metric wrenches. They paid a few more dollars, driving what we thought was a high price. However, if you want the extra level of organization provided by color coding, these are very good wrenches.
Folding suits are useful-easy to carry and not easy to lose-this suit beats other suits with its low price, comfortable handle and lifetime warranty.
We found Gorilla Grips to be the easiest to use and feel the most comfortable.
It is possible to use a single set of long arm ball wrenches like TEKTON, but some people, including Lyman and myself, also like to have a folding kit on hand. On these wrenches, the wrench is connected to the handle and can be individually rotated like the blade of a Swiss army knife. As Lyman told us, "The single L wrench is suitable for more places, but the folding kit provides more leverage and is more human-friendly than when you try to loose a stubborn bolt when you let a small wrench into your finger Engineering." After testing three popular kits, we like 12522 Bondhus Gorilla Grips (approximately $14). We found Gorilla Grips to be the easiest to use and feel the most comfortable. They also enjoy a complete lifetime guarantee. In addition, they have the function of stabilizing the wrench at a 90-degree angle to the body, which makes it easy to loosen or tighten fasteners quickly.
For our testers, one of the highlights of Gorilla Grips is the simplicity of the handle. There is nothing special about the smooth round plastic. The handle makes them the most comfortable to hold; they can slide in and out of the back pocket easily. Other kits have rubber pads, which makes them unnecessarily bulky.
As we said, the wrench can be placed at a 90 degree angle to the handle. They are not actually locked in place-the handle prevents them from moving further. This did a few things. First, if the wrench from the other side of the case is opened and set, the second wrench will be used as a handle (see image here). Secondly, it improves the efficiency of the "flip and flip" method using a folding hex wrench (see image here). If the wrench is prohibited from turning in one direction, the last point is useful.
As for the pricing, whether it is metric or SAE size, the price of Gorilla Grips is around $14. The Stanleys we saw actually provide fewer functions, only the metric price is 13 US dollars, and the SAE size is 9 US dollars.
One flaw of Gorilla Grips is that over time, the nuts and bolts that secure the wrench to the fuselage loosen slightly. This will cause the wrench to flip to the open position. Fortunately, the SAE device can tighten the bolts on the metric device, and vice versa, so it can be quickly repaired when this happens. Personally, I prefer that the wrenches have good resistance when I pull them out, so in the eight months I have used them, I had to fit them tightly twice. I also found that other hexagonal groups require similar maintenance.
Gorilla Grips also do not have any hard stop devices, so you cannot lock the wrench at a specific angle. This is most useful for aligning the wrench with the handle (such as a screwdriver). We found that as long as the pivots stay snug, the wrenches can be placed the way you like; just be careful not to move them when they turn. In addition, having such a locking mechanism takes up space and results in larger and more expensive tools.
We rejected most of the other long-arm ball-end wrenches we tested based on the quality of the casing because the actual wrenches we tested had such a similar quality level. Allen ball-end wrenches ($15 metric, $18 SAE) alternate between falling from the bracket and needing a pair of pliers to remove them. They are also very expensive, totaling $33 for the entire package. The Elkind package ($20) has a standard stand, such as Bondhus, but it is more expensive than TEKTON.
The Craftsman wrench ($30) is almost impossible to take out of the box, nor did it provide any extras to justify the high price.
The strangest kit we saw was the Husky 51207, which has been discontinued. To loosen the wrench, the case is twisted in a layered pattern. This is a cumbersome system, and it's too complicated. As Gove said, "I think they put too much mustard on these." After testing, we were not surprised that it was no longer available. Since then, it has been replaced by a more traditional kit, priced at $20, with average reviews and no folding box.
As for the folding kit, we tested the Stanley STHT71839 ($13). Its price is about the same as that of Bondhus, and the shell is heavier and slightly awkward. The heavy-duty DeWalt set (SAE $13, metric $12) is expensive and comes with professional features that home users don't need (and clumsy), such as multiple stop and lock buttons. Compared to others, DeWalts is also huge. They are difficult to fit in the back pockets.
We did not see any T-handle hex wrench like TEKTON 2546 ($15). They are bulky, difficult to store, and cannot be used in cramped places.
Tip: The correct way to loosen a fastener with an L-shaped hex wrench is to start with the short leg in the fastener. This puts longer legs in your hands, which provides better leverage (more torque) and is easier to hold. Once the fastener is loose enough to rotate freely, switch the ends and use your thumb and index finger to rotate the screw freely. When installing fasteners, the opposite is true. The screws are quickly installed from the long end, and then switched to the small end for real tightening.
Doug Mahoney is a senior staff writer at Wirecutter, covering home improvement. He has worked in the field of high-end construction for 10 years as a carpenter, foreman and supervisor. He lived in a very demanding farmhouse with a history of 250 years and spent four years demolishing and rebuilding his previous home. He also raises sheep, raises a cow, and milks him every morning.
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