As engine bays get more compact, you come to realise you can never have too many spanners to access all the bolts that your ratchet just can’t get to and while cordless ratchets and impact drivers make some jobs quicker, they can in some cases leave bolts a little worse for wear.
The Wave Ratcheting Gear Spanner from Warren & Brown is a combination spanner consisting of an open end and a reversible gear ratcheting ring end. The wave design is incorporated into the ratcheting ring end, allowing the spanner to grip onto bolts that have been mistreated or rounded. The ring end is also offset allowing you to access bolts that are behind obstructions like brackets or clamps. The metric set comes in a fabric roll with sizes ranging from 8mm up to 19mm.
During this tool test I found the Wave Ratcheting Gear Spanners to be well weighed and have a nice ergonomic feel to them. The matte finish is a nice touch and the embossed sizing is easy to see. The ratchet gear mechanism is fine enough to allow for a steady turn of a bolt or nut without requiring the spanner to be lifted off and readjusted, while the slim lined ring end isn’t too bulky, allowing it to fit around most bolts and nuts with limited clearance around them.
The wave function and locking force of the gear ratchet was tested on some exhaust manifold nuts. These are lock nuts that are always challenging to remove. The spanner length was good without being too short, allowing enough force to be placed on the spanner, after a few initial turns I could feel the wave action bite down on the nut and upon when removed showed no signs of being damaged or rounded. As it worked so well, it would be nice to see the wave design feature in the open end as well.
The Warren & Brown Wave Ratcheting Gear Spanner is another fine example of how the humble workshop spanner just keeps getting better.