A traditional hand tool featuring a fixed upper jaw and a lower jaw that slides along the handle via a rotating screw mechanism. Unlike pipe wrenches, the jaws are flat and smooth to grip flat-sided fastener heads without marring the metal. While lighter adjustable wrenches are more common for tight spaces, this heavy tool remains useful for applying substantial leverage to large, stubborn fasteners.
Heard on the job
Grab the monkey wrench so we can back off this massive hex nut without rounding the corners.
Insider tip
Always position the wrench so that the pulling force is directed toward the side with the fixed jaw to prevent the sliding jaw from breaking under heavy load.
Also heard as
- Ford wrench
- auto wrench