Cruising through tools on Amazon, I found this. Anyone used it? Any thoughts?

Locking Adjustable Wrench

I used one many years ago. The nice feature isn't that it locks, but that the lever presses the worm gear in tightening the fit slightly. This ensures a super fit, and prevents rounding at high torque. Think of it as the love child of a vise-grip, and an adjustable wrench.

It's great for breaking tight nuts loose.

Interesting. I always consider adjustable wrenches as knuckle busters and nut rounders........

Yeah, it also lets you take it off the bolt/nut easily after you use it. With most adjustable wrenches if you get the movable jaw tight against the bolt so it won't slip, it's difficult to turn the worm to get it loose again.

modern version is the knipex pliers wrench. i love mine https://www.knipex.com/index.php?id=1...8&groupID=1500

Vice-Grip makes a similar pair of slotted pliers. I keep a #8 in my CB.

You can't type the -#- symbol here anymore. It's now a hashtag. So now you have to type No8 or if talking about weight type lbs.

lol

IMO not funny. Does anybody know any useful way to use the hash feature on BF?

Or is this just a stupid trade of a useful symbol for a feature without benefits? (which may be appropriate, given that this is a bicycle forum)

lol, you're the computer expert!

Whut? I can't get it not to work. #, that is.

the groove lock pliers from irwin vise grip are more similar to the knipex cobra pliers. these are different. the knipex pliers wrench is a high leverage parallel jaw plier. the jaw rides in a track and always stays parallel with the other. i have not seen another product that matches it. channellock makes smooth jaw pliers but they are not always parallel or high leverage. a german company NWS makes smooth jaw pliers with one pivoting jaw, close but not high leverage.

They work for their intended applications. I've thrown plenty of leverage at the 12" model with no slippage.

I see no point in this design at all to a basic adjustable wrench. Pass.........

Pff, this thing is a boon. A standard adjustable wrench is pretty handy if you have the right technique, but every once in a while you need to put more torque through one than they like to handle.

My dad sent me one of these a couple of months ago, and within a few weeks it totally justified its existence, allowing me to remove an incredibly tight spindle from a 600 pedal when otherwise I'd have been completely stuck - the flats I had to grip were only a couple of mm wide and I can't imagine any other tool not mashing the crap out of them.

And the security of the locking fit means you can leave your open end/ring spanners to gather dust until you can't access the fastener with one of these.

Also really handy for using as a handle with cassette lockring or BB tools and such; clip the clamp and they're one.

I'd like to give that Knipex thing a try too; that looks like a tool I've wanted to exist for a long time.

Now that could be a damn handy third hand type tool but for turning nuts and bolts a box end or socket is way better.

I carry and have used a 6" Crescent in my "bike shop" trunk pack. But for bikes which are rather expensive , it is better to use standard sockets at home. The wrench in question is a little over kill and might offend the "weight weenies" that might carry a Crescent wrench.

Having used both this tool and the knipex tool mentioned, the knipex is by far more useful, particularly for lightweight fasteners of strange sizes eg trek abp and suspension pivot nuts, and headset locknuts. It also removes the top half of lefty Speed dampers from the bottom half without damaging the aluminium. I would recommend it for any shop application as a versatile and useful tool.

- joel

Looks interesting; I'm surprised actually that this didn't happen before vise-grips.

I recently discovered "robogrip" wrenches, bought a used one on ebay. They don't lock in place but they have an uncanny ability to align their jaws to the workpiece, and allow you to apply a strong grip. Other tool-zealots online say they are crap and can't apply any significant torque, but I find them useful, as they can grip any shape -- a damn sight better grip than just my fingers!

yup the pliers wrench works great for soft fasteners/nuts. headset lock nuts. suspension hardware. fork top caps. it really is an awesome tool and worth the 40-50 dollars if you work on bicycles a lot or love tools

#

...........#getoffmylawn

#8 test

#8

#8

Bingo we have a winner!