I have a set of SAE and Metric drivers I picked up from frys electronics. They were $14.99 a set.
I have used them for about 2 years. I think they are pretty darn well built. I use them all the time on my bikes. The handles are very comfortable in my hands. They have stood up very well. Worked so well I bought a second set for my race box in my trailer I take to track days. I think Fry's are selling them for a good price.
I agree with what everyone else said quality is A1. Obviously use some finesse when using a ball because the ball does make it weaker they can break. Another little fact Bondhus invented the ball allen, I've been using them since the 80's Any fastener that need to be torqued down 'sees' one of my hex sockets. I use my set of ballhead hex drivers for snugging down fairings on my bikes (which are secured by a ton of 1/4 turn fasteners. True statement on the ball head being weaker.
But serves its purpose so well with hard to reach fasteners! It's pretty interesting to see the care they put in making them, as displayed on the Bondhus site. I got them because I didn't like the more expensive crappy Pedro's tools at the bike shop. Then I went through their site some time later when looking for Wiha Magic Rings (and was sold on getting a set of Bondhus Proholds instead) and now that I have Wihas, which are more expensive, I see the nearly invisible features I took for granted.
The wiha's don't have ground faces on the smaller hexes. The Magic Rings don't go down to the smaller sizes. The beveling on the straight side is pitiful and off center. On one of them, the bevel actually goes to the wall of the hex. Not hot about the angling of the ball, looks like it could be a stress rider worse than the ball end to begin with. They are sharp on the MR ones, and conventional on the others.
What you might find with the Magic Ring is their hold is not as strong as the Prohold, but the movement is freer, more like the regular ball ends. In that, I've compared them side by side and it's not as smooth.
As far as the shallowness of the junction between the Prohold and regular Bondhus, I have looked for the difference and there is none, at lease on my fasteners. There seems to be the Proguard coating that makes a bit of a difference in the sliding feel, somewhat numbing it, along with the pressure the insert makes. It's good to have both on hand. The Wiha's are also longer, which can be good and bad.
Bondhus claims to have engineered their lengths with respect to the capacities of the tool. PS-NY guy here! You need to hold a WERA T and then do a comparative squeeze on a Bondhus T, and you'll feel your hand hurt with the bondhus if your over 30 years old. Thier shape is just plain stupid. There is almost as big a difference in the steel of the HexPlus from WERA as there is in the handle too.
Yes they made ball ends too, just grabed a quick image. And their balls are better, and less prone to stripping.
Bondhus make a good variety of sizes, but if you can get by with standard L-Keys and T-handles, WERA HexPlus is the best by far. What makes the Wera L keys nicer? I saw their stuff for the first time a few weeks ago in this line and they look really nice, although the smaller sizes scare me off due to that incredible gradient between the shank and the bit. They really look well-made.
Someone else commented on the design of Bondhus' handle- Actually, Bondhus has stated their reasoning for the handle design somewhere in their educational section on their site. I can't find it now, but perhaps later or someone could dredge it up. Spendy, but good. Hell, they even make gold plated ones. And I'm not kidding. I have a few sets of the ultra gold l-keys. They fit a little snugger because of the coating.
Thats usually a good thing, although on damaged bolts they occasionally don't fit, but the black oxides will. They are easier to keep clean, but the real reason I like them is they're more visible if they get dropped.
Its dark inside machinery. Even on a floor, they're more visible than the black oxide. The cost per set is only $3-4 more. Should I get the chrome plated or black? Anyone have a preference? Here's a comparison: The image on the left diplays the result of a destructive test. Starting from the left is: Bondhus Protanium, Wiha, Allen.
As you can see, from a safety perspective, Bondhus is the safest as it just twists; the other two break off. The image on the right displays the result after being exposed to 10 hours in salt mist.
From the left: Wiha, Allen, Bondhus ProGuard Though not apparent the Wiha is covered in surface rust; the Allen is obvious; Bondhus has minimal rust. Although many may see the black finish as being the cheaper alternative and less pretty than those chrome-plated hex keys out there, the black Proguard actually has greater resistance to rust.and it's cheaper too. I've been using my PB Swiss long hex-ball keys for a couple of weeks now. They actually seem a little nicer than my Bondhus keys, but for 2.5 - 3 times the cost (inc shipping) they should. The hex-ball end seems to work at a steeper angle than on the Bondhus and the overall fit and finish of them seems about the same, if not slightly better. After seeing the PB destructive quality test video, I would guess that they will twist when overloaded, rather than shear, much like the Bondhus shown above. OK this going to be fun so don't get your panties all in a bunch.
Keep an open mind and practice your anger management techniques. What the hell do you mean Elroy may well be right You're damn right I'm right. The last time Elroy checked hardness was directly proportional to tensile strength. So for a given diameter, a hard tool is going to be stronger than that wet noodle. Angular deflection in a shaft =TL/JG Baby. Look up what 'G' means.
Modulus of rigidity in shear, and see what it says about hardness. Don't need any data. Unless you pull some shit about one tool being fractured at cryogenic temperatures while the the other tool was at transitional temperatures Elroy will say it again: Piss on a bunch of safety twist. I want an Allen wrench that is hard! Did Elroy just become an ass hole like that Franz dude? Nope just stating facts. No hurt intended.
Take it the right way my man.:beer. Elroy - Just because it is deformed does not mean that it will deform under the torques that fractured the other hex keys. Bondhus claims that their Protanium Steel is the hardest, most ductile, and longest wearing steel that exists in the hex tool industry. Hard and ductile.
ALL hex keys will either flex or break. Look at the others - they both have plastically deformed broken-off pieces as well. From the looks of it, it appears that the kex key was rotated enough to twist two faces.
Bondhus Ball Driver Set
That means that the Bondhus hex key was twisted at least 120°!! At that point, you're not transferring any additional torque, you're just stressing the steel.
About Bondhus! Bondhus Corporation is located in Monticello, Minnesota - USA; about 40 minutes from Minneapolis. Bondhus employees are proud of our Company and the tools we make.
Our Ball, Hex, and TORX® tools are made in our Monticello manufacturing facility, just across the street from the Mighty Mississippi River. In 1964, John Bondhus began manufacturing the original “Balldriver®” ball end hex tool which he invented. Since that time, we have taken great pride in being the industry leader in designing and manufacturing innovative, timesaving tools. We have built our business by providing Bondhus customers with the highest quality products and customer support in the industry. Bondhus tools turn up everywhere!
They can be found in tool boxes around the globe, on every continent and in over 100 countries from Taiwan to Brazil and from Sweden to Japan. Machinists and automotive repair shops find them indispensable. Printing press operators use them in Singapore, South Dakota, and Saudi Arabia - so do dentists and the makers of artificial limbs. Bicycle repair kits everywhere contain some version of our tools. Jazz, rock, and pop musicians who play guitars also use Bondhus tools. Bondhus manufactures the highest quality tools available. Every tool is backed by an unconditional lifetime warranty. A warranty is only as good as the company standing behind it, and Bondhus has been the leading innovator in the tool industry for more than 50 years.
Bondhus Screwdriver
All Bondhus® products are guaranteed for life. If you are not happy with a Bondhus® tool - for any reason - simply return it. A replacement will be shipped right out at no cost - no hassles, no questions asked! Not all warranties are created equal, and the tool industry is no exception. Reading the fine print often makes telling statements about the manufacturer’s confidence in their own product.
“We, at Bondhus, believe in the quality of our tools and the warranty they carry is your proof.” Bondhus Corporation. 1400 E. Broadway. P.O. Box 660. Monticello, Minnesota 55362 U.S.A. 800-328-8310 (Toll Free US only). 763-295 2162. 763-295-4440 Fax.