Besides the common types described earlier, Allen™ wrenches are available with other features that improve safety or increase convenience for using the tool. Tether-ready designs – These Allen™ wrenches include an opening on the handle which can be used to attach a tether that can secure the wrench to the user or to a fixed object such as a scaffold. This feature helps prevent the wrench from accidentally falling into a work area and causing injuries or equipment damage. This feature is useful when the tool user is working on an elevated platform. This article will present information on Allen™ wrenches, what they are, their advantages, and the common sizes that are available in the marketplace. To learn more about other types of fastener products, see the list of related articles at the end of this article. What is an Allen™ Wrench? Where the additional access provided by a long-reach hex wrench is needed, you'd use the more elongated side as the ‘driver', and the shorter side therefore becomes the handle that you turn to tighten or loosen the fastener. However, when a hex bolt is within easy reach and there's plenty of space to work in, long-arm Allen keys can also be handy used in the reverse configuration - the longer side can help provide better grip and torque when operating as a handle. What types of long reach Allen keys are available?

Like all hex wrenches, long-reach Allen keys are also sold with a variety of head and handle types for various more specialised applications - these can include:Pressure points – the hex design of the Allen™ screw distributes force from the tool against 6 surfaces compared with 4 for the Phillips head screw and 2 for the slotted screw. This makes it easier to loosen or tighten these fasteners and can make it less likely to strip or damage a fastener while loosening or tightening.

Allen™ screws and wrenches are not the be-all-end-all in the world of fasteners and tools. Some complaints focus on the tool size being too small to allow for one to apply sufficient torque in all cases. Also, inferior materials used in the manufacturing of either the wrench or the screw can render them easy to damage in spite of the increased number of pressure points. But they are still popular more than 100 years after William G. Allen™ filed for his patent and will likely be here to stay for the foreseeable future. Summary Range of access – Allen™ wrenches that feature a hex ball end can allow fasteners to be accessed from angles other than directly in the same plane as the fastener. This can simplify assembly & disassembly in close quarter conditions.

Hex keys have a number of important characteristics that make them particularly well suited to the straightforward, user-friendly fastening role that has made them so popular among operators of all experience levels. These include the fact that hex keys: Long-reach Allen keys are a common feature of most good quality hex key sets, which tend to include a useful range of common wrench sizes and diameters (typically from around 1-1.5mm, up to 12mm and beyond). Our range of long-reach Allen keys are manufactured by leading brands like Irwin, Stanley, Bahco, GearWrench, Wiha Tools, Facom, RS PRO, and of course the original trademark designer, Allen. How would you use a long reach hex key?

Hex keys are made up from a strong, hard waring material, ensuring optimal strength and a long tool shelf life Non-sparking designs – While most Allen™ keys use an alloy steel or tool steel material in their fabrication, there are options available that utilize Beryllium Copper in lieu of steel. The Beryllium Copper material will not create sparks if the tool accidentally slips and strikes another metal surface. The non-sparking feature of this material makes these types of Allen™ wrenches suitable for use in applications where the presence of flammable gases or combustible liquids might exist. Hex key sets with T-handles are especially popular with mechanics and automobile enthusiasts, thanks in part to the fact that the T-handle Allen wrench offers certain user luxuries that standard hex keys don’t. Allen™ wrenches are available as individual keys of a given size but are also sold in sets that contain a range of standard sizes. Allen™ keys are identified as being either metric-sized keys in millimeter sizes or SAE (Imperial) sized keys in fractions of an inch or decimal equivalents. Figure 1 below shows the cross-sectional profile of the Allen™ wrench or Allen™ key. The important parameter that establishes the size of the Allen™ wrench or Allen™ key is the width across flats, which is the distance between any two of the faces of the tool that are parallel to each other.

Allen™ wrenches or Allen™ keys are generally available in several different styles or types. The most common Allen™ wrench type is the one mentioned earlier – the L-shaped hex key – but there are other variations that incorporate different handle designs, utilize different materials, or add special features. A summary of the most common Allen™ wrench types is found below: Hex keys or Allen keys are available in metric sizes and imperial sizes Imperial Allen Keys. They are also available in Allen Key Sets which include a range of popular hex key sizes including 12mm Allen keys. RS also supply Allen keys from leading brands such as Wera Allen Keys, Wera Allen Key Sets and Bondhus Allen Keys L-Shaped Hex Keys: L Shaped Hex Keys or L Keys are the most common type of hex key with a hexagonal tip at each end Figure 1 – The cross-section of an Allen™ key showing the measurement for width across flats Types of Allen™ Wrenches