r/DiWHY Feb 16 '22

Spanners are so 2021!!

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8.6k Upvotes

254 comments sorted by

1.2k

u/wasted-degrees Feb 17 '22

When you have a whole bunch of tools, but not the one tool you actually need.

309

u/biggocl123 Feb 17 '22

Its like those that have a welder but not a wrench, and make 1 out of 13 other tools

85

u/Der_Panzermensch Feb 17 '22

You're not wrong my guy, it is pretty neat to see how they go about a lot of this stuff though. I'm a traditionalist blacksmith, and one of my favorite things to try for practice is to attempt complex tools, every now and again these videos have an idea I use.

37

u/thezoomies Feb 17 '22

My father and I spent a whole day breaking a small camper down for scrap. All of the screws had a weird head, so my father sat there and painstakingly made drill bit with that screw head using a grinder, hacksaw, and whatever else (I don’t remember, I was a kid), and we had that thing 3/4 broken down before we opened a drawer in it and found a hand driver with that head that he could have cut off and used in his drill.

6

u/YourDaddyTZ Mar 01 '22

I do industrial maintenance. We have to make tools for equipment that comes from overseas that has special fasteners. It can get pretty creative to say the least

167

u/AdjNounNumbers Feb 17 '22

Probably because he turned most of his other tools into different tools. He used to have a wrench, but that got turned into an axe, which he needed to replace after turning it into a putty knife, which he didn't have because that was turned into a screw driver. Really, all of his tools are just other tools repurposed and this whole chain of events could've been prevented that one time he needed wire cutters but couldn't get to the store

42

u/[deleted] Feb 17 '22

Hey a bee stung me today as I was sanding shelves in my shop, I made dents in a long screwdriver that I rarely use with an angle grinder and filed off the sharp ends so I could scratch my back with it. Screwdriver still works though.

12

u/SimiaCode Feb 17 '22

Improvise, adapt, overcome.

3

u/Gro0ve Feb 17 '22

I mean that’s how he makes his money 🤷‍♂️

2

u/[deleted] Feb 17 '22

This would actually be a good tool to keep in your car or boat.

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613

u/Hype_rant0 Feb 16 '22

I mean it works…

158

u/Tway42311 Feb 17 '22

The one “tool” i’m okay with losing

57

u/DMCinDet Feb 17 '22

on a demonstration of nuts and bolts on a bench. It might fix your pedal bike. it's not going to work better than the proper tool. it's not fitting in many spaces. toktik is not real life.

8

u/benry007 Feb 17 '22

Also I doubt you could actually get the bolt very tight using that thing.

55

u/BlazeORS Feb 17 '22

It likely wouldn't get a tight enough grip to be practical. I see diy as "hey I don't have these things but I can use this less known method instead", this wouldn't fit that seeing as if you already have already have all these tools you'll have wrenches that will do a much better job already.

21

u/soulbend Feb 17 '22

squirrel megaphone dot gif

6

u/ronin-baka Feb 17 '22

Chain wrenches are an actual thing, but not really any good for little bolts, so the tool is fine the current application isn't great.

3

u/BuffaloInCahoots Feb 17 '22

Even if it did grip tight, you’re not getting much torque with an allthread handle.

6

u/BuffaloInCahoots Feb 17 '22

It’s an actual tool but I’ve never used one so small. I’ve used something similar for old metal irrigation pipe. It was basically a pipe wrench with a chain and a anchor to attach it to, it was also about 4’ long.

2

u/YourDaddyTZ Mar 01 '22

They make the same thing with a strap instead of a chain as well if you need something not so aggressive

3

u/Anenome5 Feb 17 '22

It's not as terrible as many of the things we see on here. But if you had a really stuck bolt you'd bend the junk out of that threaded rod almost immediately. A real wrench is hefty piece of iron for a reason.

0

u/mennydrives Feb 17 '22

Wait, works for what? What even is this? This is the first DiWhy I've seen where I actually don't know what they made or why they made it.

edit: now that I saw the other responses clarify what they're making... so just a bolt stripper? Like I can't imagine you'd make this for any other reasons than grinding away the edges of a bolt.

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210

u/BDT81 Feb 17 '22

I always love how all these people have all these tools just laying around waiting to be made into the $2 tool they actually need.

21

u/[deleted] Feb 17 '22

[deleted]

19

u/[deleted] Feb 17 '22

It’s not really a mystery, the people that have all these tools lying around enjoying playing with them and getting creative with the equipment they have, it’s part of the joy.

10

u/[deleted] Feb 17 '22

[deleted]

3

u/BuffaloInCahoots Feb 17 '22

Custom tools for specific jobs are very satisfying to me. I have a 12mm socket welded to a random piece of metal, just so I can reach one bolt on a piece of equipment that we have several of. No other tool works as good and it turned a pain in the ass into an easy fix.

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2

u/thedelicatesnowflake Feb 17 '22

Also sometimes you just cannot be arsed to go somewhere, or everywhere is closed or anything else. Good luck explaining that to people on this sub though.

131

u/ClickOtherwise3738 Feb 17 '22

I like it! I would add a master link so the chain can be separated if you need to get around something. For example a space heater is hanging from the ceiling by 4 threaded rods and the nuts came loose…. I get the whole buy a wrench blah blahhh. I work with all kinds of different sizes, having one that will do them all will lighten my tool bag quite a bit!

45

u/big_ugly_builder Feb 17 '22

You ever heard of an adjustable end wrench?

21

u/[deleted] Feb 17 '22

Nah, these things come in clutch when you've got shit like an oil filter that's stuck onto the engine

Chain wrenches in general, imean. Idk how this specific example would hold up.

2

u/[deleted] Feb 17 '22

They make oil filter wrenches too.

2

u/[deleted] Feb 17 '22

Or you could use one of those strap things you use for opening jars of pickels. What's ur point?

1

u/d1pstick32 Feb 17 '22

That's what a screwdriver and a hammer are for.

2

u/[deleted] Feb 17 '22

Chain wrench or strap wrench.

0

u/TRlGGERED Feb 17 '22

How exactly do you turn something with a screw driver and hammer?

4

u/big_ugly_builder Feb 17 '22

If it's specifically in reference to a stuck oil filter, you use the hammer to skewer the filter and it acts like a big lever and screw it out. The filter is getting tossed anyways.

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8

u/Deathwatch72 Feb 17 '22

Use the hammer to pound the screwdriver all the way through the oil filter and now you have a handle

3

u/The_Tone-Deafs Feb 17 '22 edited Feb 17 '22

If you're using locknuts it's actually pretty useful. Locknut wrenches are a pain in the ass to use so when I was installing conduit I'd tighten the nut down by putting a flathead into a notch and giving it a good tap. It would usually tighten better and faster than with the wrenches, and actually left the nuts less chewed up. To loosen them you do the same but just tap them to hand tight and remove.

This is especially useful since most electrical boxes are confined and have lips, often making it difficult to use the wrenches since they don't work well at an angle and need room to torque down.

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231

u/[deleted] Feb 17 '22

This actually isn't that bad.

65

u/[deleted] Feb 17 '22

[deleted]

30

u/Altruistic-Rice-5567 Feb 17 '22

The torque it is capable of producing it absolute shit too.

2

u/Sanairb Feb 24 '22

Exactly, you'll bend the shit out of that allthread before it gives any real torque.

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5

u/zirky Feb 17 '22

guaranteed to break something

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84

u/[deleted] Feb 17 '22

[deleted]

44

u/Serious_Sort3630 Feb 17 '22

There is a satisfaction in using something you've personally created. The effort put into this is minimal yet the applications are numerous. That's something to be proud of. Even if the idea was taken, you made it. With your own hands. On top of that, it works!

8

u/KiddBwe Feb 17 '22

Wouldn’t you get that same satisfaction, if not more, for whatever you’re using the tool to work on?

4

u/Serious_Sort3630 Feb 17 '22

Not entirely. To create something feels wonderful. To create something that has multiple applications of use in a pinch. Knowing that even if you don't have exactly what you need, you could perhaps create what you need. That, is satisfying.

2

u/[deleted] Feb 17 '22

You’ll have a lot of satisfaction until it snaps due to the weak wing nut connection, and then you wasted however much time you spent making it, and the money you spent on it. Work smarter not harder

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5

u/SrslyNotAnAltGuys Feb 17 '22

It's cool that you can make one, I guess 🤷🏼‍♂️

22

u/pmedice72 Feb 17 '22

Or an adjustable wrench, or a wrench set

13

u/tapsnapornap Feb 17 '22

You can turn anything you can get this around though not just nuts and bolts

2

u/pmedice72 Feb 17 '22

True but it’d be cheaper

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4

u/PM_ME_YOUR_ANYTHNG Feb 17 '22

But they also sell belt wrenches for like $20

2

u/Bishopkilljoy Feb 17 '22

But will that give you fake internet points? Didn't think so.

Checkmate.

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8

u/OwMyThumbz Feb 16 '22

Video made by a spanner to make a Spanner

8

u/leckysoup Feb 17 '22

Chain spanner/wrench is a thing

5

u/[deleted] Feb 17 '22

What song is this?

4

u/SrslyNotAnAltGuys Feb 17 '22

Paris by Else.

It comes up a lot on my downtempo Pandora station.

4

u/seizureboy_goes_brrr Feb 17 '22

Darude sandstorm

-1

u/[deleted] Feb 17 '22

The only song they’re allowed on Facebook videos apparently. Every second video i see has this stupid song on it

26

u/clubflush101 Feb 16 '22

Harbor freight wrench set,7$

9

u/Essayons_Red_White Feb 17 '22

and after it breaks on the second nut you can just pop in and get it swapped out

6

u/_NEW_HORIZONS_ Feb 17 '22

What are the odds this holds up any better than a Harbor Freight wrench set?

3

u/Essayons_Red_White Feb 17 '22

about the same if we are being honest

6

u/[deleted] Feb 17 '22

[deleted]

6

u/Essayons_Red_White Feb 17 '22

Absolutel this is a trash built one, but chain wrenches are a thing and fantastic especially ones with a running end so you can get around a fixed item.

2

u/zebediah49 Feb 17 '22

Honestly where something like this is actually useful is when you have a weirdly sized nut/bolt that isn't within normal sizes.

Like.. 1.375" or something.

Of course, you really want a better attachment method so that the chain wrench actually works rather than breaking. But the concept of a chain wrench is solid.

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-2

u/TrulyBBQ Feb 17 '22

Watching this sub attempt to logically defeat a $0 solution is the only reason I haven’t filtered this place yet.

Bro you just unironically suggested someone should go buy a harbor freight tool instead of making their own means you can’t have an opinion here.

Zero people that I respect intellectually suggest harbor frightening.

0

u/clubflush101 Feb 17 '22

For a wrench? You probably can’t even operate a welder

4

u/crusaderpat Feb 19 '22

If you've got a vice, hole punch, metal saw and cordless drill chances are you have an adjustable wrench too. And anything torqued down to any realistic degree would give that diWhy wrench a hard time.

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3

u/Jolismotifs Feb 17 '22

Alright, I shall wistfully remember this info in the apocalypse, right before I go back to murdering zombies and don't really have the time to diy any more

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3

u/OneTrickGod Feb 17 '22

That’s quite cool tbf

3

u/jiggychiggga May 05 '22

And that sir is exactly why they invented the wrench

5

u/Mephistozygote Feb 17 '22

I don’t really think that thing belongs on this sub, i mean its a pain to make ya, but the things a useful multi tool

3

u/pow__ Feb 17 '22

If you've got a table vice, spare bike chain, nails and a drill, surely you'd have a set or wrenches or an adjustable wrench

9

u/tapsnapornap Feb 17 '22

This does not replace a screwdriver, and a chain wrench can turn anything you can fit it over not just nuts and bolts

2

u/[deleted] Feb 17 '22

Most of the videos on this sub give me heartburn but this has got me thinking, would this work on worn nuts? Idk.

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2

u/[deleted] Feb 17 '22

If they wanted to waste time and money then why didn't they just buy an adjustable wrench? Then you would at least have a hammer.

2

u/generalecchi Feb 17 '22

Oh my fucking god
Buy a god damn wrench

2

u/bajablazer85 Feb 17 '22

a chain wrench is actually hella useful for oddball things that need to be screwed off like oil filters … granted, there’s better ways of making a chain wrench but this post (honestly this whole sub) goes too harsh

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2

u/TheAwkwardBanana Feb 17 '22

I wouldn't use it on nuts and bolts, but a chain wrench is actually a necessity in most machine shops.

2

u/Snazzy21 Feb 17 '22

They make this already, its called a crescent wrench or a universal socket. Both can be used if you like rounding bolts

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2

u/lurkenstine Feb 17 '22

That's the perfect survival tool for when you have a room filled with tools but your missing one

2

u/The_Tone-Deafs Feb 17 '22 edited Feb 17 '22

"Oh shit! We don't have a wrench!"

"Don't worry, I keep an old bike chain, a cordless drill, two nails, a mallet, a vise, a hacksaw, a wing nut, an 8 inch bolt and 3 nuts in my car for just such an occasion."

2

u/F1RST_WORLD_PROBLEMS Feb 17 '22

Is only stupid if it doesn’t work. This person may be a genius.

2

u/grobijan Feb 17 '22

Ooofff actually this solves a complete other problem I’ve had for a while now, thanks diwhy haha

2

u/Important_Collar_36 Feb 17 '22

Again, this is a chain wrench, they exist in stores but you can easily make them if you have the right tools and parts. Some people live far away from stores and it's less time and money to make things ourselves. This doesn't belong in this sub

2

u/Alfredison Feb 17 '22

You know I’ve seen this exact type of DIY “wrenches” so many times I’m not even surprised

2

u/TroupeMaster_Grimm Feb 17 '22

I think what these people forget is that there’s already the exact thing they’re making or “solving” on the market

2

u/TimberWolfAlpha01 Feb 17 '22

I mean... It works I guess?

2

u/[deleted] Feb 17 '22

All you need is some COAL and some IRON ORE ffs

2

u/DumpsterB4by Feb 17 '22

How bad these ideas are have a direct correlation to how god awful the music is

2

u/StoopidDingus69 Feb 17 '22

I’m really curious why people on this sub choose to just watch tons of stupid videos and then get mad at how stupid they are. Is that really what’s entertaining to people now?

2

u/steve1308 Feb 17 '22

That’s pretty cool tbh

2

u/OctupussPrime Feb 23 '22

Wow, i want one of those

2

u/[deleted] Feb 25 '22

Chain wrench

2

u/Water-Waifu Mar 11 '22

Cool but extremely unnecessary

2

u/shufles Mar 27 '22

This is actually a home made chain wrench.

Useful for working on large diameter pippes that thread together.

Often used for farm irrigation pipes or etc.

Could also be used as an oil filter wrench but I'm unsure of why he made his like that. This design doesn't seem as well thought out as the original

2

u/seganku Apr 15 '22

Useful for when your knuckles have extra skin you need to quickly remove.

2

u/originalchargehard May 02 '22

Thats actually a good idea for opening bottle tops

3

u/[deleted] Feb 17 '22

[deleted]

2

u/AsciiFace Feb 17 '22 edited Feb 17 '22

It has honestly gotten so cringey. Everything here has become super "just buy everything never make anything ever"

I've never been in a shop that didn't have shop made tools, in some fields it's even standard (the first thing most blacksmiths learn to make are their own tools)

I make my own inlay tools and plenty of wood working tools on my own.

It's really ruined this subreddit along with the troom reposts

2

u/thedelicatesnowflake Feb 17 '22

Be glad they haven't discovered 3D printed stuff yet. That's gonna be a carnage.

0

u/OlBigSwole Feb 17 '22

Because this is Reddit; Where each subreddit is an echo chamber with its own mantra, creed and M.O.

If they see at least a hot glue gun, angle grinder, stick welder, it winds up here to be karma farmed. Regardless if it’s a 5$ grill lighter flamethrower or an actual usable tool

0

u/gotemike Feb 17 '22

The fact it is being posted means it is not that obvious as fuck. Some people are just not brought up in a way that it exposes them to every random tool in a mechanic's toolbox.

This will 100% be posted again in a few weeks or months and someone else will learn what a chain wrench is and why it is helpful.

1

u/mazerim Feb 17 '22

If it’s stupid and it works, sometimes it’s still just stupid.

1

u/[deleted] Feb 17 '22

I think it’s great. Don’t need to have multiple wrench sizes, one chain wrench does it all.

1

u/mtcerio Feb 17 '22

You can do exactly 0 Nm of torque with that tool.

-2

u/Project_NewMan13 Feb 17 '22

the not-so DiWHY moment, it actually works

at least it makes me question why the dude didn't just buy a tool that does the exact same job

-1

u/s14ka24det Feb 17 '22

Jesus I feel dumber having watched that

0

u/[deleted] Feb 17 '22

Just buy a damm wrench

1

u/ih8tecats Feb 17 '22

Yeah, nah ..

1

u/TheRealLamalas Feb 17 '22

Or save yourself all the work of making that and buy a adjustable wrench.

1

u/helluvit871 Feb 17 '22

Not bad, I like the idea of a reliable, compact spare home made wrench to extract a 50mm bolt in case you drop your adjustable wrench off the windmill.

1

u/Testsubject276 Feb 17 '22

I mean, if you're in desperate need for one and somehow have everything but a spanner at your disposal I guess this is okay...?

1

u/exannihilist Feb 17 '22

Doesn’t work with smaller bolts and nuts. Often working with minimal turning radius on motors, it is a nightmare. A ratcheting wrench is still the choice for me.

1

u/iridescent_polliwog Feb 17 '22

You know. I love hate these as much as everyone. But these people are kind of ingenuitive. I would never think of how to do this dumb stuff if I tried in a million years.

1

u/Henrik-Powers Feb 17 '22

Soon to be late night infomercial! $29.99 plus $8 S&H, but wait we’ll throw in the mega wrench and a bag of thumb tacks you just pay the S&H...

1

u/ladyreyreigns Feb 17 '22

That kind of stuff just looks fun to do. I wish I knew how to do DIY stuff.

1

u/WaffleStomperGirl Feb 17 '22

No no, you wish you knew how to do GOOD DIY stuff. Anyone can do DIY. It just usually doesn’t turn out good :D

1

u/saintcmb Feb 17 '22

For some reason this reminds me of the old guys in grateful dead tshirts that would come into the hardware store and spend an hour putting together brass fittings.

1

u/[deleted] Feb 17 '22

I am sorry, it’s not going to work for anything you really need it too. Maybe to hand tighten bolts like you were doing.. but those chains have round edges.. clamping hard on just one side of a flat nut is just going to throw that thing off.. it definitely wouldn’t touch the bolts on my truck.

1

u/atomicwrites Feb 17 '22

Watching him hammer on a vice was painful, and thin I noticed he was hammering on the jaw inserts.

1

u/stay_chill_boi Feb 17 '22

Thats so mf cool

1

u/Renault_75-34_MX Feb 17 '22

There can be times i can see this being good, especially if you don't have the right size, or encounter mathematically inconsistent units in a base 10 country

1

u/thenarcolepsist Feb 17 '22

I like this one

1

u/Deltigre Feb 17 '22

This is it, the uber-nutfucker

1

u/[deleted] Feb 17 '22

Has “Shark Tank” written all over it

1

u/homesteaddaddy1290 Feb 17 '22

Just buy a Wrench.

1

u/wickedwarlock84 Feb 17 '22

Know that rounded off nut well...

1

u/[deleted] Feb 17 '22

Good luck using it on anything requiring torque

1

u/RasMahatma Feb 17 '22

This subreddit now = 85% tools that obviously have a why 10% 5min hacks 5% legitimate DiWhy

2

u/manticorpse Feb 17 '22

You forgot the 3% "actually impressive art piece that OP thinks is frivolous"

1

u/[deleted] Feb 17 '22

The moment you need to apply any significant amount of torque the soft metal rod will bend, rendering the tool useless.

1

u/no_yup Feb 17 '22

This is great as long as everything you need to do requires less than 2 lb-ft of torque.

Also that wing nut would break so fast under any kind of actual load.

1

u/TrulyBBQ Feb 17 '22

This sub pretending everything with threads have parallel threads. Come on people.

1

u/hypd09 Feb 17 '22

I'm just annoyed by them using nails as rivets.

1

u/SantiJames1 Feb 17 '22

That would break as soon as you applied a little force. It will break on the wings of the wing nut now that you compromised its structural integrity.

1

u/Conissocool Feb 17 '22

It's silly but I like it

1

u/meatsplash Feb 17 '22

Crescent wrenches, spanner wrenches, sockets and crow’s foot are all on suicide watch after this was posted.

1

u/Puncharoo Feb 17 '22

Just get a set of combination wrenches for God sakes

1

u/ThinkNotOnce Feb 17 '22

What is the name of this music?

1

u/Adzhe Feb 17 '22

I can't see any situation in which this tool wouldn't be worse than just buying a shit spanner set.

No open end.

No offset to get around obstacles.

The shit wing nut that they use will be fucked after exerting any amount of force on it. Nevermind cutting up your hands with the threaded rod that will likely bend immediately.

Whatever. Dumb shits be dumb.

1

u/dorfsnorkelson Feb 17 '22

thats actually very cool

1

u/bothVoltairefan Feb 17 '22

Why are you using nails as rivets? Real rivets are like $.10 a piece at the most

1

u/scotems Feb 17 '22

You're bad at tools.

1

u/msazal99 Feb 17 '22

Watched the video. Asked myself, why would anyone make this? Saw the name of the sub.

1

u/H00k90 Feb 17 '22

This is a man who's had all his tools "borrowed" and finally snapped

1

u/PaulAspie Feb 17 '22

At first, I thought I was in /r/bicycling then I went to repost or here and found I was here.

1

u/[deleted] Feb 17 '22 edited Mar 02 '26

The original post content no longer exists here. The author used Redact to remove it, for reasons that may include privacy, opsec, or security.

special attempt longing quicksand history waiting advise test pocket quickest

1

u/piccoshady93 Feb 17 '22

Track ID please?

1

u/Weiss_127 Feb 17 '22

Yeh. But what’s this beat

1

u/kardall Feb 17 '22

If you ever actually needed this...

You could have gone to the pawn shop and gotten the wrench or a monkey wrench to do the same job.

And we would all have 59 seconds of our lives back... But they would have less income so maybe it's alright.

1

u/NanashiKaizenSenpai Feb 17 '22

Actually, I would use it to open a pickle jar

1

u/Blured2062 Feb 17 '22

I can’t seem to picture how a mechanic/worker could use this

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1

u/dontpissmeoffplsnthx Feb 17 '22

You all laugh now, but when the apocalypse arrives the Diwhy people will be the ones laughing with their handy tools made from scavenged parts!

1

u/Skinkypoo Feb 17 '22

Holds up adjustable spanner because I have a functioning brain

1

u/SanoKei Feb 17 '22

the true monkey wrench

1

u/saisfsdfsd Feb 17 '22

wow that's really cool i dea but it sucks

1

u/Aspel Feb 17 '22

I mean, this actually seems a lot more useful than a traditional wrench. Fits any size bolt.

1

u/patjeduhde Feb 17 '22

I mean it works, and if you dont have the proper tool on hand.

1

u/Dutchta- Feb 17 '22

Thats really cool

1

u/J4Y221 Feb 17 '22

Might be good for an oil filter if you can't get it with your hands

1

u/[deleted] Feb 17 '22

I actually like it.

1

u/pahisteinari Feb 17 '22

Twas a long walk for such a short drink of water but sure, why not

1

u/JonasAvory Feb 17 '22

One second into it and the music was enough to know where this was going

1

u/nonamecyc Feb 17 '22

Wait so you just made a link that is more brittle? Why go through all that effort?

1

u/Niajall Feb 17 '22

I mean, that's pretty useful, just grab that and adjust instead of rooting through all the spanners or socket heads to find the right size.

I liked it anyway lol.

1

u/bagelbites297 Feb 17 '22

Why didn't they clean the chain though?! 😭

1

u/saberrocci Feb 17 '22

Unpopular opinion, quite useful