Are We Getting Too Lazy??

[Randy_]

I thought I was pretty well informed; but it looks like I have actually been living in a cave. Received a sale flyer from Home Depot and became aware, for the first time, of the Black & Decker Auto Adjust Wrench. Apparently, this little gem has been on the market for a while; but its existence has escaped me until now. I have not held one in my hands yet; but my initial reaction from seeing the ad is. "......how lazy can one get.....!! I know I am a little "old school" on most things; but like to think I can see value in new technology when it exists.

In case you haven't seen one either, this is what they look like: http://www.amazon.com/Black-Decker-AAW100-8-Inch-Adjusting/dp/B000EGM1ZM

Seems like a useless gadget to me. What do you think??

 

[BigShed]

Solution waiting for a problem?

 

[marcruby]

The jaws are too small. Otherwise I thinks it's a vast improvement over fiddling with a wrench with one hand while keeping the spindle lock in with the other.

Marc

 

[ed4copies]

I DON'T own one (not an option above), but would have liked one, years ago.

Sit down, Randy. Let grampa tell you a little story:

Many times upon a time, dozens of years ago, Americans drove automobiles with parts made in AMERICA. However, since it was early in the development of these vehicles, they required occasional maintenance. AND, since the wife in the house still washed dishes by hand, the husband in the house was EXPECTED to be able to do minor repairs - including, but not limited to, changing the "broken parts" on the household vehicle. (Affectionately referred to as "ol' bessie" in many households.)

In the early days, household hubby just listened to the motor (if it was still able to run) and determined what was needed, took off the old one, adjusted and put it back on (frequently the rotor or rotor cover or spark plugs). The manufacturers, realizing that this was taking away from their potential service revenue decided to make these parts more difficult to find. Then, they made their nuts and bolts differing sizes!! So, when you set your wrench for the size on the TOP of the engine, it would not match the nut on the BOTTOM of the engine that you needed to dislodge. This encouraged the household husband to develop a very enlarged vocabulary. Which discouraged the household wife, who felt the children should not be exposed to the husband's new words.

So, had this fabulous tool existed, the divorce rate would have fallen by several points. Families would have stayed together and children would never have learned "dirty words".

NOW, I am confident you can see the benefit of this remarkable tool

But $20 is a little high, for me.

 

[JimB]

I don't need another wrench even if it does have some good uses.

 

[dogcatcher]

My wrenches are old school they also double up as hammers and various other tools. I doubt if these could last a day in my shop.

Marvin

 

[Daniel]

I saw a commercial the other day on one of these. it basically shows a guy headed for the bathroom to work on the plumbing. A voice is saying "the problem with an adjustable wrench is getting them adjusted" I looked at my wife and said " anyone that cannot adjust a wrench properly has no business working on the plumbing". It might be entertaining to watch though.

 

[Mazzywv]

Makes me feel pretty old. Like I one day could tell my grandson, "back when I was your age we had wrenches we had to open & close manually!" Can you believe it. But in reality I don't think it's worth it. I really liked BigShed's comment! A solution waiting for a problem...

Dan

 

[Daniel]

Ed, Your story reminded me of about two months ago. I was talking to my son about tuning up cars. I told him you used to do it by just listening to the engine. He thought I was trying to pull his leg.

 

[leehljp]

Only when arthritis stops my thumbs from working! :biggrin: Otherwise:

It is a simple procedure to adjust the wrench to the bolt, but even this electronic adjusting - for many people - destroys deductive reasoning. "Uh - how do you do - which way to tighten, which way to loosen?"

I have run into hoards of people back in my home country who can't think to "turn a knob", count coins, add or subtract from the mental faculties - but they can play computer games and start a car!

So, where are we headed with this:

My middle daughter taught school 3 years here in Japan to ex-pat students, but 1/4 of the classes for 3rd & 4th graders were Japanese. Japanese parents were upset constantly for her deductive/reasoning/thinking math questions. These students (and parents) learned everything by memorizing. No reasoning skills. Japanese students grades were lowered and their parents were mad!

 

[Chuck Key]

"I thought everyone had one" also not an option. Got one as a gift several years ago form my fav person and I think the wrench is just priceless. Always use it when she is around the shop :wink::wink:. Also use it when working on my Chuckie Wizard.

 

[TellicoTurning]

I worked part time at Lowe's last year when I first saw one... I actually laughed out loud.. couldn't believe people would actually buy that.

And Daniel, I saw that commercial, working on plumbing with a crescent wrench, then throwing a perfectly good wrench in the toilet.. everyone knows you're supposed to do plumbing with a monkey wrench. LOL

 

[tim self]

I wound not own one. I'll admit the tool has it's market.:frown: Those who have not the background with tools and can't tell a 1/2 from a 9/16. And the tool companies know if they design a gadget like this. And I know not all have the background I have, ASE Master Technician.

 

[Chasper]

I smell a misunderstanding here. As pen turners and makers of things, we are, for the most part, among the more mechanically inclined types. We are definitely not the target buyers for this wrench. This wrench is for the person who is buying a GIFT for the mechanically inclined type (mostly women, buying for mostly men). This is a gift for the "hard to buy for" person. If you get one as a gift, open it up, bang it around so it gets some scratches and wear, rub some grease on it, (she will be checking to see if you are using it) then put it in the tool box and forget about it.

In the long term you will be doing a good service to the pen turning industry. We owe much of our sales to the woman who is buying for the man who is "hard to buy for."

 

[lwalden]

I was given one of these as a gift at Christmas last year. It's hanging on the pegboard in my shop next to my 8 "old style" crescent wrenches. I have yet to use it for actual work- I always grab one of the others. I have, however, playfully offered to use it on my eight year old daughter's nose.

 

[Tuba707]

Wow... if you are lazy enough to not want to adjust the crescent wrench, or grab the correct size open-end or rachet + socket.... What are you using a wrench to do anyway? Surely not work... work is hard.

 

[sbell111]

Every Christmas, we give my FIL two gifts. The first tends to be a major tool for his shop. The second is some kind of gimmicky tool. If we haven't already given him an autowrench, I'm sure he'll get one in the next year or two.