Here's the list of products reviewed. More details in the video description. Thank you! Proto: amzn.to/46gPgCD Williams: amzn.to/3MNqCm3 Crescent: amzn.to/3srePmH Craftsman: amzn.to/3MIujJG Kobalt: amzn.to/49varnj GearWrench: amzn.to/47sp1tG Duratech: amzn.to/49CWnZ2 Performance Tool: amzn.to/3sEdsko Efficere: amzn.to/3QAZojL Mac Tools: Available at the Mac Tools Online Store Quinn: Available at Harbor Freight Snap On: Available at the Online Snap On Store Milwaukee: Available at Home Depot Matco Tools: Available at the Online Matco Tools Store Wrench Extension Tool: amzn.to/3JSDRRB
If it weren't for you there would be a lot of people needlessly wasting their hard earned money on suspect tools. Todd, you are getting up there with the likes of many other revered members of the human race like Mr. Rogers, Steve Irwin, David Attenborough and others. You are a continuous bright light in a sometimes dark world. Thank you for your steadfast, honest work. It means a lot to a lot of people. Be well.
Todd's contributions to humanity cannot be over stated! Nothing less than the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Kennedy Center honors, and UK full Knighthood are deserved. Better yet: the reverse side of our quarter dollar coin- Todd's bespectacled likeness, with the words "We're Going To Test That". Generations going forward will know and revere his name!
My suggestion: make a website that compiles all your data and recommendations for viewers. Provide affiliate links for your recommendations according to your data so you earn compensation and help out viewers. Data is so vital for everyone and your testing methodologies are some of the most reliable I have seen
He’s part of the Amazon Affiliate Program and has affiliate links in all his videos in the “description.” I think k he should mention that more bcs I know people would be happy to support the work he does. And also… he does get comped from YT for views so he’s doing it right. Sometimes I scroll to the end to see his final findings but always go back to watch em entirely. I started to make an affiliate site for my passion (rowing) but that industry is just so… scammy… the SEO bro industry is scammy… not rowing. Good websites get pushed into the deep nether regions of google. I’m not sure if he’s on TikTok but that would prob be the way to go now since about 50% of Gen z use it for their searches. He’d have to cater to short form w less long form but that’s what YT is for :) Also… as a purchaser… I don’t even remember the last time I bought off an affiliate link from a site. I exclusively do from YT and TikTok.
Back in the day when Sears backed Craftsman it was a no brainer. 75% of the quality for 25% of the price. And replaceable in minutes by driving to Sears. Nowadays, I’m with Cousin Eddie. Thanks for keeping those luxury toolmakers on their toes by giving us real data!
I said it once & I'll say it again. When I worked sales at Home Depot. I always pulled your channel up & told everyone from your DIY'er to Professional Contractors/Mechanics. Very informative you are & the amount of money you saved myself & other's is absolutely astonishing. Thanks again.
FWIW, the Proto wrench that snapped is warranted for life. Considering the very high level of force that took to break it, normal use is unlikely to see a similar failure. Thanks for the great review.
For all the tools he buys he probably has a garage filled with broken/mismatched tools from the tests. It they warranty replace the Proto he may, for once, wind up with a full set of useful tools!
@@ensidfkgnur Even though he has like 10-20 sets of a lot of tools he probably still struggles to find the one he needs lol. Now it's just a massive pile. Maybe he's SUPER organized and avoids using the tools from the channel. Was wondering how he made much money but just occurred to me he must make bank off affiliates especially if a cheaper higher volume product does well. No offense to him for doing that ofc he invests a lot of time and money and is straight forward about it.
@@sulljason he has a patreon with 2300+ paying members, so that would cover some of it and the channel is fairly popular and a lot of the viewers are from usa and are adults in age ranges that have spending power so I reckon he does allright with ads as well. I like that it doesn't have sponsors because that would throw the point of the channel away as a fan to watch. like most of the stuff bought people just give him the money to buy for through the patreon, it's a big part of what makes the larger tests possible. affiliate links don't pay much, generally, since people need to spend a lot of money for you to make much out of it. well maybe they're over the average for him considering bunch of people would use his links just 'cause they're his links if they're buying something they watched reviews for.
I dont know why, but your content is relaxing in a way that i cant explain…maybe its because the world can be so crazy and emotional, but there is something so soothing, systematic and logical about the way you breaking down the technical specs and capabilities of random tools. Like a meditation…thank you, please dont stop. It is a service for the world
One of the things I like about all these videos is that Todd always says where a product is made. It saves me a lot of time since I will avoid buying anything made in China if it is possible. Thanks
I shop thrift stores and buy just about every old tool that I can; half the fun is figuring out what the tool is. It is sad that the tools are often from an old gentleman or gentlewoman who passed away without heirs to cherish the craftsman and his or her tools; may they Rest In Peace. I am in the same boat with no heirs so... I have taken box wrenches and sliced a very narrow slot to fit over the tubing. Then I clamp down on the box end with a pair of vise grips to really put some force on the flare nut. I also use Freeze, Kroil, or Knock-r-Loose overnight if possible. Thank you for another great tool test.
That gentleman/woman saying is funny. In Europe we have some similar ones when buying a second hand car: it belonged to an old lady that was only driving it to the church :)
@@lasskinn474 OP opened with "I shop thrift stores" not yard sales. What about Sunday flea markets, swap meets etc because there are always old tools at those events? They do/have them in Europe?
i used the headlight restore kit recommended, the sylvania one. it looks brand new, thanks again. i dont trust a single youtuber other than you. i always use the products you reccomend and i am always glad i did. you are the man!
Haha, I can say that for several products, but have been really impressed with the windshield crack/chip repair. I had tried several kits over the years but none seemed to do much. But the kit Todd tested with the best results has worked well for my gravel attracting windshields!
I find it interesting how the Craftsman wrenches look--and behave--very differently from the ones in my garage, which I bought almost 30 years ago. Another great job! Thanks! Well said about having the harder tool break rather than damage the fastener!
@@ixfxi Really, it's not USA vs X.. It's USA companies who have outsourced to whoever can do it cheapest.. Chinese manufacturers could make the highest quality.. But Craftsman doesn't want that anymore. They want maximum profits. Quality means keeping every piece of the manufacturing process in good shape. It means more maintenance of the equipment, lower lifespan on the "replaceable" pieces, stricter QC. But no, instead they increased the tolerances to allow for inferior products to be sold. And they keep selling. I really wonder what the profits margins are like for their tools.
I'm sad that I hadn't seen this channel until now, but also kind of excited for myself that I get to watch it all for the first time and everyone else here can't have that experience! Awesome, thorough and straightforward reviews for all kinds of things I actually need and use around the house and property, and it puts in drastic relief how bad the internet has gotten for plain old information these days. I've never subscribed to a channel so fast, and I hope you're being rewarded.
Great test Todd, thank you very much! As a retired professional automotive technician that started buying these tools back in the 1970's, I can tell you back then nothing compared to Snap-On. I used to bail out other techs out all the time with my "at-the-time" way better quality Snap-On tools. When they started stripping fasteners, quite often my Snap-On tool would save the day. However, the patents ran out on the flank drive sockets and wrenches a long time ago because even the cheaper tools are using the same technology now. Very nice to have less costly options like Proto; if I was starting out today I'd probably not even look at the Snap-On line and save thousands of dollars...
Snap-On is still doing the best heat treating in the industry. That's what you're paying for. Heat treating is an art. Snap-On is practicing the art at a very high level too. They use a triple treatment process. Which is one treatment more than everyone else does.
Back in the day the Mac line wrenches were way better. How do I know. My dad had both Snap-on and a set of Mac and the Mac's were better by a long shot.
@@1pcfred unfortunately for Snap-On, producing the best tool available requires more than good heat treating. While they're good on paper, Snap-On is consistently beaten in the field by Knipex and Klein in pliers, MAC and Proto (and Williams and etc.) in ratchets, sockets, and wrenches; Wera and Wiha in screwdrivers, and so on. Which would be fine if Snap-On was priced what they're worth. These days, most Snap-On tools are worth about half what they cost IMO. They're still good, but not $$$$ good.
Love that you measured the width of the deformation that the wrenches leave. That really helps quantify the depth of the taper and the actual working surface. Thanks for all that you do!
When you need to work on anything with a brake line or a fuel line, a flare nut wrench is essential. 20 or 30 years ago, I would have recommended Craftsman, but those days are long gone. My Dad gave me his old Proto 1/2 inch socket set when I turned 18, so it's nice to see that they are still making a good reliable tool no matter what corporation runs the company.
After years of wondering why so many difficult tube nuts would get rounded from my Craftsman flare wrenches, I bought myself a used set of SnapOns and never looked back. It was easier to stomach the buy since they were used, but hands down they are strong and reliable. Nice to see this video proves that.
I don't have flare nut wrenches. I do have Vise Grips though. If Vise Grips can't get it then the line gets cut and it gets an impact socket on it. It's coming apart one way, or another. I can guarantee that.
My buddies and I played the Project Farm drinking game. (A beer for every "very impressive" occurrence) Not everyone made it until the end... I love this channel!!!
My buddy is a diehard Gearwrench and Matco fanboy, he always told me I was wasting my money on Snap-On and the better performing brands. Looks like I will send him a link to this video. Very Impressive.
I know 1st hand from years (er-decades?) of doing my own DYI on my vehicles, the poor fit (sloppiness) of flare wrenches. I also found that metric flare wrenches can be a good fit on SAE brake line fittings. A 12mm can be a good substitute for a 1/2", a 14mm a good sub for a 9/16". These metric wrenches fit tighter on the nut. Really love your channel.
A half inch is 12.7mm and 9/16" = 14.29mm so the metric sizes are a smidge smaller. But then there's tool tolerances. A half inch wrench wouldn't fit on a half inch fastener. It'd just be too tight. I mean you could hammer it on. I'm not sure how you'd get it back off. Generally anything less than 4 thousandths difference is an interference fit. You need some slop. 3/4 - 19mm is another close match too. They're basically the same size. You don't need both of those tools.
Thanks! Hey there. Just bought my kid an electric water gun. I think, with summer coming, a review of the performance/value of the range of electric water guns out there would be appreciated and watched by many. The gun I bought looks like a glock 9mm but has “Battle” on the side. There are several versions of the gun on Amazon, but this one comes with two batteries and a small and large capacity water magazines. I appreciate your work and look forward to your next video. Thank you Sincerely Derek Olshevski
What a fantastic test!! Not only was it thorough - it was informative in layman's terms and explained how and why a particular tool will perform better. You sir have once again checked ALL the boxes!
Finally! I have a set of flare nut wrenches set but I am constantly worrying if there is something better, I look for your videos before making a purchase so you can imagine the breath of fresh air to see a new video with exactly what I need Thank you so much for your work 💚
Williams makes some really great tools. I've got a set of their aluminum handle pipe wrenches that I added to my work-box years ago and they've worked just as good as my Rigid brand.
Back in 2022 ( COVID-era ) I had to deal with a nasty 18mm / 0.71" hexagon steel nut in a brass block holding a solenoid piston assembly in place. Its edges only offered 2mm / 0.08" of contact atea to work with. The wrench had a quite deep taper on both sides. After rounding numerous nits of this type, I had to come up with a neat idea before tossing the towel: Grabbed an angle grinder with a grinding disc, viced the wrench, and ground off the taper area completely, until I was flush with the hexagon shape itself. A final touch with a flap disc to smoothen the wrench ring made it look good, and since then the wrench can tackle any slim-sized nut. It has become a key tool in my profession on a daily basis. The taper has only one purpose: Easy lineup with the nut as it acts like a funnel. But sometimes - as in my case - a downside.
Guys over at Torque Test Channel giving you a shout out in one of their videos speaks volumes about your rep. Thanks for all you do to bring us the numbers. It's greatly appreciated. Can you do sockets? Just regular sockets. 6-point vs 6-point, 12 vs 12, etc. After that, you can have a grand finale of 6 vs 12 vs _______. I've looked and all I found was wrenches, damaged fasteners sockets etc.
I know it refutes the idea of a decent stand alone tool, however, if you clamp the flare wrench with vice grips, it will break fasteners before slipping. If you don't have a spare flare nut and don't want to roll the dice, give it a try. I love my 10mm SnapOn flare but after watching Todd's torture testing, I wish it was a Proto. 👍
@@harryharry3193 would they replace a tool if it isn’t obviously broken? Would you have to get out your calipers? I just never thought of a wrench stretching before. I thought they broke or didn’t break.
It's important to note that stretching (plastic deformation) is generally a result of excessive stress. Keep in mind, he's using a cheater bar and seeing how much they can take before completely stripping the nut. In practice, I'd hope you don't do the same with your tools. Under more reasonable stress, the metal shouldn't leave the region of elastic deformation, where there is no permanent elongation and it will return to its original size. While materials will fatigue from repeated stress, that's typically on the order of 100k - 1 million cycles - way more times than you'll ever use a wrench.
@@Sainte305 Proto got bought by Stanley and Stanley is indeed a company that will not be beaten. Their bean counters don't leave any meat on the bone. Which can affect overall quality.
Thank you for letting me know the best performing line wrenches, without having to buy them myself! I was getting very tired of my gearwrench open ends as I feel they were the worst lol and I wanted a better set of open-end wrenches to deal with certain Flair nuts. I didn't want to go for line wrenches because then, I would have still had "bad" open-ends. I decided to go with the Mac Tools RBRT wrenches with the 6-point Box end. They have been phenomenal! I treat them like my candy tools 🤣
Dang it. bought a set to do brake lines. the craftsman about 18 years ago. Tried to use them. They wouldn't break th connection. Sloppy fit for the metric set. I never knew there was a quality difference back then. You have highlighted the problem and what the right tool is for the job. THANKS from the bottom of my heart. I'd easily do a brake job today with two knipex parallel pliers. All day. Back then we used two regular vice grips and marred the fittings to death. But that is all that would work back then. THANKS again
I use a 3/8 7/16 gearwrench flare nut wrench at work for fuel oil burners. It works a lot better than the adjustable wrench I used to use which slipped if a fitting had been torqued down too hard
Trying to remove a Power Steering line on my Wife's 78 Mustang II back in the early 80s my Craftsman flare wrench failed me. I was able to borrow a Snap-On flare wrench that worked flawlessly. Needless to say I bought a Snap-On set. Great Test as ALWAYS ! ! ! ! ! ! Thanks ! ! ! ! ! !
An extremely useful hand tool that I've used countless times over the years. That's a really great torque tester. Your thorough testing and close up images are top notch! Thanks for the video
Once upon a time I worked at a gold mill in CO. Our tools of choice for everyday work were New Britain and Proto. You can't imagine the conditions and abuse they suffered. The Proto tools were cruder but STRONG. Then later I had a big farm in MO and again, invested in New Britain and Proto. All the bigger tools were Proto and never once had a failure of any kind. They were cared for better than at the gold mill but used as hard. Thanks for this review!
@@woodrowsmith3400 Love New Britain tools. So much so that I scoured the Net for the New Britain 'story'. Turn of the 20th-century tool company that made lots of familiar brands...if you're an old guy.
Badass! Colorado native here and geological engineering student. Did you work at the big-ass bitch in Victor? Visited there on several field trips and really cool operation that seems passionate about what they do and excited to share it with future geology nerds!
I agree with you I’d rather have the tool break than just stretch that way you know it’s been compromised rather than stretch and not notice until it’s too late. I know it would be subjective and a bit inaccurate but I’d like to see a revisit a similar test with used/old wrenches to see if one that has been well seasoned holds up or does poorly against the new one.
This is why I keep watching these videos: I never would've even considered Proto or Williams but they're solid. I always thought Matco was overpriced for their quality and this test scientifically confirms that. Another day hearing "Very impressive!" and smiling is another good day. Please keep up the awesome comparisons!
Week in/week out there's never any mystery as to why you have 3.14M subscribers. Thanks for all the time, effort and thought that goes into each video that we benefit from-especially that of resisting those who'd love nothing more than to have you $howcase/promote their products. Thanks again. God bless.
Sad Matco/Williams and Craftsman has went to the dumps.....years back when they were made in U.S. ...they were top notch or close to Snap-on and Proto was always a good brand as a darkhorse for some reason....but those that have been around,Proto makes good tools and boxes still today. Love your videos man!
Don't blame the "Made not in the USA". Any country is capable of making anything. It's not magic. The "Names" are still US names and they find someone to build their stuff to their specs. They don't want to pay, even in outsourcing to a foreign company. Less quality and cheaper for them to make? Great combo. You'd think less labor went into it, they'd use the savings and put it into quality. Funny how, phones can be made "Over there" with no problems. My Samsung S21 was made in Vietnam. Very good chance the chips in your phone are made in Taiwan.
Excellent! Flare nut wrenches are where never to skimp on. Deserves a Part 2. To include Vintage Craftsman, Blackhawk, Cornell, Armstrong, Gedore, Stahlwille, Hazet, Beta, SK.
I have a lot of vintage sk and also several vintage Armstrong and Wright in my tool collection. I used to work as a car mechanic. My older mac and snapon tools are also generally very good, but I would not say that they’re always better than older sk or Armstrong or williams, etc. I loved the ergonomics and quality of old sk. I haven’t used any sk tools newer than 20 years old, and so I cannot comment on the quality now. Those old made in the USA tools were great though. Some tools made in taiwan are pretty good. Some European tools (but not all) are also very good. I think some gear wrench tools are made in China, but their top end stuff is probably better than the average hand tool at a big box store in the USA (also likely made in China). Craftsman tools vary greatly in quality. The best craftsman wrenches from decades ago were solid, but some of the old stuff was also terrible. I am guessing that all new craftsman hand tools are pretty bad.
The problem with vintage tools is they're no longer available to purchase today. So it is pointless to test them now. Because no one's going to be able to get them.
For almost 60 years I've used a combination of snap on, proto, and craftsmans, depending on application. But my go-to is Armstrong. If you you could, give these a try to see if i have put to much faith in them. Great job as usual. I don't spend any money on anything, until i see if you put it through a test. Thank you very much for all you do. Best channel on UA-cam, period.
You are the entirely the reason to why I puchased all my power tools a specific brand based on my personal needs. Thank you for all the helpful information you've done for us
very interesting that a regular open beat so many dedicated flare nut wrenches. quality can mean so much. I will be adding some new tools to my Christmas list based on this video. Thanks again.
Maybe next time you can test the Wright brand wrenches, they’re comparable with Mac and other higher quality brands and they’re made in the U.S. also. I already own a set of Wright tubing wrenches but I’d like to see how they compare to the others you’ve tested, there’s nothing like having Project Farm show you what you really have and how they stack up if you’ve already purchased that product. Thanks for showing us how different wrenches compare to each other, great job as always.
I have the wright line wrenches. Don’t use them often and don’t have any other brands to compare them with. But they are solid and a snug fit. I was hoping they would be included in this comparison. But they are hard to come by sometimes
I was glad to see you tested two different sizes from each brand - makes it a little more likely you'll catch quality inconsistencies from wrench to wrench
Crescent wouldn't have needed to run a 34% discount today if they knew Todd was dropping this video! Twenty one clams for both metric and SAE? Yes, please. Good job, India.
It seems like for price, performance, and "not made in China", Crescent goes for the win. If I made my living with the tools, I'd probably go with the US made Proto (BTW the small set is now over $100). I put the three-piece Crescent set for $10.99 in my Amazon list. We'll see how long the price stays that low. I have lots of Crescent tools made in USA that my Dad bought and used including Crescent "Crestoly" crescent wrenches.
Video suggestion: Revisit of diesel fuel additive comparison. Comaring Seafoam, Archoil, Hot Shots Secret, Stanadyne, ACDelco, F Bomb, and Amsoil everyday treatments to compare their detergent properties, cetane boosting capability, efficiency improvement, lubricity when diluted in fuel, and ash content left after combustion would be a tremendous help to the diesel community.
The additional suggestion/recommendations at the end is great advice and appreciated. Most experienced mechanics know what they like. But even as a middle aged carpenter I never considered the size of nut would change the desired style of wrench. Upon hearing your explanation, it all makes sense. Wise advice.
Can't beat a good flare nut wrench. I'm always amazed at how well Kobalt performs in these tests. Todd, have you ever tested industrial adhesives like epoxy and cyanoacrylate?
That USA Proto is a beast! Hard to beat that kind of price/performance. The Williams on the other hand like you said is surprisingly a big win on that price/performance scale. For that price on the williams you can afford to buy 2 sets to have an extra of each on hand. What were the warranties like on the different brands? That could play a nice role in the value as well. I have a bunch of the old old Williams sockets and wrenches back when they were USA made as well. Those have definitely withstood the test of time! The poor performance on the quinns was pretty shocking as well. I wonder how the Icons stand up, if they even produce them yet. Another great tool review vid! Might have to change the channel name to PFT, Project Farm Testing!
Depends on the vehicle. My brother has an old Ford with a proportioning valves. It blocks off front or rear if it pushes too much fluid that way indicating a serious leak. His corroded and failed.
My proportioning valve failed on my 93 Ranger some years ago. Only found out when I couldn’t bleed the rear drums. What a PIA to replace. Replaced it with a reman Cardone unit.
Thrilled to see this comparison! Thank you! I think it's worth noting that since flare nut wrenches are almost always used on hydraulic coupling nuts and other similar fittings that usually have tapered threads or other characteristics that mean the wrench will rarely be up against a boss like in your test, the taper may not actually play a huge role in real-world performance. That said I suspect your rankings wouldn't be affected much anyway. Another note: I have loved when you've included an older, USA-made Craftsman tool for comparison in these hand tool reviews; I wonder how an 80s-era Craftsman would have performed here, since I still have several and they've never let me down.
I love how reliable and applicable your testing is. That said, spring cleanup is here! I'd like to suggest chippers/leaf shredders, weed killer concentrates, and wheel barrows!
i have a full set (imperial & metric) of gear wrench - open ended wrenches. really wish i would have bought the Williams after seeing this. Williams also makes my FAVORITE ratcheting screw driver. Great video! keep up the good work!!!
Great test of wrenches for the most frustrating job. Williams also makes a ratcheting flare nut wrench that I believe is stronger than the typical open box design. I have a few of them-they are expensive-but worth it. Thanks again.
Indeed, I would have liked to see that type tested as well, the Proto J3800A set is similar. Also curious how a normal adjustable wrench will compare (as you can adjust for a perfect fit), as well as something like Knipex's Pliers Wrench.
You really do deserve any sucess thats come your way, because the amount of work you put in for these videos is staggering. I appercite it, anytime i decide to buy a tool or something i always check your channel 1st to see if youve done a test.
Favorite lines “the Performance tool brand is really struggling with performance..” and “the fancy styling of the Milwaukee brand failed to impress the torque meter..”. You’re cracking me up, Todd. You are a machine!
You content just keeps getting better! So glad you're including tool truck brands in your regular testing. Here's a test idea; they say they didn't make em like they used to. Would be a fun video if you could test a few vintage tools against the modern set to see how they stack to. I have a set of Craftsman from the early 80's and I swear they hold up much better than most of the newer tools I have (on the rare occasion that one breaks I loath having to warranty them because the new stuff is thicker and not as good). Keep up the good work, I'm sharing this one with all my gear head friends!
When my 2003 GMC Sonoma reached 100,000 miles I decided to change the fuel filter. I had a set of made in Taiwan flare nut wrenches. I could tell pretty quick that the wrench was flexing and was going to round off the nut, so I quit. The truck was running fine. The filter sat there on a shelf mocking me for a few years. I decided to get a better wrench. Bought a Williams flare nut wrench in the proper size. Had to drive it onto the nut because it was tight on the rusty nut. It broke it loose quick and easy. I would highly recommend Williams brand. I guess my wrench is an older one. It is made in the USA.
Absolutely love the channel!!! What I want to know and I'm sure many others want to know is how you maintain the energy thru the whole video. What kind of coffee do you drink and/or what do you do to maintain that energy? Very Impressive!!!!!!
I’ve recently been looking into and getting interested in the 3D printing world. 3D printers, different kinds of filaments and their strengths and weaknesses, etc. I think it could be a really good area of tools and hardware for you to get into. It would bring in a whole community of viewers. I love your videos! Keep it up!
@@ProjectFarm Awesome! Here’s some more specific ideas. I’m getting a Bambu Labs X1-Carbon soon. There are a lot of reviews out there that talk about features of different printers and review them that way, so it was pretty easy to choose the printer I wanted for my needs. So much of 3D printing is getting the settings right. The videos out there that compare the strengths of filament types and stuff are not nearly as in depth or scientific as your videos. Comparing PLA, PETG, ABS, ASA, PA-CF, and other carbon fiber blend filaments. Utilizing different part geometries to test different kinds of applications. Compression strength, layer adhesion, and just strength in different ways in the way that you format your reviews would be so valuable to so many people. There are different brands of filament and that makes a difference, but I’m more interested in the strengths and weaknesses of filament materials as a whole. Thanks for considering all of this!
Great video. Proto is what my grandfather left me to work with as a tool set. Torque wrenches stopped working and they couldn't fix them. Still a great company.
About 50 years ago I bought a Craftsman flare nut wrench set. Sadly, I never have found a flare nut it would work on without the jaw spreading out and damaging the fittings. It didn't matter the size of the flare nut I tried it on. Finally went to my old stand by, Vice Grip pliers. Cousin Eddie is 100% correct!
I learned the flare nut wrench lesson. I had a brake bleeder screw strip with both type of wrenches..ended up going over to the ole heat and tap the caliper! Worked like a charm!
There are two main directions you can have offset. The handle can be offset out of the plane of the nut to give clearance for fingers and the opening of the jaw can be offset from the centerline of the wrench. I couldn't help but notice some wrenches had offset openings and some were symmetrical. Also, when the opening is offset, theoretically the tool will be more effective when you apply force to the side with the longer jaw. As far as the results, I have metric Snap-On wrenches for metric sizes and Proto for SAE. I find my 30+ year old American cars usually have more room and need less precision, but modern cars usually give you way too little room and have fasteners sized smaller than I would like, presumably to make the cars cheaper at the cost of future serviceability.
Thank you for all of your testing of these different tools and brands. As a consumer is great to know where the best performance and best value lies with these manufacturers. High performing manufacturers that produce a quality product also deserve to be rewarded as well.
Good testing it proves what I suspected all along. I have never had much luck wit flair nut wrenches They all just seemed to spread and tear things up for the most part. Sometimes it is easier just to tear up the nut and then replace the hose which you were going to do anyway. Hydraulic fittings for the most part are a 1 and done anyway so a big wrench for the win. Smaller flairs generally do not take as much force to break loose so the wrenches last longer. I might try a set of the Williams flair nut wrenches. I have some Williams sockets that are 50 years old and still hanging tough, I doubt that the flair nut wrenches will go the distance, I would never know anyway.
I always am entertained at seeing how cheap tools outperform the super-expensive one's. It just goes to show that it's not always high price that determines a tool's quality. The first time I used my flare nut wrench was when I did a brake job and the nut was practically sealed to the caliper. It's cool to see that these tools have a purpose, YA, a box wrench's open end might have freed up that sealed nut, but I wasn't going to risk it, and the flare net I purchased at "Princess Auto" (Canada's equivalent to Harbor Freight) did the job just fine. Thanks for your videos Todd!
loved this... my anecdotal experience has been similar... most of the time a "regular" wrench does just fine. I have a set of ~30 year old Craftsman flare wrenches - I wonder if they are better than the post-bankruptcy ones
These videos are so good, you are definately teaching this old dog some new tricks (& saving some money) And learning that 'you get what you pay for' isn't always correct. Cheers!
Another phenomenal comparison video Todd!! VIDEO SUGGESTIONS... 1. BEST MINI RATCHET (WERA, VIM TOOLS, WIHA, WADSWORTH, ICON, SUNEX, etc.) 2. BEST FILLET KNIFE (LEECHL LAKE, BUCK, BUBBA, DEXTER, RAPALA, WÜSTHOF, etc.) THANKS!
Here's the list of products reviewed. More details in the video description. Thank you!
Proto: amzn.to/46gPgCD
Williams: amzn.to/3MNqCm3
Crescent: amzn.to/3srePmH
Craftsman: amzn.to/3MIujJG
Kobalt: amzn.to/49varnj
GearWrench: amzn.to/47sp1tG
Duratech: amzn.to/49CWnZ2
Performance Tool: amzn.to/3sEdsko
Efficere: amzn.to/3QAZojL
Mac Tools: Available at the Mac Tools Online Store
Quinn: Available at Harbor Freight
Snap On: Available at the Online Snap On Store
Milwaukee: Available at Home Depot
Matco Tools: Available at the Online Matco Tools Store
Wrench Extension Tool: amzn.to/3JSDRRB
Could you test the snap on anti slip wrenches vs the icon anti slip
Could you do a round 2 and test more brands? I’ve been looking for the best budget set
If it weren't for you there would be a lot of people needlessly wasting their hard earned money on suspect tools. Todd, you are getting up there with the likes of many other revered members of the human race like Mr. Rogers, Steve Irwin, David Attenborough and others. You are a continuous bright light in a sometimes dark world. Thank you for your steadfast, honest work. It means a lot to a lot of people. Be well.
Thanks so much!
That’s deep
@@Prosecute-fauciYour username definitely isn't.
Well said I love when he says(very impressive)
Todd's contributions to humanity cannot be over stated! Nothing less than the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Kennedy Center honors, and UK full Knighthood are deserved. Better yet: the reverse side of our quarter dollar coin- Todd's bespectacled likeness, with the words "We're Going To Test That". Generations going forward will know and revere his name!
My suggestion: make a website that compiles all your data and recommendations for viewers. Provide affiliate links for your recommendations according to your data so you earn compensation and help out viewers. Data is so vital for everyone and your testing methodologies are some of the most reliable I have seen
Pin this. This is golden advice.
It will just get scraped by bad actors. Watching the videos means he's getting his work monetized.
He’s part of the Amazon Affiliate Program and has affiliate links in all his videos in the “description.”
I think k he should mention that more bcs I know people would be happy to support the work he does. And also… he does get comped from YT for views so he’s doing it right.
Sometimes I scroll to the end to see his final findings but always go back to watch em entirely. I started to make an affiliate site for my passion (rowing) but that industry is just so… scammy… the SEO bro industry is scammy… not rowing. Good websites get pushed into the deep nether regions of google.
I’m not sure if he’s on TikTok but that would prob be the way to go now since about 50% of Gen z use it for their searches. He’d have to cater to short form w less long form but that’s what YT is for :)
Also… as a purchaser… I don’t even remember the last time I bought off an affiliate link from a site. I exclusively do from YT and TikTok.
Yeah and it isnt hard to just search "project farm " to quickly find the video
@@zerohecks4864exactly
Back in the day when Sears backed Craftsman it was a no brainer. 75% of the quality for 25% of the price. And replaceable in minutes by driving to Sears. Nowadays, I’m with Cousin Eddie.
Thanks for keeping those luxury toolmakers on their toes by giving us real data!
Craftsman still does that warranty on handtools. (at Lowe's) . I just replaced a ratchet recently.
Thank Eddie Lampert for that downfall !
@@aired-downdisconnected4125 Yeah but their replacements arent worth a damn, unfortunately. Its such a shame how that brand turned to shit.
You are welcome!
MENARDS FTW
I said it once & I'll say it again. When I worked sales at Home Depot. I always pulled your channel up & told everyone from your DIY'er to Professional Contractors/Mechanics. Very informative you are & the amount of money you saved myself & other's is absolutely astonishing. Thanks again.
You are welcome!
FWIW, the Proto wrench that snapped is warranted for life. Considering the very high level of force that took to break it, normal use is unlikely to see a similar failure. Thanks for the great review.
Thank you for sharing!
I have the proto and they never fail me.
For all the tools he buys he probably has a garage filled with broken/mismatched tools from the tests. It they warranty replace the Proto he may, for once, wind up with a full set of useful tools!
@@ensidfkgnur Even though he has like 10-20 sets of a lot of tools he probably still struggles to find the one he needs lol. Now it's just a massive pile. Maybe he's SUPER organized and avoids using the tools from the channel.
Was wondering how he made much money but just occurred to me he must make bank off affiliates especially if a cheaper higher volume product does well. No offense to him for doing that ofc he invests a lot of time and money and is straight forward about it.
@@sulljason he has a patreon with 2300+ paying members, so that would cover some of it and the channel is fairly popular and a lot of the viewers are from usa and are adults in age ranges that have spending power so I reckon he does allright with ads as well. I like that it doesn't have sponsors because that would throw the point of the channel away as a fan to watch. like most of the stuff bought people just give him the money to buy for through the patreon, it's a big part of what makes the larger tests possible.
affiliate links don't pay much, generally, since people need to spend a lot of money for you to make much out of it. well maybe they're over the average for him considering bunch of people would use his links just 'cause they're his links if they're buying something they watched reviews for.
I dont know why, but your content is relaxing in a way that i cant explain…maybe its because the world can be so crazy and emotional, but there is something so soothing, systematic and logical about the way you breaking down the technical specs and capabilities of random tools. Like a meditation…thank you, please dont stop. It is a service for the world
Thanks!
I watch his videos at night and it helps me fall asleep 😂
I say its his voice “very impressive” and not boring
One of the things I like about all these videos is that Todd always says where a product is made. It saves me a lot of time since I will avoid buying anything made in China if it is possible. Thanks
Thanks!
Like-minded soul here. I will gladly spend more to buy American
Try not to buy Chinese, but i will gladly buy Taiwanese made, they seem to know what they are doing
@@forzaguy1252 ROC > CCP
@@forzaguy1252 THIS ^
This is the only channel I trust for product reviews and comparisons. Thank you for your service. You truly look like you enjoy every minute of it.
Thanks and you are welcome!
Ex retail worker here. Just a reminder that, if you can wait, tools often come on sale in May/June for Father's Day. At least that was in the past....
Thanks for sharing.
I have Fathers Day marked on my calendar for this one reason 😅
That makes so much sense now that I'm reading it. Don't know why I never thought of this before. Thanks for sharing this tip.
Sales? In retail? No way!
@@TheSaw410 They did say "At least that was in the past" lol
I shop thrift stores and buy just about every old tool that I can; half the fun is figuring out what the tool is. It is sad that the tools are often from an old gentleman or gentlewoman who passed away without heirs to cherish the craftsman and his or her tools; may they Rest In Peace. I am in the same boat with no heirs so... I have taken box wrenches and sliced a very narrow slot to fit over the tubing. Then I clamp down on the box end with a pair of vise grips to really put some force on the flare nut. I also use Freeze, Kroil, or Knock-r-Loose overnight if possible. Thank you for another great tool test.
Vice grips? How much room do you have to work with? You're better off giving the tube nut a whack to shock it, that will unseize the nut real nice.
Thank you for sharing!
That gentleman/woman saying is funny. In Europe we have some similar ones when buying a second hand car: it belonged to an old lady that was only driving it to the church :)
@@ContraVsGigi well, I reckon what he meant he just goes to the yard sale after the passing.
not that common in europe at least in places i've been.
@@lasskinn474 OP opened with "I shop thrift stores" not yard sales.
What about Sunday flea markets, swap meets etc because there are always old tools at those events? They do/have them in Europe?
i used the headlight restore kit recommended, the sylvania one. it looks brand new, thanks again. i dont trust a single youtuber other than you. i always use the products you reccomend and i am always glad i did. you are the man!
Thanks!
Haha, I can say that for several products, but have been really impressed with the windshield crack/chip repair. I had tried several kits over the years but none seemed to do much. But the kit Todd tested with the best results has worked well for my gravel attracting windshields!
This channel became my go-to for reviews. No bs, no favoritism, and directly going to the point. Companies should ask for your stamp of approval.
Thanks!
We all appreciate what you do for us Todd!!! THANK YOU! 👊👊👊
I appreciate that!
His name is Project
Uh, no. Its Todd@@philkugler2429
I second that.
I find it interesting how the Craftsman wrenches look--and behave--very differently from the ones in my garage, which I bought almost 30 years ago.
Another great job! Thanks!
Well said about having the harder tool break rather than damage the fastener!
Good Point! Thanks and you are welcome!
The quality is just not the same. USA vs... you know
The C in Craftsman now stands for Chinesium.
@ixfxi Agreed. I have some older Craftsman tools and they're rock-solid. The new stuff is junk.
@@ixfxi Really, it's not USA vs X.. It's USA companies who have outsourced to whoever can do it cheapest.. Chinese manufacturers could make the highest quality.. But Craftsman doesn't want that anymore. They want maximum profits. Quality means keeping every piece of the manufacturing process in good shape. It means more maintenance of the equipment, lower lifespan on the "replaceable" pieces, stricter QC.
But no, instead they increased the tolerances to allow for inferior products to be sold. And they keep selling. I really wonder what the profits margins are like for their tools.
This is going to be a great comparison video. The quality of these wrenches vary a lot.
Great point! Thank you!
I'm sad that I hadn't seen this channel until now, but also kind of excited for myself that I get to watch it all for the first time and everyone else here can't have that experience! Awesome, thorough and straightforward reviews for all kinds of things I actually need and use around the house and property, and it puts in drastic relief how bad the internet has gotten for plain old information these days. I've never subscribed to a channel so fast, and I hope you're being rewarded.
Thanks! Thanks for watching and subscribing!
Great test Todd, thank you very much!
As a retired professional automotive technician that started buying these tools back in the 1970's, I can tell you back then nothing compared to Snap-On. I used to bail out other techs out all the time with my "at-the-time" way better quality Snap-On tools. When they started stripping fasteners, quite often my Snap-On tool would save the day. However, the patents ran out on the flank drive sockets and wrenches a long time ago because even the cheaper tools are using the same technology now. Very nice to have less costly options like Proto; if I was starting out today I'd probably not even look at the Snap-On line and save thousands of dollars...
Thanks and you are welcome!
Snap-On is still doing the best heat treating in the industry. That's what you're paying for. Heat treating is an art. Snap-On is practicing the art at a very high level too. They use a triple treatment process. Which is one treatment more than everyone else does.
Back in the day the Mac line wrenches were way better. How do I know. My dad had both Snap-on and a set of Mac and the Mac's were better by a long shot.
@larrydudgeon2846 I had/have both too and MAC's were good, but not better than Snap-On in the '70's, not even close...
@@1pcfred unfortunately for Snap-On, producing the best tool available requires more than good heat treating. While they're good on paper, Snap-On is consistently beaten in the field by Knipex and Klein in pliers, MAC and Proto (and Williams and etc.) in ratchets, sockets, and wrenches; Wera and Wiha in screwdrivers, and so on. Which would be fine if Snap-On was priced what they're worth. These days, most Snap-On tools are worth about half what they cost IMO. They're still good, but not $$$$ good.
Love that you measured the width of the deformation that the wrenches leave. That really helps quantify the depth of the taper and the actual working surface. Thanks for all that you do!
Thanks and you are welcome!
When you need to work on anything with a brake line or a fuel line, a flare nut wrench is essential. 20 or 30 years ago, I would have recommended Craftsman, but those days are long gone. My Dad gave me his old Proto 1/2 inch socket set when I turned 18, so it's nice to see that they are still making a good reliable tool no matter what corporation runs the company.
After years of wondering why so many difficult tube nuts would get rounded from my Craftsman flare wrenches, I bought myself a used set of SnapOns and never looked back. It was easier to stomach the buy since they were used, but hands down they are strong and reliable. Nice to see this video proves that.
Thanks for the feedback.
I don't have flare nut wrenches. I do have Vise Grips though. If Vise Grips can't get it then the line gets cut and it gets an impact socket on it. It's coming apart one way, or another. I can guarantee that.
@@1pcfred ;So, I guess that you're the type of guy who rips open a zip lock bag with your teeth. You know, finesse is not a four letter word.
Likewise. Fortunately, I filled my tool box with Craftsman back in the 70's.
My buddies and I played the Project Farm drinking game. (A beer for every "very impressive" occurrence)
Not everyone made it until the end...
I love this channel!!!
I play that game with "..we're gonna test that.."
Gluttons for punishment. Classic. lol
Is it even possible to drink beer that fast? I would think that Wild Turkey 101 would be the only way to play this game.
My buddy is a diehard Gearwrench and Matco fanboy, he always told me I was wasting my money on Snap-On and the better performing brands. Looks like I will send him a link to this video. Very Impressive.
One of the few creators left that I will actually sit through full length form. Been waiting on this vid
Went from 50 vies to 250 real quick, been watching you for years , can't wait till me and my future kid can watch your videos!
Awesome! Thank you!!
I know 1st hand from years (er-decades?) of doing my own DYI on my vehicles, the poor fit (sloppiness) of flare wrenches. I also found that metric flare wrenches can be a good fit on SAE brake line fittings. A 12mm can be a good substitute for a 1/2", a 14mm a good sub for a 9/16". These metric wrenches fit tighter on the nut. Really love your channel.
Thanks!
A half inch is 12.7mm and 9/16" = 14.29mm so the metric sizes are a smidge smaller. But then there's tool tolerances. A half inch wrench wouldn't fit on a half inch fastener. It'd just be too tight. I mean you could hammer it on. I'm not sure how you'd get it back off. Generally anything less than 4 thousandths difference is an interference fit. You need some slop. 3/4 - 19mm is another close match too. They're basically the same size. You don't need both of those tools.
Thanks! Hey there. Just bought my kid an electric water gun. I think, with summer coming, a review of the performance/value of the range of electric water guns out there would be appreciated and watched by many.
The gun I bought looks like a glock 9mm but has “Battle” on the side. There are several versions of the gun on Amazon, but this one comes with two batteries and a small and large capacity water magazines.
I appreciate your work and look forward to your next video.
Thank you
Sincerely
Derek Olshevski
Thanks so much! Thanks for supporting the channel! I really appreciate it!
What a fantastic test!! Not only was it thorough - it was informative in layman's terms and explained how and why a particular tool will perform better. You sir have once again checked ALL the boxes!
Thank you!
Finally! I have a set of flare nut wrenches set but I am constantly worrying if there is something better, I look for your videos before making a purchase so you can imagine the breath of fresh air to see a new video with exactly what I need
Thank you so much for your work 💚
You are welcome! Thanks for the feedback.
What's the specific use for flare nut wrenches?
Williams makes some really great tools. I've got a set of their aluminum handle pipe wrenches that I added to my work-box years ago and they've worked just as good as my Rigid brand.
Thank you for sharing!
Good to know, thanks! 😎✌️
Where can I find Williams tools?
@@pnotuner1 Been almost 20yrs ago but I think I bought mine from Grainger, when I bought my set of GENERAL Internal Pipe-Wrenches.
@@pnotuner1 It's been almost 20yrs but I think I bought them through Grainger when I bought my set of Internal Pipe-Wrenches.
Back in 2022 ( COVID-era ) I had to deal with a nasty 18mm / 0.71" hexagon steel nut in a brass block holding a solenoid piston assembly in place. Its edges only offered 2mm / 0.08" of contact atea to work with. The wrench had a quite deep taper on both sides. After rounding numerous nits of this type, I had to come up with a neat idea before tossing the towel: Grabbed an angle grinder with a grinding disc, viced the wrench, and ground off the taper area completely, until I was flush with the hexagon shape itself. A final touch with a flap disc to smoothen the wrench ring made it look good, and since then the wrench can tackle any slim-sized nut. It has become a key tool in my profession on a daily basis.
The taper has only one purpose: Easy lineup with the nut as it acts like a funnel. But sometimes - as in my case - a downside.
Thanks for sharing.
Guys over at Torque Test Channel giving you a shout out in one of their videos speaks volumes about your rep. Thanks for all you do to bring us the numbers. It's greatly appreciated.
Can you do sockets? Just regular sockets. 6-point vs 6-point, 12 vs 12, etc. After that, you can have a grand finale of 6 vs 12 vs _______. I've looked and all I found was wrenches, damaged fasteners sockets etc.
Thanks! Thanks for the suggestion.
@@ProjectFarm 6 vs 12 vs spline would be great.
I would have never expected a wrench to stretch like that. Over time, and maybe not a long time, the wrench will "wear out". Really enlightening.
Thank you for sharing!
I know it refutes the idea of a decent stand alone tool, however, if you clamp the flare wrench with vice grips, it will break fasteners before slipping. If you don't have a spare flare nut and don't want to roll the dice, give it a try. I love my 10mm SnapOn flare but after watching Todd's torture testing, I wish it was a Proto. 👍
THUS the importance of replacements for free-warranty.
all wrench's will stretch with strong use.
@@harryharry3193 would they replace a tool if it isn’t obviously broken? Would you have to get out your calipers? I just never thought of a wrench stretching before. I thought they broke or didn’t break.
It's important to note that stretching (plastic deformation) is generally a result of excessive stress. Keep in mind, he's using a cheater bar and seeing how much they can take before completely stripping the nut. In practice, I'd hope you don't do the same with your tools. Under more reasonable stress, the metal shouldn't leave the region of elastic deformation, where there is no permanent elongation and it will return to its original size. While materials will fatigue from repeated stress, that's typically on the order of 100k - 1 million cycles - way more times than you'll ever use a wrench.
I'd go with Proto as well. None of their tools have ever let me down.
Thanks for the feedback.
Stanley Black & Decker owns Proto today.
@@1pcfred I know, but I still have had good luck with them. And for the price they’re pretty hard to beat, but no tool or brand is perfect.
Career ending injury lmao🤣🤣🤣🤣 i agree wirh you proto tools you cant go wrong with
@@Sainte305 Proto got bought by Stanley and Stanley is indeed a company that will not be beaten. Their bean counters don't leave any meat on the bone. Which can affect overall quality.
Thanks!
Thank you for letting me know the best performing line wrenches, without having to buy them myself! I was getting very tired of my gearwrench open ends as I feel they were the worst lol and I wanted a better set of open-end wrenches to deal with certain Flair nuts. I didn't want to go for line wrenches because then, I would have still had "bad" open-ends. I decided to go with the Mac Tools RBRT wrenches with the 6-point Box end. They have been phenomenal! I treat them like my candy tools 🤣
right when my food was ready i got a notification that my favorite youtuber posted a video
Perfect timing! Thank you
I like the learnings section at the end of the video, I hope this becomes a regular addition. Thanks for your hard work!
You're welcome!
Dang it. bought a set to do brake lines. the craftsman about 18 years ago. Tried to use them. They wouldn't break th connection. Sloppy fit for the metric set. I never knew there was a quality difference back then. You have highlighted the problem and what the right tool is for the job. THANKS from the bottom of my heart. I'd easily do a brake job today with two knipex parallel pliers. All day. Back then we used two regular vice grips and marred the fittings to death. But that is all that would work back then. THANKS again
You are welcome!
I use a 3/8 7/16 gearwrench flare nut wrench at work for fuel oil burners. It works a lot better than the adjustable wrench I used to use which slipped if a fitting had been torqued down too hard
Thank you for sharing!
Trying to remove a Power Steering line on my Wife's 78 Mustang II back in the early 80s my Craftsman flare wrench failed me. I was able to borrow a Snap-On flare wrench that worked flawlessly. Needless to say I bought a Snap-On set.
Great Test as ALWAYS ! ! ! ! ! ! Thanks ! ! ! ! ! !
Thanks!
Your tests and evaluations are very much appreciated, always look to your videos when making decisions on what to buy!! Thanks
Thanks and you are welcome!
An extremely useful hand tool that I've used countless times over the years. That's a really great torque tester. Your thorough testing and close up images are top notch! Thanks for the video
You are welcome!
I hope the tools companies watch your videos so they can learn how to improve their tools keep up the good work thanks
Thank you!
Once upon a time I worked at a gold mill in CO. Our tools of choice for everyday work were New Britain and Proto. You can't imagine the conditions and abuse they suffered. The Proto tools were cruder but STRONG. Then later I had a big farm in MO and again, invested in New Britain and Proto. All the bigger tools were Proto and never once had a failure of any kind. They were cared for better than at the gold mill but used as hard. Thanks for this review!
I worked in a NAPA store in the '80's and have a lot of New Britain tools. Still.
You are welcome! Thanks for sharing.
@@woodrowsmith3400 Love New Britain tools. So much so that I scoured the Net for the New Britain 'story'. Turn of the 20th-century tool company that made lots of familiar brands...if you're an old guy.
Proto awesome 👍
Badass! Colorado native here and geological engineering student. Did you work at the big-ass bitch in Victor? Visited there on several field trips and really cool operation that seems passionate about what they do and excited to share it with future geology nerds!
I agree with you I’d rather have the tool break than just stretch that way you know it’s been compromised rather than stretch and not notice until it’s too late.
I know it would be subjective and a bit inaccurate but I’d like to see a revisit a similar test with used/old wrenches to see if one that has been well seasoned holds up or does poorly against the new one.
Thanks for the suggestion.
This is why I keep watching these videos: I never would've even considered Proto or Williams but they're solid. I always thought Matco was overpriced for their quality and this test scientifically confirms that.
Another day hearing "Very impressive!" and smiling is another good day. Please keep up the awesome comparisons!
Thanks, will do!
You could test different types of drywall joint compounds and tapes. Mesh tape vs paper vs fiber
Thank you for the video idea!
Thank you PJ for another stunning video & all the great work you are putting into this!
My pleasure! Thanks again!!
My 50 year old NAPA 3/8 x 7/16 flare nut wrench broke last year. Took it back and they gave me a new one. yay.
Thanks for sharing.
Week in/week out there's never any mystery as to why you have 3.14M subscribers. Thanks for all the time, effort and thought that goes into each video
that we benefit from-especially that of resisting those who'd love nothing more than to have you $howcase/promote their products. Thanks again. God bless.
Thanks and you are welcome!
Sad Matco/Williams and Craftsman has went to the dumps.....years back when they were made in U.S. ...they were top notch or close to Snap-on and Proto was always a good brand as a darkhorse for some reason....but those that have been around,Proto makes good tools and boxes still today. Love your videos man!
Don't blame the "Made not in the USA". Any country is capable of making anything. It's not magic. The "Names" are still US names and they find someone to build their stuff to their specs. They don't want to pay, even in outsourcing to a foreign company. Less quality and cheaper for them to make? Great combo. You'd think less labor went into it, they'd use the savings and put it into quality. Funny how, phones can be made "Over there" with no problems. My Samsung S21 was made in Vietnam. Very good chance the chips in your phone are made in Taiwan.
Thanks!
Williams didn't do bad. They came out third. First in value I'd say.
Excellent! Flare nut wrenches are where never to skimp on. Deserves a Part 2. To include Vintage Craftsman, Blackhawk, Cornell, Armstrong, Gedore, Stahlwille, Hazet, Beta, SK.
Add in Wright Tools as well!
Thanks! Thanks for the suggestion.
I have a lot of vintage sk and also several vintage Armstrong and Wright in my tool collection. I used to work as a car mechanic. My older mac and snapon tools are also generally very good, but I would not say that they’re always better than older sk or Armstrong or williams, etc.
I loved the ergonomics and quality of old sk. I haven’t used any sk tools newer than 20 years old, and so I cannot comment on the quality now.
Those old made in the USA tools were great though. Some tools made in taiwan are pretty good. Some European tools (but not all) are also very good. I think some gear wrench tools are made in China, but their top end stuff is probably better than the average hand tool at a big box store in the USA (also likely made in China).
Craftsman tools vary greatly in quality. The best craftsman wrenches from decades ago were solid, but some of the old stuff was also terrible. I am guessing that all new craftsman hand tools are pretty bad.
Tekton, Capri
The problem with vintage tools is they're no longer available to purchase today. So it is pointless to test them now. Because no one's going to be able to get them.
For almost 60 years I've used a combination of snap on, proto, and craftsmans, depending on application. But my go-to is Armstrong. If you you could, give these a try to see if i have put to much faith in them. Great job as usual. I don't spend any money on anything, until i see if you put it through a test. Thank you very much for all you do. Best channel on UA-cam, period.
Thanks and you are welcome!
These are essential videos! Thanks for everything you do man! Cheers from Colombia amigo !
Thanks and you are welcome!
Yess been waiting for this one!
Thank you!
You are the entirely the reason to why I puchased all my power tools a specific brand based on my personal needs.
Thank you for all the helpful information you've done for us
You're welcome!
very interesting that a regular open beat so many dedicated flare nut wrenches. quality can mean so much.
I will be adding some new tools to my Christmas list based on this video.
Thanks again.
Thanks for the feedback.
Saw you in a clip of Westin Champlin's video yesterday. It was from Matt's offroad recovery's offroad challenge in Utah.
That was a fun event!! I enjoyed meeting everyone who attended!!
@@ProjectFarm sure looked like it was a blast.
Was Matt giving a symposium on how too commit insurance fraud? Something he's very good at.
@@RealJeep what happened with insurance fraud?
@@Frankensteins_Highboy Matt pled no contest in Utah for defrauding Insurance companies. Google it.
Maybe next time you can test the Wright brand wrenches, they’re comparable with Mac and other higher quality brands and they’re made in the U.S. also.
I already own a set of Wright tubing wrenches but I’d like to see how they compare to the others you’ve tested, there’s nothing like having Project Farm show you what you really have and how they stack up if you’ve already purchased that product.
Thanks for showing us how different wrenches compare to each other, great job as always.
Thank you for the video idea!
Yeah like a round 2, and add like capri, tekton
@@SaltMinerOU812 I'd like to see other brands tested, as well as Vise Grips and Eagle Grips that often get used instead of a proper wrench.
@@abrahamsandwich4532 shame Malco already discontinued their grips.
I have the wright line wrenches. Don’t use them often and don’t have any other brands to compare them with. But they are solid and a snug fit. I was hoping they would be included in this comparison. But they are hard to come by sometimes
Project Farm: A true American Hero!
We're lucky to have you! Thanks for all your hard work!
Thanks and you are welcome!
I was glad to see you tested two different sizes from each brand - makes it a little more likely you'll catch quality inconsistencies from wrench to wrench
Thanks!
i wish you could do multimeter comparison video next time ❤
Thank you for the video idea!
Easily one of my favorite tools
We love you so much from Iran ❤❤❤❤
Thank you and hope you enjoy the video!
Crescent wouldn't have needed to run a 34% discount today if they knew Todd was dropping this video!
Twenty one clams for both metric and SAE? Yes, please.
Good job, India.
It seems every time a product is subject of a UA-cam review, the price skyrockets. I expect the 34% discount will disappear real fast.
It seems like for price, performance, and "not made in China", Crescent goes for the win. If I made my living with the tools, I'd probably go with the US made Proto (BTW the small set is now over $100). I put the three-piece Crescent set for $10.99 in my Amazon list. We'll see how long the price stays that low. I have lots of Crescent tools made in USA that my Dad bought and used including Crescent "Crestoly" crescent wrenches.
the ones I bought a couple decades ago all finally broke.
Great Video. Thank you sir for sharing it.
Thanks and you are welcome!
Only channel i wouldnt mind watching an ad at the beginning of the video!
Thank you very much!
Video suggestion: Revisit of diesel fuel additive comparison. Comaring Seafoam, Archoil, Hot Shots Secret, Stanadyne, ACDelco, F Bomb, and Amsoil everyday treatments to compare their detergent properties, cetane boosting capability, efficiency improvement, lubricity when diluted in fuel, and ash content left after combustion would be a tremendous help to the diesel community.
Great suggestion! Thank you
Love this idea, particularly, lubricant additives for those of us with CP4 variants.
Don’t forget Lucas fuel injector cleaner
@@abmtz8537 I never realized it was safe for diesels. It definitely belongs on the list!
And opti-lube
I’m so disappointed with the premium mechanics brands (other than Snap-on) there’s no excuse for this poor performance, these companies have been lost
The additional suggestion/recommendations at the end is great advice and appreciated.
Most experienced mechanics know what they like. But even as a middle aged carpenter I never considered the size of nut would change the desired style of wrench. Upon hearing your explanation, it all makes sense.
Wise advice.
Thanks!
It Showed up. Pop up notice FWIW
You’re first! Hope you enjoy the video!
@@Frixsyz you are non value added.
Yes i am
@@Frixsyz How so? Gaming videos?
It just ain't Sunday without a trip to the farm. Thanks for another great video.
You are welcome!
Can't beat a good flare nut wrench.
I'm always amazed at how well Kobalt performs in these tests.
Todd, have you ever tested industrial adhesives like epoxy and cyanoacrylate?
Not yet. Thank you for the suggestion!
Kobalt is an amazing value for the cost. I use all there 24v MAX tools including mower, blowers and weedeater. Nothing has failed me in years.
@@ProjectFarm you're welcome Todd! Thank you for the reply!
That USA Proto is a beast! Hard to beat that kind of price/performance. The Williams on the other hand like you said is surprisingly a big win on that price/performance scale. For that price on the williams you can afford to buy 2 sets to have an extra of each on hand. What were the warranties like on the different brands? That could play a nice role in the value as well. I have a bunch of the old old Williams sockets and wrenches back when they were USA made as well. Those have definitely withstood the test of time! The poor performance on the quinns was pretty shocking as well. I wonder how the Icons stand up, if they even produce them yet. Another great tool review vid! Might have to change the channel name to PFT, Project Farm Testing!
Thanks!
Remember when “Craftsman” was Craftsman?
You've completely and utterly proven you don't get what you pay for.
Lol excite the tester 😂
#1 channel on UA-cam and the only one I support on Patreon. Thank you once again for an excellent video Todd.
Thanks and you are welcome!
"I was on a road trip when a brake line ruptured" dude whatever brand of underwear you were wearing needs a review here.
You have two completely separate brake lines for front and rear, it's usually not dangerous unless both rupture which is rare
Depends on the vehicle. My brother has an old Ford with a proportioning valves. It blocks off front or rear if it pushes too much fluid that way indicating a serious leak. His corroded and failed.
My proportioning valve failed on my 93 Ranger some years ago. Only found out when I couldn’t bleed the rear drums. What a PIA to replace. Replaced it with a reman Cardone unit.
Social drink every time he says MADE IN CHINA
Started doing this when I started watching these videos... Now I'm an alcoholic 😂😂😂😂
So many high quality tools especially anything complicated like computers or electronics all the best are made in china
Love your channel. I don't shop for tools until I've swung by your channel first.
Thrilled to see this comparison! Thank you!
I think it's worth noting that since flare nut wrenches are almost always used on hydraulic coupling nuts and other similar fittings that usually have tapered threads or other characteristics that mean the wrench will rarely be up against a boss like in your test, the taper may not actually play a huge role in real-world performance. That said I suspect your rankings wouldn't be affected much anyway.
Another note: I have loved when you've included an older, USA-made Craftsman tool for comparison in these hand tool reviews; I wonder how an 80s-era Craftsman would have performed here, since I still have several and they've never let me down.
You are welcome!
I love how reliable and applicable your testing is. That said, spring cleanup is here! I'd like to suggest chippers/leaf shredders, weed killer concentrates, and wheel barrows!
Thanks! Thanks for the suggestion.
i have a full set (imperial & metric) of gear wrench - open ended wrenches. really wish i would have bought the Williams after seeing this.
Williams also makes my FAVORITE ratcheting screw driver.
Great video! keep up the good work!!!
Thanks, will do!
Great test of wrenches for the most frustrating job. Williams also makes a ratcheting flare nut wrench that I believe is stronger than the typical open box design. I have a few of them-they are expensive-but worth it. Thanks again.
You are welcome! Thanks for the feedback.
Indeed, I would have liked to see that type tested as well, the Proto J3800A set is similar. Also curious how a normal adjustable wrench will compare (as you can adjust for a perfect fit), as well as something like Knipex's Pliers Wrench.
You really do deserve any sucess thats come your way, because the amount of work you put in for these videos is staggering. I appercite it, anytime i decide to buy a tool or something i always check your channel 1st to see if youve done a test.
Thanks so much!
Favorite lines “the Performance tool brand is really struggling with performance..” and “the fancy styling of the Milwaukee brand failed to impress the torque meter..”. You’re cracking me up, Todd. You are a machine!
Lol Thanks!
You content just keeps getting better! So glad you're including tool truck brands in your regular testing. Here's a test idea; they say they didn't make em like they used to. Would be a fun video if you could test a few vintage tools against the modern set to see how they stack to. I have a set of Craftsman from the early 80's and I swear they hold up much better than most of the newer tools I have (on the rare occasion that one breaks I loath having to warranty them because the new stuff is thicker and not as good).
Keep up the good work, I'm sharing this one with all my gear head friends!
Thanks, will do! Thanks for the suggestion.
When my 2003 GMC Sonoma reached 100,000 miles I decided to change the fuel filter. I had a set of made in Taiwan flare nut wrenches. I could tell pretty quick that the wrench was flexing and was going to round off the nut, so I quit. The truck was running fine. The filter sat there on a shelf mocking me for a few years. I decided to get a better wrench. Bought a Williams flare nut wrench in the proper size. Had to drive it onto the nut because it was tight on the rusty nut. It broke it loose quick and easy. I would highly recommend Williams brand. I guess my wrench is an older one. It is made in the USA.
Thanks for the feedback.
Absolutely love the channel!!! What I want to know and I'm sure many others want to know is how you maintain the energy thru the whole video. What kind of coffee do you drink and/or what do you do to maintain that energy? Very Impressive!!!!!!
I’ve recently been looking into and getting interested in the 3D printing world. 3D printers, different kinds of filaments and their strengths and weaknesses, etc. I think it could be a really good area of tools and hardware for you to get into. It would bring in a whole community of viewers.
I love your videos! Keep it up!
Thanks, will do. Thanks for the suggestion.
@@ProjectFarm Awesome! Here’s some more specific ideas. I’m getting a Bambu Labs X1-Carbon soon. There are a lot of reviews out there that talk about features of different printers and review them that way, so it was pretty easy to choose the printer I wanted for my needs. So much of 3D printing is getting the settings right. The videos out there that compare the strengths of filament types and stuff are not nearly as in depth or scientific as your videos. Comparing PLA, PETG, ABS, ASA, PA-CF, and other carbon fiber blend filaments. Utilizing different part geometries to test different kinds of applications. Compression strength, layer adhesion, and just strength in different ways in the way that you format your reviews would be so valuable to so many people. There are different brands of filament and that makes a difference, but I’m more interested in the strengths and weaknesses of filament materials as a whole.
Thanks for considering all of this!
Great video. Proto is what my grandfather left me to work with as a tool set. Torque wrenches stopped working and they couldn't fix them. Still a great company.
Thanks! Thanks for sharing.
I just discovered this channel and it's awesome. Love these tests.
Thanks and you are welcome!
About 50 years ago I bought a Craftsman flare nut wrench set. Sadly, I never have found a flare nut it would work on without the jaw spreading out and damaging the fittings. It didn't matter the size of the flare nut I tried it on. Finally went to my old stand by, Vice Grip pliers. Cousin Eddie is 100% correct!
Thanks for sharing.
I learned the flare nut wrench lesson. I had a brake bleeder screw strip with both type of wrenches..ended up going over to the ole heat and tap the caliper! Worked like a charm!
Thanks for sharing.
There are two main directions you can have offset. The handle can be offset out of the plane of the nut to give clearance for fingers and the opening of the jaw can be offset from the centerline of the wrench. I couldn't help but notice some wrenches had offset openings and some were symmetrical. Also, when the opening is offset, theoretically the tool will be more effective when you apply force to the side with the longer jaw.
As far as the results, I have metric Snap-On wrenches for metric sizes and Proto for SAE. I find my 30+ year old American cars usually have more room and need less precision, but modern cars usually give you way too little room and have fasteners sized smaller than I would like, presumably to make the cars cheaper at the cost of future serviceability.
Thank you for all of your testing of these different tools and brands. As a consumer is great to know where the best performance and best value lies with these manufacturers. High performing manufacturers that produce a quality product also deserve to be rewarded as well.
You are welcome!
Good testing it proves what I suspected all along. I have never had much luck wit flair nut wrenches They all just seemed to spread and tear things up for the most part. Sometimes it is easier just to tear up the nut and then replace the hose which you were going to do anyway. Hydraulic fittings for the most part are a 1 and done anyway so a big wrench for the win. Smaller flairs generally do not take as much force to break loose so the wrenches last longer.
I might try a set of the Williams flair nut wrenches. I have some Williams sockets that are 50 years old and still hanging tough, I doubt that the flair nut wrenches will go the distance, I would never know anyway.
Thanks! Thanks for sharing.
I always am entertained at seeing how cheap tools outperform the super-expensive one's. It just goes to show that it's not always high price that determines a tool's quality. The first time I used my flare nut wrench was when I did a brake job and the nut was practically sealed to the caliper. It's cool to see that these tools have a purpose, YA, a box wrench's open end might have freed up that sealed nut, but I wasn't going to risk it, and the flare net I purchased at "Princess Auto" (Canada's equivalent to Harbor Freight) did the job just fine. Thanks for your videos Todd!
Thanks! Thanks for the feedback.
loved this... my anecdotal experience has been similar... most of the time a "regular" wrench does just fine. I have a set of ~30 year old Craftsman flare wrenches - I wonder if they are better than the post-bankruptcy ones
Probably better than the new ones but not as good as Snap on or vintage Mac or Bonney
Thanks! Thanks for the feedback.
These videos are so good, you are definately teaching this old dog some new tricks (& saving some money) And learning that 'you get what you pay for' isn't always correct. Cheers!
Thanks!
Another phenomenal comparison video Todd!!
VIDEO SUGGESTIONS...
1. BEST MINI RATCHET
(WERA, VIM TOOLS, WIHA, WADSWORTH, ICON, SUNEX, etc.)
2. BEST FILLET KNIFE
(LEECHL LAKE, BUCK, BUBBA, DEXTER, RAPALA, WÜSTHOF, etc.)
THANKS!
Thanks! Thanks for the suggestions.