An adjustable wrench is an open-ended wrench with one movable jaw and one fixed jaw. The
jaws are smooth. You adjust the movable jaw with a device called a worm gear, which is
accessible from both sides of the head. Use this tool to turn nuts, bolts, small pipe
fittings, and chrome-faced pipe fittings, which could be damaged by the teeth of a pipe
wrench. Whenever possible, turn the wrench so that the load is applied to the fixed jaw,
which can withstand more pressure than the movable jaw.
Using an Adjustable Wrench
To loosen a nut, position the wrench around the nut with the fixed jaw at the top and the
handle pointing to the left. Tighten the jaws, and then turn the handle counterclockwise.
To tighten a nut, flip the wrench over so that the fixed jaw is at the top and the handle
points to the right, then move the handle clockwise. Oil the moving parts of an adjustable
wrench periodically with lightweight oil.
Purchasing
Adjustable wrenches are described by their overall length, and commonly range from 4 to 15
inches. Jaw capacity is proportionate to tool length, ranging from 1/2 inch for a 4-inch
wrench to 1-11/16 inches for a 15-inch tool. The handle can be either straight or tapered.
Other Names
Crescent wrench
Substitutes
An alternative to the adjustable wrench is an open-end wrench. This nonadjustable (or
"fixed") wrench has an opening of a different size at each end. It is used to loosen or
tighten nuts and bolts. Open-end wrenches come in a wide variety of common and metric
sizes. They are available singly or in sets.
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