It’s been a couple of months since we first talked about Dewalt’s new adjustable wrenches. Introduced last Fall, these wrenches are now widely available, at least online. They may not be pretty, but Dewalt’s adjustable wrenches are downright tough.

The new heavy duty wrenches are designed to provide maximum strength and durability, and to endure rough jobsite handling. I had the chance to preview these new wrenches on two occasions, and found them to be quite impressive. They are a bit crude-looking, but they feel incredibly strong and solid.

Look at the size of this handle!!

The Dewalt wrenches adjusted smoothly and were a joy to test out. But not everyone will love them. Although a scale wasn’t available, these wrenches felt a bit heavier than other same-size wrenches. Other brands’ wrenches often have I-beam-profiled handles, which saves a bit of weight. But on the bright side, the thicker handles on these wrenches give off a sense of greater strength and toughness that almost welcomes abuse.

Prices and Availability

DWHT70289 6 inch: $10.99
DWHT70290 8 inch: $12.99
DWHT70291 10 inch: $14.99
DWHT70292 12 inch: $18.99
DWHT70293 15 inch: $34.99
DWHT70294 6 inch and 10 inch combo pack: $19.99

Buy Now(via Amazon)

I haven’t seen these wrenches in stores yet, only online. If you’re on the fence, the 8″ model looks to be a reasonably good buy at about $15 with shipping. Channellock’s adjustable wrenches are still top-dog in my book, but the Dewalt ones look to be great workhorses.

If you’re looking for a lightweight or low-profile adjustable wrench, or one with thin jaws for use in tight clearance areas, look elsewhere.

A couple of years ago Craftsman reintroduced the dog bone wrench. Late last year they introduced the universal dog bone wrench. And then there was the ratcheting rotary wrench. Now, Craftsman is introducing the Figure Eight Wrench.

The Craftsman Figure Eight Wrench is available in two versions – metric and inch, with each tool having four box-end sockets. Each end of the tool has two sockets, with each socket covering two sizes via a stepped-box end wrench design. The sockets fold in and swivel out for use.

These box end wrenches feature a universal tooth design, making them compatible with 6pt, 12pt, partially rounded, external Torx, square and spline fasteners.

(UPDATE!) Inch sizes include 5/16, 3/8, 7/16, 1/2, 9/16, 5/8, 11/16, 3/4-in, and metric sizes include 8mm, 9mm, 10mm, 11mm, 13mm, 15mm, 17mm, 18mm.

MSRP is $25, model numbers are 32761 (inch) and 32762 (metric), and ETA is Q2 2012.

To be honest, I am not particularly fond of all-in-one wrench designs. But, some homeowners and DIYers seem to like them, and I believe that even some pros like using them for oil changes. To each their own.

Check it out here via Garage Journal forum

Whoever it is at Sears that sets prices must have lost their minds. Or, more realistically, Sears is taking its battle against other retailers for customers’ attention to the next level. A couple of Gearwrench sets are currently phenomenally priced – they’re selling for less than I have ever seen them at ever before!

I just got home from Lowe’s, where a couple of Kobalt wrench sets were too cheap to pass up. I ended up bringing home a Crossform wrench set, which is regularly price at $80 and still on sale for $25.

Here’s what’s on sale:

Gearwrench 7pc XL X-Beam Ratcheting Wrench Set SAE ($24, reg. $80)
Gearwrench 7pc XL X-Beam Ratcheting Wrench Set Metric ($24, reg. $80)

Gearwrench 7pc Flex-Head SAE Set ($27, reg. $90)
Gearwrench 7pc Flex-Head Metric Set ($27, reg. $90)

Gearwrench 8pc Reversible Ratcheting Wrench Set SAE ($40, reg. $80)
Gearwrench 8pc Reversible Ratcheting Wrench Set Metric ($40, reg. $80)

Coupon SEARS2011 OR SEARS5OFF50 takes an additional $5 off $50+ orders. Alternatively, REALJOY gives you free shipping on $99+ orders.

Deal looks to be good through 12/3 or until supplies run out, whichever comes first.

P.S. Free in-store pickup!

Klein recently announced 3 new products – 2 Lineman’s wrenches, and a milled-face hammer.

The new 4-in-1 insulating box wrench features a chrome-plated finish, see-through insulated handle, 1/2″, 9/16″, 5/8″, and 3/4″ 12pt socket sizes. The ratcheting box wrench sockets are reversible as well.

The 5-in-1 non-insulated Lineman wrench  features a through-bolt design, 9/16″ and 3/4″ sockets, and a 3/4″ and 1-1/8″ combination square socket.

Designed for pole-line work, the milled-face Lineman’s hammer features milled and smooth faces to meet a range of driving tasks. The forged and tempered steel head is under 4″ long to allow for clearance in tight spots.

More info via Klein

This set was a $50 DoorBuster on Black Friday at Sears, and is still an incredible deal at $55. You get 10 metric ratcheting wrenches (6, 8, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18mm), and 10 inch sizes (1/4, 5/16, 11/32, 3/8, 7/16, 1/2, 9/16, 5/8, 11/16 and 3/4 in.)

These are not available for shipping, but if they’re still in stock in your area, you can opt for free in-store pickup.

Use coupon SEARS5OFF50 or SEARS2011 to drop the price from $60 to $55.

Buy Now(via Sears)

Kobalt’s new Crossform wrenches are ergonomic “twisted” style wrenches that bear a strong resemblance to Gearwrench’s X-Beam and Craftsman’s CrossForce designs. Compared to standard wrenches, these types offer wider, more comfortable areas to apply pressure with your palms.

The downside is that these wrenches tend to be a little larger and bulkier than conventional wrenches. Still, we can overlook a little extra bulk means an easier time tightening and breaking loose fasteners.

The SAE set includes 5/16″, 3/8″, 7/16″, 1/2″, 9/16″, 5/8″, 11/16″, and 3/4″ wrench sizes, and the metric set includes 8mm, 10mm, 12mm, 13mm, 14mm, 15mm, 17mm, and 18mm wrench sizes. Both 8-wrench sets are now priced at $25 each, but they were previously priced at $80.

Buy Now(SAE via Lowes)
Buy Now(Metric via Lowes)

We’ve received a couple of emails this month about how the Black & Decker Auto Adjusting Wrench dropped in price at Amazon. The auto-adjusting wrench is now priced at about $13, down from its regular price of $16-20.

This wrench came out a couple of years ago, and usually pops up in stores before Christmas and Father’s Day.

To use the wrench, you place it over a fastener, and then push the power button. The wrench’s lower jaw then moves and self-adjusts to fit the fastener. You then turn the wrench to tighten or loosen a fastener. The wrench can deliver 220 ft-lbs of torque, which is high enough that you’re unlikely to break the mechanism under normal conditions.

Thank you to all that sent in this deal tip! We’re not fans of the tool, but maybe a couple of readers will also appreciate the heads-up.

Black & Decker Auto Adjusting Wrench via Amazon

For about the same money, this Stanley MaxSteel 8″ wrench operates smoothly, is more comfortable to use, and does not require batteries.

Kobalt Pliers & Wrench Sets $10 Each

Included in the promo is the Kobalt 4-piece locking pliers set, 3-piece adjustable wrench set, 5-piece pliers set, and 3-piece groove joint pliers set. Each set is on sale for 50%-off, making them all $10 each.

We’ve tried some of these pliers, and while they’re not our favorites, they’re not bad, and we usually keep a couple around as spares. Every year we usually pick up a set or two of the pliers to give to friends and family to help build their tool sets.

Buy online via Lowes, with free in-store pickup (deal ends Oct 31st)

Kobalt 22pc Tool Set with Bag

This 22pc tool set makes a great starter kit for homeowners and anyone else without many tools. It includes most of the tools needed for basic DIY and maintenance tasks around the home or apartment.

From the product description and photo, we count 16 individual tools plus an organizer and tool bag. Not bad for $30. We’re told that the sale price ends Oct 31st, but we’re not sure about that – this looks to be the everyday price.

Buy online via Lowes, with free in-store pickup

Kobalt 10pc Pliers Set for $30

These aren’t the best pliers we’ve used, but for $3 each there’s not much to complain about. This set includes all the styles and sizes one needs to start off with. If we could change one thing, we would drop the needlenose locking pliers in favor of a wire stripper.

Buy online via Lowes, with free in-store pickup (sale ends Oct. 31st)

With all these deals, you can buy the tools online with free in-store pickup at your local Lowes, or you can have them shipped. You should be able to find the items in-store as well.

And in case you’re interested, here is a link to recent tools that dropped in price at Lowes.

First, there’s a new 309 piece mechanics’s tool set that includes 201 sockets and 16 full-polish ratcheting wrenches. The regular price is $400, but the set is currently on sale for $200. The list of full contents shows that there is a mix of 6pt and 12pt sockets.

There’s also a 10-drawer ball-bearing storage combo that is on sale for $280. Or you could just pick up either the top chest or rolling cabinet, both are separately discounted.

We double-checked, and the two small socket sets we mentioned the other day are still on sale for 50%-off as well:

Craftsman 10pc standard 3/8″ socket set
Craftsman 10pc metric 3/8″ socket set

Craftsman has announced another new hand tool, the ratcheting rotary wrench. The new wrenches are fine-toothed, and built with 6pt hex metric and inch sockets.

Each double-ended wrench has 8 different socket sizes and 72-tooth reversible ratchet mechanisms. The inch version includes 5/16″, 3/8″, 7/16″, 1/2″, 9/16″, 5/8″, 11/16″, and 3/4″ sockets, and the metric version includes 8mm, 10mm, 11mm, 13mm, 14mm, 16mm, 17mm, and 19mm sockets.

Both Craftsman ratcheting rotary wrenches will be priced at ~$30 each, and will be available later this month. You can order them via Sears.com, and they will probably start appearing in stores next month.

Purchase or get more info on inch version via Sears
Purchase or get more info on metric version via Sears

Our first impression was to think back to Husky’s Rotary Wrench from last year, which was thought looked too bulky to be of practical use. However, the Craftsman versions look to be more compact and more finished.

If you’re into all-in-one tools for on-the-go use or as a gift, the limited edition Craftsman universal dog bone wrench or new Craftsman ratcheting clench wrenches may be a bit more portable than these rotary wrenches.

First, Sears slashed the price of these Craftsman 9pc wrench sets by 50%. Normally priced at $30, these wrench sets are only $15 on sale. While not as long or good-looking as full-polished wrenches, they’re a great value. (We’ve got 2 of the inch and 1 of the metric sets laying around for use as beater wrenches.)

Craftsman 9pc standard wrench set
Craftsman 9pc metric wrench set

Sears has also discounted these 3/8″ socket sets by 50%. Standard and metric versions are both on sale, and include a ratchet handle, 9 sockets, and a plastic case. At $10 each on sale, these small socket sets make for great gift items, and are also a great base for a compact mobile tool kit. (Before upgrading to a larger socket set, we relied on two of these smaller sets for regular use.)

Craftsman 10pc standard 3/8″ socket set
Craftsman 10pc metric 3/8″ socket set

Who doesn’t need a new or extra tool box? We bought one of these a while back and are rather pleased with its quality. $30 is a little steep for a plastic tool box, but the $20 sale price is quite a bit better.

Craftsman 26-inch plastic tool box

After posting about the new Crescent Double-X pliers, we went out and bought a set. Naturally, the price dropped afterwards. Normally priced at $30 for the two pliers, the sale price drops it to $25, with another random discount bringing it to $21.24. At this price, we’re tempted to pick up a second set, that’s how useful they are.

Crescent Double-X Set (Price is actually $16.99 with in-store pickup for Craftsman Club members, with the sale price ending 10/20, thanks Andrew!)

NOTE: Coupon code SEARS2011 takes an extra $5 off $50+ orders. It also looks like (mailable) tool orders over $99 ship for free, no coupon code needed.

Craftsman’s new folding ratcheting clench wrenches have adjustable jaws that can fit a wide range of fastener sizes. Form the looks of it, they auto-fit to any 6pt metric or inch hex fasteners, and potentially several other types as well.

The new Craftsman clench wrenches are available in a 2-piece set that includes 6-inch and 8-inch versions. Both tools feature folding handles, and it looks like the heads can be adjusted and locked in at several angles for easier fastener access. Spring-loaded jaws create a convenient ratcheting-action.

Normally we’re skeptical of these types of tools, but this looks like an interesting design. I also like that the handles collapse to give the tools a compact footprint.

Check price or purchase via Sears

Like the new Crescent Double-X pliers that we also discussed today, the Craftsman ratcheting Clench Wrenches were featured in the Sears 2011 Holiday Tool Catalog.

Kobalt Impact Wrench

We will be looking at many of the new tools in detail, reviewing some of them as well, but for the time being here’s a lightly detailed preview to keep you up to date.

Kobalt Power Tools

If you recall from our Kobalt cordless power tools preview, Lowes is introducing several new cordless tool packages as well as two corded saws.

Kobalt Li-Ion Drill Driver

Cordless NiCad or Li-ion, Your Choice

Both NiCad and Li-ion kits will be available, with the tools differing slightly. The NiCad tools sacrifice advanced features in order to achieve a lower price point, but build quality and performance was still nice. The tools in the Li-ion kit have more features, better specs, more complex components, and a dual-chemistry charger.

Kobalt NiCad Combo Kit

If you’re thinking that the NiCad batteries look grossly oversized, you’re right – they’re huge. BUT they don’t weigh as much as it looks like they do, and the tools are surprisingly well balanced.

A separate premium-looking Li-ion drill/driver is also available, and looks to to be a competitive mid-to-high-end option. An add-on impact wrench is also out now, and I’m told that an impact driver is on the way.

Kobalt Li-Ion Combo Kit

When asked about whether the cordless tools from the kits will be available for purchase separately as bare tools, I was told that plans to do so aren’t on the table, but it has not been ruled out.

Corded Saws

There were quite a few things I liked about these saws. The 12-amp reciprocating saw features a tool-free blade change, 360° quick-change rotating head, 1-1/8″ stroke length, 12-foot cord with live wire indicator on the tool itself, orbital action, and tool-free shoe adjustment. The recip. saw is available now and is priced at $94.

Kobalt Corded Recip Saw

The 15-amp circular saw features a magnesium shoe and blade guard, 12-foot cord with live wire indicator on the tool itself as with the recip. saw, 2-3/8″ 90° cutting depth, 1-13/16″ 45° cutting depth, and on-board blade tool change. The circular saw is also available for $94.

Kobalt Corded Circular Saw

Kobalt Hand Tools

Mechanics’ Tools

As we briefly discussed, Kobalt recently overhauled their entire mechanics’ tool line. The new wrenches, ratchets, sockets, and other mechanics tools are already in stores nationwide. We’ve been using and passing around a few of these new tools that we purchased a few months back, and… they’re actually pretty nice.

DIYer Tools

Lowes also introduced the new Kobalt Double Drive screwdriver at the event. The Double Drive is not meant for heavy duty professional use, but it seems to hold up well and is actually a lot of fun to use. We liked it so much that were already set up a Double Drive or Lowes gift card giveaway!

The Kobalt Multi-Drive wrench was also showcased at the event, but I’m not too fond of it. When I discussed my displeasure with the tool’s design, it was explained that the tool is more intended for homeowners or DIYers that don’t already have full wrench and socket sets. The question that still hangs in my mind is: how many DIYers regularly come across 12pt, e-Torx, or spine fasteners?!

Kobalt Multi Drive Wrench

There’s also a new Kobalt tool box with built-in Zerust corrosion inhibitors. I’m more a fan of sealed tool cases or drop-in desiccator cartridges, but the Kobalt tool box looked like a nice portable kit box. The Zerust might sweeten the deal for some, and anyone not interested can just ignore that feature.

Conclusion

Lowes and Kobalt describe the new power tools as providing professional-grade power and as the next generation of tough tools. Although initially skeptical, I have a new understanding of what they’re going for, and for the most part I really liked what I saw.

Disclosure: Lowes set us up with a hotel room for the night and sent us home with a bag, screwdriver, and flashlight.

Back in May, we posted about Irwin metric adjustable wrenches that were priced to fly off the shelves at Amazon. Since then, all sizes but the 10-inch have sold out. Today, we came across a 4-piece set that includes the 6-inch, 8-inch, 10-inch, and 12-inch sizes, for about $15 with free super saver shipping.

Before you go wide-eyed and whip out your credit card, remember that these are metric adjustable wrenches. Irwin engineered them with precise adjustment stops, and so you cannot really use them on SAE/inch fasteners. The matching SAE set is currently $46.

Buy it now via Amazon

As we mentioned several times already, we’ve got a new Amazon deep-discounted tool search that we coded to help us find great tool deals. If you promise not to go overboard and yell at us when your credit card bill comes in, you can use it too. =)

We posted a few tool deals we came across early this morning, but this one is a bit better and deserves its own spot.