Dog bone wrenches - any good?

[Perd Hapley]

I saw one of these in a catalog, and I thought it might be very handy for my work-place tool bag. To keep the weight down, I don't keep sockets or wrenches in it, except for a couple of Crescents.

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200375014_200375014

Reviews? Recommendations?

[Boomhauer]

It's going to be bulky and won't fit in places a standard wrench will.

Never used one myself, though, never have lacked access to multiple full wrench sets.

[Perd Hapley]

It's going to be bulky and won't fit in places a standard wrench will.

I'm sure. That tends to be true of most multi-size, multi-use tools; Crescent wrenches, etc. I figure the swivel-ism will actually make it preferable to a standard wrench, for some jobs.

[BridgeRunner]

Meh.  How often do you really need to get at something at a weird angle, but there's several inches of space right around the nut to fit that massive head?  Saw another kind of size-adjustable wrench the other day, but ratcheting.  I love ratcheting wrenches and have been lusting after a set of them for years, but just can't see the point in trying to fit a half-dozen of 'em into one oversized hunk of mostly useless metal.

[Doggy Daddy]

Dog bone wrenches - any good?

I would think you'd be shopping for more of a monkey wrench.

DD

[Perd Hapley]

This is for a minimalist set of tools that I carry about on foot. Maybe the dog bone doesn't seem appealing to those who haven't done much of that. Then again, I haven't used one yet, either. I have lugged about a set of wrenches in my tool bag before, along with standard and metric sockets and an 18 volt drill, with bits. I don't keep any of those in the walking-around tool bag anymore.

I know it will be a compromise. For twenty bucks, I might give it a try anyway. It will be bulky at the business end, but then so is a Crescent wrench, and those are still pretty handy.

[HeroHog]

They are usually made of cheap steel (IF that) and will not last long or even work on a truly tight bolt/nut without breaking. Save yer money and by a set of combination end wrenches and be done with it.

[eyebrows]

I'd agree with HeroHog. Cheap wrenches are terrible on the knuckles.

[Doggy Daddy]

I'd agree with HeroHog. Cheap wrenches are terrible on the knuckles.

This is the first time I did a "QFT", but this time it's worth it!   

DD

[Monkeyleg]

I'd agree with HeroHog. Cheap wrenches are terrible on the knuckles.
 

I'm pretty sure any wrench made for tight places is hard on knuckles.

For a long time I was trying to design a very small air wrench that could grab a bolt or nut, but then use a ratchet action to turn it, while the wrench itself didn't move. If the head of it could be made small enough, it could fit into tight places where a regular wrench could be inserted but didn't have enough room to turn the wrench. Still trying to figure it out.

[charby]

I have a few Thorsen brands I picked up at a local farmstore, haven't broken one yet. Kind of like Husky tools or Kobalt in quality.

If you went with a dogdone wrench see if you can get a 12pt socket instead of a 6 point, makes for less adjustment to fit on a bolt.

-C

[Perd Hapley]

I have a few Thorsen brands I picked up at a local farmstore, haven't broken one yet. Kind of like Husky tools or Kobalt in quality.

If you went with a dogdone wrench see if you can get a 12pt socket instead of a 6 point, makes for less adjustment to fit on a bolt.

So far, I've found Craftsman and Black and Decker dog bones. All of them are six-pointers.

[MillCreek]

If I could find a smaller dog-bone wrench in metric, I would buy a couple to carry on the motorcycles.  Although I have not done a detailed search, the ones I have seen so far are pretty hefty in size and weight.

[charby]

So far, I've found Craftsman and Black and Decker dog bones. All of them are six-pointers.

the northern tool one you pointed to was a thorsen brand.

[Declaration Day]

I have a set of those dog bone wrenches. 

They're used mainly for on-the-road repairs on my commercial lawn mowers.  For me, they're perfect.  Then again almost any bolt on my equipment has plenty of room to work around.  I've put some serious torque on them and they haven't broken yet.

[Perd Hapley]

the northern tool one you pointed to was a thorsen brand.

I know. I was just saying I've found others, and they're all six-point designs, so far. I will probably get the Thorsen.

[zahc]

Crescent wrench makes a better weapon.

[French G.]

Over that thing I would prefer a good pair of Knipex adjustable pliers, way more useful than channelocks for getting bolts.

One thing that I really have to have for the portable toolbag is a vise-grip brand multi-tool, it has a hex bit socket, I keep a little set of metric sockets that clip into the hex in the same pouch.

So far I hate multi-wrenches, if I have to have one just make it a mexican toolbox, aka a crescent wrench. I do keep a ford wrench in the truck, use it more as a hammer than anything else. My oddest must have tool is a fencing pliers.

Now if you really want lightweight and odd places I would go for a bag of crows feet, an appropriate breaker bar, an extension or two and a uni-joint if you really have to reach crazy crap. If you cant get on it with that then it is for certain a Lockheed engineer thought it up.

[Perd Hapley]

Found a ratcheting dog-bone-type wrench at Target tonight. Bought it for about $30.

http://www.amazon.com/Black-Decker-RRW100-Ratcheting-ReadyWrench/dp/B0042AM7E6/?tag=toolguyd-20

[Thor]

Meh.  How often do you really need to get at something at a weird angle, but there's several inches of space right around the nut to fit that massive head?  Saw another kind of size-adjustable wrench the other day, but ratcheting.  I love ratcheting wrenches and have been lusting after a set of them for years, but just can't see the point in trying to fit a half-dozen of 'em into one oversized hunk of mostly useless metal.

Never worked on aircraft or have done automotive repair, have you??

Over that thing I would prefer a good pair of Knipex adjustable pliers, way more useful than channelocks for getting bolts.

One thing that I really have to have for the portable toolbag is a vise-grip brand multi-tool, it has a hex bit socket, I keep a little set of metric sockets that clip into the hex in the same pouch.

So far I hate multi-wrenches, if I have to have one just make it a mexican toolbox, aka a crescent wrench. I do keep a ford wrench in the truck, use it more as a hammer than anything else. My oddest must have tool is a fencing pliers.

Now if you really want lightweight and odd places I would go for a bag of crows feet, an appropriate breaker bar, an extension or two and a uni-joint if you really have to reach crazy crap. If you cant get on it with that then it is for certain a Lockheed engineer thought it up.

French G, weren't you a Navy Airdale?? I can't believe that you'd use pliers for bolts!! 

[BridgeRunner]

Never worked on aircraft or have done automotive repair, have you??

Aircraft? Negative.  Auto repair? Yep.

[French G.]

French G, weren't you a Navy Airdale?? I can't believe that you'd use pliers for bolts!! 

Still am. When you're stuck someplace you use what you got. Bolts are consumables, replace it later. 

[Perd Hapley]

Found a ratcheting dog-bone-type wrench at Target tonight. Bought it for about $30.

http://www.amazon.com/Black-Decker-RRW100-Ratcheting-ReadyWrench/dp/B0042AM7E6/?tag=toolguyd-20

 I've been keeping the Black & Decker Ready Wrench in the bag, and it's come in handy a number of times in the past three months. Obviously, the head is too big for some spots, but it has often saved me from going back for a wrench or socket set.

[French G.]

I had to make a wrench to get at one nut holding the water pump on my JD 1010. For something made in 1964 they try to be annoying. I'm sure the pump is easy to pull if you take the front sheetmetal off and pull the radiator. Couldn't get a socket on it due to the pulley, too close to the casting for a box end, open end definitely not, and crap in the way of a straight wrench anyway. Thinned the box to nothing, put about a 2" dogleg  in it and then was in business. A good argument for cheap chinese Stanley wrenches, not doing that to a good one. People that build stuff should be required to disassemble it using the common tools that the average end user will have.

[Hawkmoon]

They are usually made of cheap steel (IF that) and will not last long or even work on a truly tight bolt/nut without breaking. Save yer money and by a set of combination end wrenches and be done with it.

Thorsen is (or was) a decent brand. I think for the intended use one of those would be handy to carry around.