RANT On !!! It’s sad how many of our jobs get, and have gotten, sourced out overseas. Isn’t Crescent and Apex under SBD now? Harbor Freight makes some decent stuff. I really love my ‘cheap’ 1/2 inch Pittsburgh Pro flex head ratchet! One has to carefully pick and choose what they buy, or watch a “Catus Maximus” video! 😁😁😄👍👍👍✌🏻🇺🇸
@@timweb1510 Well Tim lad, it took you around two years to come up with a challenging and snarky reply? If you HAD READ my comment, I posed it as a question, not a statement, and further, if you had read the nice exchange ‘Aubreykun’ and I had, they clarified it for me, and I acknowledged it. Like I said, we had a ‘nice’ exchange. If you can’t be civil, take your comments somewhere else. And a nasty retort will get you reported. Be kind!
Adjustable wrench of this type were invented in Sweden by Johan Petter Johansson in 1892. He is also the inventor of the Swedish style pipe wrench, the kind that is common in Europe, sold by Knipex for instance. The worm on rack was a British invention, later adapted in the Crescent wrench. The Crescent patent, 1915, forced Bahco to stop manufacturing this style even though they were the first to use it. The best adjustable wrench now days are made by Irega, Spain. Irega specializes in this wrenches and are the manufacturing for Channellock, Wiha and even Bahco.
@@Aubreykun aww, thanks for the clarification Aubreykun! 😊👍 I knew Irwin was under SBD, but wasn’t sure about the other? Some of Irwin’s stuff has suffered as well. Appreciate your contribution and knowledge! 👍😁✌🏻🇺🇸
I am OK with buying decent quality tools made in Taiwan because it supports their economy. They in turn send part of that money back to the USA in the form of military purchases. They no doubt purchase other American products as well. They purchased 108 Abrams M1A2T tanks from us last year for $2.2 billion dollars. This year they are buying F-16 fighter jets from Lockheed Martin for $62 billion over the next 10 years. This is to defend against potential aggression from mainland China. Japan is looking at seriously re-arming for the first time since the Second World War, amending their constitution to do so. They have America’s blessing to increase their defense spending with a wary eye on China as well. India is already fighting hand-to-hand with China in a disputed area of the Himalayan Mountains. Spending a few bucks on Taiwanese gear helps cover our own back.
I recently bought a Chinese made Crescent 6" adjustable wrench, it sucks so bad that I have crossed that brand off of my list like I did new Vise Grips.
It is sad indeed! Quality is out there, just harder and harder to find, and to afford. Harbor Freight has some OK stuff, just bears checking out thoroughly before the purchase.
My two largest adjustable wrenches are by Diamond Tool and Horseshoe Co. I’m glad I bought them when I did. I wouldn’t trade them for anything made today.
i wonder what the quality of steel is on the old crescent vs new crescent vs doyle .. maybe the doyle is thicker in some areas to make up for steel that can't take quite as much stress? also interesting to note, the usa crescent has a more gold-hued screw. makes me wonder what kind of alloy it is - my instinct is it's probably a lil harder than the rest of the tool, but hard to say without taking a file to it
I have the old USA Craftsman and Crescent adjustable wrenches in sizes from 4 - 12 inches. Don't have any newer of either with which to compare but mine have held up well through the years and glad I have them. It is a shame that these name brands moved production to China. I have no problem with Harbor Freight per se. I do have a problem with moving production overseas and still expecting USA made pricing. Sure much of the HF stuff is junk. They aren't usually my first choice. But not all HF stuff is junk. But HF pricing reflects country of origin and they serve a purpose for those who don't have a lot of money to spend on tools. I buy HF freight stuff for things I know I will abuse like screwdrivers that get used for other than their intended purpose, dead blow hammers etc. I even have some Pittsburgh adjustable wrenches, screw drivers and plier set that I keep in a tool kit at a vacation home. They certainly don't get used much but they have worked fine and so I don't need to spend extra money for something that is hardly used. And HF does employ thousands of people here in the US at their stores which is a good thing. One final thing. He mentioned Doyle is made in Taiwan. While I have no Doyle items, generally Taiwanese made items (along with Japanese) are superior to China's and priced accordingly.
A thing I noticed is that the Doyle also has a screw rather than a pin, so if it does get all bound up with grit and dirt you can (theoretically) grind the punched parts back to disassemble it. You can also do that to pull the jaw out and add another notch if there's room, to increase the capacity. I personally like my old japanese Lobster wrench the best out of the random assortment I have from garage sales and ebay.
I e-mailed Crescent tools 12 years ago about a broken jaw on a 10 inch crescent wrench and was told no warranty, still have it, just can't seem to throw it in the scrape bucket.
The best adjustable wrenches are the Channellock version (made by Irega in Spain) or the old Craftsman USA made by Western Forge. I have the USA made Crescent too and they’re not good.
Since western forged closed a year ago, any decent named brand is made in Spain by Irega. Western forge made them for Allen, Napa, proto, Klein, mac tools, KD tools, sk tools, Wright tool, Ridgid tool, craftsman, Martin tool, and many more. The new Wright, blue points, proto, Klein’s, channel locks, Reed MFG, etc are all made by Irega in Spain now
@@Freakingstang I think Western Forge were middle of the road,might have varied from one unit to another in tightness but generally could be trusted to do the job
You should take a look at Milwaukees crescent wrench, they have a five grove screw instead of 3 which gives it a tighter fit, they are actually pretty nice
@Hell's favorite Salty Masshole I even ordered a 6" pair from sk and they aren't even close to being as tight as the Milwaukee.. I have really been only trying to buy USA made tools, well mostly just not made in China( since a cut of EVERY dollar goes to the CCP) wether it's used from eBay or pawn shops to old new stock from Armstrong but I got a great holiday deal on the Milwaukee packout 1/4 and 3/8 socket set and these adjustable wrench.
They didn't move over seas, they had a Chinese manufacturer make wrenches for them. The same company that makes Milwaukee, husky, cobalt and everyother Chinese made tool makes those wrenches.
Made in China is the hallmark of quality and precision.......and that adjustable wrench would be fantastic for rounding off fasteners......go ahead try the wrench and you see the results..
Thank you for your in depth comparison. I have some old U.S. made ones and if they break I will not buy the China ones. Haven't U.S. manufacturers learned anything from recent events to pull production out of China and bring it back here????
So having used the Chinese made crescent (extensively) I can say the thing is tuff as hell. I will agree with you on the fit and finish, but also don’t assume if it’s made in the USA it will be better. My 6” and 12” Proto wrenches have just as much play as my 10” crescent. I have used my crescent with cheater bars, and even tightened it on a nut and beat the living crap out of the handle with my 48oz hammer to break it free and the thing has taken all the abuse. Say what you want about the fit and finish but I stand by my crescent.
You may be the exception. But your point is Well taken! Take DeWalt for example: drills with the Made in the USA, have more slop and vibration in the drive train, and more run out in the Chuck, than the equivalent that was Made in China! I am not bashing DeWalt, as I own a lot of the tools, just very disappointed the Made In USA version is not superior. The DCD 996 seems to be the exception here, as that drill is usually alright. Nature of the Beast, and a sign of the Times!? Take care!
but is there a difference in quality of steel as well. technology has alloyed for tool steel to be thinner while being just as strong. i recently bought a chinese crescent wrench and mine had much fit and finish.
I have real Americans made USA crescent wrenches made in James town New York as well as other places that are far superior in quality than these wrenches you presented. The USA wrench you have appears to be somewhat newer. Probably made in the 80' or 90''s. When you put a REAL forged USA made crescent wrench in your hand it screams excellence.
If you should watch some of my Crescent wrenched Jamestown videos there's actually a couple different generations of jamestowns and the ones you really want are the wide jaw
After leaving Garbage Freight stop at the sporting goods store and buy boxing gloves . When your Garbage Freight wrench breaks wearing boxing gloves you will not hurt your knuckles . Another great idea if you lose a 15/16” wrench , pull real hard on a 7/8” wrench to stretch it out to 15/16” . 89/23
unfortunately that issue with most modern companies more interested in short sighted profits and not giving a toss about brand or country or environment if open your eyes to lack of logic and science on most of the green schemes It a race to the bottom to screw money out consumer for cheapest crap they can get away with .
I have my dad's USA made crescent wrench, it still works great. I've used some Kobalt crescent wrenches, terrible Chinese quality. I won't buy a non USA made adjustible wrench. Unfortunately, I think SK is the last remaining manufacturer that still makes adjustable wrenches in the USA .
Western Forge is gone and SK is now Chinese owned. Some of their products have been moved to China. Other products have been dropped from the catalog. The SK we knew and loved is dead.
That 12 inch doyle wrench is wayyyyyy better quality than crescent. And its cheaper and from harbour frieght. I have one crescent tool. And thats how it will stay.
You need to check the history books! Crescent DID NOT invent the adjustable spanner. It was originally invented by an Englishman Joseph Stubbs in the mid 1800s. It was first patented by the Swede Johan Petter Johansson in 1891. Johansson handed over his company to Bahco in 1916 and the rest as they say is history! Crescent just copied the design as have so many companies over the years. Johansson also invented the pipe wrench.
Crescent may have owned the US patent, but adjustable wrenches were invented by the Swedish company Bahco, who still made the best ones until they moved production to Spain a few years ago.
Hand Tools I Say Older Made In USA - Williams, Craftsman , Husky Crescent , Allen etc. . Or New Ones Made In Taiwan . Like Pittsburgh or Pittsburgh Pro . My Doyle Needle Nose Pliers Are Decent . Unless You Want Channellock Who I like . Or SK ! Or Pay Through the Nose With Tool Trucks ! No Thanks .
Free Chinese made (Taiwan aka Republic of China) vs. communist Chinese made (aka People's Republic of China)..........who can tell the difference in quality????
The order of ranking in quality and durability ROUGHLY goes like this: German made/USA made/Japan made>Taiwan made>communist China made>India made (with open and box wrenches; not sure about other tools since I've not seen many household tools that were made in India except for candle holders, bathroom fragrance, soap and incense holders, etc.)
Thank you for all your incite. You bring attention to area's that I've never paid attention to.
We don't need incite from him. 😉 But he does provide insightful reviews.
Yeah he’s inciting a riot all the time...😂
RANT On !!! It’s sad how many of our jobs get, and have gotten, sourced out overseas. Isn’t Crescent and Apex under SBD now? Harbor Freight makes some decent stuff. I really love my ‘cheap’ 1/2 inch Pittsburgh Pro flex head ratchet! One has to carefully pick and choose what they buy, or watch a “Catus Maximus” video! 😁😁😄👍👍👍✌🏻🇺🇸
Apex isn’t owned by Stanley black and decker. Do some research
@@timweb1510 Well Tim lad, it took you around two years to come up with a challenging and snarky reply? If you HAD READ my comment, I posed it as a question, not a statement, and further, if you had read the nice exchange ‘Aubreykun’ and I had, they clarified it for me, and I acknowledged it. Like I said, we had a ‘nice’ exchange. If you can’t be civil, take your comments somewhere else. And a nasty retort will get you reported. Be kind!
Agreed. Crescent has totally stumbled since APEX acquired them. I'm sticking with PROTO and Channellock. Great vid, and review. Ty.
Proto was made by western forge. When they went under, protos are now made in Spain
Adjustable wrench of this type were invented in Sweden by Johan Petter Johansson in 1892. He is also the inventor of the Swedish style pipe wrench, the kind that is common in Europe, sold by Knipex for instance. The worm on rack was a British invention, later adapted in the Crescent wrench. The Crescent patent, 1915, forced Bahco to stop manufacturing this style even though they were the first to use it.
The best adjustable wrench now days are made by Irega, Spain. Irega specializes in this wrenches and are the manufacturing for Channellock, Wiha and even Bahco.
Apex did the same to so many tools like Vise grip
Yup, and aren’t they all under the guise of SBD? SBD ( Stanley, Black and Decker) is huge, and they have the best bean counters in the business! 😳🙄😁😄😂
Whenever I see a set of Vise-grips sitting on a shelf in a old hardware store for sale I try to buy them if they’re still the made in the USA ones
Vise Grip was never owned by apex to my understanding. Irwin bought them out at some point.
@George DaVall SBD and Apex are different companies. SBD owns Irwin (bought them from Newell Rubbermaid a few years ago) and Irwin owns vice grips
@@Aubreykun aww, thanks for the clarification Aubreykun! 😊👍 I knew Irwin was under SBD, but wasn’t sure about the other? Some of Irwin’s stuff has suffered as well. Appreciate your contribution and knowledge! 👍😁✌🏻🇺🇸
I am OK with buying decent quality tools made in Taiwan because it supports their economy. They in turn send part of that money back to the USA in the form of military purchases. They no doubt purchase other American products as well. They purchased 108 Abrams M1A2T tanks from us last year for $2.2 billion dollars. This year they are buying F-16 fighter jets from Lockheed Martin for $62 billion over the next 10 years. This is to defend against potential aggression from mainland China. Japan is looking at seriously re-arming for the first time since the Second World War, amending their constitution to do so. They have America’s blessing to increase their defense spending with a wary eye on China as well. India is already fighting hand-to-hand with China in a disputed area of the Himalayan Mountains. Spending a few bucks on Taiwanese gear helps cover our own back.
I recently bought a Chinese made Crescent 6" adjustable wrench, it sucks so bad that I have crossed that brand off of my list like I did new Vise Grips.
It is sad indeed! Quality is out there, just harder and harder to find, and to afford. Harbor Freight has some OK stuff, just bears checking out thoroughly before the purchase.
@@georgedavall9449
I DO like my Spanish made Channel Lock adjustable wrenches, decent price also.
@@upsidedowndog1256 I’ve heard about those! Spanish have made some quality tools and guns and what not throughout the years! Thanks for sharing! 👍😁✌🏻
My cat would like to salute your cat. :)
My two largest adjustable wrenches are by Diamond Tool and Horseshoe Co. I’m glad I bought them when I did. I wouldn’t trade them for anything made today.
would have been interesting to have thrown in a Western Forge USA version for comparison (made adjustables for various brand names? )
i wonder what the quality of steel is on the old crescent vs new crescent vs doyle .. maybe the doyle is thicker in some areas to make up for steel that can't take quite as much stress?
also interesting to note, the usa crescent has a more gold-hued screw. makes me wonder what kind of alloy it is - my instinct is it's probably a lil harder than the rest of the tool, but hard to say without taking a file to it
Good point
I have the old USA Craftsman and Crescent adjustable wrenches in sizes from 4 - 12 inches. Don't have any newer of either with which to compare but mine have held up well through the years and glad I have them. It is a shame that these name brands moved production to China. I have no problem with Harbor Freight per se. I do have a problem with moving production overseas and still expecting USA made pricing. Sure much of the HF stuff is junk. They aren't usually my first choice. But not all HF stuff is junk. But HF pricing reflects country of origin and they serve a purpose for those who don't have a lot of money to spend on tools. I buy HF freight stuff for things I know I will abuse like screwdrivers that get used for other than their intended purpose, dead blow hammers etc. I even have some Pittsburgh adjustable wrenches, screw drivers and plier set that I keep in a tool kit at a vacation home. They certainly don't get used much but they have worked fine and so I don't need to spend extra money for something that is hardly used. And HF does employ thousands of people here in the US at their stores which is a good thing.
One final thing. He mentioned Doyle is made in Taiwan. While I have no Doyle items, generally Taiwanese made items (along with Japanese) are superior to China's and priced accordingly.
I think most "old" Sears Craftsman adjustables were made for them by Western Forge (USA)
For an adjustable wrench nowadays I go with Irega from Spain, (Channel Lock) or Bahco from Sweden
Bahco is now in Spain also. They haven’t been in Sweden in 8-10 years.
A thing I noticed is that the Doyle also has a screw rather than a pin, so if it does get all bound up with grit and dirt you can (theoretically) grind the punched parts back to disassemble it. You can also do that to pull the jaw out and add another notch if there's room, to increase the capacity. I personally like my old japanese Lobster wrench the best out of the random assortment I have from garage sales and ebay.
If they cant figure out 'Made in the USA' means something, they deserve to see the brand disappear.
I e-mailed Crescent tools 12 years ago about a broken jaw on a 10 inch crescent wrench and was told no warranty, still have it, just can't seem to throw it in the scrape bucket.
The best adjustable wrenches are the Channellock version (made by Irega in Spain) or the old Craftsman USA made by Western Forge. I have the USA made Crescent too and they’re not good.
Try Wright cresent wrench got one for 10$ 12 inch...new maaaan that thing is perfect lol
Since western forged closed a year ago, any decent named brand is made in Spain by Irega. Western forge made them for Allen, Napa, proto, Klein, mac tools, KD tools, sk tools, Wright tool, Ridgid tool, craftsman, Martin tool, and many more. The new Wright, blue points, proto, Klein’s, channel locks, Reed MFG, etc are all made by Irega in Spain now
@@Freakingstang I think Western Forge were middle of the road,might have varied from one unit to another in tightness but generally could be trusted to do the job
@@Freakingstang that's sad to hear Western Forge closed...
You should take a look at Milwaukees crescent wrench, they have a five grove screw instead of 3 which gives it a tighter fit, they are actually pretty nice
@Hell's favorite Salty Masshole I even ordered a 6" pair from sk and they aren't even close to being as tight as the Milwaukee.. I have really been only trying to buy USA made tools, well mostly just not made in China( since a cut of EVERY dollar goes to the CCP) wether it's used from eBay or pawn shops to old new stock from Armstrong but I got a great holiday deal on the Milwaukee packout 1/4 and 3/8 socket set and these adjustable wrench.
They didn't move over seas, they had a Chinese manufacturer make wrenches for them. The same company that makes Milwaukee, husky, cobalt and everyother Chinese made tool makes those wrenches.
If you look in the Crescent tool website, most of their Adjustable Wrenches are made in the USA. Don’t know why HD doesn’t sell them
Why are the Chanellock adjustable wrenches made in Spain?
Made in China is the hallmark of quality and precision.......and that adjustable wrench would be fantastic for rounding off fasteners......go ahead try the wrench and you see the results..
Thank you for your in depth comparison. I have some old U.S. made ones and if they break I will not buy the China ones. Haven't U.S. manufacturers learned anything from recent events to pull production out of China and bring it back here????
DUDEZILLA! I have said it before and, BY GOD, I will say it again! CRESCENT MAAAAAAAAADE Jamestown, NY!!!
I only want to know what he cat thinks about this.
Catus, have you looked at the milwaukee adjustable wrenches ?
It is what it is it's the way the world's going and we need to bring back manufacturing to the states
So having used the Chinese made crescent (extensively) I can say the thing is tuff as hell. I will agree with you on the fit and finish, but also don’t assume if it’s made in the USA it will be better. My 6” and 12” Proto wrenches have just as much play as my 10” crescent. I have used my crescent with cheater bars, and even tightened it on a nut and beat the living crap out of the handle with my 48oz hammer to break it free and the thing has taken all the abuse. Say what you want about the fit and finish but I stand by my crescent.
You may be the exception. But your point is Well taken! Take DeWalt for example: drills with the Made in the USA, have more slop and vibration in the drive train, and more run out in the Chuck, than the equivalent that was Made in China! I am not bashing DeWalt, as I own a lot of the tools, just very disappointed the Made In USA version is not superior. The DCD 996 seems to be the exception here, as that drill is usually alright. Nature of the Beast, and a sign of the Times!?
Take care!
but is there a difference in quality of steel as well. technology has alloyed for tool steel to be thinner while being just as strong.
i recently bought a chinese crescent wrench and mine had much fit and finish.
Hey catus. Just came across tap sockets. Do you have any of those?
They still make them in South Carolina and in China I think
Tax laws need to be changed and more tariffs to make it cheaper to produce things in the U.S.
I have real Americans made USA crescent wrenches made in James town New York as well as other places that are far superior in quality than these wrenches you presented. The USA wrench you have appears to be somewhat newer. Probably made in the 80' or 90''s. When you put a REAL forged USA made crescent wrench in your hand it screams excellence.
If you should watch some of my Crescent wrenched Jamestown videos there's actually a couple different generations of jamestowns and the ones you really want are the wide jaw
Atleast they represent something real.
After leaving Garbage Freight stop at the sporting goods store and buy boxing gloves . When your Garbage Freight wrench breaks wearing boxing gloves you will not hurt your knuckles . Another great idea if you lose a 15/16” wrench , pull real hard on a 7/8” wrench to stretch it out to 15/16” . 89/23
unfortunately that issue with most modern companies more interested in short sighted profits and not giving a toss about brand or country or environment if open your eyes to lack of logic and science on most of the green schemes
It a race to the bottom to screw money out consumer for cheapest crap they can get away with .
I have my dad's USA made crescent wrench, it still works great. I've used some Kobalt crescent wrenches, terrible Chinese quality. I won't buy a non USA made adjustible wrench. Unfortunately, I think SK is the last remaining manufacturer that still makes adjustable wrenches in the USA .
did SK have their adjustables made by Western Forge? (I guess Western Forge got closed down too like Armstrong?)
Western Forge is gone and SK is now Chinese owned. Some of their products have been moved to China. Other products have been dropped from the catalog. The SK we knew and loved is dead.
My older marked “Crestoloy” wrenches are excellent quality.
Good ole' days
The Crestoloy side cutters are good, too. I bought mine used in the 1960s.
The crecent wrench I use the spud wrench sucks even for minimal use
That 12 inch doyle wrench is wayyyyyy better quality than crescent. And its cheaper and from harbour frieght. I have one crescent tool. And thats how it will stay.
LOL, “ I have one crescent tool. And that’s how it will stay.” Says a lot there! 👍✌🏻
@@georgedavall9449 yes sir, just being honest lol
@@rjskum688 LOL. 😁😄✌🏻👍
".......cheapify it......" and "......almost insulting...." all those comments say plenty....
Bahco invented it. And Crescent brought a license. Good review. Check out the older ones.....pre 1960s.
The new crescent wrench from china are complete junk, so now l buy the channellock irega ones
You need to check the history books! Crescent DID NOT invent the adjustable spanner. It was originally invented by an Englishman Joseph Stubbs in the mid 1800s. It was first patented by the Swede Johan Petter Johansson in 1891. Johansson handed over his company to Bahco in 1916 and the rest as they say is history! Crescent just copied the design as have so many companies over the years. Johansson also invented the pipe wrench.
Good insightful review! I’ll pass on al the Chinesium crap. I’ll gladly take a Bahco rebranded Channelock.
Production of Bahco socket sets recently moved from Taiwan to China... It's complicated.
Crescent may have owned the US patent, but adjustable wrenches were invented by the Swedish company Bahco, who still made the best ones until they moved production to Spain a few years ago.
I frequent the flea markets and look for used USA made tools........is anyone else doing that?
Crescent is a brand name . Those are adjustable wrenches .
Yes, but "Crescent wrench" has been common parlance for that style of adjustable wrench for many decades.
Hand Tools I Say Older Made In USA - Williams, Craftsman , Husky Crescent , Allen etc. . Or New Ones Made In Taiwan . Like Pittsburgh or Pittsburgh Pro . My Doyle Needle Nose Pliers Are Decent . Unless You Want Channellock Who I like . Or SK ! Or Pay Through the Nose With Tool Trucks ! No Thanks .
Thank apex tools for that
😠 Boycott China we all can do it together!!!!!!!!!
I really need a good set of crescent wrench’s but I don’t want no China 💩
"Doyle" is Taiwan. MUCH better than pink0 china
China nickles and dimes their quality to death. Didn't mind when they were cheap but stuff from China is going up in price and not worth it.
Free Chinese made (Taiwan aka Republic of China) vs. communist Chinese made (aka People's Republic of China)..........who can tell the difference in quality????
The order of ranking in quality and durability ROUGHLY goes like this: German made/USA made/Japan made>Taiwan made>communist China made>India made (with open and box wrenches; not sure about other tools since I've not seen many household tools that were made in India except for candle holders, bathroom fragrance, soap and incense holders, etc.)