# What's your favorit type of allen/hex wrench and why?



## nemesis256 (Aug 16, 2014)

I've been using a plain old set, and been thinking of getting a 3 way set like this:
https://www.parktool.com/product/3-way-hex-wrench-aws-1

But recently I've been adjusting my saddle, and even with a regular set, the screw is at such an angle that the wrench interferes with the seat post so I can only do half a turn at a time. This 3 way type would make that problem even worse.

So now I'm looking at a stubby set like this:
https://www.parktool.com/product/stubby-hex-wrench-set-hxs-3

The shorter L would allow to hopefully adjust my saddle and other tight spots without removing the wrench. There's also the type that has a big handle in the middle, but they look a little bulky.

So what's your favorite and why?


----------



## WHALENARD (Feb 21, 2010)

I like the y wrenches quite a bit.
For saddle adjustment I prefer a 1/4" ratchet, extension, and hex socket bit. I rarely use standard L allen keys.


----------



## customfab (Jun 8, 2008)

If you have an old worn out hex key in that size, just cut it down to fit. I keep a few of these in my travel tool box for various applications with bolts in silly places.


----------



## edubfromktown (Sep 7, 2010)

Snap-On Tools semi-short L-shaped hex and torx sets.

FixItSticks in my saddle bag.


----------



## noapathy (Jun 24, 2008)

I use "regular ole" L-shaped since it's not hard to snug up a bolt with the long end and finish it with the short. Half the time it's a torque wrench/key these days anyway. If I had to buy new ones, probably Bondhus for the cost to value.

Out on the trail still haven't found a reason to switch from my Crank Bros M19.

No point overthinking.


----------



## reptilezs (Aug 20, 2007)

wera and bondhus L style for me. for stubby i cut down old ones. snap on hex bits for ratchets


----------



## nemesis256 (Aug 16, 2014)

reptilezs said:


> wera and bondhus L style for me. for stubby i cut down old ones. snap on hex bits for ratchets


Second time some says to cut old ones. How do you cut them?


----------



## UEDan (Apr 11, 2010)

Harbor Freight socket set
+
Harbor Freight socket wrench


----------



## Aglo (Dec 16, 2014)

+1 on socket wrench+5cm extension+Allen bit

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk


----------



## reptilezs (Aug 20, 2007)

nemesis256 said:


> Second time some says to cut old ones. How do you cut them?


 i do it with a dremel cut off because it's weak and won't overheat the tool. i go slow and spray with water to cool it


----------



## sturge (Feb 22, 2009)

I have every option...('L' allens, socket/ratchet allens, '3-way' allens, 'T' allens, multi-tool allens, etc). I wrench everything (bikes, motorcycles, cars, etc) so it's nice to have options.

Park tools are nice but expensive for 'standard' tools like allens. I bought this SAE/Metric 'T' set from Harbor Freight recently...tough to beat!
https://www.harborfreight.com/18-pc-sae-metric-t-handle-ball-end-hex-key-set-63167.html


----------



## E. Bryant (Jan 25, 2018)

Wera L-wrenches and Allen T-handle wrenches are what sit on my bench at the present.


----------



## Varaxis (Mar 16, 2010)

I go with Bondhus for standard L ball ended hex wrenches. Just a great value.

I have a set of 3/8" drive sockets with long reach metric ball hex bits that I use sparingly.


----------



## squeakymcgillicuddy (Jan 28, 2016)

I got a 4, 5 and 6 that came free with something I've forgotten by now...the short arm of the L ends immediately after the bend, which makes them really handy for harder to reach places where a standard, Y, or T would be a pain.


----------



## RS VR6 (Mar 29, 2007)

Kobalt set from Lowes. They have a ball on the ends and come with a plastic handle that turns them into a T handle.


----------



## GRPABT1 (Oct 22, 2015)

My favourite is a tiny little ratchet I bought off eBay for $12 with removable bits. It's so small that it gets in everywhere and makes stripping threads unlikely when used with care.


----------



## Schulze (Feb 21, 2007)

I like the 3-4-5 triangle ones.


----------



## J.B. Weld (Aug 13, 2012)

My favorite are the lowly folding hex sets like Park AWS-10. For one thing I always have all the sizes handy and also I like that they can seamlessly go from a screwdriver to an L configuration.


----------



## frdfandc (Sep 5, 2007)

P-handled allen and a 3 way allen. My 2 favorites.


----------



## customfab (Jun 8, 2008)

reptilezs said:


> i do it with a dremel cut off because it's weak and won't overheat the tool. i go slow and spray with water to cool it


A good sharp hacksaw blade will do the trick as well. They're hard, but not that hard.


----------



## Brad Pitted (Oct 7, 2018)

Surprised nobody has mentioned the bondhus hexpro. Picked up the 5 piece set on eBay and like them more every time I use one. I only wish the set went down to 3mm and a t 25 would be nice too.


----------



## Kolchak (May 15, 2017)

you could cut the short length off completely on a cheap one with a ball end and put the long end into a socket and use a ratchet to tighten your seat bolt


----------



## Lone Rager (Dec 13, 2013)

Some Allen head screws (e.g. bottle cage) have shallow sockets that won't engage an off axis ball end wrench sufficiently enough to turn. I grind off some of the ball so I can more easily turn in those screws. 

For cleat screws and similar with shallow heads, I grind off any chamfer on the end of the wrench so as to maximize engagement.


----------



## Matty F (Sep 25, 2011)

Foreword: I've been a pro mechanic for a long time, both in shops and as a race wrench, so I have many sets of hex wrenches that I use for various purposes. Maybe someone can have a single "favourite" set, but I really don't think even home mechanics can really have a fighting chance of getting everything done with just one set. Professional mechanical should have at least a few. These are my favourites of the ones I use regularly.


Beta 951 Sliding T-Handles: These are the ones I reach for first, and if I had to pick a single favourite set, this would be it. By far the most versatile and appreciable in their design and construction. I have them in 2mm through 8mm, and a Torx 25. If you like the sliding t-handle design, but don't want to fork over this kind of cash, Pedro's makes a pretty nice looking set, as well.

Wera 950 Hex-Plus Multicolour L-Key Set: I don't like to use ball ends very much, but sometimes they're a major asset, and at least one set of L-keys is essential for getting into tighter spots. The "Hex-Plus" function on these I though might be a bit of a gimmick at first, but it turns out to work very well. I mostly like that these have round shanks which makes them very stiff for good torque transfer. The colour coding is kind of nice, too.

Park AWS-1 3-Way Hex, 4/5/6: I use these pretty much exclusively for doing full nut/bolt checks on bikes. It's just faster to switch between the three main sizes on this tool than any other. I'm not really married to Park ones, although the glass fiber PA6 handle tends to grip nicely when my hands are oily, and they've been solid on the whole. I might try Unior next.

Bondhus Short L-Keys: These are just nice to have as another option to get in tight spaces where there isn't much clearance, especially since they don't have a ball end. Plus they're cheap. Cheap enough I don't mind cutting one down for a job if I need to. Wera makes a similar set with their Hex-Plus feature which I'll probably try next. Also under $10.

Park AWS-10 Folding Set, 1.5-6: I tend to have a few sets of these in various tool boxes/bags. It pretty much crams more tools into a smaller package than anything else. Handy if I don't know what size I need to grab, especially in the field. Good to lend to a pal when they doesn't know what size they need. I like the construction of them with dividers between each size along the arbors. It's a re-branded Bondhus tool, but these are just easier for me to get since every bike shop I've worked at keeps them in stock.

Wiha 1/4" Insert Bits, 2-6mm: I always keep these handy for use in either my cordless drill, cordless impact driver, or William WRST-4 ratcheting screwdriver. Makes much shorter work of running down long screws, especially if they have a stiff thread compound on them. Again, Wera makes a Hex-Plus version of these that I'll probably pick up next. I really like that Hex-Plus!

1/2" Impact Rated 8mm Bit Socket: I use an impact gun quite a bit, mostly for bottom brackets. But this bit makes removal/installation of crank bolts much faster. It has cracked a few seized bolts I couldn't get by hand, and some seized pedals, as well. I also use a Shimano square-taper crank extractor with an 8mm drive, so this will actuate the crank extractor. The impact with this bit, the right crank extractor and an impact rated BB socket makes square taper BB replacements go by really quick.


----------



## One Pivot (Nov 20, 2009)

I have the park 2, 2.5, 3mm Y wrench. I hate it. Its a piece piece of crap tool. Its hard/cheap plastic and it flexes significantly. They do this so it flexes instead of snaps, but Its only a concern because the hex sections are irrationally long.

I have a old spin doctor, which looks identical to the giant y wrench too. https://www.wheelworld.com/product/giant-hex-y-wrench-55829-1.htm

Its stiff, good quality, has a comfy padded handle. Its nice! The hex sections taper down at a reasonable length, so it can be made stiff without breaking or flexing.

I have a full bondhus t handle set. These are excellent. To supplement those, I bought a 4, 5, and 6mm ball end t handles. LOVE these!


----------



## SqueakyWheel73 (Sep 21, 2018)

I picked up the Prestaratchet a couple years ago and I really like it. It isn't perfect for everything, but it is the first thing I reach for.


----------



## Cleaner (Mar 23, 2004)

*Wera hex key set on sale for $24.19 at Amazon*

These eclipse the quality of any bike specific brand I have ever seen and at this price are a great deal for something that will last a long time. These are among the best you can get for an L key set. The Torx set is also on sale at Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009ODV0OE/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00E8HM9N2/?coliid=I1YOSXHYPSJYBA&colid=1QERW8LONDJF5&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it


----------



## pure_mahem (Dec 12, 2018)

I recently got one of the Pro Bike Tool mini ratchet sets. I like it and use it for almost everything. Exception being the pedals and the 2 bolts that hold my Rear Rack on which I use Stanley Hex keys. Im am contemplating buying a new set of P handles for the shop though and have been looking at the Kleins which I think are a bit of coin to drop. But compared to Park Tools Id save like 25 bucks per each set. Klein is a popular brand in the Trades but I don't hear any talk of it in the biking community. I think it would be a better value than going the Park Tool route. But would like to here some feed back on it if anyone has experience with them.


----------



## WHALENARD (Feb 21, 2010)

IMO, other than their electric specific tools, klein stuff isn't that much better than any other department store brand. I've been using their tools daily for years and once upon time their stuff was very good. Just bought a pair of their $39 ***** and the teeth are misaligned. Brought them back for an exchange and every pair in the store was the same...wth? With all that I have no direct experience with their P handles.


----------



## opekone (Feb 11, 2019)

No one for pb swiss?

https://images.app.goo.gl/oARSgLBGeEGH5Qwh7

Sent from my G3223 using Tapatalk


----------



## One Pivot (Nov 20, 2009)

Those are obscenely overpriced. Holy crap!

https://store.snapon.com/Ball-Hex-K...-Hex-Wrench-Set-1-5-ndash-10-mm--P636930.aspx

PB swiss are double the price of snapon, and snapon is double the price of other just as good brands.


----------



## Cleaner (Mar 23, 2004)

I have some PB Swiss hex tools. They are very expensive in USA and do not function better or wear longer than some other options. Wera has some functional advantage with their Hex Plus design and are cheaper than PB Swiss.


----------



## Ride1424 (Oct 16, 2016)

Have had a set of the nicer Pedro T handles Allen's for almost 10 years. Haven't rounded, never broke at the handle( like there blue counterparts). No complaints.


----------



## watermonkey (Jun 21, 2011)

While nothing beats the versatility of a good old ball end hex wrench, options are nice. I have t-handles that now only get used in the larger sizes for big jobs like cranks, pedals, big linkage bolts, etc. I find them cumbersome and overly large for the the smaller sizes and the added length and leverage can lead to over tourque-ing small fasteners. I also have the bondhus pro kit - super versatile but I never really took a liking to them to the extent that they're the first tool I reach for. A Y or three way is indispensable of course. But I've finally settled on my favorite, my go to, the first tool I reach for almost every time, an its a cheap Harbor Freight ratcheting insert bit "screwdriver" ratchet wrench (probably lawyer speak as to why its not listed as a wrench). When on sale, they're like $2 a piece, so you can have a dedicated hex mini ratchet for each size, on the cheap. Using blue loctite, I glued in metric hex bits along with a t25. They're small, reversible, have an oversized knurled knob for finger rotating (good for staring screws and not cross threading), and are surprisingly durable. While they don't have the POE of the smaller ratchets like the prestaflator ratchet or similar, they work great and actually have a better hand feel. The plastic knob for finger rotating works better than the smaller collars. They're light, durable, and while they initially FEEL cheap, they work perfect. I use them for almost every size up to 8 mm, then if additional torque is needed, finish with a t-handle. These are particularly useful for stem swaps, saddle installs and adjustments, water bottle cages, rotor bolts, etc. I also color coded the main sizes I use most across the hex key styles with paint markers to simplify things - ageing eyeballs have a hard time these days. My $.02.


----------

