WrenchIt

[rdub934]

Just saw this on ToolGuyd from back in March. Traced it to a Kickstarter page. It looks like the campaign has ended and they are in the early stages of production. It looks pretty cool! Check it out:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2054052511/wrenchit-turning-smart/description

I see A LOT of room for expanding the original toolset beyond the "Allen" wrenches, cap lifter, and wingnut/spoke wrench package. Scrapers, blades, strippers, pry-tips... who knows. They could even develop the sleeve to store extra pieces on the reverse side. Maybe have a pocket clip on it? Ruler marks. Maybe incorporate the same concept onto the body a multitool.

Sorry if this has been discussed previously, but I did a quick search and nothing turned up.

[Poncho65]

Looks like a neat device they have there

[NKlamerus]

That, is actually not too bad. Reminds me of one of these

[kaput]

Yeah. I've seen the kick-starter, clever idea. But, wouldn't even a small crescent wrench do the same thing ultimately?

[hellsing]

Not a big fan of this design. When i saw this on kickstarter i look at the picture carefully and for me the wrench are too thin. Like 2mm max. And for me this is too thin to apply enough force on bolt without damaging the bolt. And the retention part is quite small also.
For me it can be usefull to hold a bolt but not to apply the kind of torque i deal with.

[styx]

Interesting idea but I'm With Kaput  on this one

[Sea Monster]

Maybe for ultra-light cyclists, or Solar Cars? Something where weight is that much of a factor it could be worth sacrificing some efficacy, I would be relunctant to carry it for fear of losing the parts (does it still work without a full load?, or once one is gone, will the rest slide around inside in the rails too much?)

and as previously stated, it doesn't seem high-torque for a few reasons.

[Yadda]

That, is actually not too bad. Reminds me of one of these (Image removed from quote.)

Their earlier projects appear to be inspired by these pencils.

[rdub934]

Of course a dedicated crescent wrench would be better than this. I see this as similar in application to a Piranha or Pocket Wrench II, or really any OPT that features those multiple wrench cutouts. Obviously, this is not a replacement for a dedicated wrench, but a good stand-in if weight were a factor. Kind of like a multitool.

[Grant Lamontagne]

That, is actually not too bad. Reminds me of one of these (Image removed from quote.)

That was the first thing I thought of as well!

As for the tool itself, it is a neat idea.  Like everyone else I'm not entirely certain what need it fills, but I'd like to get my hands on one when they come available and see how it actually works.  I use my wrenches quite a bit (as has been discussed recently) but it might be neat to have a more compact glove compartment type version.

Def

[rdub934]

I think the price is going to be a big hurdle on this tool. They project a retail price of $55 for the full set (sleeve plus all 10 metric inserts; add $10 for three imperial wrenches). You can get a Rebar, MP600, or a SwitchPlier for less than that and this thing is pretty limited by comparison. Even aimed at bikers, you can get the fully loaded Topeak Mini-20 Pro for like $25. That doesn't have box wrenches but for a cost per function comparison, this makes the WrenchIt look like a poor value. However, if it were priced similarly to a Piranha or PWII I think they would stand a better chance with the general population.

I believe it would be best if beefed up. The inserts should be at least 4mm thick, IMO. I think this idea has a lot of potential, though. Hopefully they develop it further

[Gareth]

That, is actually not too bad. Reminds me of one of these (Image removed from quote.)

That was the first thing I thought of as well!

As for the tool itself, it is a neat idea.  Like everyone else I'm not entirely certain what need it fills, but I'd like to get my hands on one when they come available and see how it actually works.  I use my wrenches quite a bit (as has been discussed recently) but it might be neat to have a more compact glove compartment type version.

Def

"hey, that looks like those pencils I had when I was a kid"

Looks like we're on the same wavelength.  As this stands I'm not sure I see the huge benefit over a simple adjustable spanner but it looks well executed.

[parnass]

A dedicated adjustable wrench looks like a better solution.