Kyle's Corner (FYI) Vehicles and Tools Go Hand-in-hand

Air powered tools help
to speed up vehicle repairs.
Garages use them to cut
vehicle repair time and
thus to maximize profit.

As air tools and the
necessary compressor
are expensive and not a
viable option for most
home mechanics,
ratcheting wrenches
can be useful.

The following are some wrench sets that can make your vehicle repair work easier.

Source: Car and Driver Magazine

The GearWrench Flex Combination is a 12-piece set (8mm - 19mm)
$137 and a 10mm wrench $26. This wrench offers versatility. It has a flexible
head for access to hard to reach bolts. These ratcheting wrenches cost a bit more
than non flex ones, but they are worth it. (800 688-8949) www.gearwrench.com

The GearWrench GearBox is a 12-piece set (8mm - 19mm) $167 and a 10mm
wrench $23. This wrench is about 40 to 50 percent longer than competing tools,
which means less force is required to loosen or tighten a bolt (torque equals force
and lever arm length.). The manufacturer says that the GearBox design is favored
by professional mechanics as it combines the great grip of a fully boxed wrench
head with the ease and efficiency of a ratchet. (800 688-8949) www.gearwrench.com

The Craftsman Elbow is a 7-piece set (10mm - 15mm and 17 mm) $80. The
elbow is a new take on how a ratcheting head can transform a tool. When the swivel
head is not locked, it moves back and forth to simulate a piston-driven ratchet which
saves time when working in tight spaces where you might have only 10 or 15 degrees
of room to work. Additionally, the head can be locked in 14 different positions. Thus,
it is useful in situations where only a half-moon or ess-bend wrench would have worked.
(800 349-4358) www.craftsman.com

The Snap-on Reversible Combination is a 12-piece set (8mm - 19 mm) $225 and a
10mm wrench $18. Snap-on is the top of the line in hand tools. As they are not sold in
stores, you can buy Snap-on tools online. They are also sold out of trucks that stop by
garages and shops or a salesperson will come to your door. These tools are
robust in feel and they can take some abuse. These combination reversible
wrenches are slightly longer than competitors' reversibles. (877 762-7664)
www.snapon.com

The Craftsman Flat Ratchet Box consists of 5-pieces (7/8 mm, 9/10mm,
12/13mm, 14/15mm, and 19/21mm) purchased individually, $46 total; 9/10
wrench, $8. These are the least expensive end of the ratcheting wrench market.
The laminated construction means that there is no open wrench at one end, you
do get two sizes in one tool. However, the ratchet mechanism only ratchets
every 20 degrees (all the others here ratchet every 5 degrees). And these tools
require regular cleaning and oiling (none of the others here needs that).

The Mac Edge Reversible is a 12-piece set (8mm - 19mm) $270 and a 10mm
wrench $24. Mac is the only manufacturer here that offers a six-point retching
head, which is useful because it significantly reduces the chances of stripping
nuts and bolts. However, it also makes it trickier to look onto bolts. These
reversbles are well built and will hold up. (800 622-8665) www.mactools.com

Have an auto question or comment? You can email it to me at
Kbusch3@verizon.net. Kyle Busch is the author of "Drive the Best
for the Price..." www.DriveTheBestBook.com.