Is a monkey wrench a worthwhile investment?

4fvw6lcprxeoyq · 11-05-2018 7:34pm #1

I usually tackle my car problems myself, unless it's something like a windscreen or tracking but my opinion of monkey wrenches (from when I was a kid) is that they're useless for any tough nuts or bolts, they just slip off.
Are they really as useless as I remember, compared to a spanner? Or was my childhood-self just using crappy ones, or using them wrong?

Auguste Comte · 11-05-2018 7:37pm

Monkey wrenches are great, for plumbers. Stick with good quality spanners and sockets for the car.

4fvw6lcprxeoyq · 11-05-2018 7:44pm

Auguste Comte wrote: »

Monkey wrenches are great, for plumbers. Stick with good quality spanners and sockets for the car.

Sound. That's what I was thinking alright. They're big awkward yokes anyway!

Del2005 · 11-05-2018 7:56pm

Auguste Comte wrote: »

Monkey wrenches are great, for plumbers. Stick with good quality spanners and sockets for the car.

My brother in law, who is a plumber, was trying to take the wheel off his van with one. In fairness the studs were stuck and he'd bent the tool from the van's tool kit, but he nearly wrecked the studs with it. Came off easy when I used the correct tool, an impact wrench.

4fvw6lcprxeoyq · 11-05-2018 8:11pm

Del2005 wrote: »

My brother in law, who is a plumber, was trying to take the wheel off his van with one. In fairness the studs were stuck and he'd bent the tool from the van's tool kit, but he nearly wrecked the studs with it. Came off easy when I used the correct tool, an impact wrench.

Lol! Wheel nuts can be a bitch. I keep a 17mm socket, a sliding extension from my socket set, and a section of pipe as a cheater bar, in the boot for changing wheels. The little 's' shaped tool that came with my jack is a joke. If you hear the nut "crack" when it loosens, then you know you'll be screwed without something proper.
The only time I can really think of, when a monkey wrench could be handy, is to keep a bolt from turning if you don't have a second spanner or socket to hold it. Or to hit things..

Dero · 12-05-2018 10:19pm

Hendrix Proud Drink wrote: »

Lol! Wheel nuts can be a bitch. I keep a 17mm socket, a sliding extension from my socket set, and a section of pipe as a cheater bar, in the boot for changing wheels.

I just keep a breaker bar with a 17mm socket permanently in the boot. The wheel brace that came with the car might as well be made of chocolate.

4fvw6lcprxeoyq · 12-05-2018 11:07pm

Dero wrote: »

I just keep a breaker bar with a 17mm socket permanently in the boot. The wheel brace that came with the car might as well be made of chocolate.

Indeed. That's why I never (ok, rarely) slag women who can't change a wheel. I think even the mighty Chuck Norris would fail miserably, trying to use some of these oem wheel braces..

biko · 13-05-2018 10:34am

I have two adjustable wrenches and love them, but for car work I rarely use them as I find sockets better.

HappyAsLarE · 13-05-2018 10:18pm

Have a large 12 inch adjustable. Have used it for track rods and some oil filter caps that i didn’t have a socket big enough for.

EPAndlee · 13-05-2018 10:24pm

I've about 4 of them in the garage and have used them maybe twice. I stick with sockets,spanners and an impact gun

jimgoose · 14-05-2018 8:44am

A monkey wrench is also known as a pipe-wrench, it is designed to grip and twist round pipes and is completely unsuitable for use on regular fasteners - nuts, bolts et al - except in dire emergency.

Gregor Samsa · 14-05-2018 12:06pm

OP doesn't say what car the have, but if it's a 1927 Ford, a monkey wrench might be a legit bit of OEM toolkit:

"These are also known as a Ford wrench owing to this type of wrench being included in the tool kit supplied with every Ford Model A."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monkey_wrench

14-05-2018 3:18pm

A "monkey wrench" or shifting spanner as they are called this side of the world are also know as.....

Thumb detecting nut ****ers,

wiz569 · 14-05-2018 3:30pm

jimgoose wrote: »

A monkey wrench is also known as a pipe-wrench, it is designed to grip and twist round pipes and is completely unsuitable for use on regular fasteners - nuts, bolts et al - except in dire emergency.

Would that not be a Stilson jimgoose?

I would call a Monkey wrench a Shifters.

jimgoose · 14-05-2018 3:32pm

wiz569 wrote: »

Would that not be a Stilson jimgoose?

I would call a Monkey wrench a Shifters.

Mmm, I would have thought a Shifters was what I'd call an adjustable spanner. Anyway, I call a Vise-Grip a Petersen Shifter for a Honda Cub 50!

Bmw123d · 14-05-2018 6:35pm

Ur messing around with cars and calling things monkey wrenches. The days of messing around with tools like that on cars are long gone with the modern car now. Us mechanics now require even bigger tool boxes with more and more tools for the job.

Leave the (monkey wrench) in the store and leave the car work to the guys who have spent years learning there trade.

Just my 2cents

Esel · 14-05-2018 7:29pm

Bmw123d wrote: »

Ur messing around with cars and calling things monkey wrenches. The days of messing around with tools like that on cars are long gone with the modern car now. Us mechanics now require even bigger tool boxes with more and more tools for the job.

Leave the (monkey wrench) in the store and leave the car work to the guys who have spent years learning there trade.

Just my 2cents

You haven't got a monkey's!

Gregor Samsa · 15-05-2018 9:12am

Bmw123d wrote: »

Ur messing around with cars and calling things monkey wrenches. The days of messing around with tools like that on cars are long gone with the modern car now. Us mechanics now require even bigger tool boxes with more and more tools for the job.

Leave the (monkey wrench) in the store and leave the car work to the guys who have spent years learning there trade.

Just my 2cents

And with this advice, there was no longer a need for the "DIY Car Maintenance and Repair" sub forum.

Bmw123d · 15-05-2018 9:15am

phutyle wrote: »

And with this advice, there was no longer a need for the "DIY Car Maintenance and Repair" sub forum.

Mearly stating that mechanics spend money on top quality tools to be able to preform specific jobs. No issue with people doing there own diy on cars but I do have a issue when u hear people asking questions about doing jobs or certain things that is clear they no nothing about. And there are plenty of them.

martyc5674 · 15-05-2018 10:47am

A monkey wrench, as in a stilson has no place near a car.
However a good quality adjustable spanner is definitely a handy thing to keep in the car should you get caught out on the road.
But its no substitute for a six sided socket or a quality spanner.

StereoSound · 15-05-2018 11:39am

If you want to work for Halfrauds then buy the biggest monkey wrench you can find and bring it to your interview. Thats all they use there and you will have job security.

Otherwise don't.

15-05-2018 12:22pm

StereoSound wrote: »

If you want to work for Halfrauds then buy the biggest monkey wrench you can find and bring it to your interview. Thats all they use there and you will have job security.

Otherwise don't.

Coming from the lad that thinks a Hyundai coupe looks like a Ferrari :rolleyes:

biko · 15-05-2018 3:36pm

Drop it now please

4fvw6lcprxeoyq · 15-05-2018 5:16pm

martyc5674 wrote: »

A monkey wrench, as in a stilson has no place near a car.
However a good quality adjustable spanner is definitely a handy thing to keep in the car should you get caught out on the road.
But its no substitute for a six sided socket or a quality spanner.

Yea, suppose I should have been more specific and said "adjustable spanner"! Monkey wrench seems to be a loose generic term for both. And yea, I can't imagine finding any use for a pipe wrench on a car.. (except when it pisses me off, maybe.)

I suppose an adjustable spanner may be handy in an emergency alright, or to hold a spinning bolt if you don't have two same-size spanners. I wouldn't fancy opening a hub nut with one though! Don't think I'll be rushing out to buy one, either way.
In my original question I was just half wondering if they'd improved since I was a kid. I remember you could never get them tight enough without them expanding, and slipping, and rounding the nut.

martyc5674 · 15-05-2018 6:05pm

Hendrix Proud Drink wrote: »

Yea, suppose I should have been more specific and said "adjustable spanner"! Monkey wrench seems to be a loose generic term for both. And yea, I can't imagine finding any use for a pipe wrench on a car.. (except when it pisses me off, maybe.)

I suppose an adjustable spanner may be handy in an emergency alright, or to hold a spinning bolt if you don't have two same-size spanners. I wouldn't fancy opening a hub nut with one though! Don't think I'll be rushing out to buy one, either way.
In my original question I was just half wondering if they'd improved since I was a kid. I remember you could never get them tight enough without them expanding, and slipping, and rounding the nut.

Yes you can actually get good quality ones now... however most are still rubbish like you described.

Sam Quentin · 15-05-2018 6:09pm

Dero wrote: »

I just keep a breaker bar with a 17mm socket permanently in the boot. The wheel brace that came with the car might as well be made of chocolate.

I laughed at this... (the chocolate ref)
Anyway 12v impact driver cant be bet.

jimgoose · 16-05-2018 7:31am

Sam Quentin wrote: »

I laughed at this... (the chocolate ref)
Anyway 12v impact driver cant be bet.

I have a Bahco BHS240 1/2''-drive socket set in the boot. This kit will reduce a bulldozer to components in about ten minutes.

stimpson · 19-05-2018 9:20am

BrownFinger wrote: »

A "monkey wrench" or shifting spanner as they are called this side of the world are also know as.....

Thumb detecting nut ****ers,

AvE?

Jimmy Dags · 19-05-2018 9:26am

It would be a handy tool after rounding nuts with the mighty halfords 12 point fisher price set.

cletus · 21-05-2018 10:37am

Jimmy Dags wrote: »

It would be a handy tool after rounding nuts with the mighty halfords 12 point fisher price set.

2 out of 10. I've seen better tbh, you'll have to up your game

4fvw6lcprxeoyq · 21-05-2018 4:19pm

Jimmy Dags wrote: »

It would be a handy tool after rounding nuts with the mighty halfords 12 point fisher price set.

Is the Halfords stuff that bad? I saw a sexy 200pc socket set(if a socket set can b called sexy?) in Halfords over the weekend, for ~€120. Looked good but I've no idea of the quality

I've got a Goodyear 108pc set I got on Amazon a few years ago for ~€30-40. It's been abused by several cheater bars, and hammers, and hasn't rounded a nut on me yet.

jimgoose · 21-05-2018 8:34pm

Hendrix Proud Drink wrote: »

Is the Halfords stuff that bad? I saw a sexy 200pc socket set(if a socket set can b called sexy?) in Halfords over the weekend, for ~€120. Looked good but I've no idea of the quality

I've got a Goodyear 108pc set I got on Amazon a few years ago for ~€30-40. It's been abused by several cheater bars, and hammers, and hasn't rounded a nut on me yet.

That Halfords Advanced Pro stuff is excellent, don't mind him.

4fvw6lcprxeoyq · 21-05-2018 8:52pm

jimgoose wrote: »

That Halfords Advanced Pro stuff is excellent, don't mind him.

Ah right, lol!
Yea they've got ~4.8\5 ratings for most of their sets on the website. I can't imagine them making up fake ratings or anything.
I got an air con refill at their store last week for €45, so they're in my good books at the moment..

nigwerwig · 21-05-2018 9:04pm

I use a mid size one and very large one for tracking they can be handy. But in normal day to day I wouldn't go for one or if you need two spanners the same size but you only have one.
They do work if you know how to use them

Bmw123d · 21-05-2018 9:14pm

Hendrix Proud Drink wrote: »

Ah right, lol!
Yea they've got ~4.8\5 ratings for most of their sets on the website. I can't imagine them making up fake ratings or anything.
I got an air con refill at their store last week for €45, so they're in my good books at the moment..

The halfords stuff is ok for mucking around at home doing your own bits and bobs. Personally I wouldn’t rate them in a full on workshop environment.
But then I’m more of a brittool and Facom kinda person.

jones 19 · 21-05-2018 9:20pm

Handy for tracking, haven't used it on anything else, when it grips it has a great bite.

Jimmy Dags · 21-05-2018 10:20pm

Bmw123d wrote: »

The halfords stuff is ok for mucking around at home doing your own bits and bobs. Personally I wouldn’t rate them in a full on workshop environment.
But then I’m more of a brittool and Facom kinda person.

Exactly, handy for the YouTube mechanic.

fancy pigeon · 22-05-2018 1:19pm

A stilson... Great for stubborn track rod ends, twisting struts into position on some steering knuckles (carefully, like on a Fiesta) and seized exhausts you don't care about for example.

They have their uses in small doses

Is a monkey wrench a worthwhile investment?

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