Wiha Tools

[He Man]

Has anyone used the ball end socket tools from wiha? ive been wanting to pick up some sockets or bits to replace allen keys.

looking at their ball end hex bits for 4 5 and 6mm... and a regular hex bit for 8mm... these are probably 4 of the most commonly used sizes on the duc...from memory.

http://www.wihatools.com/700seri/717inch_mr.htm


or i can just get "GearWrench 7 pc. Metric Ball End Hex Bit Socket Accessory Set " from sears...not sure on quality though.

[Old_and_slow]

Wiha is good, as is Bondhus.

[z0mb1e_DUC]

while I don't have that particular set, I've got others.  FYI, WIHA is German, I do believe.  Generally very good stuff.

[Langanobob]

Bondhus and Wiha are both good, as the previous posters said.  The Gearwrench is probably OK but I'm not sure if they're a real company or just a marketing name like Craftsman.  I would buy either Bondhus or Wiha first.

And, you read the other posts in the other thread about the danger of stripping bolt heads with the ball end Allen wrenches?  The magnetic insert ones look like they'd be even worse with the magnet using up some of the available surface contact area. 

[mojo]

I'm not a fan of ball end hex tools.  They don't grab the whole hex on the fastener head, only a small part of it and can easily strip a hex bolt.

[He Man]

good point. I used the L shape ball Ts so i never sat and thought about it rounding out. Ill pick up solid Hex sockets and keep the L ball Ts to just unfasten them, not break them loose

[dlearl476]

I'm not a fan of ball end hex tools.  They don't grab the whole hex on the fastener head, only a small part of it and can easily strip a hex bolt.

+1

I have a bunch of sets, I use a normal end for torquing and breaking a hex head, balls are great for getting into a hex at an angle. For those angles that a normal allen can't get to, I use a straight ended socket to break or tighten.

My two most-used sets are a loose set with balls on the long end and straight on the short end, and a set of LONG t-handles with ball ends.  Both those are Bondhus.  I have a mini-set of Whia's that are great as well.   Mostly for electronics, though.