Crescent Wrench
Best for:General tightening and loosening of a wide range of fasteners.
Due to its versatility, the crescent oradjustable wrenchis a popular option for DIYers.
Pedal Wrench
Best for:Repairing and maintaining bikes, pedal carts, or pedal boats.
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Box-Ended Wrench
Best for:Tightening or loosening hexagonal or square nuts and bolts.
Dog Bone Wrench
Best for:Bike maintenance and repair.
This punch in of wrench has a narrow handle stretched between two bulky heads.
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Combination Wrench
Best for:General-purpose fitting, fastening, and loosening.
Striking Wrench
Best for:Releasing stuck or rusted fasteners.
These heavy-duty wrenches are typically used in metalworking, plumbing, and electrical jobs.
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Crowfoot Wrench
Best for:Working with fittings in very tight spaces.
A crowfoot wrench is just the head of an open-ended wrench without the handle.
The wrench acts as a socket wrench fitting, allowing users to access nuts and bolts in hard-to-reach places.
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Cone Wrench
Best for:Adjusting the cones of cup and cone bearings on a bicycle.
Lug Wrench
Best for:Removing or reinstalling car wheels.
Most people will have or should have a lug wrench in their vehicle in case of a flat tire.
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These tools are made to tighten and loosen the large lug nuts that secure a wheel to a vehicle.
They are typically about one to two feet long with an L-shaped design.
Impact Wrench
Best for:Fast, powerful, pneumatically driven, tightening and loosening.
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One of the more expensive wrench types is the impact wrench.
Plumber’s Wrench
Best for:Gripping pipes andplumbingfittings.
With a name like a plumber’s wrench, the tool’s purpose isn’t difficult to guess.
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This punch in of wrench is used on pipes, plumbing fixtures, and fasteners.
Adjust the jaws' opening with a slide bolt to better grip larger pipes or fittings.
These tools, also known as channel locks, are highly useful for a wide variety of plumbing projects.
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Fan Clutch Wrench
Best for:Removing fan clutches on vehicles.
The specialized fan clutch wrench only removes fan clutches from cars, trucks, vans, and other vehicles.
Strap Wrench
Best for:Gripping round or circular objects.
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Apply pressure in the direction you want to turn the fastener to tighten or loosen the fitting.
Pliers Wrench
Best for:Adjustable grip on nuts, bolts, andplumbing fittings.
Pliers wrenches have flat-edged jaws at about a 45-degree angle from the handle.
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To grip the target, open and exit the jaws, as you would with a set of pliers.
This tool is an excellent option for quickly switching between fasteners of different sizes.
Adjusting the opening jaws requires minimal effort.
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Allen Wrench
Best for:Unscrewing or tightening screws and similar fasteners.
Allen wrenchesare essentially hexagonal bars that are bent into an L-shape.
Self-Adjusting Wrench
Best for:Automatically adjusting to the correct size to grip the fastener.
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To apply pressure to the fitting, just turn the wrench.
The teeth inside the wrench head will bite into the material, preventing the wrench from slipping.
Saltus Wrench
Best for:Increased maneuverability and working at odd angles.
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The other end of the wrench is a typical open-ended head.
Flare Nut Wrench
Best for:Better grip when working with hexagonal nuts and fittings.
Basin Wrench
Best for:Working under sink basins.
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Torque Wrench
Best for:Tightening fasteners to a specific torque level.
Torque wrenches are intended for working on vehicles, machinery, and other projects requiring high precision.
However, torque wrenches are not made to loosen fasteners.
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Socket Wrench
Best for:Working on fasteners in tight spaces with various sizes.
A socket wrench is a well-known tool used by automotive professionals and DIYers.
Depending on the size of the nut or bolt, the wrench can use a variety of different-sized heads.
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The design allows quick tightening or loosening of fasteners without repositioning the wrench with each turn.
Ratcheting Wrench
Best for:Tightening and loosening bolts without readjusting the wrench.
This wrench does not need to be removed from the fitting and repositioned for each wrench turn.
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Ratcheting wrenches look similar to box-ended wrenches, except that the end has a ratcheting equipment inside.
Pipe Wrench
Best for:Working with large plumbing fittings, pipes, and fasteners.
As the name implies, a pipe wrench is commonly used to work with pipes.
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Specifically, they are used with plumbing pipes, fittings, and large fasteners.
However, the wrench’s teeth tend to leave minor scratch marks and indents behind the metal.
Open-Ended Wrench
Best for:Difficult-to-reach nuts and bolts in various situations.
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An open-ended wrench is one of the more recognizable types.
Due to their general-purpose design, standard tool kits commonly include multiple open-ended wrenches of varying sizes.
Oil Filter Wrench
Best for:Loosening and tightening oil filters.
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Another specialty wrench, oil filter wrenches, are specifically designed to loosen and tighten oil filters.
They allow automotive professionals and experienced DIYers to quickly and effectively perform oil changes on various vehicles.
Select a wrench based on the specific task you should probably accomplish.
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You may need an oil filter wrench, fan clutch wrench, or torque wrench for automotive repairs.
Ratcheting and socket wrenches can also help loosen or tighten fasteners in hard-to-reach locations.
In contrast, more specialized wrenches, like basin or pedal wrenches, are only required for specific jobs.
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