I heard if you have the older craftsman professional line nut wrenches they don't flex its the newer ones cause they started making them in china. but yet you still pay a high price of $65 for a set.


The Snap On ones I thought of buying but our snap on guy he doesn't show up but once every 5 or 6 months and if I had snap on tools and broke one I would have to be without it. Big reason why I stick with craftsman as I can head to sears after work and get a replacement if they have one on hand otherwise I have them order it for me.

 

My flare nut wrenches are Kobalt. No problems yet. Lifetime warranty and cheaper than Sears.

 

How much was your set and how many sizes did you get?


I got my SAE craftsman professional one off the sears website I found out that if you buy from the website its freeshipping but you get it for less.


Example is a professional combination wrench from 1/4" to 1" sizes goes for $99.99 at sears. On sears web site every single day the price is I think $69.99 for the same exact set.


I got my flare nut wrench set for SAE for $32 I think it was off the website vs $60 in store.


Just wished I would have learned that sooner before I splurged and bought the SAE combination wrench set from the store for $100. I could have got both sets for like $120 vs $200 for both sets at the in store price.

 

Shop Kobalt 3-Piece Flare Nut Polished Chrome Standard (SAE) Wrench Set at Lowes.com

The US and Metric packages are like that and the individual smaller/bigger sizes are like $6 per wrench.

 

Well, in terms of new tools; let's see whats new in my garage..

Showtime 90 HVLP Turbine system
roller mechanic seat
Air chisel with chisels - short and long
IR 2135tiMax 1/2" Impact driver
OTC Tie Rod Separator (the pickle fork wasn't cutting it and smacking an aluminum knuckle with a BFH didn't sit well with me..)
3/4" Torque Wrench
3/4" Metric Socket Set (big uns)
3/4" Breaker Bar
Set of pry bars
Slide Hammer w/Hub Puller

Santa was good to me.. I was a good boy this year..

Of course I need to use them all to rebuild the front suspension on the explorer..

 

those tuff brake lines i just brake them free with pbblaster and a vice grip. one sharp whack on the handle and they lose.

 

Ah, ok the large box end is a giveaway that they are cast and just have a single (double if you're lucky) finishing forge, like most cheap/Chinese stuff nowadays.

Thanks everyone for the info, now I know where to place them in our tool spectrum.

Back when I was doing my training in one of the buildings there was a beautiful display board from one of our old tool companies Sidchrome, from back in the 70's, showing a combo spanner from raw bar stock through 11 (I think) forging stages and then the finishing and plating stages. You couldn't break those old tools if you tried. Ahh the good old days

 

I have the wrenches shown in the pic, not the professional or polished ones, and have had no problem rounding corners.

 

How old is your set? On the reviews the professional line wrenches are starting to get negative reviews for this as they are claiming they started to be produced in china not too long ago.


That's what upset quite a few people cause the Evolv series which is cheap is ok to be made in china but not the professional series and then charge prime top dollar for cheaply made junk under a professional name.

 

My sets, SAE and metric, are over 10 years old.

 

One trick I have found, if a flare nut wrench starts to spread and round the flats off. I put a pair of vice grips across the wrench to keep it tight.

 

I like that. Thanks!

 

If the line is rusty anyhow, I just cut it off and use a socket.

Many times the lines are so close together (in an ABS module for example) there's little room for a line wrench. let alone a pair of Vise-Grips.

I just replaced ALL the lines, rotors and calipers on a Yukon last week.
Had to cut off a wrench to fit between the frame and the module body.
That sucked

 

I have a set of crowfoot style line wrenches, they work really good on the steering box fittings.

 

The set of Craftsman flare nut wrenches my dad has are 30+ years old. No problems with them ever! As far as vise grips directly on flare nuts. Someone needs to be tared and feathered, unless they are completely rounded off.