{"id":851,"date":"2022-06-20T07:20:00","date_gmt":"2022-06-20T11:20:00","guid":{"rendered":"\/ptr\/reviews\/hand-tools\/wrenches-sockets\/auto-wrench-black-decker"},"modified":"2023-07-11T10:02:29","modified_gmt":"2023-07-11T14:02:29","slug":"auto-wrench-black-decker","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.protoolreviews.com\/black-decker-auto-battery-adjustable-wrench-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Black & Decker Automatic Adjustable Wrench – A Look Back"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Sometimes tools don’t quite live up to the hype. Not too long ago, we did a worst power tools video<\/a> on youtube and one of the entries was the Black & Decker Automatic Adjustable Wrench. Billed as a tool for those who\u00a0have everything, the Black & Decker Automatic Adjustable Wrench promised convenience and speed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It truly delivered neither. Surprising, since Black & Decker actually makes some decent tools for DIY users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Promise of the Black & Decker Automatic Adjustable Wrench<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Black & Decker designed the wrench\u00a0to quickly and easily adjust the jaws without having to remove the wrench\u00a0from a tight space. In theory, that actually made a lot of sense. You just activate the button and the AA battery-powered wrench\u00a0opened as wide as 1-1\/4 inches. That would accommodate even some of the largest bolts\u00a0you’re likely to encounter around the house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So what was the downside? Well, unlike a traditional tool\u2014take Milwaukee adjustable wrenches<\/a> for example\u2014the\u00a0Black & Decker automatic adjustable wrench is heavy. The extra weight comes from it having to house both a motor and batteries. It needs a bit more mechanics to do what it does.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Bulky Mess<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The\u00a0product also had a lot of girth. Between the rounded handle and\u00a0its rather large form factor, the whole tool felt a tad unwieldy. Where the Black & Decker automatic adjustable wrench shined was in its\u00a0ability to fit into tight spaces. You could place it where a socket set might not fit. It also lets you\u00a0get a tight grip on a bolt without the need for reaching your fingers in to\u00a0twist the manual adjustment control. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Black and Decker made the jaws from heat-treated hardened\u00a0steel. They claimed up to 220 ft-lbs of torque. We’re not sure how they got that number, but it likely had to do with the amount of manual torque the tool could handle. We know that measuring torque<\/a> factors in both angle and force. It’s a difficult number to pin down for a tool like this.<\/p>\n\n\n

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A Battery Powered Adjustable Wrench? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Black & Decker automatic adjustable wrench\u00a0got its power from two AA batteries. Those contributed to making the handle so thick. The\u00a0batteries powered the automatic adjustable wrench for up to 650 cycles (opening and closings of\u00a0the jaws). While that should last quite a while, it wasn’t the main downfall of the tool. Also, the manual “override”\u00a0ensured you could at least end up with a standard (albeit large) adjustable wrench if and when the batteries eventually\u00a0ran out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why We Think the Black & Decker Automatic Adjustable Wrench Didn’t Live Up to the Hype<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Overall, we\u00a0thought of the Black & Decker automatic adjustable wrench as a unique tool. Like the almost useless Craftsman Hammerhead Auto-Hammer<\/a>, it might\u00a0even make a fun (notice we didn’t say good)<\/em> gift. Like many DIY tools, this one simply didn’t match up to the needs of any serious tool user. Our key issue included that its oversized form required additional space underneath sinks. Targeting spaces with limited access, the tool actually ended up making most jobs more difficult. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

More of a toy than a tool, we found that a standard adjustable wrench makes for a better experience. That even goes for those not as handy with the manual versions. It also priced anywhere\u00a0from a high of $39.99 to just under $25\u2014about 3-4 times the price of a standard adjustable wrench. For the rest of us, tools like the Irwin adjustable\u00a0wrenches<\/a>\u00a0seem to be a\u00a0much nicer solution and offer better performance in a smaller, more versatile\u00a0package.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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