The first time I received an email about the Allwrencher Smart Wrench, I thought it looked a bit too gimmicky. I was also very annoyed – the email followed a series of self-promoting comments that I had to remove on 8 different wrench, adjustable wrench, and ratcheting wrench posts. That was 4 years ago.
The second time they reached out was this past June, and the approach was a lot better. It grabbed my attention, and I made a mental note to reconsider their review opportunity, or at least consider doing a quick preview post.
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Today, they reached out for a third time. Taking a fresh look at the wrench, I was intrigued. Here’s the background, before we get further:
We are a start-up hand tool manufacturer, and we are determined to make a difference the hand tool field that few would try. We developed a general-purpose adjustable ratcheting wrench. It is called the Smart Wrench, many customers has requested review for the product – specifically for the effectiveness in real world situations such as replacing parts, and assembling. We’re eager to hear from you.
And:
I appreciate the honest reviews and contribution to the community, and I enjoy every bit of it. It is the detailed, honest, well researched reviews that attracted my attention. I have already subscribed, and I want to send you an awesome wrench to review.
The product was invented by my father who yearns for contribution, he wanted to give back to the people like you who are enthusiastic about tools, it took him many years of trial before he invented a very durable ratcheting adjustable wrench. It is called the Smart wrench (I made a little website to showcase the tool, just go to https://allwrencher.com/products/smartwrench). I think it’ll be great if you could use it and share it with your audience too.
From the looks of it, this is a self-adjusting ratcheting wrench, sold as a set of 4 (storage case included).
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Each wrench can fit 3 metric and 3 SAE sizes, for a total of 6 fastener sizes per tool.
How is it different compared to other types of ratcheting wrenches? Here’s what they say:
1) – Each wrench can be used on 6 sizes, both SEA And metric; no attachment required. It’ll give you the peace of mind without having to risk losing any parts.
2) The pressure exerted on the wrench is delegated to several internal point of pressure, such that the torque power is more consistent across, as opposed to a socket wrench which mostly has largely inconsistent maximum capacity, this is crucial if you’re looking for a truly reliable life-time wrench.
3) Having an open-end structure means it is suitable to use on pipes too.
4) Smart wrench comes with lifetime warranty.
I have seen many ratcheting adjustable wrenches over the years, and also multi-size sockets and wrenches, but none quite like this one.
It looks like there are some benefits to the Allwrencher Smart Wrench design, as well as some downsides.
For one, the lack of a reversal switch or manual adjustment mechanism saves space. But on the other hand, it’s still larger than standard combination wrenches.
To me, the Smart Wrench looks like a sort of self-adjusting nearly-fixed-size Knipex Pliers Wrench. I occasionally use my Pliers Wrench in the same type of way that the Smart Wrench is used, but with the Smart Wrench I wouldn’t have to squeeze the handles closed at the same time.
Trying to be objective, I know I wouldn’t replace my wrenches with a set of 4 Smart Wrenches. But, I can envision myself using it in place of a Pliers Wrench or adjustable wrench at times.
I am not completely sold on the idea, but I’m not against it either.
Price: $102 for the box set before coupon, $86.70 after
There’s a coupon code on the Amazon page, TN5WNQ5J, which takes 15% off the price.
In my opinion, in order to achieve wider appeal, Allwrencher would have to lower manufacturing costs and retail pricing by quite a bit. But at the same time, the brand seems to be firmly committed to higher quality, according to statements I read when doing a little more background research.
If they can partner with a larger OEM and either a large brand or private label (such as Husky or Kobalt), the Smart Wrench might fly off store shelves and promo displays during holiday shopping seasons.
While still perhaps appearing to be a little gimmicky in nature, the Smart Wrench seems to have a much stronger design, in terms of functionality and usefulness, than many of the other types of ratcheting adjustable wrenches and 50-in-1 wrenches that I’ve seen in the past, many of which sold very successfully.
I would encourage the company to keep at it. At present, the Smart Wrench is a tool I could see myself using, and if they can lower the price, it’s a tool that I might consider buying.
Buy Now(via Amazon)
Promo Video Showing How it Works
Doresoom
I tried the Crescent ACFR8VS ratcheting wrench a few years ago, and found the tolerances were too loose for high torque applications – the jaws would just round over the fastener. Hopefully these are manufactured with better precision. It looks like the design is different from the Crescent version too, but I’m still wary about this type of ratcheting open wrench that slips the jaws around the fastener as it goes.
firefly
I have seen similar design over the year and I haven’t seen one that work well especially for high torque application like Doresoom mentioned. I understand the basic concept and I can’t see how they can improve on it but I would be happy to be proven wrong.
Personally I think it’s a bad design decision to begin with. For something universal, I think the knipex or just a typical crescent wrench work a lot better. For speed and reliability nothing beat the proven design of a regular ratchet wrench. This have too many middle of the road trade off and end up not meeting any need well.
Koko The Talking Ape
I can think of two issues: One is that the wrench requires lots of swing room. To turn a nut 15 degrees, you might have to swing the wrench 25 degrees, because you need some swing to tighten the jaws around the nut.
The other is that tightening the jaws has two slightly contradictory requirements. It has to be fast enough to prevent excessive swing (see above), so low leverage, so low grip. But it also has to be tight enough to not slip on the nut. The other comments say a simliar wrench didn’t get that balance right, and would round over the nut.
There is a different kind of self-tightening wrench that has an irregular hexagonal hole in the end, that swivels around the end of the handle, that acts as a cam. Those designs don’t slip, probably because they grip the nut on three sides. But the size range is limited.
Personally, the Knipex guys have worked well, though they are a little pricey. I’m sticking with those.
Framer joe
Knipex plier wrenches are completely different…and they work really well. All Knipex had tools are amazing..
This, daddy made it ,so please try it is junk. Guarantee it. Kobalt sells stuff like that… gimmick junk… could it ever perceivably come in handy ,ya it’s possible.
Buy quality Wright grip wrenches ,made in America ,equal to Snap On …for an adjustable wrench ,buy Bahco..
Stuart
How are Knipex Plier Wrenches different?
I use them in the same exact way, except I squeeze the handles together. Squeeze handles, turn fastener in desired direction, loosen handles, swing loose tool in reverse direction, repeat. With this tool, it looks like I wouldn’t have to worry about squeezing any handles closed.
Framer joe
Stewart, seriously? They are nothing alike. Either you completely don’t Know anything about tools and just read facts off the box the come in or your just confused in this case…I’ll assume the latter.
Mattd
They are exactly alike. If u were to cut off the front handle on a pliers wrench and only use the back handle it would act EXACTLY like these tools.
Stuart
Farmer Joe, Watch the promo video.
Then watch this:
https://youtu.be/9UT96PQiK-g?t=18s
The only difference is that the Knipex is more adjustable, and requires pressure on the handles to keep the jaws closed around the fastener.
If you can’t see that, I don’t know what to tell you. Either you “completely don’t know anything about tools,” or “are just confused in this case.”
firefly
I must agree with Framer joe in this case. I think there is a fundamentally different between the two. On the knipex plier wrench, the harder the user squeeze the handles the tighter the grip on the nut will be, not so with this wrench. That vital different could be whether a nut will be rounded or not.
Now I could be wrong but from what I have seen from similar design I haven’t seen one that have a good grip on the nut.
Stuart
I cannot comment on fastener pressure without seeing both side by side.
What I’m saying is that the ratcheting motion is the same. The basic mechanics of what it does are very similar. The way in which the fastener is gripped – that is certainly different. The Knipex requires manual pressure, but there’s also a force-multiplier due to the compound pivot. This tool has an unknown internal mechanism.
At these prices, I’d rather have a set of 2 Knipex Pliers Wrenches.
I’m just trying to be open-minded. If the set of 4 can be priced low enough so as to stand in for 1 Pliers Wrench, it’d have much greater market appeal, in my opinion.
From the Princess Auto links that Pocket Handyman linked to, they’re not quite there yet.
https://toolguyd.com/allwrencher-smart-wrench-multi-size-ratcheting-wrench/#comment-1181417
https://www.princessauto.com/en/search?Dy=1&Nty=1&Ntt=flare+nut+wrench
firefly
I was hoping that you will be able to get a handon sample at some point to answer that question.
I do know that on the Knipex it’s possible to get a positive grip on the nut. The gripping force is independent from the turning force. I was able to use Knipex Plier Wrench as a makeshift press before.
adam
If you are looking for a traditional adjustable, get a Milwaukee wrench (made in Taiwan). Better than any other in my opinion. The adjustment screw has 5 grooves, rather than the standard 3, and has virtually no play at all. I used the Milwaukee 8″ wide jaw one to tighten up a 1-1/2″ hitch ball nut. Got out a breaker bar & socket, and could only turn it another 1/4 turn tops.
Framer joe
Bahco
glenn
Totally agree, I have yet to find a better adjustable wrench than a Bahco. Been using the same one for over 20 years and its still as good as the day I bought it.
Framer joe
Absolutely?
mattd
The most frustrating thing I would forsee with this design in that a lil bit of gunk like grease or dirt will hinder the pivot so then you will have to hold the head in place after every release in order to get the jaws to fully engage and crimp back onto the nut head. since the design is dependent on the cam moving very easily. if it does not move that easily then the jaws will pinch the corners and then when loaded slide back onto the flats, which could accelerate rounding out vs a different tool.
mattd
Upon further inspection of my pliers wrench I would say it is exactly a pliers wrench, only without the front handle and as much adjust-ability. If you put your pliers wrench on a nut and ONLY hold the back handle then that should approximate the functionality you would get out of these wrenches. They may have a spring to pre-load the jaws, but other than that they don’t appear to be fictionally any different.
ToolOfTheTrade
This is definitely a good idea for an adjustable box wrench, but damn is it expensive. Even with the coupon its pricey. I bought a bostitch adjustable wrench with the same sort of functionality but it is horrible to use because of it being an adjustable wrench which nobody has yet to engineer & design correctly in the history of the tool. I didn’t understand why they would design something like that to be incorporated into an adjustable wrench. Makes no sense. So being that the pivoting jaw is fixed in a non adjustable position, I see it being much more advantageous than what’s on the market now. I would definitely buy it if the price was right, but at $25+ per wrench, it’s kind of steep for a introduction to the market. Drop it down $20 and advertise it correctly and it’ll sell.
Pocket Handyman
Stuart, it’s possible you are being mislead. I have a couple of these wrenches I use specifically for plumbing (faucet and shut-off connections, they work great). I bought them locally here in Toronto from a Canadian retailer called Princess Auto (our version of Harbour Freight, so I’m told). Lot’s of Chinese made tools at low prices. See this: https://www.princessauto.com/en/search?Dy=1&Nty=1&Ntt=flare+nut+wrench. Scroll down the page to see the four sizes they sell. They don’t sell a ‘box set’ but if you bought all four sizes at full price, tax included that comes to just under $69 CDN, about $53 US. Much less than what they’re proposing to sell for. And of course, they go on sale periodically. Just sayin’.
Stuart
Interesting – that does look to be same exact wrench!
I found inconsistencies with some of the marketing, but to me it looked like a multiple-pronged effort, rather than a misleading one. There weren’t any redflags, and I haven’t seen this particular tool before, or in my searches for something similar.
Thanks! I’ll look into it further.
Kent
I love that one of the wrenches in your link fits 15/32″ fasteners. WTF?
Kevin
I have seen these at Princess Auto and have been planning to get some specifically for plumbing. Chrome nuts and toilet to floor bolts for example. When I first saw them I thought of Knipex Plier Wrench and that these might be better in some cases like confined space. They are not flare nut wrenches as listed at Princess Auto and pointed out in the reviews there. Thanks for the information Pocket Handyman.
Jared
I think these look pretty interesting. I wonder how much force the jaws exert on the backswing – i.e. are they loose enough that you can actually ratchet them, or are the jaws spring-loaded such that they would grip the bolt and prevent you from ratcheting unless you held it with your free hand?
Nathan
wow well I’d be willing to give it a try in a few applications before I said it was crap. I like specifically that they are limiting the scope of size of the mechanism. No it’s not made to fit a wide array of sizes. Big plus in my book. I don’t really look at the ratcheting mechanism as a plus nor do I think I would really use it that way.
It if held a grip better than a adjustable – and it did safely and strongly turn a fastener I’d be OK with it. Is it pricey sure. Apparently it’s made in america with a lifetime warranty. did I read that right?
If it proved to work well I could see keeping one or 2 in the car emergency kit to go along with other pieces. I could also see using this on quick around the house tasks specifically plumbing. Again provided it holds solid. Example the other day I RnR’d a toilet. In my grab bag I put in a few combo wrenches and 2 sizes of adjustable wrench, screw drivers, putty knife and other stuffs for the job. I could see using this in place of the adjustables – which were in the bag mostly incase i missed the sizes I need or needed to hold and turn the toilet tank nuts.
Stuart
I believe they’re made in Taiwan. The company/inventor(s) are based in Australia.
Johnny
Looks familiar…
http://imhdd.ms11.net/HOME/oldtools.html
Scott
EXACTLY. These are a rip off of a Cochran “Speednut” wrench. I own 2 different versions of these antique wrenches, and they still work well, despite being nearly 100 years old. They were patented in 1916.
“Nothing new under the sun…”
Yadda
The speednut wrenches leveraged ideas introduced by theEifel Plierench.
Kent
Each one fits 3 sizes in SAE & metric. OK, could be convenient at times.
Look closely at 0:27 in the video – the three SAE sizes this wrench fits are:
23/32″
3/4 ”
25/32″
Has the inventor ever used SAE wrenches? Does he think these are real sizes? Are they common sizes outside of the US?
Assuming this is some sort of printing error, and these wrenches are useful on SAE fasteners… I think they have a very hard road ahead of themselves. $100 for 4 wrenches is high enough to keep casual buyers away, and a bit too expensive for the father’s day “I don’t know anything about tools so I bought you this thing” gift.
I wish them well, but I wouldn’t invest in this company if there was stock for sale.
fred
25/32 – though uncommon today – was used in the past in the US on old cars and machinery. Along with 19/32 and 31/32 they have all but disappeared.
I don’t recall seeing 23/32 – but old UK Whitworth standards were different than many US standards.
Here’s a thread from Garage Journal:
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-141621.html
John
Hello, I purchased these recently. I like them and will buy other tools from them if the price is good. I am not a master with tools, but I lurk here a lot. I am not sure I know how to write a review, but here are my thoughts:
1) Price: way too high (but I got lucky due to a price mistake)
-Generally an adjustable will work anywhere this does with more sizes in ONE wrench.
-ratcheting box ends are smaller, but can’t put the type of torque this will
-But if space is a concern, how about a 6-point socket?
-If space is not a concern, then you don’t need the ratcheting function, you can use any tools, especially much cheaper cresents.
2) Build: Finish is decent, not highly polished, but smooth, the ink on the size is brown which helps me read it, but not engraved. Black ink would be better. States on it that it is CR-V-> You guys decide if that is a good steel, I don’t know. I really like the ratcheting action, but you need a large arc, AND, if you nut is loose, it’s the same problem you have with sockets, it won’t ratchet, it will turn the nut ackwards. Rounded edges and a slight round on the flat portion, so it’s smooth, but does not enhance grip much. There is a slight taper from the wrench head to the back. I disliked this part: The handle is too skinny for my hands. The longest fingers are gripping the thinnest part of the wrench.
–The action is very smooth, but the pin that holds the head is not of the same finish quality, and i suspect, same build quality. It is brassy shade of gold, and doesn’t appear as precisely machined on the wrenches. However, maybe I’m just being picky.
3) Torque: I overtightened the hell out of bolts with washers to prove a point: You can produce more force with these wrenches without rounding as compared to a 12-point/spline socket. I’ve rounded those off before. I believe someone else can better compare a 6-point socket / box end vs this wrench. All I have is 12-point sockets (craftsman).
4) Access: You need a large arc. Also, the head is fat, so unlike the Proferred adjustable style wrench, you can get into trouble with thinner fastners/areas. For instance, I could not use this to attach my son’s bike pedals, the wrench head was too fat.
5) Summation, I like them for the price I paid, but in terms of utility, I have a hard time honestly stating where they fit in. A mechanic would know better, I stated my views above. The best use is high torque in a space where there is a large arc and you need a great fit, but there is no room to use a hand to adjust the wrench. However, even then: remove the wrench, adjust it, then try again, and you get more sizes, all for a Home-depot price! Really the US-Market needs $20-40 sets. After that just go pro. These are too expensive for homeowners (but I got lucky), and i’ll let a PRO from your website opine on pro uses.
Hope that was helpful.
Frank D
The idea intrigues me, from a casual wrencher aspect and as something I could add to a primary or secondary kit, and not have to worry about wrenches …if it were buy two at maybe $15-20/each. Not this buy 4 thing. Give me a small and big one. Done.
glenn
They are legit sizes in metric. 18, 19 and 20mm. Sae? Not so much. There are three countries that still officially use the imperial system. Liberia, Myanmar and the USA.
Perhaps a lack of marketing knowledge. Plus the fact that it is totally a gimmick tool. I have a single 200mm shifter (in Australia, adjustable wrenches are known as shifters), that will do nut/bolt sizes from zero to 40mm . Hardly need a set of these.
To me its a bit like reinventing the wheel as a decahedron. It will get the job done but just not as well as the real thing. Ie; the right sized socket or spanner. (A wrench is known in Australia as a spanner).
Also as an aside, being called a spanner in Australia is like being called a tool, which means you are useless, lol.
fred
I think it was George Bernard Shaw who said that “Britain and America are two countries divided by a common language”. The same goes for other “English” speaking countries. Our idiomatic expressions and spellings are certainly a bit different. The 1950’s song “Slowpoke” – very popular in the US in my youth – was seen to be a bit obscene by the Brits who had a much different take on what a slow poke was.
My favorite British tool-related slang is referring to a hammer as a “Manchester (or Birmingham) screwdriver” – apparently casting aspersions on the quality of work by inhabitants of those cities.
redcastle
Fred
Bernard Shaw (he was not a fan of being called George) was preempted by by his fellow Irishman Oscar Wilde who said “We have really everything in common with America nowadays, except, of course, language”.
With regards to the Birmingham or more usually “Brummie” screwdriver I had a conversation with a Birmingham native on this point and instead of becoming indignant he said that you drive screws with a hammer and it is therefore a screwdriver, something you turn screws with is a screwturner he believed he had made his point however it has become as you said a term of ridicule.
I am sure that if I were to be having this conversation with me today he would be very quick to point out to me that using an impact driver on wood screws fully supports his proposition.
fred
Thanks – I did not know that about Shaw.
Many cities in the US are also the butt of various jokes.
Kevin
Canada is officially metric but the construction industrial uses imperial measurements including fasteners. Sockets can not be used to tighten plumbing connection to faucets and toilets. Your 200mm shifter has a much larger range of sizes but also a longer handle which can be a big problem in some places. Different wrench are required for different applications. Just like different saws are used to cut different materials. Crosscutting word, ripping wood, firewood, sheet metal, metal pipe, concrete, etc. One saw is not adequate and neither is one wrench for all applications. Some cheap or gimmicky tools are not suited to any application.
Jeffrey Garcia
These wrenches have been available for sale for perhaps 3 years- yet there is only one review on Amazon.com where they are currently on sale for 30% off; from $102.00 to $ 71.00. They appear to work very well when viewing a few videos of them on you tube- yet on the amazon.com website it says that it has a 10 year limited warranty while on the allwrench website it states that there is a lifetime warranty. Since no definitive warranty information apparently exists for this product I tend to think that it probably does not have a useable warranty. If it had a lifetime warranty similar to say Craftsman’s Lifetime Warranty(e.g. return to a local store then get an immediate or shipped replacement) then I am sure they would not be contradictory warranty information on two different websites- and there would be written warranty information somewhere accessible. I could not find any written warranty information on this product as of 08/11/2018.
TonyT
Here’s another approach to a multi-wrench (inspired by a Swedish adjustable wrench), that’s about the same price ($89, but made of Titanium), more compact, but doesn’t ratchet.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/klinkokids/ti-edc-wrench-adjustable-pocket-tool-for-everyday
I can’t comment on how well it works (and I won’t be backing it), but I am confident that wrenches will be delivered on time, since I’ve bought 5 pens from them. So far all the pens have been made in China, were reasonably priced for the material (Titanium), and were high quality.
UGADawg16
If the Allwrencher came around four years ago and the idea before that then perhaps its inventor has a patent suit against the Wera Joker Adjustable wrench? Both look amazingly similar.
Stuart
I thought the same thing. I reached out to Allwrencher, and Wera did NOT license the design for their very similar tools.