The Crescent Wrench is another term for the Adjustable Wrench, while the Monkey Wrench is a kind or type of the Adjustable Wrench, this means both wrenches can work on similar projects and trades and are mostly used in tightening or loosening pipes and other fasteners like sockets, nuts, and bolts.
Read below as we discuss in depth what the Crescent Wrench vs Monkey Wrench and learn what’s best for you and your projects!
What is a Crescent Wrench?
A versatile tool with many uses, the Adjustable Wrench or Adjustable Spanner was coined as the Crescent Wrench when it was created in the early 1900s because the Crescent Tool Company was the first to patent the design, and the brand name became synonymous with the tool.
The Crescent wrench is also called Bahco in Sweden because the Swedish company BAHCO manufactured the wrench there, and it has also been called “knucklebuster” because the jaws sometimes slips when you’re tightening or loosening and scrapes your knuckles at the nearest surface
There were four adjustable wrenches created by the Crescent Tool Company, and each has a different size and function, and they are single divided head wrenches, meaning that one half is fixed and one is movable; unlike monkey wrenches that have jaws perpendicular to the handle, these are nearly parallel with the handle with 15-degree angle for leverage.
The type of adjustable wrench can be identified based on length and jaw opening as well as whether they have a set of jaws on each end or just one set on one side,and just by the simple crescent-like design of it too.
When it comes to its size, the Crescent Wrench or Adjustable Spanner is commonly sized at 8-in to 24-in max, while 8-in to 12-in are whats mostly preferred for flexible use in many kinds of applications.
What is a Monkey Wrench?
The Monkey Wrench is a kind of Crescent Wrench or Adjustable Wrench because by design, like the Adjustable Wrench, it is an open-end wrench that has an adjustable jaw for loosening or tightening pipes and fasteners like nuts and bolts.
The Monkey Wrench compared to the Pipe Wrench, is now rarely seen yet is still highly sought after by plumbers because of its versatile use to be able to smoothly loosen and tighten pipes at the same time work on fasteners like nuts and bolts without damaging them.
The Monkey Wrench is designed to work on modern and vintage pipes, that’s why its highly sought after by car restoration mechanics as well because it fits well with vintage bolts and nuts, at the same time the monkey wrench can be substituted for the pipe wrench when working on pipes.
Similarities between Crescent Wrench and Monkey Wrench
Both of them are open end wrenches with an adjustable jaw and gear mechanism to help tighten or loosen the grip.
Both the Crescent Wrench and Monkey Wrench are suited to work with fasteners like nuts and bolts or any other fastener, as well as be used on tightening and loosening pipes.
Both also need leverage and proper torque to get the job done with tightening or loosening the material.
Differences between the Crescent Wrench and Monkey Wrench
Design-wise, the Crescent Wrench has a Crescent-shaped opening that has the adjustable jaw parallel to the fixed jaw while the Monkey Wrench has an F Shaped design having the lower adjustable jaw perpendicular to the fixed upper jaw.
When it comes to size the Monkey Wrench has bigger options than a Crescent Wrench set can offer, and some Monkey Wrenches can even reach 64-inches for the biggest pipes.
When it comes to weight, the Crescent Wrench is significantly lighter compared to the Monkey Wrench because the Monkey Wrench is made of heavier steel in most cases, for better and longer-lasting performance.
The versatility of the Crescent Wrench is great, yet because of the Monkey Wrench’s jaw depth and jaw thickness, the monkey wrench can provide better torque and secure grip.
Should I choose the Crescent Wrench or Monkey Wrench?
This highly depends on the work you will do, if you will tighten and loosen pipes and fasteners like nuts and bolts, then the Monkey Wrench is the better choice although the challenge would be that they are harder to find.
The Monkey Wrench is more favorite in general among mechanics and plumbers for its durability and performance, and the Crescent Wrench is best for both Industrial and DIY projects.
If you plan to deep dive into a profession or is an avid DIY person then having both the crescent wrench and monkey wrench is also a great decision
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Weldon is a Single Dad who loves teaching others about the workaround in the house. He loves to write about DIY and Home Improvement Hacks and just recently had his first child. You’ll have some fun read with his write-ups and more of his works in his own home!
