Tools with tighter tolerances?

[benb]

I would tend to blame the bolts.

None of my tools show any wear. But I see bolts on maintenance items wear noticeably despite using a torque wrench to ensure that bolts aren’t getting stressed.

Realistically I think some of this is maintenance procedures not dictating fastener replacement like you see on motor vehicles. For a lot of similar items like caliper mounting bolts motor vehicles have aggressive replacement requirements.

On the flip side we don’t have to worry about those god awful plastic pop rivets the car manufacturers are so in love with.

[kylar]

I once heard that PB Swiss makes Silca wrenches. You dont get the cool box, but you do get all sorts of cool colors to choose from! Forged and plated, with individual serial numbers, they really are nice. Though they do not have sharp corners. Which I would argue, are not really needed.

[.RJ]

PB Swiss, Bondhus and Wera are all very good across just about every tool category.

[windsurfer]

Originally Posted by .RJ

PB Swiss, Bondhus and Wera are all very good across just about every tool category.

I'm definitely not a fan of wera ratchets or sockets. Love the kraftform screwdrivers and hex plus though. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses.

[FriarQuade]

Few things here from someone that lives pretty deep in this world.

Stainless isn't an ideal fastener material. It's just a softer material and isn't ideal for bolts, especially ones with minimal engagement like a button head socket head cap screw (SHCS). It's not uncommon to see the bolt heads deform with use, even with good tools. But hey they don't rust as easily.

Someone said they would blame the bolt and that's indeed 95% the problem. There's ISO specs for fastener sizes but when it comes to SHCS they are rarely held and are almost always over sized. This makes it a challenge for the tool manufacture, do they stick to the ISO spec for their mating tool or do they go outside that to right the wrong done by the bolt companies? Two wrongs don't make a right so they stick to ISO sizing.

What can you do about it? Well Wera's Hex Plus is a good option, though these can slightly deform the hex in the bolt. There's also Bondhus "Gold Gaurd" which run a little over ISO spec due to the thicker coating. This can sometimes be an issue but for fasteners that are poorly sized, it's great. They're also very reasonably priced and USA made. The other thing is to make sure your tools are in good shape. If the corners are showing wear, replace them or cut them down. Hex and torx tools are best thought of as semi-consumable. Sure the bougie ones last a long time but they're not going to last forever like a box end wrench will. Mostly due to the poor SHCS tolerances we see these days.

[coffeecherrypie]

I was listening to I think the Escape Collective podcast and they were singing the praises of hex wrenches marketed to the RC car world. I forget the brand name.

[72gmc]

Thank you Friar for the detailed answer and the use of “bougie.”

Related question: is it worthwhile to upgrade to ti bolts? Or should one just go with new not-stainless steel bolts every few years?

[AJosiahK]

bolts are certainly the weak point in the scenerio in my experience; there are tools out there that have a rounded end, so much that it renders them useless in some applications

i picked up a set of metric/standard/torq keys from amazon (Lichamp i think) to have as spare (back up for the bondhus and pedros) and found that the end which was supposed to be square(ish) had enough of its edges rounded that it made them useless in several of the bolts I tried that were laying around. Ie the more short/shallow ones specifically. I regret that (more affordable) purchase 100%

Ordered myself a set of those aformentioned Hera and done

[FriarQuade]

Originally Posted by 72gmc

Thank you Friar for the detailed answer and the use of “bougie.”

Related question: is it worthwhile to upgrade to ti bolts? Or should one just go with new not-stainless steel bolts every few years?

If you need the corrosion resistance then Ti is a better choice than stainless from a durability standpoint. You can also just get a plated bolt and get a pretty good at a fair price.

And MIP is the RC hex tool of lust. There are many other options though. Downside of this category of tools is they top out at 3mm.

[Buzz Killington]

I’ve mentioned this guy’s videos:

https://youtu.be/oTBiPjCeVwI?si=NClO-wkc0d_LWasH

[coreydoesntknow]

Wera hex plus are the only ones I will grab when going after the Shimano road lever bleed port screw....

[AngryScientist]

The Wera hex plus is really the best I have used, and they are so affordable for the quality, no reason not to own a set IMO.

[Josh_W]

Another vote for Wera. I have a long ball-end set for the bench and a stubby set for the travel bag.

[Likes2ridefar]

Wera hex plus short are my on bike/travel hex wrenches in the needed size. At home I use pb Swiss rainbow long. The colors for both brands are useful once memorized and on the pb swiss the color goes to near the tip helping confirm proper insertion to avoid rounding of bolts.

Neither work better in practice than the Pedro’s I had for many years before them, which cost far less.

[metalheart]

I use both the Pedro's and the Bondhus hex sets, but I'm looking for a T handled set. The Wera Hex Plus and the Whip are options. Anyone have either of these?