What is a hook wrench for?

Turning round nuts with slots cut around them, most often bearing adjustment nuts. The square-tipped pattern seats fully in the slot and turns the nut without deforming it.

How does a union wrench differ from an open-end?

Its jaw is shaped to meet the thin-walled nut of a plumbing union across a wide face. An open-end wrench squeezes the same nut on two corners and ovalises the wall.

What is a podger wrench?

A wrench with a jaw at one end and a tapered drift at the other. The taper aligns the bolt holes of two members during steel erection.

Where is the Torx®–metric combination wrench used?

Where both fastener types appear on one assembly -- automotive and appliance service. It carries a metric ring at one end and a Torx® profile at the other.

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Specialty Wrenches

Specialty wrenches are shaped for recesses a standard open-end or ring wrench cannot enter: half-moon, hook, extended-handle, flex-head and crowned single-ended patterns. Choosing the right one is what lets a joint come apart without straining either the fitting or the tool.

The families on this page

This page gathers the wrenches shaped for fittings a standard open-end or ring wrench cannot enter. A hook wrench drops into the slot around a round nut and is the tool for bearing adjustment nuts. A union wrench grips the thin-walled nut of a plumbing union across a wide contact face. A podger wrench carries a jaw at one end and a tapered drift at the other, for aligning holes in steel erection.

The Torx®–metric combination wrench carries a metric ring at one end and a Torx® profile at the other, covering two fastener types with one tool in automotive and appliance work.

Why the right pattern matters

Every tool in this group is shaped to one fitting's geometry, and no general-purpose wrench substitutes: turning a round nut with pliers destroys its slots, and tightening a union with an open-end wrench ovalises the thin wall.

Each product name carries the size or size range -- for hook wrenches that range is the nut diameter it covers.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a hook wrench for?
Turning round nuts with slots cut around them, most often bearing adjustment nuts. The square-tipped pattern seats fully in the slot and turns the nut without deforming it.
How does a union wrench differ from an open-end?
Its jaw is shaped to meet the thin-walled nut of a plumbing union across a wide face. An open-end wrench squeezes the same nut on two corners and ovalises the wall.
What is a podger wrench?
A wrench with a jaw at one end and a tapered drift at the other. The taper aligns the bolt holes of two members during steel erection.
Where is the Torx®–metric combination wrench used?
Where both fastener types appear on one assembly -- automotive and appliance service. It carries a metric ring at one end and a Torx® profile at the other.