*Follow up video testing 14 brands on the open end! **kzfaq.info/get/bejne/euCJZ82YnLTRe6s.html* If you're wondering why 12 point and spline are being tested on 6-point fasteners, its because that's how they are used 95% of the time in a shop environment. And how they are sold to us on tool trucks. Combination wrenches are as old as time yet very infrequently used on actual 12-point or spline head bolts now days, they are a way to wrench on 6-point with less arc swing before repositioning, and therefore more access.

The only scientific way to judge when they're going to slip is judging when you have to apply a lot of pressure and your knuckles are in the perfect position to lose the most amount of skin

There's an important take away here! The way the fastener failed is important. When the 12pt strips, you can probably still get a 6pt in there to save the day. When the spline strips, you have a nice looking circle.

"Assuming we're not incompetent" I'm really impressed that you're keeping all options on the table and being objective with them. I always leave this one on the table as well.

As a now retired mechanic, I switched to 6-point sockets and wrenches within a year of starting my wrenching career. (Just 1 or 2 busted knuckles into a searing hot exhaust system get your attention quite quickly.) Snap-Off (and later MAC) were the only spline makers, so I happily kept my paychecks and did just fine with 6-pointers. One note: If you have a thin nut or bolt head, you can get a better grab on it if you grind the heel of the box end down a bit. It eliminates some of the rounded area (which helps you find/engage the bolt head) and lets the 6 flats of the wrench touch the base of the bolt. About half my wrenches were ground and 1/4 of my 1/2" drive sockets were done to get that extra grip. Great tests, guys. I like your vids.

As a person from the land of rusty cars and mountains of salt, I can confirm that 6point is the way to go when breaking loose stuck fasteners. The 12's are simply for turning them off in tight spaces... but only AFTER you've baptized them with fire, penetrant, and a solid 6point first 👍

In the rust belt, 12 pointers are useless in the automotive world on hex head fasteners.

6 Point is important if you're trying to restore something with very specific fasteners on it so you do the least amount of damage to them. Sometimes you just can't find replacement fasteners that match.

I learned many years ago working on the Harrier Jets. when you find a totally rounded bolt, you can pound on a spline that is slightly smaller and Bob's your uncle.

I'd like to see this experiment with 10mm spanners. Not to see the result, just to see that 10mm exist.

12 point Also known as the lowest RPM lathe.

I did a lot of fastener testing in previous jobs, you will find that using a new nut and bolt each time will produce quite different results even with the same setup, so to say any one spanner gives x amount of torque you'd want to test it 10 to 20 times and then take an average result for sure. The scatter between measurements can be huge, and really you should lubricate the threads to try to make it consistant.

As a mechanic myself I always use 6 point for sockets, and 12 for wrenches. It seems to be the most versatile combination. But I might have to try out some splined wrenches, those look promising. Sometimes it's good to keep an odd inch socket laying around to beat on to a rusted mm head, or vise versa

Spline is great when you don’t need to remove what you’re installing, or when you plan on throwing away the hardware you’re removing, or you just don’t care what condition your bolt is gonna be in when you’re done torquing it. 12 point is good when your hardware is already kind of loose and you need that extra half swing on a tight spot. It also fits square hardware since 12 is divisible by 4. 6 point is the go-to for breaking stuff loose or applying a final torque. Just be sure your tolerance is close for a nice tight fit and grip. And when all else fails, a Pittsburgh wrench welded to the nut will never slip 😂

I would’ve lost a bet on the spline wrench. Still not gonna buy them 😁 but that was a surprise.

I’ve used all the different types. All are good when used as they should be. A little trickI learned on bolts where the rust buildup has made the head larger is to take the 12 point or spline drive of the size up, wiggle it back and forth to knock some scale off then slam a 6 point on it and off she goes.

As an engineer I have to say 12 sided sockets are a necesity, it's quite often I have to undo bolts or nuts in positions where I can only make a 1/12 turn before the handle bumps into something else.

hi. i absolutely love the graphic in the corner visually displaying the differences between them; a lot of people test this sort of thing and throw a lot of numbers around but unless i really pay attention and write down all those numbers and compare them in my mind, it all kinda turns into number mumbo jumbo.

This channel and project farm are by far the most informative and best testing channels I've ever seen. The work you and PF are doing for the world is far more than anyone would think. Thank you for taking the time and effort to make this content. God bless and thank you

6 Point is better in almost all applications , it comes down to how much surface area you are contacting. On a hex nut , having six flat sides , and the wrench having six flat sides. It just makes more common sense to use that for grip.

Was a little concerned when I was having difficulty finding a six-point for something I thought I needed it for, but demonstrating that a worn head can take about twice as much torque as I needed makes me feel better about it.

This video taught me something….there are real extenders for wrenches 🤗 I’ve been using 2 wrench trick for many years, never even knew there was an actual wrench extender product.

I've always tried to purchase 6 point every time I can except for combination wrenches as they function so much better in my experience. Thank you for confirming my otherwise unsupported bias.

The way my 7th grade shop teacher put it. Way back in 1972. " you should have both 6 and 12 point wrenches. The 12 point for where there's not much space, and 6 point for everything else. " He was right.

Basically what ive learned just in personal times working on rusted classic cars and trucks. Is a six point will almost always be better getting stuck bolts loose or tightening without slipping. But just those certain occasions where you are in a tight spot and you dont have much movement in a wrench or ratchet. The 12 point has more chance of getting on the bolt than a 6

When I saw Tekton selling ratcheting 6point wrenches I pulled out my credit card instantly. Cannot overstate how many times they've come in handy

Spline tools work great for spline bolts and spline nuts. They're used a lot on aircraft. Of course 6 point tested well on a 6 point test set. It's generally best to match type to type.

I love your analysis and research. I found this info especially useful in showing the necessity for 6-point wrenches/sockets on rounded fasteners mainly on cars. Working in factories on brand new bolts and equipment 12-point is far more versatile and recommended by me (wrenches). While having 6-point sockets is ALWAYS the baseline due to no issues with angles.

I am so sick of people insisting that six point sockets and wrenches will round a bolt faster than 12 point. It has never made any sense, but people insist on anecdote that it’s the case. Now I can show them this video. You guys are awesome.

You guys keep this up and there will be nothing left for us to debate as we clean up on Friday afternoons! Thanks for the great work and excellent banter. "let's round this out". classic.

In my experience, the spline wrenches are less than ideal in tight areas. Once they bite a fastener in a closed space it can be an ordeal to get them back off

The way it was described to me when I was in automotive school was that 6-point has more surface contact than a 12-point and will therefor apply more of your force to the surface of the nut, vs a 12-point will have that same pressure hitting less of the nut, and will therefor be more likely to slip. Similar to if you are able to grip something with your whole hand vs just a small portion of your hand, the one with more contact will offer a better grip. That is also why the open end wrench is not as good, because that open end accounts for 1/3rd of the surface contact that is automatically just missing, so it is a handicap overall. The appeal of the open end wrench and the 12-point wrench is that is that the open end can slip onto any hexagonal nut without needing access to the end to slip over it, and the 12-point has more angles of use, where the 6 point has exactly half as many angles of use. They DO have their necessary uses.

This is why i ALWAYS buy and use 6 point sockets UNLESS I need the 12 point or spline for getting in low access areas (very rare) or I need something special like an external torx etc but that's a different situation altogether. Great video, I appreciate someone confirming what I have suspected on my own.. I always tell people this and they think I am overexaggerating but now I will reference this video as proof when talking about 12point vs 6 pint with my gearhead friends!

That's crazy, the difference between the open end and box end. Considering how much lower it can be on the open end, i'd love to see a whole bunch of brands compared on just open end performance, since at those levels a little may go a long way in performance difference. Some brands are supposed to be better designed as well, where as box ends are design wise pretty similar between wrenches.

I do not see another design here: There is a design, which basically is a 6 point but with rounded insides. The idea is, that the load is not on the high points of the hex, but on the flat sides of the nut.

All my friends give me shit for preferring 6 point wrenches. They say "12 point is less likely to strip" and I've always called bullshit on that. So this video felt so damn gratifying.

Thank you. I'm only a year into my industrial mechanic career and have basic sockets. I'm getting to the point where I'm going to invest in more tools and will be buying a 6pt set before 12 or spline.

I anticipated this result, though had forgotten about spline spanners. I’ve had a few premium 12 sided sockets start slipping on bolts, switched to a mid-grade 6 point and eased the bolt out. A quality 6 point will always be my go-to unless there’s something preventing it.

YES! Thank you! This should be of great help to the guys and gals getting into automotive, and do not have the experience yet to make the right choice on their first sets. Forums are FULL of "12 pts is just as good at 6pts!" comments, which lead many new DIY rust belt mechanics astray (me included a decade ago), having to buy a 2nd 6pt set after a dozen of rounded bolts with 12pts.

In my opinion your choice of brands should have been better for the US made tools, i.e. Snap-On, Bonney, Armstrong, Proto & the best German tools: Stahlwille, Wera, and Hazet

As an aviation mechanic we have mostly 12 point bolt heads, a few spline head bolts, and even fewer 6 point nuts and bolt heads. I would be really intestate in seeing the numbers of a hex head bolt with a6 point wrench vs a spline head bolt and a spine wrench vs 12 on 12. Without rounding any corners i would find those numbers interesting

Love this video. You turned my whole world upside down. I have been using 12 point wrench for the last 20 years on all those difficult bolts thinking is the best. I need a moment to recover. hehehe

Spline drive has aviation origins. Designed to get greater torque on a smaller head. I have 6 point tools, 12 point tools and spline. Use them appropriately. Don’t pick one type and try to use it on every fastener. This test shows the importance of using a six point tool on a standard hex head (unless limited swing is required) & a 12 point or spline on a double hex head.

I just disassembled a bunch of devices for scrap the other day and what got my attention is that the six sided sockets/wrenches not only protect the nuts and bolts, but also give a firmer grip. This experiment just proves my observations.

I am 79 and never was a "professional" mechanic. But, in my 20's and 30's, I built a lot of sports car race engines for rally cars. I started off with Western Auto (now defunct) tools, upgraded to Craftsman and finally on to Snap-On. Along the way I tried Gear Wrench and found little or no difference between Snap-On and Gear Wrench. A while back I bought some Tekton tools and was amazed at how good they were. So far, working on my own cars, I have not been able to break a Tekton wrench. And, believe me, I have tried. Of course, this is only my experience. I am quite sure that there will be others who will have a different story. Finally, I hate spline wrenches as they always seem to round off the bolt/nut head. I do not want the expected headache that experience causes.

I have a minor issue with the unsupported end of the coupling nuts. An "empty" nut is almost never encountered in real life. I would have filled the end of the nut with a bolt or piece of all-thread to keep it from collapsing.

God, i love how manufacturers and consumers are finally moving away from the long overdue dumpsterfire that is phillips & flathead sockets. Went to the hardware store the other day (first time in a long time) to buy some hefty replacement 12mm screws to secure a parasol on the porch. Almost all of them were some form of hex which put a smile on my face. As i got to work installing them, it turns out the wood was very stubborn but so was i. Excessive amounts of torque later (which would have shredded philips & flats 20 times over), the 12mm screwhead flew off like a bullet and ripped all the skin off one of my knuckles. I've never been happier to get such an injury.

I just weld a larger nut on stripped or broken heads. Let it cool down a good bit and off or out it comes. Cost is pennies another Way is drill a hole in flat or angle stock, place over stripped bolt head and weld, this allows you to break it loose but many times can't make full turn and is my least favorite trick. Hope this helps some people 👍

Measure the size of the tools between brands and you'll see a huge difference in tolerance to the fastener. That makes a huge difference in how much torque a tool hand handle. Some brands are so bad you can use a 1/2 on a 13mm or a 14 on a 9/16. Thanks for the comparison 👍

I'm a diesel Mechanic and I use 6 point every time I can because in my experience it's the best to use. I've have 12 point start to strip nuts and bolts. I don't have any spline wrenches but I have a few spline sockets for certain things.

7:12 I know I'm a bit late here, but 12 point sockets exist for use with square objects. We use these all the time for large taps like 1/2 NPT or 3/4 NPT. As far as I know, you can't buy a tap socket large enough for those. Instead, we use 15mm or 21mm 12-point sockets. 1" NPT tap fits in a 1" 12-point socket.

I am a industrial mechanic and I personally use 12pt in my chrome sockets, 6 on wrenches and impact. I use the 12pt on alot of the blower motors I tend to work on that all have 12pt bolts on them and I like the adjustability of them in confined spaces paired with a high tooth count socket wrench. Now I only have up to 1" 12pt sockets. Everything above that going into 1 1/8th and up sockets or wrenches are all 6 point. If you are rounding over a 1" bolt head then you've got some problems other than your wrenches lol. Just my two cents. Great video tho, great data. 👍

I agree with another poster here. The 12 pointers are useless in Minnesota! All they do it round the bolts off / break them. I replaced all my 12 point Sockets with 6 points!

I would love to see you re-test the Knipex pliers wrench against an open end wrench and adjustable wrench like this. I have the 12" and 16" XL Knipex pliers wrenches and I use them ALL the time at work on heavy equipment, but when I get asked to borrow a pipe wrench or adjustable, all my friends/coworkers turn their nose up at it when I offer it to them instead. The beauty of them is that they don't "spread", because the harder you push, the harder they squeeze the flats of the fastener. I can't remember a time when they slipped on me, i'm always careful how I position them

Speaking as a professional auto tech, here's my breakdown of real-world tool usage, which pretty much mirrors the video's findings: Spline is best for ratcheting wrenches and ratchet sockets because it'll grip almost anything and hold onto fasteners well enough to make actuating ratchet mechanisms easier, whereas other geometries are more prone to slipping off. It may or may not be ideal for breaking stuck hardware loose, however, unless the fastener is rounded too much for a 6-point to work effectively on it. 6-point/single-hex is the best option for raw torque, assuming the fastener has clean enough contact surfaces to work. I will frequently use a 6-point wrench to break a tight fastener loose and then switch to a spline ratchet if I can't get a socket/ratchet onto it. If I _can_ get a ratchet and socket onto it and it's too rounded for a 6 to grab and too tight to pop loose with spline, it gets a nut remover socket instead. 12-point/double-hex is more suited toward moderate torque or double-hex bolts/nuts. I usually only use those in ratchet/socket as my fixed wrenches are combination-6 and ratcheting wrenches are either 6 or spline. The only fasteners I encounter in the wild with any amount of regularity on passenger vehicles are CV axle nuts. I have all three geometries in all sizes from 5.5 to 24mm, but 6-points are definitely the go-to workhorse geometry out in the real world on real cars/trucks with real rust/grime/monkey-pawprints on real fasteners.

the 6-point is by far the best in a new fastener. 12-point was created because the industry isn't standardized and bolts and nuts of multiple, often lower qualities are manufactured, and also often time and usage have taken its toll. The spline is a further try in that direction. To undo a damaged nut/bolt, just heat it until red, and make a smaller 12-point fit and if that doesn't work, melt it. In surface areas to remove a damaged screw use mig on a nut and if that doesn't work, drill it and a helli coil is the only decent solution.

I expected those results. In my line of work I have used all styles of wrenches. 6 points always did better, but one can’t always use them…that what vice grips are for :). Live confidently and peacefully

so what your saying is that adding more facets, making it more like a circle, the more it will tend to slip. mind blown. this channel is great, love anything that reveals ubiquitous marketing bs today.

The reason the 6 point came out on top is because has the most surface area on the nut/bolt to spread out the force applied. Each one has pros and cons. For example: the 6 point allows for the most torque out of these but the starting points are every 60 degrees whereas the 12 point provides starting points every 30 degrees but doesn't have as much surface area on the nut/bolt so you can't get as much torque. The spline is also pretty good for getting rounded nuts/bolts off too. The spline cuts into the nut/bolt and provides a bit more surface area than the traditional 12 point and so you can get a bit more torque out of it but you destroy the nut/bolt in the process. The open end is great for getting to a nut/bolt that you can't put the closed end around but you go back to the 60 degree difference per starting point and you sacrifice a third of the surface area (2 sides of the 6 point) on the nut/bolt which lowers the torque you can put on it substantially, as we've seen in this video. Hope this helps explain why the results came out as they did!

Right tool for the right job! When you have limited tools on hand, you limit your solutions to the problem. Splines may be used once the torque has been reduced by a six point, and where range of motion is limited. And always have the correct bolt replacement if you have worn the bolt/ nut from the removal process. Don’t skimp out on automobile parts because over torqued bolts may lead to failure on down the road. Understanding that the tools you have on hand may have been hardened steel removing softer steel bolts can cause stripping as you demonstrated can help newer viewers. This is a very good demonstration that you posted.

I picked up a socket set recently and made sure to get 6-points because, as you mentioned, there is no real alignment issue with a ratchet so why give up the extra contact area unless you are dealing with 12-point bolts at some point.

I'm sure most of us knew the 6-point would do wonderful. But the splined Box end really surprised me!

My uncle is a mechanic and when spline was coming out I asked him about it. He said they worked great. Seemed odd to me that they would. Later on we were working on a truck and we used spline. It impressed me. Talked to a maintenance guy also that uses spline and he said. It was good also. May end up replacing my 12 point with spline. Don't really see the reason for 12 points anymore.

Proof that the specific geometry is really important. 6 vs 6 and 12 vs 12 vary greatly across brands. As a rust belt resident, I only use 12pt on stuff that's new, or needs a specific 12pt. 6pt and spline (hammered on) are the rule of the day.

Just from personal experience working in a auto service center, I always recommend a 6 sided socket or wrench for bolts you remove often like a oil plug. 12 point or spline wrenches and sockets will chew that bolt up over time.

my favorite use is 6 points on easy to get to areas, 12 points on hard to get to and damaged hardware and splined on spline hardware. for the most part I only see spline bolts and nuts on airplanes so tip to people working towards your A&P, buy spline box end wrenches and sockets.

For whatever it's worth, I work in aviation and spline tools are amazing where they're actually intended, not where they've been advertised in recent years. Using them on spline fasteners, they're just about impossible to slip or strip the heads, unlike when trying to use them on 6 point fasteners...

My Craftsman spline wrenches are the same design as the one you got and I can attest that they grip really nice on most fasteners. Interestingly, the spline are also advertised as universal, which makes me cringe too! I’m curious how universal and what the limits are for different fastener head designs they claim spline works on. It would be a tedious episode to make, but really fascinating! Perhaps one day!

Can you test anti slip open end wrench designs like snap on flank drive and wrights wright grip?

This matches my experience with sockets exactly. I avoid 12 points due to how easily they can strip a bolt, user error or not. They really only excel in rare situations you cant position your 6 point in a turnable way.

This reminds me of when I was watching an episode of this old house and they show you the proper way to use a pipe wrench... The point is is you want as much metal touching is possible which is seems like the reason why the six point works so well it's because it's touching at every point of the nut. When you get up to 12 point and spline, it's only grabbing the nut in a smaller spot so it's not touching as much of the nut

I've had 12-point box-ends bind like that spline. I've always thought splines look funny; couldn't see how they'd be good, but now I want a set. The versatility of a 12-point but with more bite strength. "Round out our data." Augh the pun! 🤣

I need that wrench extension in my life. How did I not know this existed?

nothing says a "good" researcher like "I was wrong". kudos to you for putting out the results you didn't care for like a pro.

So what I’ve learned from this video is that if it’s a 6 sided bolt use a 6 sided spanner or socket, if it’s a 12 sided bolt use a 12 sided spanner or socket, if it’s a spline bolt use a spline spanner or socket and if you can’t fit any of these on due to space then and only then use the open ended spanner.

When I was shopping for a mechanic's tool set I chose GearWrench for their affordability and quality. I also decided on the six-point set of metric and SAE sockets and wrenches for the purpose of DIY automotive maintenance without rounding off fasteners. If a nut or bolt is not loosening very well it helps to apply penetrating oil and or heat if possible and then tighten slightly first before trying to loosen the fastener. When the fastener is removed a thread chasing set works well to restore the fastener before reinstalling it.

I would just about swear by my Proto wrenches. I've had my full set for about 3 years now and I've relegated all of my other non-ratcheting wrenches to an old tool box to gather dust. You should do a complete test from brand to brand. I'd be very curious to see the differences. Too many are piss poor excuses for a good tool.

as a trades men and car repair handy, didn't take super long to really see the proof in 12 vs 6. It's nice to know that spline would be a better investment than a 12 point though. even though 6 pointed wrenches can be a pain in the ass depending on what your doing. When it comes to sockets I've broken rachets and torque bars at the connecting point or straight up twisting the head off on shitty hardware removal. Thats where oils sprays come into play but even then a 6 point will cause something else to fail before it'll ever think to strip something

When I was a poor high school student in the mid 70s, I could barely afford a 3/8" Canadian Tire ratchet wench without a socket set. Even then my intuition told me 6-point sockets was the best for my non-existent budget. I bought $0.99 6-point sockets made in Taiwan piecemeal which at the time Taiwanese tools were considered to be the bottom of the barrel. China made tools would take another two decades to be common place. Forward 50 years later, most if not all these sockets are still in my go-to tool box and none ever disappointed me. If you wonder, I work on all my race and track cars, as well as road cars.

There are 2 more styles i would like to see tested. The first is the "surface drive". Those dont grip on the corner but rather somewhere in the middle of the flat. I also heard the statement that the metrinch design (tool that is usable on both metric and imperial sizes), can outperform the other designs. Thanks.

Great video, proves that we need every tool available at our disposal just in case. Some are better at degrees of throw, some at worn fasteners, some at brute strength for super tight fasteners. Thanks!

I will say from experience that the brand does make a big difference. My dad has matco spline wrenches and they are awesome, so i bought some gearwrenchs that look identical and im pretty sure they are both made by apex tools. Not even close, the matco wrenches fit the bolts way tighter in the first place and this makes a big difference. Other than that, i find cheaper wrenches are slightly more flexible, this alows them to distort and loose grip earlier. All that being said im a diesel tech and my mastercraft wrenches have worked well for me.

I have 6pt combo wrenches and 12pt double box end wrenches. Break loos with a 6pt then use a 12. I've only used spline on spline fasteners. A properly fitting spline will fit a spine bolt tight. With a 12pt the wrench should fit 12pt tight. Headaches can be saved when something seems loose, some bolts on the low side of the tolerance, I'll see if another wrench or socket fits tighter, even trying what fits best not the specified by switching to fractional or metric.

Thank you for this video! As someone who has bought and worked on used motorcycles; it is useful to know that the 6pt holds up the best, as there tends to be a lot of questionable bolts on used motorcycles.

You should try to measure the tolerances on the wrenches to see if there are differences based on the wrench types within the same brand.

I got a BGS socket set 1/2 /3/8 1/4 with spline sockets , the best budget set you can buy , been going at them 3 years now , no bolts that won't grip and also used impact on the bigger sockets without them cracking.

Avaition mechanic here, 12 point bolts and nuts are everywhere. All the way down to even stuff like quarter inch 12 point nuts. Really annoying when most common socket sets in 1/4 drive are 6 point only.

My hands are pulsating and hurting from all the memories I've destroyed myself with tools, and when they turned against me. Everytime I see a slip, I can feel the painful sensation hahah oh god

A great test although I hesitate using spline drive as it seems to always mar the nut or bolt. An open end shoot out would be good but compared to other open end types. One thing that I have noticed is when it comes to the actual spanner dimension and finish applied this affects the potential of the spanner to apply maximum torque. Some will have a heaver chrome or nickel finish and these seem to wear a lot faster. I have a Sidchrome set purchased in the 80's and they were so tight when new they needed to be tapped onto some nuts. They have held up extremely well over the years.

I have two pelican cases for field repairs, one is for ground equipment and the other is for boeing aircraft. and the aircraft case is ALL 12 point sockets and wrenches. outside of that, i use 6 point everything.

In all my 35+ yrs working as a mechanic and bodyman here in the mid-southern portion of the rust belt (north enough to get the northern mix road salt, but south enough to rarely get it.) I only have a couple 6point box end wrenches, most(99.8%) are the 12point combos. Have a pretty selection of 12point sockets, chrome and impact. Over the decades, I've bought what I needed, when I needed it. If I had to barrow it twice, I bought my own. I have a 1/2" 6point combo wrench because, that's the 1st size what VW/ Porsche exhaust nuts dissolve too. A little farther north they drop too12mm, but usually at that point, you're replacing the stud, or the whole damn head.

Brand makes a huge difference with their respective production quality. Actually had a Snapon 14mm 6 point socket round transmission bolts because of the poor fit. But I'd be dammed if a Pittsburgh finished the remaining bolts without a problem. I could tell a big difference as the Pittsburgh had a smaller tolerance. People like to joke about Harbor Fraught tools but they've really stepped up their game. I've put some of their stuff through the wringer as a mobile tech and it's still in my box working fine. Where I work now provides SnapOn and I've watched some spectacular tool carnage on things my personal stuff would've never failed on.

Seeing how surprised you were by what you thought was a gimmick, I’d love to see some other tools along those lines like the universal/gator grip sockets, bionic wrench, craftsman ReFlex adjustables, adjustable box wrenches, any of the wide variety of attempts at making a ratcheting open end etc. in general whether these apparent gimmicks are actually worth anything or not. I love collecting them and appreciate all the wacky designs companies come up with, and some actually are quite useful like a gator grip on eye bolts. Also would like to see a variety of rounded/broken bolt extractor brands and designs tested, that’s a particularly unclear topic as to which ones work better than others

I’ll say from working on a lot of earth moving equipment with extremely tight spaces like bulldozers, skid steers, excavators etc… a boxed 12 point is really useful for when you don’t have a lot of space to work with, but if you need virtually any torque you might as well just go get the 6 point and figure it out because those 12s will never hold up to the kind of torque you need on that heavy equipment.

i'd always assumed 6-point was best due to its excellent contact area, but it's nice to see. The difference in the box end between brands is expected but discouraging.

My 6 point long handle wrenches by pittsburgh have never failed me on rusted stubborn suspension bolts yet. Michigan produces some high quality rusty connections.

It is interesting seeing how when most of the designs cammed out is after you stop turning and reposition. Difference in getting something stationary moving versus keeping something already moving on motion

This is excellent testing. I've kinda always felt this, namely from experience and this makes me feel better about my choice to go with 6 point for my ratcheting spanners. They've proven absolutely excellent leagues better than all the 12 point's I'd used and had before them.

I usually ONLY use a 12 point wrench on a 12 point bolt. Otherwise, no. No.. I'm impressed with the spline ends, I may add a set of those to my wrench set. 6 points are fantastic but if you're in a tight spot and can't get a socket in, it's tough to use. Great work!

I have a coworker who uses spline wrenches all the time and loves them and hasn’t had any issues. I have some kobalts at home and haven’t had any issues but mine have not been used enough to get any long term results.