I used to think those cheap lens spanner wrenches were junk... but one saved my bacon last week

I always bought the $80 brand name spanners for removing lens name rings, thinking the $15 ones on eBay would just slip and scratch everything. Well, I was working on a Minolta X-700 lens and my good wrench was at my other bench. Out of pure laziness, I grabbed a cheap one I got in a bulk tool lot. It fit perfectly and turned the stuck ring without a single mark. I've used it on three more jobs since and it's been fine. Has anyone else had a tool they wrote off turn out to be surprisingly decent?

4 comments

4 Comments

stellaperry2mo ago

What brand was that cheap spanner you ended up using?

charles_mitchell2mo ago

Honestly stellaperry, it was some no-name thing from the hardware store bargain bin. But is the brand even the point here? A spanner either turns the bolt or it doesn't. If it worked for the job, who cares if it's got a fancy name stamped on it? People get way too hung up on labels for basic tools. It's not like we're building a spaceship, it's probably just a loose nut.

lindag332mo ago

Seriously tho, did it strip the bolt or hold up okay? Those bargain bin tools can be a gamble.

wood.eric1mo ago

My buddy's cheap wrench, like stellaperry asked about, still works fine.