25 Different Types of Wrenches and Their Uses

Wrenches are the tools that are significant for small issues to big ones which we fail to realize it.

types of wrenches and their uses

One may grab any wrench which is available in the market widely and at low prices for your project.

Wrenches are classified in males and females. Male wrenches are much similar to the head of a screwdriver, used for inserting purpose.

While female wrenches come with a socket that fits over the object which you will be turning.

However, both serve the same goal, which is too tight or lose the nuts, screws, bolts, and mechanical caps.

Top 25 Different Types of Wrenches and Their Uses

There are a variety of wrench sets available both in the physical and online markets. These are specially designed to suit specific tasks like plumbing, repairing, or fixing at homes or garages.

Let’s have a look at the different types for better understanding:

1. Alligator Wrench

It is referred to as the big daddy of wrenches due to its gripped nuts. The top part of the jaw is jagged while the bottom handle is smooth to ensure a firm grip.

Thus, the handle is more or less similar to pointy fang than the modern pipe wrench. Nonetheless, these are designed to fix square-shaped heads.

However, now it has become infrequent to observe them outside the movies, which signifies that it has become conventional and replaced by many updated wrenches.

Usage

This wrench is correctly used to turn iron, rods, and steel pipes, which cannot be turned with a standard wrench. It is often used by a pipefitter in fitting and removing the air and water piping.

2. Basin Wrench

This bizarre wrench has a long T-shaped handle, which ends in a curve jagged jaw. It is also known as a faucet wrench.

The primary function that it performs is the tighten or loosen the fixtures under toilets and sinks.

It is an essential tool that all professional plumber owns it, or any homeowner uses it for the DIY plumbing at home.

Usage

This tool is used to install and remove a faucet. As the bathroom and kitchen sinks are fixed with low-quality mounting nuts, which are placed on the underside of the sink.

Thus, in such cases, basin wrenches are the most useful tools as standard wrenches are useless.

3. Cone Wrench

This wrench is wide open with flat wrenches that are used on the cone portion of the cone hub or a cup.

They are similar to standard double-ended open-ended wrenches, except that cone wrenches tend to be much thinner.

Usage

They are often used for adjusting the leveling feet of washing machines or bicycles. This will save the time and labor of the user.

Due to their thinness, cone wrenches must be manufactured from high-quality steel to withstand the usual task. While cheap quality wrenches will bend.

4. Dog Bone Wrench

This wrench set may sound funny, but this tool is named after its bone-shaped appearance.

It is also referred to as a dumb-bell wrench. It has two box-shaped ends with a different socket size.

Moreover, for flexibility, some dog wrenches come with swivel heads.

Usage

This wrench is widely used for bike maintenance. However, its ability to fit in small spaces has made them a useful tool.

The unique usage of this is that you don’t have to worry about the nut size as its two different socket sizes give you the leverage on flexibility.

5. Drum Key Wrench

It is a different type of wrench with a square-holed socket. The drum key has a T-shape with a smooth handle.

Usage

This wrench set assists you to loosen or tighten the tension rods of a drum. This results in applying less tension to the counter hoop to loosen or tighten the drum head.

While drum keys manufactured with long handles allow the user to apply higher torque compared to shorter handles.

6. Fan Clutch Wrench

This type of wrench looks like flat spanners with a U-shaped jaw at one end. Some of the wrenches also have a squared opening at another end to allow them a firm clutch holding.

Usage

It is handy whenever the user requires to remove the cooling fan or clutch from the front of an engine. Thus, they are exclusively designed for removing fan clutches from cars.

It is also intended for the purpose to adjust with the size of nuts, which holds the pulley tightly to the water pump, while at the same time remove the fan clutch with another wrench.

7. Flare Nut Wrench

This wrench set is also referred to as line wrench. It has a wide opening jaw to fit around a tube or nut to have a firm grip. These are efficient on metals that are not hard enough.

Usage

They are designed in a manner to connect the corners of the fastener. Many of the flare nut wrenches are designed for tubing.

8. Garbage Disposal Wrench

This wrench set is designed explicitly for clogged garbage disposals. Many models are aligned with large Allen wrench to dislodge clogs. Thus, there are two types of wrench sets used for this.

Usage

The second type of wrench is with a squat and U-shaped head, which is used for handling and holding the large nuts. It is also used to dislodge clogs.

The swivel head is inserted through the drain hole until it hits the bottom of the disposal.

9. Monkey Wrench

This is the wrench set is also known as an adjustable wrench, with the jaws opened at 90 degrees to hold the nuts. It is quite similar to pipe wrench when you see at first glance but has parallel jaws.

Uses

The purpose of this wrench set is for home repair, to tighten or loosen the nuts and bolts and for repairing cars. Also, they are great to fix things with engines in it, such as lawnmowers, motorcycles, and tractors.

10. Pedal Wrench

This wrench set has rounded tips with usually one or two U-shaped jaws. As the name itself implies, this wrench type is ideal for repairing pedals and is often used by the bicycle repair shops.

Usage

It helps the repairer to turn the pedal wrench counter-clockwise when removing the pedal from the bicycle.

11. Pliers Wrench

The name might not sound familiar to you; however, this flat-edged haw wrench is something unique in the market. These jaws at an angle are connected to the handle, which is attached by a bolt.

Usage

Some use the pliers’ wrench for adjusting and rotating the pliers to another position or clamping down when turning it. While others use it to bend and twist the nuts and bolts.

12. Lug Wrench

This wrench type is “L” shaped, which comes with a single socket opening at one end or a sizeable X-shaped design, which is also called a spider wrench.

Usage

The purpose of this wrench is to loosen or tighten the lug nuts on the cars. Thus, the longer the lug wrench would be, the more pressure can be produced when you will apply the force.

13. Oil Filter Wrench

This wrench type is used in the automotive industry. It has four various styles, which are designed for different brands of cars.

Metal strap and chain strap tend to use a loop to wrap around the filter case while performing claw wrench functions.

Usage

It assists in removing the spin-on type oil filters. These filters are cylindrical canisters and smooth, which makes the bottom of the chain complicated to have to maintain a grip, especially when they are drenched in oil.

14. Torque Wrench

This type of wrench is designed to deliver a specific quantity of torque without putting a lot of pressure. Different models are available such as digital, manual and many more.

Usage

Nonetheless, its generally used for automotive work like tightening and loosening of wheel lug nuts.

It can also be used for repairing farming equipment, bicycles, or any other situations where tightening nuts and bolts are specified to torque specification.

15. Bung Wrench

This wrench set is available in variations. It is also known as drum bung wrench, which in appearance is like a socket-style wrench.

It is specially designed to eliminate the metal or plastic bung on barrels and drums. Moreover, unique sparkles versions are also available in the market.

Usage

The purpose of this wrench is to open the drum bungs.

16. Fire-Hydrant Wrench

The large box-ended wrench at one end has a pentagon shape, which is exclusively designed for the sole purpose of fire hydrants.

Usage

It is a tool used to eliminate or remove fire hydrant caps to open the valve. This type of wrench is generally adjustable so it can fit and hold different types of hydrant nuts and bolts.

17. Adjustable Wrench

This wrench set is also called crescent wrench due to its jaw size. These types of wrenches are commonly available in the market, both physical and online.

The one end of the wrench has a spiral screw which is opens or closes the crescent-like jaw.

Usage

It can be used to loosen or tighten nuts and bolts due to its adjustable size crescent jaw.

18. Crowfoot Wrench

This unique wrench set has open-ended wrenches with no handle. However, the single head performs the function by holding a ratchet handle with a socket extension, which allows it to fit into compact spaces.

Usage

They significantly work for gripping and handling the nuts and bolts, which are placed more in-depth in a machine’s body.

Thus, this helps to remove such nuts and bolts without disturbing the nearby parts from its place.

19. Impact Wrench

This wrench set resembles a cordless drill that comes with a rechargeable battery. It can apply high torque to remove stubborn and stiff nuts and bolts.

Usage

This power tool is used for tightening and loosening the large bolts by providing high torque with a power driver tool.

20. Socket Wrench

This wrench set is a type of tool which is also known as spanner. This inserts into a socket to turn the nuts and bolts much faster within less time.

Usage

It is used for ratcheting to allow the user to loosen or tighten the nuts and bolts without even using the wrench fastener.

21. Hammer Wrench

This wrench type is also called striking wrench, which is thick and short in length. The open end blocks the end, which is generally used for hitting with a hammer to generate a high amount of force.

Usage

It is used to release rusted or stuck nuts and bolts through its high force.

22. Spanner Wrench

This spanner wrench shouldn’t be confused with the British term “spanner.” These wrenches are specialized tools that have a curve end that resembles C-shape or a hook.

Usage

The pins allow it to be used for a variety of things like retainer rings and spanner head screws.

23. Spoke Wrench

These are unique wrenches that are designed in small sizes to maintain the spokes on wire wheels.

One end of the slot fits around the talk, while the other purpose fits around the nipple nut. Due to the small size and shape, it can be rotated at 360 degrees without removing the tool itself.

Usage

It can be used by bike repairers to repair the bikes.

24. Spud Wrench

This wrench set is open-ended from one side with a spike on the contrary end to make holes on pipes.

Usage

This type of tool is generally used by the plumbers or by ironworkers to line up the holes in the pipe when installing and fitting it. Moreover, it can be used in automotive work as well.

25. Stubby Wrench

This wrench set is also known for its compact body. It is a shorter version amongst the variety of the wrenches, which allows it to fit in more compact spaces.

Usage

It is used to tighten or loosen the nuts and bolts in compact spaces. 

Conclusion

Wrenches are handy tools for professional plumbers as well as homeowners who love to do DIY projects.

We hope we have helped you enough to get familiar with the family of wrench sets. You must review our research to get the best ones for yourself.

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1 Comment

  1. says: Zachary Tomlinson

    Thanks for this extensive guide about wrenches and how they work! I’ve been watching a lot of construction videos with my brother lately and I got interested in how there are a lot of wrenches for different types of situations. I find it interesting to learn that torque wrenches can deliver a specific quantity of torque needed for the item. I find it very useful as well.

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