31 Types of Wrenches: How To Use? With [Pictures & PDF]

In this article, you will learn what are types of wrenches and how to use them? With pictures. And also you can download the PDF file at the end of this post.

Wrenches and Types

For fastening and loosening bolts and pipes, apart from the spanners different types of wrenches are used. Most of these wrenches are adjustable, with different opening ranges.

Apart from that, screwdrivers are also applied to tightening and loosening any given job or screw. Furthermore, check out the types of hammers and types of spanners used in the workshop. In the workshops, usually, the following types of wrenches are used.

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Types of Wrenches

Following are the 31 types of wrenches and their uses:

1. According to the Standard Types of Wrenches
   1. Pipe wrench
   2. Chain wrench
   3. Socket wrench
   4. Torque wrench
   5. Ratcheting Wrench
   6. Oil Filter Wrench
   7. Combination wrench
   8. Adjustable wrench
   9. Impact Wrench
   10. Crowfoot Wrench
2. According to the Special Types of Wrenches
   1. Pedal Wrench
   2. Monkey wrench
   3. Pliers Wrench
   4. Strap wrench
   5. Plumber’s Wrench
   6. Tap Wrench
   7. Spud Wrench
   8. Alligator Wrench
   9. Basin Wrench
   10. Armorer’s Wrench
   11. Dog Bone Wrench
   12. Drum Key
   13. Bung Wrench
   14. Fan Clutch Wrench
   15. Hammer Wrench
   16. Torx Key
   17. Cone Wrench
   18. Garbage Disposal Wrench
   19. Tension Wrench
   20. Spoke Wrench
   21. Spanner Wrench

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#1 Pipe Wrench

As per its name, this spanner is used to fasten or dismantle pipes and their units. Its jaw is made of forging tough steel. On its movable jaw flat threads are cut and on its fixed jaw, a plate is joined with a groove In it.

A knurled round nut is fitted in this groove. On revolving this nut, the movable jaw increases or reduces the size by moving up or down. A spring is fixed between the fixed and movable jaw, which helps in the proper grip of the job. Pipe wrenches are made of 6”, 9”, and 18”.

#2 Chain Wrench

To fasten or dismantle pipes or round jobs of larger diameter, a chain wrench is used. When the job is held in the wrench it is revolved. A plate having cuts in its mouth is fitted, which is joined with a rivet. Chain drips the job very strongly.

#3 Socket Wrench

The socket wrench (or ratchet) uses a ratcheting mechanism to allow you to quickly tighten or loosen the nuts or bolts without removing the wrench from the fastener.

This type of wrench is available with 1/4″, 3/8″ (most common), 1/2″, and 1″ drives, you fit just the right size socket you will need at the top of the drive. If an obstacle is found while turning the handle, You can reverse the course just to give yourself room and then continue working.

#4 Torque Wrench

These types of wrenches are made to provide a certain amount of torque without overtaking or tightening. There can be different types available (involving manual, digital, and other variations).

It is commonly used for automotive work for tightening wheel lug nuts. A torque wrench may be used on bicycles, farming equipment, or any situation where tightening the nut or bolt to a particular torque specification is usually determined by the manufacturer.

#5 Ratcheting Wrench

The ratcheting wrench is similar to the combination wrench, the ratcheting wrench has at least one end inside which is a ratcheting device.

This wrench permits you to turn the wrench to tighten or loosen without removing and readjusting the position of the wrench handle hitting an obstacle after each turn. This makes it very easy to work in tight areas.

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#6 Oil Filter Wrench

The oil filter wrench is actually of four different styles, which are used primarily in the automotive industry. The chain strap and metal strap style filters apply a loop to protect the filter casing.

Finally, a socket-style filter wrench resembles a cup, which consists of chopped parts. These fit under a filter cap and are used with a ratchet handle.

#7 Combination Wrench

The combination wrench consists of one side being a closed-loop for hexagonal or square nuts, while the other end is an open U-shape.

It is often used for hard nuts, the closed-end loosens the nut so that the open end is used to quickly finish it. Like sockets, a combination wrench is commonly sold in a kind of wrench size.

#8 Adjustable Wrench

They have an open end with a spiral screw that is fixed and opens or closes the crescent as you turn it. These are some of the most common wrenches available and the most widely used types. This is also known as a crescent wrench.

For this purpose, it can perform the same basic function as a whole set of combinations or an open-ended wrench, although it needs more area due to its thicker size.

#9 Impact Wrench

The air impact wrench uses an air compressor during the cordless impact wrench utilizes a rechargeable battery. This is also known as an air wrench or air gun. It is used to resemble a cordless drill in appearance.

This wrench uses high torque to remove stubborn nuts or bolts. They are a great option for handling many nuts, although they are a poor choice for any job that requires accuracy.

#10 Crowfoot Wrench

There is no handle for this open wrench. Rather, the single head is manufactured to attach to a ratchet handle and socket extension, permitting it to fit in tight positions.

When you do not first want to remove the surrounding parts, they do a lot of work to handle the bolts located deep in the body of the machine.

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Special Types of Wrenches

When you have heard that someone has mentioned these special wrenches, chances are you will never own them. They are used for very specific functions or simply are not in common use outside of certain industries. Which are described below.

#1 Pedal Wrench

The pedal wrench consists of a round tip, usually with one or two U-shaped recesses. These types of wrenches are used to repair the pedal. Therefore, it is most commonly used in bicycle repair shops or for fairground rides like a pedal boat.

#2 Monkey Wrench

It is also like an adjustable spanner. Its bigger jaw is built with a handle itself. The other jaw is movable on which threads are cut as in the pipe wrench. Its jaw is of plain surface like that of an open-end spanner. These can be adjusted with a round nut. It is also used as a screw wrench.

#3 Pliers Wrench

A plier wrench consists of flat-edged jaws at an angle and each is attached to a handle, which is joined by a bolt. The names may not sound familiar, you may have used them at some moment in your life.

A bolt slides between two or more positions of an opening on the upper jaw, providing the wrench to be arranged to fit in different sizes of heads. The name evolves from the way this tool is gripped, which is similar to a pair of pliers.

#4 Strap Wrench

When we hold pipes and round jobs with pipe wrenches it leaves some bruising scars on the jobs. Therefore strap wrenches are used where damage is caused if such scars are made by the wrenches.

A leather or canvas belt is provided which is rolled around the job and tightened with the buckle. With the help of its handle, the pipe is revolved.

#5 Plumbers Wrench

The jaws of the plumber wrench are shaped like hexagonal nuts. It is similar to the design of the plier’s wrench. The jaws are adaptable to fit a type of pipe fittings. It is particularly used in plumbing for work on pipes and fixtures.

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#6 Tap Wrench

This tap wrench is like a key, which fits the square drive of the tap, used to cut the female thread (such as the inside of the nut). These wrenches can be T-shaped or have a double-handle bar with an attachment socket in the middle.

#7 Spud Wrench

The spud wrench has fallen out of common use was this open-wrench spike at the opposing end used to line the holes on the pipes. It has since been rendered obsolete by the plumber’s wrench, even though it can still be found in the occasional toolbox.

#8 Alligator Wrench

The top jaw of the alligator wrench is serrated, while the rear is smooth. The alligator wrench was identified due to the way it gripped nuts.

The handle of this wrench looks more like a pointed fang than a modern pipe wrench. As these were primarily manufactured to handle square-shaped heads, it has become rare to see them outside of films.

#9 Basin Wrench

This type of wrench consists of a long T-shaped handle in a curved, serrated jaw. Its main purpose is to tighten or loosen the heads under the sink and toilet, consequently, it is also known as a faucet wrench.

#10 Armorer’s Wrench

This armorer’s or single-piece wrench consists of a C-shaped, serrated head and involves a square slot and or a hole to attach the ratchet handle.

They are available in many designs and are usually of the specific type or size of the model of gun. These are used for gun repair and maintenance.

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#11 Dog Bone Wrench

Each side of the dog bone wrench has two box-shaped ends that have a different socket size. This wrench is named after its bone-shaped appearance, which is sometimes called the dumbbell wrench.

These are only used for bike maintenance, even though their ability to fit in small spaces sometimes makes them useful elsewhere. Some dog bone wrenches have swivel heads for greater flexibility.

#12 Drum Key

A drum key or square-holly socket wrench consists of a T-shape with a flattened handle. As the name suggests, it is used to tune different percussion instruments, such as drums. A drum key with longer handles allows you to apply more torque than shorter handles.

#13 Bung Wrench

A drum wrench is a socket-style wrench available in a variety of styles. It is also known as a drum plug wrench. It was specifically manufactured to eliminate the plastic or metal dung (cap) on a drum or barrel.

#14 Fan Clutch Wrench

These flat clutch wrenches consist of a U-shaped opening at one end. They are specially designed to remove fan clutches on cars.

Any of this type of wrench has a square opening at the other end, providing them to double as a clutch hold tool, while a second wrench is used to turn the hex nut.

#15 Hammer Wrench

A hammer wrench is a short, thick wrench that has a block end that is used to strike with a hammer to transmit a greater amount of force. It is also known as a striking wrench.

It is used to tighten large flange fittings and fasteners. A Hammer wrench is also used to release stuck or rusted nuts and bolts through high force. This heavy-duty wrench is used in some metal, plumbing, or electrical jobs.

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#16 Torx Key

This Torx key wrench is manufactured to fit into the star-shaped head of some bolts and screws. It is also sometimes known as a star-headed key.

They can be bought in the same L-shape as the average Allen, you can also buy these in a laid-back set that resembles a Swiss Army knife than a wrench set.

#17 Cone Wrench

These wide and flat wrenches are used on the conical part of a cup and cone hub. It is used to accommodate the leveling feet of a bicycle or washing machine but is sometimes used on other gentle projects where a typical open-ended wrench is too thick.

#18 Garbage Disposal Wrench

Many models come with a larger type of Allen wrench, which is used to dislike clogs. Two types of wrench are used for clogged waste disposal.

To handle larger nuts, another type of flat wrench with a squat, U-shaped head is pivoted. This latter also used to dislike clogs in cutter variants, exactly like the Allen variants.

#19 Tension Wrench

A tension wrench is the “key” element in the lock and can be available in a broad range of designs. They can be hard or soft and are used to apply tension, while the pick does its job.

If you have ever seen someone lift a lock in a movie or video game and wonder why they only move one of the two tools, the stable is a tension wrench.

Read Also: What are Thread Taps? 10 Different Types of Thread Taps

#20 Spoke Wrench

The spoke wrench is small in size, they are designed to maintain spokes on the wire wheels. One end consists of a slot that fits around the spoke, while the other end has a drive head that fits around the nipple nut.

This type of wrench can be rotated in a full cycle without removing it due to its size and shape. The place to find this tool is a bike repair shop. Some changes resemble a small open wrench, while some look more like curved, flat metal.

#21 Spanner Wrench

The spanner wrench is a special specific class of equipment that has a curved end that can resemble a hook or C-shape. These types of wrenches consist of pins that permit them to be used on a wide variety of objects, ranging from spanner head screws to retainer rings.

Conclusion

As you know now wrench is usually available either male or female. The male wrench is inserted, like the head of a screwdriver. The female wrench has a socket that fits over the object they will be turning. Both are applied to tighten or loosen nuts & bolts, screws, and even caps and casings.

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