6 Common Types of Wrenches and How They Work

Wrenches are commonly used to tighten and loosen objects. Also known as spanners, they are handheld tools that allow for the application of torque. But there are many different types of wrenches. Each type uses a different method of operation.

#1) Monkey

Monkey wrenches are a type of adjustable wrench. They feature a pair of jaws. One of the jaws is fixed, whereas the other is adjustable. To use a monkey wrench, you can place an object inside of the jaws. You can then tighten the adjustable jaw so that the monkey wrench clamps down on the object.

#2) Pipe

Many plumbers use pipe wrenches. As their name suggests, pipe wrenches are designed to tighten and loosen pipes. They feature a similar appearance to monkey wrenches. The main difference is that monkey wrenches feature a pair of flat jaws, whereas pipe wrenches have deep-toothed jaws to provide a stronger grip.

#3) Combination

There are combination wrenches available. Combination wrenches are fixed, non-adjustable wrenches that feature a wrench head on one end and a socket on the other end. You can use both ends to tighten and loosen objects. The socket end simply allows combination wrenches to support hexagonal nuts.

#4) Allen Wrenches

Perhaps the simplest type of wrench is the Allen wrench. They consist of L-shaped pieces of metal. Allen wrenches have a long arm and a small arm, which are connected at a 90-degree angle. This design results in an L-shaped appearance. Allen wrenches are used to tighten and loosen small, recessed hexagonal fasteners.

#5) Open-Ended

You may come across open-ended wrenches. Open-ended wrenches are characterized by a fixed width. They typically have a wrench head on both ends. With their fixed width, you can't adjust the size of their wrench heads.

#6) Ratchet

Another common type of wrench is ratchet. Ratchet wrenches are used to tighten and loosen non-recessed hexagonal fasteners. Also known as socket wrenches, they feature a socket that's connected to a handle. You can place the ratchet over a non-recessed hexagonal fastener. Turning the handle clockwise or counterclockwise will then tighten or loosen the fastener.

In Conclusion

If you're going to buy a wrench, you'll need to choose the right type. Not all wrenches are the same. There are many different types of wrenches, some of the most common being monkey, pipe, combination, Allen, open-ended and ratchet or socket.