Advice for new flare nut wrenches

[alpinecrick]

Lotsa stuff has changed. Ownership. Location. Production. Great Star moved SK from Illinois to Williamsport, PA

Lots of the "Made in USA" SK part numbers are out-of-stock, judging by a quick look on the SK web site. Rebranding of another Chinese tool company's product is--I'm told--becoming the current strategy.

SK Tools still made in USA?

Hello, all. This is my first post, so please bear with me. A little bit of a background, my truck was about to "die" down and it forced me to revisit my desire to own a side business of legally flipping cars. Naturally that got me wanting to acquire USA made tools, especially those older...

www.garagejournal.com

So if you bought SK three or more years ago, (Like I did!) or even right after it was sold to Great Star, when they were still selling-down existing inventory--you got good stuff. But "now" things are way different.

I don't live in Williamsport, so I don't drive past the "factory" to see what's going on there. I'm relying on others, and that's always risky.

I have an SK flare-nut wrench, it's NOT my favorite. Wrench is too short for good leverage.

I knew they moved the production, and I'm afraid you may be right. The Chicoms will figure out a way to ruin things.....

 

[Hipster]

SK was purchased by a Chinese conglomerate a year or two ago. They've destroyed the company, exactly as predicted.

Older SK tools were good quality at a decent price. I still wouldn't buy their flare-nut wrenches.

Did not know this, everything I have bought S-K has been outstanding...... but it's all old stuff now. Cased 1/4 and 3/8 socket sets, wrenches, breaker bars, extensions, etc

I have an indepentant tool dealer that carries S-K. It wasn't difficult to get a 1/4 ratchet head replaced. She also carries chicom crap which young guys tend to buy because they're not stepping on Snap-ons truck to buy $400-500 dollar rails of impact sockets.

 

[Schurkey]

SK absolutely was a wonderful tool company. They did have some problems--in particular, slow to release "new" product, and they've been bought and sold and near-bankrupt/out-of-business multiple times over the years. I'm disappointed that Ideal unloaded them to Communist ownership, but it's not like they needed my permission.

For the record: Wright is still mostly American-made, and still a family-owned tool company. They fly "under the radar" with most folks because their primary market is Industrial sales--mines, assembly plants, "big business" that needs tools. As such, they don't have the wide selection of automotive-related tools, but what they do have is top-notch, and at Less-Than-Snappy (or Mac, or Matco, or Cornwell) Pricing. Seems to me that they also have a discount, imported sub-brand "Cougar".
www.wrighttool.com/

Premium wrenches, ratchets, sockets and attachments | Made in the USA | Wright Tool

Wright forges the most proven and highest quality wrenches, ratchets, sockets and attachments.

www.wrighttool.com

But I'd still buy (and did buy) Snap-On flare-nut wrenches.

 

[Scooterwrench]

Flare nuts are soft. Clamp 'em hard with a Vice-Grip, and they're so distorted they won't spin on the tubing any more. Or they outright crush, and crush the tubing, too.

God bless the Oxy-Acetylene torch, and Snap-On flare nut wrenches.

I bought the normal double-end wrenches way back in the mid-1980s. Still have 'em. Bought the speed-open-end/flare nut end combo wrenches later, in SAE and Metric. Even the regular open-end/flare nut end combos are nicer than the double-ended flare nut wrenches. Once the flare nut is broken-loose, the open end or speed end turns it out faster than having to use the flare-nut end of the tool on it.

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Go ahead and put that oxy/acetylene torch on the flare nut going into the fuel filter on a Rochester carb,I'll bring the popcorn and a fire extinguisher.

Inverted flare nuts are not that soft but what do I know,I've only been doing this sh*t since I was 11 yrs old.

 

[Schurkey]

I don't know if the S-K flare nut wrenches sold lately are comparable to this one. It's ancient. [Edit] The new version of the F1618 is polished chrome, but apparently the same or similar length of 6 1/4". [/Edit]

All of these have a 9/16 flare end for comparison.

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[ANOTHER Edit] Somewhere, I've got a NAPA flare nut wrench. I'll look around and see if I can find it.

STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM "PITTSBURGH" FLARE NUT WRENCHES. Any half-decent flare nut wrench has five "inside corners" to secure to five of the six corners of the flare nut. The Communist dumbass (what a maroon) who designed the Pittsburg wrenches screwed 'em up so that they only grip four of the six corners. This is the sort of failure that gives Hazzard Fraught products the title of "Tool-shaped Objects" rather than actual tools. And that's entirely aside from the steel quality, heat treatment, size tolerance, excessive chamfer, etc. that Hazzard Fraught is infamous for. Even the Quinn flare nut wrenches--which are nothin' special--grip five out of six corners.

Torque Test Channel on Youtube rated a batch of flare-nut wrenches.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkCIjl5aEoA&ab_channel=TorqueTestChannel

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[/ANOTHER Edit]

 

[Boots97]

Ebay for Craftsman USA, although be warned that nostalgia is driving the prices up. In a lot of instances you'd be better off with a cheaper, new Taiwan tool that comes with a warranty. That being said, I have scored a few nice NOS Craftsman USA sets, mostly super common stuff that doesn't command high prices.

Yeah I agree nostalgia is what drives almost anything up, including Craftsman Tools. I've never had an issue with their newer stuff though, which is most of my craftsman tools. The big thing is to be patient on eBay and try to bid on tools if possible. My Snap On sockets look quite old and I was patient and bought a deep snd shallow combo for $200 as the highest bidder. That was a lot of money for me for sockets, but I know that I got a steal knowing a they'd be over $1K together new.

 

[someotherguy]

For the flare wrenches I have a real mutt set - US-made Craftsman, US-made Craftsman Professional, and Snappy. The Craftsmans have been "OK" .. the only Snappy I've got is 1/2" and 9/16" combo. For some reason I have a whole bunch of really nice Snappy stuff I have never used, like the shorty wrenches and the "Flank Drive Plus" set. Not stuff I would have gone out and bought on my own, but came with a bunch of stuff I bought secondhand.

Richard

 

[alpinecrick]

Interesting......Wright is carrying Crescent brand tools also. Made in USA and a bit better than a middle-of-the-road quality tool. I use various Crescent pliers/cutters and their wide jaw, thin jaw, shorty, adjustable wrenches are very handy.

 

[someotherguy]

I have an SK flare-nut wrench, it's NOT my favorite. Wrench is too short for good leverage.

Is that your only gripe on the SK? I was digging through my shelf of misc. inherited tools and discovered I had 3 nearly new metric SK's - all US-made. Leverage on small wrenches isn't a big deal for me, I'm mostly concerned with what most of us are - that they fit the nut properly and don't round it off.

I was replacing a brake flex hose today and had to use my Craftsman (hadn't found the SK's at that moment) and it was a little too loose for comfort, but it did the job without drama.

Richard

 

[Hipster]

Leverage on small wrenches isn't a big deal for me,

Richard

Ok so you're built like a Gorilla. Just so you Know, not everyone can rip apart a pineapple with their bare hands. LMAO