Tool Chest

Ratcheting ReadyWrench

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Socket set alternative for small budgets

I’ve had this tool for about a year now. It isn’t going to replace a real socket set or wrench set in a mechanic’s garage, but in a pinch it will work for the assembly of a child’s toy or in an emergency on the side of the road (e.g., a loose battery connection). If you’re living in an apartment without the storage for a master tool chest with a complete socket set and wrench set in both SAE and metric standards, then I think ReadyWrench is a perfect fit.

The ReadyWrench fits a number of of SAE and Metric standards, and reversible from both sides. Mind you, this means that Black & Decker had to get a little – *ahem* – fancy with the sizing of the sockets. Essentially, the socket that is labeled to fit a 19 mm bolt is designed to fit a 19.049 mm bolt, because that happens to correspond with a 3/4 inch bolt within 5 one hundredths of a millimeter (splitting hairs here figuratively). It does not correspond perfectly to spec, but I’m not worried about torquing down the bolt on the handle bar to the kid’s bike to 100 ft. lbs. and possibly rounding off the bolt.

In a nutshell, you’re getting a wrench that fits 8 different metric size and 8 different SAE size in one tool.

-- Samuel Sanders 11/28/13

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