2023 test17 productsHand Tools
Which Extractor Wrenches Brand Wins?
We compared 17 extractor wrenches options head to head. Capri Tools came out on top. See the measured results, the runner-up, the budget pick, and a link to the full test video.
Winner
Capri Tools
Price shown in test: $98 for eight wrenches or $12.25 each
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The measured results
Every number below is read straight from the test. Scroll sideways to see all measurements. Products are listed in the order they finished.
| Product | Size (closed end) | Round 1, undamaged bolt | Round 1, partially rounded bolt | Round 1, fully rounded bolt | Round 2, open-end max torque, undamaged bolt | Round 2, open-end max torque, partially rounded bolt | Round 3, six-sided contact max torque, undamaged bolt | Round 3, six-sided contact max torque, partially rounded bolt | Size | Round 3, six-sided contact max torque | Durability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Irwin Vise Grip Locking Pliers$14 | 1.87 in across with a 7/16 in bolt in the jaws | loosened without slipping, but caused a small amount of damage to the previously undamaged bolt | lost grip at 62 ft-lb (jaws visibly stretch as they lose grip) | gave up at 20 ft-lb, did not successfully loosen it (only the pipe wrench and Rocket Socket succeeded on the fully rounded bolt in round 1 per the video's summary) | 100 ft-lb (best of all wrenches tested in this round, with three points of contact) | 49 ft-lb (2nd place in this round, behind the pipe wrench), with some damage to the tool | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested |
| 2Stanley Locking Adjustable Wrench$15 | 2.03 in | made easy work of it, though the jaws stretched enough at loosening torque to cause damage to the bolt corner | lost grip at 43 ft-lb (about 19 ft-lb less than the Vise Grip), with a small amount of damage to the wrench | made it to 16 ft-lb, did not successfully loosen it | 83 ft-lb, described as respectable given adjustable wrenches' reputation for rounding fasteners; the locking design helped | 41 ft-lb, with some damage to the wrench | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested |
| 3Universal Socket$16 | 1.02 in, the smallest diameter among the initial 16 tools | successfully loosened it, but the internal steel pins caused minor damage to the bolt | gave up early at only 9 ft-lb | not tested | not tested | not tested | 80 ft-lb before slipping (20 ft-lb less than the Vise Grip) | 46 ft-lb, though some of the internal steel pins experienced damage | not tested | not tested | not tested |
| 4Maxpower Swedish Pipe Wrench$23 | 2.3 in, the largest footprint among the initial 16 tools | loosened it, but the aggressive teeth caused a lot of damage to the bolt, and the teeth themselves also experienced some wear | first tool in the lineup to successfully loosen the partially rounded bolt | first and one of only two tools (with Rocket Socket) to successfully remove the completely rounded bolt | 99 ft-lb (close second to the Vise Grip), with the teeth experiencing quite a bit of wear | 99 ft-lb, and came out on top of this specific sub-category | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested |
| 5Duratech Universal Wrench$24 | 1.65 in | loosened without a problem, though the jaws are soft and showed quite a bit of damage; very minor damage to the bolt | lost grip at 33 ft-lb | not tested | not tested | not tested | 108 ft-lb before losing grip | lost grip at 33 ft-lb (same figure referenced back from round 1); durability an issue, with quite a bit of damage to the tool | not tested | not tested | not tested |
| 6Crescent X6$30 | not tested | made easy work of it | wasn't able to gain any traction | not tested | 93 ft-lb before the moving ratcheting part broke, ruining the wrench | not tested | 151 ft-lb, outlasting the bolt (the bolt itself began stretching, so the test was stopped); one of only three tools (with Capri Tools and Snap-on) to outlast the undamaged bolt in round 3 | unable to gain grip; durability an issue again, with quite a bit of wear and tear | 0.987 in closed end, 1.36 in open end | not tested | not tested |
| 7Bionic Wrench$33 | very close to 2 in | got the job done, described as needing a firm ('Bionic') grip to operate well | lost grip at 32 ft-lb, with some minor damage to the tool | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested | tested with a hose clamp added by the reviewer to substitute for the discontinued 'Bionic cans' accessory; experienced a 'Bionic blowout' and lost two teeth (no torque figure given for this failure) | not tested |
| 8Magic Wrench$39 | 2.31 in | the only one of the 16 initial tools that was NOT able to loosen the undamaged bolt at all | lost grip at 48 ft-lb, and mangled the previously undamaged bolt head in the process | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested |
| 9GripTite GT Pro$40 for six wrenches or about $6.67 per inch | not tested | made very easy work of it, with a very tight grip as the name implies | lost grip at 55 ft-lb, just a little better than average, but the closed end suffered two broken teeth and was ruined | not tested | 75 ft-lb before losing grip, but sustained damage in the process | only 15 ft-lb | not tested | not tested | 1.1 in closed end, 1.37 in open end | not tested | not tested |
| 10Olsa Tools Bolt Extractor Offset Wrench Set$64 | 0.94 in, the most compact closed end among the initial 16 tools | easily removed it, leaving the bolt looking almost as good as new with only a small amount of corner damage | more than enough grip to remove the badly rounded fastener | couldn't gain a good grip | not tested | not tested | 103 ft-lb before the 45-degree offset design caused the wrench to roll to the side and lose grip | performed better here, maintaining a much better grip and outlasting the bolt; only minor damage to the teeth | not tested | not tested | not tested |
| 11Rocket Socket | 0.89 in, more compact than Olsa Tools | did just fine, though it did cause some damage to the bolt | made easy work of it after a few light hammer taps | maintained a good grip and finally loosened the bolt at just over 56 ft-lb; one of only two tools (with the Maxpower pipe wrench) to succeed on the fully rounded bolt in round 1 | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested |
| 12GearWrench$90 or just over $3 per wrench | not tested | more than enough grip; the bolt still looked as good as new | repositioned itself to take advantage of flat areas on the bolt | wasn't able to gain any traction | 73 ft-lb before rounding the bolt, with no visible damage to the tool | 23 ft-lb, moving into the round-2 lead for that sub-category | 111 ft-lb before coming off the bolt | 49 ft-lb, with a small amount of wear and tear to the tool | 0.95 in closed end, 1.28 in open end, tied for most compact open end among the initial 16 tools | not tested | not tested |
| 13Capri Tools$98 for eight wrenches or $12.25 each | not tested | maintained very good grip, but the wrench applies pressure away from the corners, causing bolt damage; the chrome plating on the wrench itself was seen crumbling | found plenty of grip and loosened the bolt at 61 ft-lb | not enough surface area to succeed | 73 ft-lb, tied with GearWrench, with some damage to the wrench from the high torque load | gave up early at only 9 ft-lb | 137 ft-lb before the bolt itself began to stretch | performed very well and outlasted the partially rounded bolt, with only minor damage to the wrench | 0.98 in closed end, 1.37 in open end | not tested | not tested |
| 14MichaelPro$153 for 19 wrenches or just over $8 each | 0.927 in, the second most compact closed end among the initial 16 tools | made easy work of it and held up well with no visible damage to the wrench | more than enough surface area; began moving the bolt at 62 ft-lb | not enough surface area to succeed | not tested | not tested | 94 ft-lb before its 45-degree offset design caused it to roll to the side and lose grip (same offset weakness noted for Olsa Tools) | outlasted the partially rounded bolt with only minor damage, one of three tools to do so | not tested | not tested | not tested |
| 15Metrinch$190 for 14 wrenches or $13.57 each | not tested | performed just fine, though the wrench has a lot of taper and the spline only applies pressure to about 70% of the bolt head | began loosening the bolt at 67 ft-lb | not enough surface area to succeed | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested | 1.05 in closed end, 1.41 in open end, described as pretty bulky | not tested | not tested |
| 16Snap-on$469 for seven wrenches or $67 each | not tested | made very easy work of it; the bolt began loosening at 63 ft-lb with more than enough contact area to avoid any damage | wasn't able to get a grip; no visible wear on the tool | not tested | 97 ft-lb, by far the best of the combination-style wrenches, with only a small amount of wear and tear | 16 ft-lb before slipping | 122 ft-lb, outlasting the bolt, one of only three tools to do so in round 3 | unable to gain a grip; the tool itself remained in really good condition | 0.92 in closed end, 1.28 in open end, very well designed for tight spaces | not tested | not tested |
| 17Matco | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested | 88 ft-lb before giving up, better than anticipated | 15 ft-lb, about average | offered a very loose fit on the undamaged fastener, which hurt performance; rounded the bolt at 89 ft-lb | 52 ft-lb, about average | not tested | not tested | held up very well with very little wear and tear in round 3 |
How it was tested
- round 1: closed-end wrench performance on an undamaged, partially rounded, and completely rounded 7/16 in grade 8 fine-thread bolt torqued to 78 ft-lb (only 7 of the 16 initial tools loosened the partially rounded bolt; only the Maxpower pipe wrench and Rocket Socket loosened the completely rounded bolt)
- round 2: open-end wrench maximum torque on an undamaged and a partially rounded grade 8 bolt (ft-lb)
- round 3: six-sided-contact tool maximum torque on an undamaged and a partially rounded grade 8 bolt (ft-lb)
- tool size/footprint for tight-space access (closed-end and open-end diameters in inches)
- subjective tool durability rating
“For the wrenches designed specifically for damaged nuts and bolts, I really like the Capri Tools the best. When you consider the price and the performance, it seems like a great choice.”