Thin crowsfoot wrench heads - how useful?

[Stephen Tashiro]

How useful is this type of crowsfoot wrench head?: http://www.amazon.com/Martin-Crowfoot-Standard-thickness-Industrial/dp/B004E3WDBI/ref=sr_1_sc_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1320974707&sr=8-2-spell

It looks like it would fit well in tight places , but the thin construction looks like it might flex and open up if you exerted a lot of torque. (I'm thinking about it as a substitute for a basin wrench when dealing with faucet connections under the sink. No doubt it would also see automotive use if I owned such a tool.)

[Greg R Bradley]

These were designed for nuts on tubing.

The slot is designed to slip over the tube so that you can tighten the nut. A normal tubing wrench looks like a normal combination wrench except that it is much thicker (for the tall nuts used on tubing) and has a slot in the closed end to slip over the tube. This version is the closed end of that with a socket adapter. Its use is where you don't have access from the side to use a normal tubing wrench. Normal use is equipment with lots of hydraulics and poor access like airplanes. Much more limited use on mechanical fuel injector piping and construction equipment.

The socket fitting has some use where the tubing requires a specific torque setting since you can use a standard torque wrench.

There are much simpler and cheaper tools for faucet connections.

I would call the open end version of this a crowsfoot wrench.

[Stephen Tashiro]

I would call the open end version of this a crowsfoot wrench.

"Crowfoot wrench" is terminology that I, and perhaps The World, haven't figured out. For example, these wrench heads are both called "Crowfoot" (by the seller):

http://www.amazon.com/Wilmar-Performance-W351-Crowfoot-8-Piece/dp/B0002KO1SK

http://www.amazon.com/TEKTON-2580-Inch-Crowfoot-10-Piece/dp/B000NPR2BC

but one set looks like an ordinary "open end" wrenches and the other looks like "line wrenches" (or should I say "tubing wrenches"?).

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What I don't understand about the wrench head in the original post, is whether it can stand the same torque as the above hefty looking wrench heads.

[David Epperson]

"Crowfoot wrench" is terminology that I, and perhaps The World, haven't figured out.
Both wrenches are designed to be driven by a square drive socket wrench - the wrench, when fitted to an extension looks like a "crows foot" on the end of a leg (the extension) - thus the name. Regardless of whether it's an open end, tubing style, or even a box end - if it's driven from a socket square drive, it's a "crows foot" wrench.

[Bruce Page]

I used Snap-On crows foot wenches a lot when I was assembling space vehicles in my previous life. I never had one flex or open up. I have never needed one out side of work.

[Bill White]

I used 'em a lot when I was workin' on motorcycles. Even used 'em on torque wrenches with good results.
Bill

[Ronald Blue]

In my experience these work well in areas where you do no have the room for a conventional wrench or "line" wrench. However I would shy away from this set. The reason a "line" wrench works well is because it is six point not 12 point before the side is removed to allow it to fit over the line. That is critical when you have a extremely tight fitting or bolt you are attempting to loosen or tighten. If it happens to be a copper fitting which is soft anyway "roundover" is virtually impossible with a six point wrench or line wrench. They make "crows foot" wrenches in standard open end configuration as well. I know other posters have touched on some of these points as well. While they can be used for plumbing in most instances it's probably overkill but they will do the job.

[Myk Rian]

I have one that fits the O2 sensors on Fords. The only one I have.