# Ball end hex wrenches: yes or no?



## milkbaby (Aug 14, 2009)

I was going to go to Sears to buy a Craftsman metric hex key set (I only have an SAE set at home), but I didn't have time to go by there and was right by a Lowe's. I got a set of Kobalt brand ball end hex wrenches with an attachable wrench handle you can throw the keys in and get a better grip for higher torque I guess... It was like $12 and made in China versus the $20 made in USA Craftsman.

Long story short, I was wondering whether it is a good idea to use ball end hex wrenches on bike parts. Won't they be less secure than the standard straight flat end keys? And would they be more prone to stripping the hex shape out of whatever bolt you were using them on? Or am I just being paranoid? I'm not planning on doing anything sophisticated, just minor stuff like, ohhh... straightening my brifters after a crash... *cough cough*...


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## orbeamike (Nov 20, 2004)

I've had my ball end hex wrench for over 10 years and they work great, can't imagine without them. I can't remember the last time I stripped a hex bolt with the ball end. I use the flat ends to loosen the bolts initially or final tightening.


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## Guest (Nov 11, 2009)

There actually pretty handy on some bolts. Some of the Park Tool wrenches come that way and I prefer mine to have the ball on one end.


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## PRB (Jun 15, 2002)

They work great in cases where you don't need to put a huge amount of torque on something. If the bolt is torqued down I use a regular allen to loosen it and then switch to the ball end to take it off (mine are the screwdriver type and I can turn them a lot faster than anything else). I'd guess I use the ball end ones about 95% of the time as most stuff doesn't need to be super tight....my set is about 10 years old and they haven't stripped yet.


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## asad137 (Jul 29, 2009)

orbeamike said:


> I use the flat ends to loosen the bolts initially or final tightening.


Quoted for truth. Use 'em, love 'em, and wonder how you ever did without 'em.

Asad


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

I have the Park set that has a ball on one end...

They come in handy for certain applications. Removing bottle cage bolts when a regular hex will interfere with the cage is one reason I like them


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## Guest (Nov 11, 2009)

Dave Hickey said:


> I have the Park set that has a ball on one end...
> 
> They come in handy for certain applications. Removing bottle cage bolts when a regular hex will interfere with the cage is one reason I like them



Agreed, and if you ever buy one of the Oval stems that attach through the back of the faceplate they make life a lot easier.


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## Hoffman (Jul 29, 2008)

Dave Hickey said:


> I have the Park set that has a ball on one end...
> 
> They come in handy for certain applications. Removing bottle cage bolts when a regular hex will interfere with the cage is one reason I like them


My favorite use for them.

Any time you are loosening a tight bolt use the regular end. Then flip the wrench around and use the ball end.

When tightening, use the ball end to drive the bolt in until barely snug, then tighten with the regular end.

No stripped bolts, faster insertion, proper torque achieved. Whoopee!


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## JimP (Dec 18, 2001)

kytyree said:


> Agreed, and if you ever buy one of the Oval stems that attach through the back of the faceplate they make life a lot easier.


+1 on the use of the ball type for use with Oval stems. The Park 4 mm wrench makes installing the faceplate much easier than other hex wrenches.


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## Kuma601 (Jan 22, 2004)

+5 on ball end wrenches. Quality varies and some may have more tolerances then others so this is something to double check when torquing Ti bolts.


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## tihsepa (Nov 27, 2008)

I have had a set from Snap-On for 20 years. They are the only way to fly.


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## fsgray (May 31, 2006)

PRB said:


> They work great in cases where you don't need to put a huge amount of torque on something. If the bolt is torqued down I use a regular allen to loosen it and then switch to the ball end to take it off (mine are the screwdriver type and I can turn them a lot faster than anything else). I'd guess I use the ball end ones about 95% of the time as most stuff doesn't need to be super tight....my set is about 10 years old and they haven't stripped yet.


What he said.


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## khat (Sep 22, 2009)

Great addition to you tool box. But like other have said DON'T use the ball end to torque on or off the bolts. You can break off the ball end in the Allen socket and you will have a hard time getting it out. I did this 20 years ago on a 1/4 million dollar machine and it was fun trying to get it out so I could remove the bolt.


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## Blangkang (May 5, 2009)

yes...


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## FBinNY (Jan 24, 2009)

The ball ends are for rapid spinning of loosened bolts, but final tightening or initial loosening should always be done with the plain end, if possible. The ball has far less contact area and will damage unhardened hardware at full torque. That's why the inventor, Bondhus, puts a ball at the long end of their hex keys, and a plain end at the short end.


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## Mel Erickson (Feb 3, 2004)

I like 'em and use 'em but you need the right tool for the job. When snug is good enough or when bolts have not been installed with a lot of torque ball ends are great. When you're trying to apply some torque not so great (easier to remove a torqued bolt with a ball end than to apply torque when tightening with one). Bolts with shallow sockets do not play well with ball ends nor do bolts made from softer materials like alu. I use 'em a lot of the time (particularly T handles) but often start or finish with a regular allen wrench.


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## jpdigital (Dec 1, 2006)

A from Il said:


> I have had a set from Snap-On for 20 years. They are the only way to fly.


I got my set from the Mac Tools guy, I just wasn't ready to graduate to Snap-On at the time . But yeah, the quality of professional grade tooladge (is that a word?) can be felt, and is worth the investment.


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## StillKeen (Oct 4, 2005)

I have some that came with a mid priced tool kit (sold under lots of brands, PBK, Supertool etc), and they are complete rubbish. I would only buy ball end hex keys again if they were Snap-on, Facom or similar. I am probably going to take mine onto a grinding wheel and remove the ball section.

The issue is that if they are applied at an angle (as theyre designed to do), they just slip ... and then they've worn the bolt and themselves a bit and work worse the next time.


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