True to size Allen Key sets.. do they exist?

[SkyScrapin]

All of the 4-5 sets I have seem to be made in Chynah and are slightly off in size making it even easier to jack up an allen key bolt head. I'm tired of these junkers. Need something that will hold-up over time and offered in a short and longer configuration.

Who makes a solid true to size American made, ratchet or T-handle, Allen Key sets? What about Torx?

Thanks,
Preston

 

[mmlook]

snap on

same goes for screw drivers

 

[CNJarvis]

Look to Eklind and Bondhus for US made allen wrenches. If you like the Snap On screwdrivers, look at Williams Industrial Tools (made by Snap On)This is one area that I wouldn't necessarily restrict my choices to made in USA. I really like my Felo drivers and they make excellent allen wrenches as well.

Of course the most accurately sized tools mean nothing if the fastener isn't to spec. Tolerance stacking will come into play too.

 

[SkyScrapin]

Look to Eklind and Bondhus for US made allen wrenches. If you like the Snap On screwdrivers, look at Williams Industrial Tools (made by Snap On)This is one area that I wouldn't necessarily restrict my choices to made in USA. I really like my Felo drivers and they make excellent allen wrenches as well.

Of course the most accurately sized tools mean nothing if the fastener isn't to spec. Tolerance stacking will come into play too.

Good point. I'm sure the fasteners are also incorrect. Frustrating when it comes to these little tiny sizes.

TY for the recommendations.

snap on

same goes for screw drivers

Love Snap On products. Will see what they offer. Thanks.

Preston

 

[GrumpyOleFart]

Chinesium, it's a curse.

 

[srt-4_uk]

Wera or Wiha both make quality kits

This

 

[Threadcutter308]

Look to Eklind and Bondhus for US made allen wrenches. If you like the Snap On screwdrivers, look at Williams Industrial Tools (made by Snap On)This is one area that I wouldn't necessarily restrict my choices to made in USA. I really like my Felo drivers and they make excellent allen wrenches as well.

Of course the most accurately sized tools mean nothing if the fastener isn't to spec. Tolerance stacking will come into play too.

Unless something has changed, the Bondhus' that I have had have all been excellent. They could have offshored them, it's been a few years since I've bought them. Which, as I think about it, is testimonial in and of itself.
Give Bondhus a shot.

 

[TwistedOneinSeven]

+1 on Bondhus @SkyScrapin
also look at Park Tools, they'll last a lifetime

 

[Simonsza1]

I agree that bondus are legit. Snap on is always good choice.

 

[n2ishun]

Coming from a mechanic (retired) of 35 years...
Snap on is wayyyy overpriced unless you use them all day every day.
Wiha, Stahlwille, AST, Bondhus, and Knipex all make excellent allen drivers/wrenches/sockets.
Excelite used to but I think they went out of biz.

 

[Barryd]

Another vote Eklind and Bondhus. Been using their T-handles and L-keys for years.

 

[Baron23]

I have Bondhus in ASE and metric and have found them to be excellent and no complaints...and you won't have to sell a kidney to afford them ala' Snap-on.

And, they are made in USA:

"Bondhus Corporation is located in Monticello, Minnesota - USA; about 40 minutes from Minneapolis. Bondhus employees are proud of our Company and the tools we make. Our Ball, Hex, and TORX® tools are made in our Monticello manufacturing facility, just across the street from the Mighty Mississippi River."​

 

[CA48]

I’ve had good luck with Bondhus & Craftsman. I was trying to loosen a small Allen screw on one of my Neil Jones sizing dies one time with a small craftsman Allen wrench and thought I had it but was very hard to turn. Turns out the set screw never moved. I just twisted the Allen wrench head about 5 times and it never deformed at the tip or broke just looks like wrought iron fluting.

 

[Bradu]

I prefer snap on but wera or wiha make a good product. If you have fasteners with messed up heads, get the Mac rbrt bit set. They have a different design and will save your ass.

 

[Matches Malone]

All of the 4-5 sets I have seem to be made in Chynah and are slightly off in size making it even easier to jack up an allen key bolt head. I'm tired of these junkers. Need something that will hold-up over time and offered in a short and longer configuration.

Who makes a solid true to size American made, ratchet or T-handle, Allen Key sets? What about Torx?

Thanks,
Preston

This video might be for you.

 

[Im2bent]

This video might be for you.

Saw these on "How its Made" ( I love that show). Manufacturing process was very impressive to me. So impressive I looked em up to buy....they are verrrrry proud of those babies. Too proud for a poors like me. So I will stick with my Elkind and Bondhus and my old school when they used to be made in the U.S. Craftsman.

 

[Herb Stoner]

Good point. I'm sure the fasteners are also incorrect. Frustrating when it comes to these little tiny sizes.

TY for the recommendations.



Love Snap On products. Will see what they offer. Thanks.

Preston

I have a set of Snap On T-handle allen wrenches I bought in the past couple of years. While I have not found them to be oddly sized, I was a little dissapointed with the over quality and appearance. I grew up with Snap-On tools and have many - they are usually beautifully made and clearly have a finer fit and finish than many tools. These do not.

 

[Hobo Hilton]

My 2 cents - Start scrounging around the estate sales. IMHO there is nothing made today that has the quality of what was made 50 years ago. You may not find an entire set (in the bag) but you can find some quality tools at garage sale prices. Take an empty, metal hex key case with you so you are not guessing at sizes. No telling what else you might find.

VINTAGE UPLAND INDUSTRIES HEX KEY ALLEN WRENCH SET RED METAL CASE USA | eBay

The Allen wrench set is incomplete.

www.ebay.com

 

[db2000]

Has anyone noticed the fasteners varying widely once you have exact wrenches? Especially curious about common ones we see in scope mounts. Thanks

 

[MOUNTIC]

Snap On AWS13 is the best set I've used to date. Haven't twisted one of these when many others have failed. Worth the 40-50 bucks.

 

[chevy_man]

Bondhus have proven tougher than snap-on to me. Snap-on does exchange them though.


I'm currently looking at the Wiha torque screwdriver and bits. Mostly for work, but they'll come out of the truck at home I'm sure.
Wiha 28595 Torque Screwdriver and Bits Box Set 10-50 in-lbs., 53 Pieces Amazon product ASIN B000T9W54G

 

[RedRockCharlie]

snap on

same goes for screw drivers

I have several sets from Snap-On...I bought them in the 90's for my motorcycles and they still work without any wear and tear, and I believe they still have a lifetime warranty on them. They truly are the best if you want quality.

 

[CNJarvis]

I’m pretty sure Snap On sources their Allen wrenches from Bondhus.

 

[427Cobra]

Ok so you acquire Allen’s of perfect size, what about the Chicomm fasteners, everything has a plus or minus, just because you buy so called quality tools doesn’t mean shit if the fasteners are out of spec.

 

[E. Bryant]

Ok so you acquire Allen’s of perfect size, what about the Chicomm fasteners, everything has a plus or minus, just because you buy so called quality tools doesn’t mean shit if the fasteners are out of spec.

If you're doing this type of work in a serious fashion, you keep a small assortment of fasteners from Holo-Krome or Unbreako to replace the butter-soft out-of-spec crap included by some manufacturers:

Fastenal Industrial Supplies, OEM Fasteners, Safety Products & More

Fastenal is the largest fastener distributor in North America. Shop our huge selection of OEM, MRO, construction, industrial, and safety products.

www.fastenal.com

If someone brings you crap, then you can play the "try 'em all" game with every random hex key in your junk drawer before rounding out the hex socket anyways and restoring to a thread extractor.

We buy quality bits because we control the variables that we can control, even if sometime else a half-world away doesn't care about specs. It's what adults do.

I like Wiha and Wera stuff for small bench work (cycling, guns, electronics, etc.). You'd find some S&K bits in my automotive box, although virtually no one sells that brand around here anymore. The Mountz bits included with Borka kits are very good. Chapman makes good bits for a fair price, but theirs have a weird knurled end which works with their ratchet and drivers but doesn't play nice with everything else.

 

[akmike47]

I kick around getting a bondhus set, need to just do it.

 

[PinesAndProjectiles]

I’ve been turning wrenches for twenty years.
I started off with a set of Bondhus hex keys and I’d still have them if I hadn’t lost a few along the way.
I do have a few Wera and Wiha sets for when I need a hex bit, but when it comes to a wrench, Bondhus all day long.
Friends have bought the Eklind and I just don’t see the comparison. The ends are soft and end up rounding off.

 

[308pirate]

All of the 4-5 sets I have seem to be made in Chynah and are slightly off in size making it even easier to jack up an allen key bolt head. I'm tired of these junkers. Need something that will hold-up over time and offered in a short and longer configuration.

Who makes a solid true to size American made, ratchet or T-handle, Allen Key sets? What about Torx?

Thanks,
Preston

Wiha

Made in Germany. All you need to know.

 

[308pirate]

IMHO there is nothing made today that has the quality of what was made 50 years ago.

Working in mfg all my adult life, I disagree.

 

[M8541Reaper]

This video might be for you.

He makes some great videos. ...Intense..but in a good way.

 

[redneckbmxer24]

Snap on. I’ve got T handles and regular L shaped and they’re amazing. Have never broken one (even when I was a tech) or fucked up a fastener with one.

 

[Moose]

Wiha is a fine tool.

 

[Laseredge]

Bondhus 1991 and 2021

 

[LeftyJason]

I like the wiha for bits but haven't gotten their Allen sets yet. Saw one of the maintenance guys at work had the wiha ergostar holder and it is amazing. Bought one for metric and sae.

 

[Cynical]

Gunsmithing Screwdriver Sets

Starter Slotted Set #9600 • SAE Hex + Slotted Set #8900 • Ultimate Gunsmithing Set #5589. Great For: Gunsmithing, Coleman lantern restoration, Sewing machine restoration, Fishing reel restoration, Telegraph restoration. These non-marring screwdriver sets are perfect for gunsmith enthusiasts.

chapmanmfg.com

 

[godofthunder]

I'm a Wiha fan.

 

[chevy_man]

My 2 cents - Start scrounging around the estate sales. IMHO there is nothing made today that has the quality of what was made 50 years ago. You may not find an entire set (in the bag) but you can find some quality tools at garage sale prices. Take an empty, metal hex key case with you so you are not guessing at sizes. No telling what else you might find.

VINTAGE UPLAND INDUSTRIES HEX KEY ALLEN WRENCH SET RED METAL CASE USA | eBay

The Allen wrench set is incomplete.

www.ebay.com

Snap-on is much better than it ever was.

Craftsman was good, then garbage, now it's ok but mostly Tiwanese and Chinese manufactured.


SK tool is still producing top notch stuff without the tool truck pricing. Lots of my stuff that I know I need but have time to order is SK.

Milwaukee's stuff comes from China, and their ratchets are better than any Craftsman I've used. I still go to my Mac or snap-on in the garage, but the service truck got Milwaukee because they're not bad.

 

[TxWelder35]

I’ve gotten some great deals on tools on eBay and other garage/mechanic type forums. I’ve bought most of my snap on sockets for the same price as new Chinesium.

A lot of times if I need a tool And happen to see a snap on truck parked somewhere I’ll pull up and knock on the door. There are a lot of them around this area, just keep your eye out.

Like anything else in life, buy something made in a 1st world country and it will be much better than anything made by commies.

 

[TxWelder35]

Craftsman was good, then garbage, now it's ok but mostly Tiwanese and Chinese manufactured.

Craftsman is building a new manufacturing hub in Fort Worth, it was suppose to be operational last year but it appears the coof has slowed them down.

 

[PinesAndProjectiles]

A lot of times if I need a tool And happen to see a RAPE VAN parked somewhere I’ll pull up and knock on the door. There are a lot of them around this area, just keep your eye out.

Fixed it for you.

 

[J McGriddle]

Wiha is the best; Bondhus is the best value.

 

[TxWelder35]

Fixed it for you.

But is it still rape if you like it?

I’ve bought plenty on the trucks, don’t regret any of it. I have long forgotten about the money spent. My kids will have lots of good shit when I die, and not a pile of junk

I mean we buy $700 barrels every year that burn out and a minimum of $1 down range range every trigger pull. Is a $100 ratchet that can be passed down to your kids really that absurd?

 

[powerspc]

Gunsmithing Screwdriver Sets

Starter Slotted Set #9600 • SAE Hex + Slotted Set #8900 • Ultimate Gunsmithing Set #5589. Great For: Gunsmithing, Coleman lantern restoration, Sewing machine restoration, Fishing reel restoration, Telegraph restoration. These non-marring screwdriver sets are perfect for gunsmith enthusiasts.

chapmanmfg.com

++1 for Chapman, I don't think they make the traditional "L" shaped keys, but they make the bits, etc. Everything they make is beautifully done and everything they make is made here in the U.S.

 

[GrumpyOleFart]

But is it still rape if you like it?

I’ve bought plenty on the trucks, don’t regret any of it. I have long forgotten about the money spent. My kids will have lots of good shit when I die, and not a pile of junk

I mean we buy $700 barrels every year that burn out and a minimum of $1 down range range every trigger pull. Is a $100 ratchet that can be passed down to your kids really that absurd?

It's when the little turds "borrow" them from your kit, and either misplace or keep them....
Sad thing for your kids to die before you.

 

[Gustav7]

Wiha is the best; Bondhus is the best value.

I just saw a little multi pack of Wiha bits at Lowes the other day for like $9. Seemed too cheap to be Wiha, compared to their online prices. Are they branching out into low grade big box stuff now too?

 

[chevy_man]

I just saw a little multi pack of Wiha bits at Lowes the other day for like $9. Seemed too cheap to be Wiha, compared to their online prices. Are they branching out into low grade big box stuff now too?

General rule of thumb is don't buy it at the box store if it's too cheap. I know they get their own part number on certain power tools.

Find a tool store. Acme tool is amazing, and always normal prices. Not a whole lot of sales, but never crazy high like some dedicated tool stores.

 

[MDof2]

Snap-On, Bondhus, Wera.

 

[Kiba]

I've tried all the usual suspects for screwdriver style hex drivers and L keys... Wiha, Wera, Bondhus, PB swiss, Snap-On, etc. Of those I'm partial to Wiha for the smaller size hex and torx drivers, but they're not perfect.

For larger socket head hardware they're OK, but for standard sizes 3/32" and smaller and metric sizes 3mm and smaller, all of the above brands seem to fit a little loose and are prone to stripping out the heads of the screws especially if they were overtightened or had thread locker applied.

In my experience none of the L-key or screwdriver style wrenches from any of those above companies hold a candle to what's available on the RC Car market for the smaller hardware. RC stuff uses a lot of small diameter socket head screws that are easily rounded out with poorly fitting wrenches, and several companies make excellent ground steel wrenches-- MIP being my favorite. The MIP wrenches are ground tool steel bits that are ground precisely to fit very tightly into the socket head on the screw and are heat treated to have hard enough surfaces so they don't round at the corners, but not so hard they'll shatter with a lot of torque-- they'll back out small allen screws even with loctite applied that would easily strip with a standard sloppy fitting L-key. They're not so hard they'll shatter if you apply a lot of torque to them, but I don't suggest dropping them tip first as they can break if dropped.

Pick up a set and you pretty much won't worry about stripping out smaller hex head screws again. They're about $15 each, but worth every penny. I used to strip out hardware on my RC stuff on a regular basis using bondhus L-keys and Wiha drivers and then cuss having to extract the rounded screws (especially 0.050" set screws)... no longer an issue with the MIP drivers, they just work.

MIP Hex Drivers Metric/SAE | MIP Online

Hudy makes excellent hex drivers too.

 

[Thud]

Remember buy cheap get cheap

 

[1moaoff]

Wera or Wiha both make quality kits

I'm lucky when guys come over from EU they bring them over for me