I’m a fan of ratcheting wrenches, and especially different designs that solve problems. For instance, I am quite fond of my Facom 440 combination wrenches, and also my Facom angled socket wrenches. Facom’s 40R fast action combination wrenches are interesting, but I could take them or leave them.
And so you could imagine, I was quite intrigued when I came across Stahlwille’s FastRatch 240 ratcheting-action wrenches, which look more like a kitchen gadget than serious tool.
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Stahlwille FastRatch 240 wrenches are designed for use on hex nuts and union nuts. They look a lot simpler and more compact than ratcheting line wrenches that I’ve used before.
These wrenches have a spring mechanism in the pivot, which is what provides the ratcheting action. Torque is applied when the wrench is rotated in the direction indicated near the jaws. Rotate a Stahlwille FastRatch wrench in the opposite direction, and the jaws will spread a little until the wrench settles in a new position.
Since the jaws open and close around fasteners, it makes sense that each wrench actually pulls double duty and covers both inch and metric sizes.
Stahlwille makes these from stainless steel, which makes them corrosion resistant and also suitable for use in industries where contamination is a huge concern.
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The wrenches have grooves on the outside handles, for a more secure grip, and “thumb release” cutouts for spreading the jaws.
Price: ~$44to $100, each, depending on size
Buy Now(via Amazon)
More Info(PDF via Stahlwille)
Wow are these expensive.
Hilton
These look great. Price is a shocker though.
A five piece set costs $420 on Amazon. If you buy the spanners individually, the total price is $380. This makes no sense.
But wait, there’s more.
If you head over to Amazon DE, the same five piece set costs half of the US offering. Is there some ex German Naval Commander rowing the stuff over for goodness sake!
Anyway, thanks for the heads up.
pete
Don’t be stupid. That ex-german naval commander can’t use oars on a U-boat! lol
Visbert
I’ve used something similar from Armstrong: http://www.mcmaster.com/#ratchet-box/=2jm2bz8on4ifguc1f9
Not as pretty and not exactly cheap, but a lot cheaper than the Stahlwille. There are situations where having a wrench like this can save a lot of time.
Nathan
I can’t believe I see a Stahlwille Review on an american tool site. Interesting find.
I’d almost be tempted to try one out on Flare Nuts for brake lines – doesn’t look nearly as secure but if they are anything like my other stahlwille wrenches and sockets they fit well.
I’d want to see someone else try them before I buy one though – for the cost.
would perhaps work better than a standard flarenut.
pricing – if they are very new I suspect in a few months you’ll see them at other stahlwille distributors. Like Samstag tools etc carry them. For the stuff I’ve ordered from them – their prices are usually better if you call them when getting whole sets of things.
Stuart
This isn’t a review, it’s a preview “hey check out this cool tool I found” post. I’d love to test these out, but they’re too pricey for my needs. Unless someone from Stahlwille really wants to get these in my hands for testing, a review’s not going to happen.
I periodically check Amazon for deals on Stahlwille hand tools, but thus far I haven’t bought anything. Maybe eventually I’ll give the brand a try, but right now I’m not that interested.
Nathan
I’d check somewhere other than amazon. Granted I haven’t ordered any in a long time – but the last time I got something was to complete out a metric set and the best prices I found were from SamStag tools. again though I often say they are the german snap-on of tools. very spendy, excellent warranty, often specific.
Blythe M
Be nice if they made a non-stainless version, bet they would be a lot cheaper
Farid
Darn, those are expensive.
Those would be fine to carry on a bike trip, or for use in tight spots, but probably not ideal for removing a very tight bolt. The bolt head would have to be in near perfect condition. The wrenches only grab two corners, which there is good changes of rounding the corners.
Nice tool that probably won a design award somewhere, and would look cool on my desk!
Daniel Wenk
no. The wrenches don’t grab two corners, they grab two sides! No chance of rounding the corners and much more torque than with a standard wrench
Yadda
Too cool! The design is outrageous! Price is the only thing keeping me from owning a set.
jesse
Check eBay.
Hilton
I’d like to hear from the Stateside boys in terms of Imperial use but from a Metric perspective, these sets do not make any sense.
Standard Metric bolts are M5 (8mm spanner), M6(10mm), M8(13mm), M10(17mm), M12(19mm).
Set 5 contains 10mm (3/8″), 11mm (7/16″), 14mm (9/16″), 17mm (21/32″), 19mm (3/4″)
Set 6 contains 8mm (5/16″), 10mm (3/8″), 13mm (1/2″), 14mm (9/16″), 17mm (21/32″), 19mm (3/4″)
What are the common Imperial sizes for spanners? Which set makes sense to you?
Nathan
the short sampling I have in front of me says they hit the common flare nut other plumbing fitting sizes in both metric and SAE – either in the house, on the car and on most aircraft. Which I believe was their intended purpose – plumbing
Hilton
Thanks Nathan.
This would make sense then, a ratcheting flare nut wrench. I think the stainless steel finish also give credence to that train of thought.
Daniel Wenk
Whoever gave you this crazy idea about metric sizes: M5 is not 8mm and M8 is not 13mm. M8 is 8mm, M13 is 13mm, M23 is 23mm and so on.
Therefore the 6 piece set would make a lot of sense for me. M8, M10, M13 and M17 are probably the most common used metric wrenches.
Hilton exasperatingly
Now you’re just embarassing yourself. You’ve clearly never used a Metric spanner on a Metric bolt before.
Here’s the deal. A M8 bolt has a diameter of 8mm of the shaft itself. The hex head however is 13mm across the flats, hence the need for a 13mm spanner (wrench) for M8 bolts.
Daniel Wenk
I see what you mean. Actually this fix relation is only true up to M 8. The higher M sizes use different diameter screwheads. For M 10 there are 16 and 17mm nuts, for M 12 there are 18, 19 and 22 mm nuts. However, here in Germany, the most common (and used by me everyday) wrenches are 10, 13 and 17. Sometimes 19. The 6 piece set therefore is perfect for me.
Hilton
You would have thought that the powers in charge would have standardized but no! We can’t even get everyone to drive on the same side of the road or use the same voltage or even the same type of electrical plug.
pencil neck
I’m seeing a double standard here… with the Crescent Quick Convert T-Handle Nut Drivers listed the other day, most comments were on how the universal splines are evil and kicked the family dog. Then these Stahlwille wrenches, while wonderful looking tool porn, only have 2 contact points on the hardware.
On a 19mm bolt or nut, this can have a rather high torque on it, and only two contact points might become a bit of a well rounded problem.
Stuart
I can’t speak for anyone else, but I judge tools based on their designs, and in reviews, their hands-on performance.
Just because these wrenches each fit dual sizes, and Crescent T-handle nut drivers fit dual sizes, doesn’t mean much. They both engage fasteners in very different ways.
Just going by the design of these wrenches, I wouldn’t think they’d be prone to rounding out fasteners. If you have a loose grip on the wrench – maybe that increases the chance. Or maybe they’re overpriced paperweights that round off every fastener they touch, I really couldn’t tell you, but I don’t think this is the case.
Daniel Wenk
No, the opposite is true. Only with those tools you will be able to open or tighten an alreadyrounded screwhead. It dosen’t grab corners, it grabs two sides and therefore got superior torque.. Check this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b__uIR_GGe8
fred
We had been using ratcheting flare wrenches from Proto and others for many years on pipe fittings in hard to reach and see spots. I believe that that Facom also makes them – and some are also sold under the “Mountain” brand. I could see how these could be handy – and the few Stahlwille tools I’ve seen (I was motly a plumber – never a German Auto mechinic ) were of very high quality