Welcome back everyone today Today we're gonna find out is there a difference between a USA-made crescent wrench at $35 a Chinese-made crescent Wrench at $5 So, thanks for joining me I think this is going to be a very interesting test and something that I have wondered for a long time, so crescent wrench man talk about a staple in any man's toolbox I mean a must-have tool every time you break out a crescent wrench in a video. There's always Gonna Be someone maybe I don't know what we call them elitists that say you should never use a crescent wrench Anyone who says that doesn't know what they're talking about if yes of course It's better to use a box end Wrench or a wrench that fits the nut but the reality of it is is If you're down in the field or you're packing tools to remote Location or you have want to have something in your trucks it just does about everything and you don't want to pack 300 pounds of tools around a crescent wrench is actually a very interesting a really really a great choice, And a must have. One interesting fact that I just learned about these the first crescent wrench was invented in right around 1917 by the Crescent company of course it's still by most of you know But most of us is referred to that to this day even though it's a an adjustable wrench in the crescent was the brand name Of course the patent ran out years ago And there's a million different companies making them. Another interesting fact, remember Charles Lindbergh the first guy who flew across the Atlantic? In an airplane he took only a very few things with him because weight was so important he took gas, water, a sandwich, a pair of pliers and a crescent wrench, so Gives you an idea when he had to make hard choices on what tool to take that's what he took so we are going to test these to failure Using the I will break thee my ultimate Cheater bar that I have used to break a lot of tools is nothing more than a cut-off driveshaft from a Jeep Wrangler But man, it has made a very good cheater bar And it has broken a lot of tools so we'll see which one's going to be tougher and can we adjust Can we justify the cost difference? let's talk about that a little bit and come up and look at the fit and finish of these. I was absolutely staggered at the price difference between well this was actually really hard to find this is an S and K eight-inch USA-made crescent Wrench this was one of the only USA built crescent wrenches that I could find and it was expensive. I mean when you figure I guess Expensive that's all relative. We have all been accustomed to such values and Inexpensive or cheap prices on on these overseas tools that when we see an American-made tool sometimes in the sticker shock For me anyway is it's pretty tremendous, but so here we had it. I found it an 8 inch crescent Wrench on Amazon was $35 including shipping Versus you won't believe this The cheapest one I could find oversea produce its industrial though. This one is industrial. It was a three pack $4.97 it was so cheap that it had to be an add-on item I had to order something else to get it I couldn't believe it. How can you produce a tool where you get three of them a six and eight and a ten for $4.95? I mean I liked I try to buy American whenever possible but man oh man them they don't make it easy for us sometimes But we also know that's a whole another video in itself, so let's take a look at the fit and finish here So they're both 8 inch crescent wrenches if we open them to their extreme Lengths here, I would imagine they're going to be comparable it's going to be just over an inch and of course They're exactly the same we can see though that The S&K USA produced is, has, it's more robust. It's a little bit thicker It's definitely got a lot nicer coating on it rattle tests Do that they both rattle, but when we look close to these? We'll see that just a feel of it You know when you get a little grease and dirt in there, you're working outside so those little things are the difference between being able to open it with one hand and not I found some of these bind a Little bit, but it's still a functional wrench. You know it still works it's just the tolerances are not as nice the finishes are not as nice the robustness of the screw look at that I just notice that big heavy robust screw on this one kind a cheaper smaller screw on that This has an anti, what is this oxy? What do they call that black stuff kind of? Anti rust it just you know it does give you the fizz when you hold it I mean when I grab one of these the American made to have a couple of these like ooh That is a nice wrench that has a good feel to it. It just has that thing that's hard to put into words where these Not so much about $35, and I don't know when you $2? $1.75? Ah.. Goodness, I mean that is a that's a huge difference another thing We're gonna look for is how well did the surface make? Surfaces made up here when we closed it can we see sunshine or light between the jaws as they come together? And no, they actually I can't feel any visible Deviations there it's actually pretty good and of course let's see here same Tighten that up there nicely finished, side to side movement a little bit right there I don't know it's it's There's a huge gulf between the prices here and for a guy putting together a budget Toolkit is it wise to spend $35 on a crescent wrench when you can have when there's other things you need You're gonna have to side on that, but let's take it over to the vise and see I've got a couple tests set up That's gonna really push these probably to failure So the foundation of our test is ye olde snappy Tom vise mounted on a fully welded Steel Bench bolted to the timbers. This is a formidable Clamping system right here. I've yet to even the I will break that you can't even move this whole system Alright, so what I've got here is I've got a piece of probably half inch Flat bar here and the first thing that I want to do is to test these things kind of torsionally like this You know these tools are not designed to work this way, but all of us again you know anyone who says that they don't find themselves in these situations like this is a liar or a Fraud or an elitist us because you do what you have to do sometimes, you can't get a crescent wrench in there And I have on many accounts put it over a bolt like this and use that with a cheater bar to do what I had to do so let's see how much flex we get and kind of What happens we're not gonna push him to breaking strength, but we're gonna put some put the wood tool So we won't be using I will break the on there. We'll use this brother. I will bend thee and That's the nice thing about the whole of me and there, not only is it good for a pegboard? But it's good for a pry bar like this if you need to get something in a tight area So we're not gonna go too far, but let's put some serious pressure on it and see what do we have there? We have the handle flexing If I were to continue to push it could I break it It's definitely gonna break at the handle I can feel that I've got that a lot of deflection right in there But I don't think that anything's going right there the week's point I would imagine it's gonna twist off and break right right there a lot of flex really really springy now if we take the $35 s and K excellent k makes great tools. They're you know they're really kind of bridge the gap between Snap-On and The cheaper tools my granddad he was an economical guy being an okie living to the depression And they were always really popular with him He just found it to be a good mix of value in quality with a great warranty all right So on the s and k this is not a sponsored endorsement by the way these are all paid for by me Okay, so here we go. So we're gonna do the same thing put some pressure on it And we have it basically the same thing the jobs feel really good. I think if Just judging from experience if I were to push this it's going to break probably in the same spot, but very strong I don't think you have to worry about the jaws. I'd say both of those paths chucked up in the vice here We've got a nice 5 sided heavy very hard steel Snap-on punch now this will represent a bolt very well And this is the biggest complaint you get from guys about the crescent wrenches They round bolt off and yes, they do have a tendency to do that But a lot of that is because of user error not using the tool correctly Now a crescent wrench is designed to be used one way and that is this configuration Clockwise when you think about it when you when you come in you tighten it back and forth So you take all the play out of it, and you don't use the end of the jaws here You don't come out here to the tip that puts a lot of stress on it And you can already see it starting to flex and open up you come as deep as you can not always an option But whenever you can come deep as you can and you turn it this way by using the tool clockwise in this configuration You're putting the stresses on the back of the meteor part of the tool as I'm turning right here I'm pushing on the strongest part of the tool Versus here now if I go this way if I'm going counterclockwise what it's doing is it's putting a lot of the pressure and strain on the Smallest part of the tool which is down inside and the adjustable mechanism So come in the proper way to do is come in tighten It make sure you take the play out of it And then you see it as deep as you can and you're ready to go now We're ready for I will break thee all right So we'll put this on here and what we're gonna be looking for is how the tool reacts under all of this load? And I'm just gonna have to gauge it by by my think so and by my feel on Which one seems to want to hold the best before it slips off? Here we go now because we're using a hardened steel punch It's probably not going to mar It's going to be the wrench that's going to mar But I'm gonna start pulling on this and we can see I'm putting very moderate pressure not very heavy Will the wrench should be strong enough to? Hold as it goes over the ridge of that now. I'm putting quite a bit more pressure on it probably 60 pounds I already guess and it's breaking over All right, so did it break We didn't do it any good. Oh, oh Let's take a closer. Look here our test may be coming to a rapid conclusion right here, okay? So a good wrench should be able to handle that without completely failing But that something didn't it's not working anymore something skipped or broke inside Sometimes I've ran at this before you can take a brass hammer you can Give it a little bit A little bit of jarring get things lined up again and get it to get it to go again same thing will come in Tighten take the play out of it right there Definitely a certainly a superior tool will it survive? The test here doesn't hold tighter. I'm gonna have to just kind of go off feel their butt so start to pull here Definitely getting harder It's certainly hope it's yet. I'm pulling harder than I did with the other one. It's holding the Edge better actually it's really hard Really pulling hard now probably over well over a hundred pounds oh Goodness something get it. Oh something gave What gauge does something break? Well still working well we need to go the whole way there. I thought that something broke inside It didn't sound good though. Did it we need to go the whole way like we did with the with the Chinese Wrench All right, let's try that one more time Lot of pressure on that oh Goodness look at that did that turn it in the vise Surely not did that turn I? Had that thing down as tight as I could get it Wow, that's been pretty impressive. I was not expecting that I'll have to go back and look at that footage, but I think it twisted it inside of the vise That's one of the first tools. I will break thee wasn't able to break okay, so I think we exerted I exerted a lot more force on it than I did with the Chinese one and feeling here a whole lot Less I can feel a little bit of a little bit of Maybe some it's not not really that's actually it was a much better steel than than the other one, I don't feel it's not really dented or Deformed actually I think it's it isn't deformed at all. I think you just feel the little tool marks in there, but that's impressive That's a very very tough wrench. We've got to see this through it. We you will test these two failure We got to test them to failure I hate to tear up good tools, but we'll find out for future generations here so with a little bit of smashing and and manipulating I have got the Chinese wrench to work again, so Let's test these two failure and to see what breaks. What gives first I think I'll put some safety glasses on for this one okay, so we have a big piece of I'm just that half-inch steel bar on there. That's not going anywhere. Well really cinch it up here We'll put the I will break the on there and we'll find out what indeed will break starting with the Chinese industrial strength Okay, here. We go. Oh It's a lot of pressure. I have to put my safety glasses on for this one. Oh something Gave I Didn't wasn't pushing that hard on it. Actually. I don't know if we're gonna come back. Oh, oh pieces are falling out that's That's not good. What gave still working though now. Let's do it again it's uh oh Yeah, it's something definitely not as oh, it's not tightening. Oh It's had it It's had it There's no There's no more Using this wrench won't tighten so a gear broke off inside Something on here. I saw a piece fall off on the floor No, man, okay? Oh This is this is this is just unnatural here to break a nice tool like this, but we'll find out so I wasn't pushing on that super hard make sure we're tight with I will break thee but We'll see how much harder. I have to push on this one. All right here. We go. What's gonna happen. It's gonna break If I can't break okay, this is pull as hard as I can One off a little bit I'm putting a tremendous amount of force on this. I'm gonna have to come out here a little bit there. Oh There goes something gave that was all that. I had that was all she wrote for yep the I will break thee He broke and there we go. That's what happened Just broke clean right there at the jaw, but it was all that. I had I mean really was Everything that I had flexing it on the end of that bar to get that to break it was It was really it was a lot stronger no no question about that man. That's sad Sad, so what did we learn in this test well we learned that the American made s k ranch is far superior than then the Chinese made ranch But we you know we come down to the age-old question that the debate that goes back and forth Is it better to buy several cheap tools than it is to buy one quality tool and that argument? Rages on and will always rage on for years. I can just tell you what my experience is There's several reasons to buy a quality tool, and that is ultimately in the long run I know it's hard to figure to justify it but in the long run. It's going to save you money not I'm not talking about all of the how it's gonna make your work easier and and and how much more you're gonna enjoy it But we'll talk about that, too but it's Gonna save you money because what you'll end up doing is you don't cherish these tools when you become buy three of them for four dollars and 97 cents on Amazon they are nothing to you They don't mean anything to you and what tends to happen for most guys is that you you don't look after them You you you've got them laying here you got them laying there and you buy and buy and buy and before you know it when Your children are gathering up all of your things and selling them in an estate sale. You've got 42 8-inch crescent wrenches and that's just what happens you you and you ultimately end up paying more in the long run when you pay the reason why houses that are Owned are treated better and look better and better looked after be is because they they are precious to the to the home Versus someone who's renting we all know that same thing comes into effect when we talk about these tools when you pay $35 $30 for an 8-inch usa-Made crescent Wrench You're going to cherish it you're going to look after it and and you're probably if you're somewhat responsible You're going to have it your entire life And you're never going to have to buy another one Comes with a good warranty, you know all of that being said that in itself you know it That's how it justifies the same way with boots That's why I'm a big proponent of buying custom-made boots if you're not in your bed. You're in your boots so you need to spend your money on two things you're better your boots and So over the period of time if you got a boot that can last 20 years 15 years because it can be rebuilt It's ultimately cheaper than buying cheap Walmart boots and that just tear up your feet and hurt your back and break down you know So it's about pay me now or pay me later in all of that There's also just a psychological just the enjoyment that comes from a quality tool when I grab a snap-on wrench when I grab a snap-on Screwdriver Impact driver there is a feeling that comes. It's hard to justify or heart It's hard to explain, but it just I like it. It makes it makes me feel good I know I've got a quality tool in my hand, and it's enjoyable And you know life is miserable in many Aspects, and there's a lot we all have a lot of trouble and heartache and wherever we can find Joy and Even if it's in simple things like tools or things that make us happy there are proud of that We enjoy and we look after you know that to me That has a value to that shouldn't be discounted and the final thing is that is Letting you down in the wrong time Let you know many examples. I could give of where quality tools made the difference It saved the day you may be up underneath of a of a car And you've got one chance to get that bolt off the bell housing and it's in the tied tight to get tight to get hard to get area and Because you have a good wrench It was able to fit on there and hold on there, and it broke loose, and you got it out. It didn't strip it out Versus maybe you have a cheap wrench where you're under there in the same situation And it was just not quite good enough, and it rounded and stripped the bolt off now You've got to pull who knows what you have to do because you that was your one chance and you lost it What if you're in a remote location and you break down elk hunting or fishing or deer hunting? And there's no one around camping and that wrench that crummy wrench that you bought You needed it it had to it had to work it had to function It let you down, and you and it failed and it was it turned into be a big big issue So there's many reasons and and it's you know. There's many varying levels of tools So you know I can't tell you you know this is the one to get or this is the one not to get it's just You have to kind of think about when you're making those purchases What do I need and what do I have to spend and and and to me? It's easy for me to say you know because I have a good set of tools and and I'm in a position in my life now or where I I have financially I'm able to buy the things that I want need but it wasn't always that case and there was Many many a time when I was younger Going into a tool tool store what I had to pain and make that painful decision I've got the good one in my hand, and I've got the the budget one in my hand and I It's tough it's tough I don't have the answer for you But just some things to think about but that was kind of a fun test and I Really impressed with it with the S&K that was a great great wrench one that I would really really trust so I'll put the links of these tools in the description and tell me what tools you'd like to see tested next we'll test it would contestant things to failure and Maybe you know the good versus the bad But let me know in the comments what you'd like to see and I can get those coming But I kind of enjoy this to kind of see what's what so thanks for watching and we'll see you guys on the next video
I followed wranglerstar for a couple weeks because sometimes he talks about things I'm interested in. Had to stop, he's such a weird dude.
He's charismatic, and he talks like your wise grandpa, but everything he says is so superficial. At the end of the day, his channel is just about fetishizing possessions and rampant consumption.
This doesn't represent the majority of tools either. I'm increadibly rough on tools. It's the nature of my work. I buy Snap On because of their replacement policy. Yes they are also quality, but everything wears over time. I will pay $75 for a socket that gets destroyed every other year, but I only need to buy it once. How often are you going to realistically put enough stress on a crescent wrench like that? If you break tools, you are probably using the wrong tool for the job, or using it incorrectly.
You cherish and take better care of expensive tools is one of the silliest points.
If a BIFL item lasts longer than a cheaper one because you take care of it better, you are the problem, not the item.
I'm with pretty much everyone here, he's arrogant, condescending, and generally rude as hell if he doesn't agree with someone else's opinion. His older videos are very good and informative but ever since he's become a "Youtuber" and started the click-bait title crap I don't feel he's worth my valuable time.
Because you’ve had to repair it with a wrench many times?
r/watchitforthecat
I will be honest. I like Cody, and I have learned a lot from his channel. I don't begrudge him his commercial success. He worked hard and built a brand. He is an influencer for real. When Yanmar handed him the keys to that tractor, they knew what they were doing. When he got the whole DeWalt setup, same thing.
This is the new celebrity endorsement. You find an influential YouTuber who is in your lane, with a sturdy viewership and go that direction.
Fuck, anyone remember The New Yankee Workshop with Norm Abrams? There is an old website dedicated to keeping track of what tools he was fucking with. http://www.normstools.com/normstools.shtml You think that Delta wasn't cutting the check? Fuck, Makita probably kept food on his table for a while.
Seriously, product promotion and placement is what keeps this kind of content available. Nothing is free. I am so tired of hearing people complain about a content creator making a living.