15 Essential Types of Wrenches Every Homeowner Should Know

Get to know various kinds of wrenches that every homeowner can find a place for in their toolbox.

When it comes to tools, there are few words as ambiguous as "wrench." Simply asking someone to hand you a wrench could yield very different results depending on who you ask and the contents of your toolbox. This is because there are dozens of different types of wrenches, from basic wrenches like adjustable wrenches, which can be used for a nearly endless list of tasks, to specialty wrenches like basin wrenches, which are purely for replacing faucets under tight sink basins.

If you're building your toolbox and wondering which wrenches deserve a spot, we've outlined 15 essential types of wrenches that every homeowner should know.

Related: The 8 Best Wrench Sets of 2023 Come in Handy for All Your DIY Needs

Adjustable Wrench

Best for: Loosening and tightening varying sizes of fasteners

An adjustable wrench, sometimes called a Crescent wrench due to its associated history with the Crescent Tool Company, is an open-ended wrench with an adjustable head. Adjustable wrenches are one of the handiest tools you can have in a toolbox, as they can quickly be adjusted to fit on a wide-range of fasteners without having to switch tools.

Pipe Wrench

Best for: Loosening and tightening round items like pipes and pipe fittings

Pipe wrenches, named for their utilization in the plumbing industry for installing pipe, have an adjustable locking jaw that is designed to grip items without a machined head, such as a round pipe.

Allen Wrench

Best for: Loosening and tightening fasteners with female hex heads

If you've ever bought assemble-it-yourself furniture, you've likely used a hex key, which is more popularly called an Allen wrench or Allen key. Hex keys come in metric and standard and can be found in a wide range of sizes.

Tip

When assembling build-it-yourself furniture, ditching the included assembly tool and opting for a larger iteration in your toolbox will almost always make the job quicker and easier.

Box-Ended Wrench

Best for: Loosening and tightening standard nuts and bolts

A box-ended wrench is a wrench with a fully enclosed jaw that has a designated size, which is why they are typically sold in a set of multiple sizes.

Open-Ended Wrench

Best for: Loosening and tightening standard nuts and bolts

An open-ended wrench is similar to a box-ended wrench in that it has a designated size and is often sold in a set, yet the end is open on one side to allow you to slide it over the head of a fastener.

Combination Wrench

Best for: Loosening and tightening standard nuts and bolts

A combination wrench combines a box-ended wrench with an open-ended wrench by placing one of each style of jaw on opposing ends.

Ratcheting Wrench

Best for: Loosening and tightening standard nuts and bolts

A ratcheting wrench is a combination wrench that features a ratcheting mechanism on the box-ended side, allowing the user to tighten or loosen a fastener without pulling the wrench off and adjusting its position.

Stubby Wrench

Best for: Loosening and tightening hard-to-reach nuts and bolts

A stubby wrench is a combination wrench with a shortened handle, making it much more maneuverable in tight areas.

Crowfoot Wrench

Best for: Loosening and tightening hard-to-reach nuts and bolts

A crowfoot wrench is essentially the jaw of an open-ended wrench with no handle. Instead of the handle, the crowfoot wrench is used in conjunction with a socket wrench handle. This allows the crowfoot wrench to be used in super tight spots.

Basin Wrench

Best for: Loosening and tightening fixtures beneath sink basins

A basin wrench is designed to slide in the tight, deep cavity under a sink basin to reach the nut of a faucet. It may seem like a specialty tool because it is, but it's a must-have wrench for replacing a faucet.

Socket Wrench

Best for: Loosening and tightening standard nuts and bolts

A socket wrench, often called a ratchet, is a handle with a ratcheting head that fits multiple sockets. Standard homeowner-grade socket wrenches are available in 1/4-inch, 3/8-inch, and 1/2-inch driver to cover a wide range of tasks.

Breaker Bar

Best for: Loosening and tightening stubborn nuts and bolts

A breaker bar is similar to a socket wrench in that it features a square drive that fits sockets. However, breaker bars aren't ratcheting like a socket wrench and instead have a swiveling head.

Torque Wrench

Best for: Tightening nuts and bolts to a designated torque spec

A torque wrench is a socket wrench that can be dialed to stop once a designated amount of torque is applied to the fastener.

Strap Wrench

Best for: Loosening and tightening round or irregularly shaped items

A strap wrench features a rubber, fabric, or chain strap that's used to tighten and loosen round or irregularly shaped objects that other wrenches can't fit around.

Dog Bone Wrench

Best for: Quickly changing wrench sizes without changing tools

Dog bone wrenches have nothing to do with dogs. They get their name from their resemblance to a stereotypical dog bone shape, as they have a skinny handle between two bulky ends. The ends feature multiple wrench sizes that allow the user to quickly undo fasteners without having to grab another tool or adjust a tool to fit.

Choosing the Right Wrenches for Your Toolbox

Whether you choose to outfit your toolbox with every wrench or you opt for a key few, this list of essential wrenches is sure to get you started. While some homeowners will indeed find a use for every single wrench listed, others will benefit from a set of sockets and a ratcheting handle, combination wrenches, hex keys, an adjustable wrench, and possibly a pipe wrench. From there, add to your wrench collection as new projects call for new wrenches.

Related: 14 Essential Items Every DIYer Has in Their Tool Kit

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