Weogo

Hi Folks,

At our local bike co-op, 4/5/6mm three-way hex wrenches get heavy use.
Tips get worn fairly fast(and can be cut back on a sharpening stone) and
overly-high torque occasionally rips one apart.

Is there a particular brand that really holds up well?
Or just buy several good quality ones and replace as needed?

Thanks and good health, Weogo

Andrew R Stewart 

One of my favorite tools... We consider 3 way wrenches to be a consumable of sorts. Between the wear they get they usually go missing before they are too worn to use. Our shop goes through a few each year. As to what brand, we usually get the Parks or Pedros. My personal favorite is/was a house label one that had a red "rubber" cover over the center hub. Don't remember the brand or have seen them for a few years. For me it's more about how the tool feels in the hand and this coated one felt best. Andy

SurferRosa

Aren't single sized hex/allen wrenches $0.50 at the hardware store?

soyabean

These three way wrenches are considered "condo tools" (includes the ParkTool AWS-1), and are really made for new fasteners, nothing corroded or seized.

There's reason why you'll never see such tool by Snap On Automotive.

To remove heavily torqued or rusted fasteners, use hardened hex sockets for a 3/8" socket wrench. That's what I do.

Save the ParkTool AWS-1 for when you put lubed fasteners back on.

pdlamb

Fortunately for me, I've never needed to go to that extreme. Although Liquid Wrench does help.

Weogo

Hi Andrew,

Your observations are similar to mine.
Now you have me curious about the red wrenches!

SurferRosa,
"Aren't single sized hex/allen wrenches $0.50 at the hardware store?"
Yes. We use them too, as they are in some ways more useful than three-ways - they can get in to tighter spots and are good for higher-torque applications.
Still, the three-ways get lots of use.

SoyaBean,
'condo tools' - a new term for me! We commonly use P-handle wrenches for loosening difficult fasteners.

PDLamb,
Yep, we have lube and heat for difficult situations.

Thanks and good health, Weogo

smd4

I use the original AWS-1 from Park--aluminum-bodied and hard steel--and when we used them in the shop, they were virtually indestructible. Easily my favorite bike tool of all time, and never far from my apron pocket.




Today I wouldn't purchase the new version. Isn't worth the price.

However, the Unior seems a worthy replacement:

Unior Y-wrenches

I think I'd still keep scouring eBay for original AWS-1s in good condition. They were definitely NOT "condo tools," but were high-quality, professional bike tools BITD.

veganbikes

Three ways are quick and easy tools but very much a disposable item. I hate to phrase it like that but I have yet to find one aside from the one that smd4 mentioned (the original one) that is really a long term heavy usage tool. The more recent metal one they made was nice and the Soma Y Wrench is neat but not a super high quality tool.

For my it would be PB-Swiss hex wrenches or T handles (or Beta T Handles) or Wera or Silca beyond that I don't like to cheap out on those tools because they get so much usage. I also like bits and for my portable set I have PB-Swiss bits with a Snap On ratchet but a socket wrench probably makes the most sense for shop use and for that I would probably get a full Snap-On set and accept that it does cost money but a good mechanic would own their own tools which might be tougher at a Co-Op I realize but if you are a regular employee/volunteer then I highly recommend it along with a lockable box. When you own your own tools you take care of them more generally and you are less likely to get them taken or misplaced.

Keep in mind some of these companies are willing to help out co-ops and non-profits. I know PB-Swiss has free tool boards with requirements but it is a neat program. They might also be willing to donate sets or give a shop or bulk discount. Getting a younger person interested in wrenching and getting them started with tools is an excellent path to a great career and good knowledge.

smd4

This looks durable, but (1) it isn't a 3 way (so maybe not quite as comfortable to use), and (2) it's a bit pricy, but might be worth a look:

Abbey Wrench

streetsurfer

Here are some red coated ones off Amazon, recently purchased.


Red three way wrench set

Mad Honk 

My local lumber yard sells these for about $1 each, three if them welded together makes a Y wrench and I have bits from Snap-On labeled Blue Point . The inexpensive junk yard type of tool that works.
Oops! I forgot to mention This one doubles as an 8,9,10 wrench by just changing out the bits for sockets.

Bbttery powered impact bit that accepts a 1/4" mechanic's bit.

What they look like welded together with Blue Point bits and some Plasti-Dip for coating. The Plast-Dip comes in colors as well so they can be coded for your personal identification in a shop setting.
Smiles, MH

smd4

And don't forget the companion 8, 9, 10 mm 3-way socket. This one is very similar to the all-metal old-style Park (the arms are just a little longer):

3-way socket

mpetry912 

that 3 way weld up tool is pretty neat.

Silca had a 2 way tool that had a .250 hex socket as the 3rd leg. Looked neat ! But the allen bits are so soft, they twist right off under moderate torque.

by far the best allen keys available are the Wiha tools. They are slightly "cupped", like a Flank Drive socket. Really great.

and don't forget your hex bit to 1/4" square drive adapter. Very handy

/markp

Eric F 

+1 for Wiha tools. Very nice stuff. I recently replaced the odd mix of cheap screwdrivers in my bike toolbox with a matching Wiha set.

I like the look of that sliding t-handle driver. I might need to add one of those to my collection, too.

mpetry912 

the one in the pic is a Snap On. This one is better ! it has both a hex socket and 1/4 square drive AND its... wait for it .... Titanium. Available from County Comm

Sexy Sliding Titanium “T” Driver - Gen 2 Combo | CountyComm

Eric F 

Oh!! I like that a lot. Thanks!

Andrew R Stewart 

These look very similar to the ones I was mentioning. Can't say if they are the same though. Andy

Andrew R Stewart 

I agree, Y wrenches are about convenance and quickness. The ability to apply significant down pressure while also having good leverage pretty much eliminates these wrenches from use on seriously tight/stuck fasteners. But that's like the difference between the repairs you do in front of customers and those that get done in the back, after hours and maybe with a beer Andy

SoSmellyAir

Another vote for Unior here: Three-Way Wrench - 1781 – Unior USA

I was looking at Unior's cassette wrench during its recent spring sale and saw its Y-wrenches on sale for 25% off so added it to my order. I had previously only used hardware store folding hex keys, and found a Y-wrench more handy.

GamblerGORD53

Don't buy the Park one with the stupid thick center.

Mine looks like this one. Wearing out is a new one to me. It's the bolt that bends or breaks, LOL.
Only thing that wore out in 15 years is the rubber. I have some PL glue in the middle now, took a week to really harden. It's in my back pocket 99.9% of the time. I have threaded stems and had a hex skewer bike for 15 years as well. All 3 of my DIY stems have two 8 mm bolts.
https://www.amazon.ca/IceToolz-Allen.../dp/B0028NANNQ
There's other's from $4 and up.

soyabean

It's a pejoritive way to call cheap tools that condominium folks would purchase. They often don't have anything serious to fix, thus able to purchase "seen on TV' and "all on one" tools that give them false confidence that they are safe and covered for all scenarios.

It's funny to see all these hacks on kiddie drivers and bits, time wasted.

The better tool is called automotive tools.

ParkTools is like the best of the condo tools.

Snap-On is like the best... of tools, period.

smd4

Sure. Too bad they don't make bike-specific tools like Park does.

JohnDThompson 

Aren't "Wrench Force" tools supposedly made by Snap-On?

HillRider

Originally, years ago, they were but Trek soon found they were too expensive and either found cheaper suppliers and later dropped the Wrench Force line altogether. Current Trek tools are either labeled "Bontrager" or are sold under their real supplier's name like Wolf Tooth, Unior, etc.

I have a Wrench Force repair stand that is a relabeled Feedback Sports stand I bought as a closeout when Trek was abandoning the Wrench Force branding.

smd4

So can anyone comment on what brand of bike tools most bike shops use today? In the 1980s/90s, Park was dominant in the three shops I worked at. Some shop owners may have had a Campy tool set--but that stayed exclusively in the wooden box, to be gazed upon wistfully by us lowly minimum-wage-paid wrenches who weren't allowed to touch it. My first shop eventually got Snap-On combination wrenches and screwdrivers, but that's it. Park filled out the rest of the pro bike tools--headset and BB wrenches, cone wrenches, chain breakers, etc. And definitely the Y-hex and socket wrenches--the two tools we used most often. Maybe next to the Shimano cable cutters.

Is Park as dominant today in actual bicycle shops, or have other tool makers taken up some market share?