Stanley FatMax has come out with a new 10-inch adjustable demo wrench, FMHT75081. It’s an adjustable wrench with a pry bar built into the end of the handle.
This unique wrench offers 4-in-1 functionality:
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- A “dedicated and reinforced” strike face can be used for driving loose nails and fasteners
- It’s an adjustable wrench
- Pry bar
- Nail puller hole
Stanley says that the handle is flared, for both control and comfort. I’m guessing they’re just talking about the end?
So this is a hammer wrench? It’s got all the parts of an adjustable wrench, a strike face, and prying end.
Yes, it’s a real tool.
Related: The Silliest Tools to Receive “Demo” Treatment?
It seems a little ridiculous, but this is a tool I wouldn’t mind having. Sometimes I need an adjustable wrench I want to pound on, other times I want a short prying bar that I have to choke up on.
That sounds a little tongue in cheek, but I’m not yet sure if I’m being serious or cheeky.
How’s this going to work in tight spaces? Then again, it’s a 10-inch adjustable wrench. How many people use 10-inch adjustable wrenches in tight spaces?
Will professionals really pick this up for use in demo work? They’ll still need a larger dedicated nail puller, trim puller, or other prying bar, and probably a smaller adjustable wrench as well.
But on the other hand, it’s a heavy duty-looking adjustable wrench, and with 2 added features that might come in handy. Sorry, 3 added features – that nail puller contributes to the 4-in-1 description.
Price: $14 to $18
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I’d say there’s a 50:50 chance I’d buy this if I saw in store shelves, for a garage, auto, portable, or loaner tool kit. Maybe not at $18, but $14 is more convincing. I bought plenty of Crescent adjustable wrenches for around the same, and they had loose and noisy mechanisms. This one looks to provide greater thumbwheel engagement than most adjustable wrenches, which would mean greater strength.
It is in my bones to laugh at this tool for how silly it looks, but I can’t shake the feeling that it might be a handy combination.
But for demo work? I’ll let you decide. I don’t do much demoing.
rob
I could see this as a handy item to be left in a vehicle as a tool in the glove box or under a seat. Also could be handy in an office instead of having 3-5 different tools in a drawer.
BonPacific
?I know I’m not the only person who’s used a crescent wrench as a hammer before. That said, it’s only ever because I didn’t have a hammer handy.
For a household toolkit, I can see this being fine. It’s certainly no worse than the average cheap crescent wrench. Maybe in a car glovebox?
Gotta love that “Demo” is becoming the tool-centric version of tacticool styling.
Dazrin
I have been calling adjustable wrenches “crescent hammers” for years since it is quite common for me to want to pound something while I am holding one instead of a hammer, now they finally made one! And it has a pry bar and nail puller. Bonus!
I am quite serious about the “crescent hammer” moniker too. That’s what my kids know them by.
mnoswad
look closer……….no way this would actually pull out any nails other than roofing nails…..maybe.
Drew M
We jokingly called them Crescent Hammers all the time when I was a nuclear mechanic in the Navy.
Will Dougherty
Hey, Nuke, DBF.
From Navy Engineman school, diesel sub service, too many years as a diesel mechanic – ya say “crescent hammer” to any mechanic & they knew whatcha meant.
I took head of a ball peen hammer, welded it to end of an 8” crescent wrench as a joke. Ended up using it fairly often.
This is one of the tools that gets into a vehicle and it’s successor, then next…
Can be very handy and that one time alone it’s worth the $18
Bremon
I’d buy this on sale. Handy in a pinch rather than having a pile of tools in a glovebox or desk as mentioned.
Mister Mike
Does it have a laser?
It’s no good for nothing if you can’t aim it.
Toolfreak
I think the reason it seems silly is because the styling and black color makes you think it’d be marketed as a “tactical” wrench or something along those lines.
Agree with the comments above though, I’ve used my larger adjustable wrenches as hammering tools plenty of times. The hammering face is right where it should be.
I probably won’t pick this up at $18 or even $14, but when Lowe’s has it for some super low price, I’ll probably bite, maybe even buy one to keep in the mobile toolbox and one to keep in the garage.
My only concern would be if the notches on the handle make it uncomfortable to grip in the bare hand, either when hammering or when pulling/pushing hard on a fastener. I get that they are there for grip, probably to keep it from launching out of your hand when taking a swing, but I would think the taper would keep that from happening.
Nathan
to be fair for the right price – I’d buy one. For DEMO just like it says.
you’re taking down some cabinets or some crap out of an old house – hey this is bolted in place – well crap now I have to walk out to get a socket or wrench set or . . .
and yes I too have been guilty of using a adjustable wrench as a hammer – specifically for putting lids on paint cans it seems.
John Blair
Glad they went with that color scheme. I had a camouflage Tactical, ultimate, mega demo wrench that I sent down once, haven’t been able to find it ever since.
Tony
Looks menacing. I’m surprised that there isn’t a protective cap included to put on the pry bar end of the tool. It seems like it would be easy to cut yourself accidentally by turning this tool around a nut.
fred
a modern update on this tool:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/262614255425?lpid=82&chn=ps&ul_noapp=true
Yadda
I have one of these. They are not particularly well made, but the gimmick factor is way up there!
JMG
Another item for the Zombie-Apocalypse tool bag.
Anthony
I could definitely see the benefit to a commercial pipe fitter, anyone working with 4 to 10 in flanged fittings. Or sprinkler lines with victaulic clamp style connections. Wrench tightens bolts, prybar helps align or lift or spread. Hammer will do all those things when rust is involved. I am a residential plumber and I’ll probably be buying one of those before the end of the week.
taras
I do commercial plumbing and this would never be used for any of the jobs mentioned above. In my line of work, I would only carry this in my pocket for when I needed a 2nd small wrench. Doesn’t have th leverage, weight, or ability to work in tight spaces that a fixed wrench, socket set, and club hammer have for this kind of work.
It’s the tactical/camo of the tool world.
Cr8ondt
Oh goodness Stu these have be out awhile, I think my pic adjustable pliers in the discussion have them in it, though off the the side and unrecognizable…..
mnoswad
Side note…
i’m actively trying to avoid buying black tools now. They get visually lost in all the visual clutter and information that my eyes have to scan through when working.
Black lined tools bags……..nope
black oxcide screw bits and drill bits……..fall out and get lost in the black tool bags
Black tool boxes……..see tool bags above,
Black tipped screw drivers…….again, takes an extra second to see the tip size style etc.
Tool makers……….stop making everything black………its an insipid and absurd “standard” .
yes…..I am available for product consulting.
mnoswad
I should note that the above unsolicited commentary applies to the inside of tool bags/boxes……..those new monochromatic black husky tool cabinets look cool. just need brighter liners inside.
BonPacific
I spray paint the heads of most of my hammers and axes for this reason. It’s a lot easier to see that axe you dropped in the grass if it’s bright red, rather than dark-grey and wood-tone.
Blythe M
Nothing a little fluorescent spray paint can’t fix. My boss has all his tools covered in pink paint, makes them easy to find, identify when there are other people working in the same area, and frankly it’s a theft deterrent-what “real man” wants pink tools
Phil
The multi-functionality would be great for lighting and stage hand work, but you would have to carry around a separate adjustable wrench for the many tight spaces you encounter.
Yadda
This is gimmicky, but it is the right kind of gimmicky. I will eventually own one.
ca
I can’t count the number of times that I’ve needed to pull a nail and turn a nut within 3 seconds of each other…
JamesOuzts
20 years ago I bought an adjustable wrench from Walmart branded as Popular Mechanics. It looked a little like this. Black. No nail puller but it did have the hammer face. Seams like it might even have been USA made but that doesn’t seam likely. I still have it in my truck tool bag. Its actually a really well made and well designed tool. It won’t replace a really good hammer but if you need to tap something in place its awesome. I have no idea who actually made it. I can’t even find a picture of anything that looks like it online anywhere. If I was to loose it tomorrow i would gladly pay $25 for another one. I will probably give one of these a chance. Especially if I can get one on sale.
Woodchuck
Wow. Is that the most useless pry bar/ nail puller combo ever, or what? Why have a nail notch if it isn’t deep enough to hold onto a nail? And the nail puller slot is a joke! “Let’s round off the end of the slot, so the nail won’t get wedged in there…genius!”
Tim
This is kind of cool.
Would be good for facilities maintanance where I’m actually constantly looking for one of these 3 tools.
Not an overly bad idea at all.
Goodnight johnboy
What a waste of time & money in the r&d dept. What kind of demo would you use this on? It looks nice, but other than that an adjustable wrench is the last tool i would ever think to grab while I’m demoing anything. Stanley should have held out on this one. It may serve a purpose with automotive work, but certainly not demolition.
fred
Not quite a scaffold wrench either – although it has some of the same functions covered:
http://aboloxtools.com/socket-tools/scaffold-ratchets/williams-bs-63b-scaffolding-ratchet-7-8-drive-with-pinned-7-8-6-point-socket/?gclid=CLWLldH7t88CFYNZhgodcRYGOQ
John
What about the other way around? Ie a cheater bar to loosen really tough nuts. With the straight edged handles hitting it with a hammer you won’t slip off it when striking. I know I’ve done it plenty of times but may be better to use this and hit it with a hammer and keep your precise expensive ones damage free.
JD
I see where it could come in handy. You could adjust the wrench part to grab onto nuts, fasteners, or parts of metal/trim, whatever and then whack it with a hammer to knock the stuff off/out.
firefly
The hammer make sense. Prying bar… not so much, it also make it more dangerous to use the tool.
Hang Fire
This reminds me of the scaffold wrench multi-tools. Well-executed, it could make a decent demolition tool… but it’s too short for decent leverage.
James R.
“It’s different. We don’t like it.”
Dropping the fashionable “Demo” moniker, it’s not a terrible entry level tool.
It has three general, basic tools in one handy little package.
Who cares what color it is? Who cares what Stanley decided to name it?
I could see a number of uses for this; it would be a fantastic tool to stash away “just in case.” I carry a Klein bag in my backpack that has a few small handy tools that I don’t use on a regular basis. Depending on weight, this could eliminate my small pry bar and my mini-crescent and would give me (more) functionality with the hammer face.
Leave it in a car, or a backpack, or a desk drawer and it’s perfect instead of getting three tools.
Alex
Had mine for a year and a half most awesome most useful tool ever!!!!
Nathan Bilbao
This is one of my favorite go to tools around the shop. 10/10 would recommend for hobbiests. It is also one of my favorite tools to gift for non-tool friends because it has quite a bit of functionality for such a small size.