No self respecting motor mechanic would use a wrench instead of a correct
spanner. When I have seen a plumber working they always seem to use a wrench
when they only have to deal with a few different sizes. Any good reason why
they prefer a wrench to a few decent spanners?
The chap that does my Rayburn has every spanner going. In fact every
powertool going - all top quality stuff - lots of Hilti.
I've got a few big spanners laid aside, but for instance 22mm
compression fittings have more than one nut size - some use hex nuts,
some eight-sided etc.
Why would carrying all that weight appeal to anyone with all the other
stuff required for the typical plumbing job? Three decent Bahco
shifters a water pump pliers and stilsons plus a few screwdrivers is
all anyone needs for the sort of job usually encountered.
Working in one place with everything to hand and a tool cabinet on
wheels is ok for mechanics but climbing into a loft or wriggling into
a tight space is a different story in the real world
Cars are made of steel bolts with hexagonal heads. Plumbing uses pre-
rounded corners in a variety of cheesemetals.
Surely it is even more important to have a well fitting tool on
"cheesemetals".
As for comments about tool cabinets on wheels, a plumber would soon find
that a very small number of tools is enough.
eg. Radiator tails, Compression fittings, etc. Know the item - pick up the
tool. (and leave no burrs)
Just because its adjustable, does not mean its a poor fitting one.
Something like this (works like a adjustable spanner, but then tightens
and locks like mole grips):
http://www.toolbank.com/1275/p/STA085610
I find ideal for plumbing, because you can get a proper grip on all the
non standard nut sizes - imperial, metric, chromed etc with no slippage.
Indeed they do. A couple of adjustable spanners, water pump pliers, and
some stilsons. ;-)
Rad tails... some have internal hex fitting - need a radiator tail key
for those. Some have two external flats - need a narrow adjustable
usually for that, some have a hex head - a spanner might do there.
There's no standard sizes and they need to be *big* for 22/28mm
fittings. Bought a few large spanners at car boots and they're great for
the fittings they fit but limited as to what they do fit!
--
Scott
Where are we going and why am I in this handbasket?
Because the nuts we need to use spanners on don't have standard sizes as
motor vehicle (and other) fasteners do. Try finding a single size open
ended spanner that fits all 15mm compression nuts properly - they vary in
size enough that a spanner that fits the largest is sloppy - and liable to
slip - on the smallest.
My coffee table book of '1000 inventions' claims that adjustable spanners
and stilsons were actually invented with plumbers in mind. Once you've
carted spanners around and sifted through them trying to find one that is
both the right size and will get in the right position to sit on the flats
and still have room to turn a sixth of a turn before you have to reposition
it and start again, you soon see the advantages of a couple of sizes of
stilson and adjustable spanner. Sometimes a fixed spanner is the only thing
that will fit, but most of the time an adjustable spanner to hold one side
while you turn the other with the stilson, is just right.
S
When replacing/moving a couple of rads. this summer, I had to use
open-enders as wrenches were too big to get the turn. I needed 3 sizes for
the (nominally same) valves and nuts.
Often in plumbing, it's so difficult to get at the nut that the wrong
spanner can take 30s to change just to find out that it's still wrong. An
adjustable or auto means just one awkward wiggle to reach in.
I'm not a plumber, but I do a lot of plumbing jobs. My plumbing tool bag is
the heaviest one in the van!
Hexagons on plumbing fittings aren't standard, although I do have a split
ring compression fitting spanner
http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Hand+Tools/Plumbers+Tools/Split+Ring+Compression+Fitting+Spanner+1522mm/d10/sd210/p23418
but that only fits about 80% of hex's. Some fitting don't even have
hexagons.
You need quite a lot of specialist kit for plumbing; basin wrenches, tap box
spanners, mole grips, pipe cutters, radiator hex key, water pump pliers,
waste fiting pliers, stiltsons etc - if I carried another half a dozen
spanners I wouldn't be able to lift the bag!
OK for a mechanic with his big Snap On cabinet, but you can't get that up
three flights of stairs.
There are also space restrictions - I know mechanics face those as well, but
they can at least use sockets - plumbers can't.
However there is one wrench that fits as well as any spanner - the Stanley
Locking Adjustable Wrench. Adjusts like a normal adjustable to fit the
hex - then a squeeze of the lever clamps it on.
http://www.stanleytools.com/default.asp?CATEGORY=WRENCHES+HT&TYPE=PRODUCT&PARTNUMBER …-610&SDesc%26%2334%3B+MaxGrip%26%23153%3B+Locking+Adjustable+Wrench
--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk
Problem I find is that nut sizes are not sufficiently standardised... I
have a couple of pressed steel plumbing spanners designed for
compression fittings. Sometimes they are handy because they are slim,
but usually the fit on the nut is not good enough.
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