6 Best Combination Wrench Sets For General Farm Use Old Farmers Swear By
Discover the top 6 combination wrench sets built for demanding farm work. We review the durable, reliable brands that seasoned farmers trust for any repair.
It’s a Saturday afternoon and the hay needs turning, but the cotter pin on your tractor’s drawbar has sheared off and the nut is seized solid. You grab the first adjustable wrench you see, give it a heave, and feel that sickening slip as the corners of the nut round off completely. A five-minute fix just turned into a two-hour ordeal of cutting, drilling, and cursing, all for want of the right tool.
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Why a Solid Wrench Set is a Farmer’s Best Friend
Nothing stops a farm dead in its tracks like a mechanical failure. Whether it’s a mower deck, a fence tensioner, or a water pump, something will always need tightening, loosening, or adjusting. A good combination wrench set isn’t a luxury; it’s as essential as a pair of work gloves.
The difference between a cheap, stamped-metal set and a quality one becomes obvious the first time you put real torque on a stubborn bolt. A well-made wrench fits the fastener snugly, distributing force evenly and preventing it from rounding off. Poorly-made tools have loose tolerances that lead to slippage, which doesn’t just damage the equipment—it’s how you end up with busted knuckles.
Think of a quality wrench set as an investment in uptime. Every minute you spend searching for the right size or struggling with a tool that doesn’t fit properly is a minute you’re not getting work done. Buying a solid set from the start saves you countless hours of frustration and the cost of replacing ruined nuts and bolts down the line.
Tekton Wrench Set: No Skipped Sizes for Any Job
This 19-piece TEKTON wrench set (6-24 mm) lets you quickly tackle jobs with its angled open end for tight spaces and 12-point box end for increased access. The included rack provides easy organization and access to your wrenches.
The single biggest frustration with most entry-level wrench sets is skipped sizes. You’ll have a 14mm and a 16mm, but the hydraulic fitting you need to tighten is, of course, a 15mm. Tekton’s biggest advantage is that their sets are typically complete, meaning you get every single size within the range.
This commitment to completeness makes them a fantastic choice for a primary farm set. You’ll never be caught out, forced to use pliers or an adjustable wrench because your set has a gap. While not as refined as premium brands, the fit and finish are excellent for the price, offering a durable tool that will handle the vast majority of farm tasks without complaint.
Tekton also provides a great warranty and straightforward customer service. If a tool fails, they make it easy to get a replacement without a lot of hassle. For the farmer who wants a reliable, comprehensive set that doesn’t break the bank, Tekton is one of the smartest buys you can make.
GearWrench Ratcheting Set: Speed in Tight Spaces
Sometimes the problem isn’t how tight the bolt is, but how little room you have to turn it. Imagine trying to tighten a starter bolt tucked deep in an engine bay, where you can only swing the wrench a few degrees at a time. This is where a GearWrench ratcheting set earns its keep.
The ratcheting mechanism in the box end allows you to tighten or loosen fasteners without ever lifting the wrench off the bolt head. This feature can turn a painfully slow, 20-minute job into a 2-minute task. The speed and convenience they offer in cramped quarters are unmatched by standard combination wrenches.
However, there’s a tradeoff. That ratcheting mechanism is inherently more complex and less robust than a solid ring of steel. You should never use a ratcheting wrench to break loose a heavily corroded or over-torqued bolt; that’s a job for a standard wrench or a breaker bar. Think of a GearWrench set as a specialist—an incredible second set that will save you time and sanity when working on engines, hydraulics, and other tight-clearance equipment.
Craftsman Full Polish Set: The Lifetime Warranty
For generations, the Craftsman name has been synonymous with one thing: an ironclad lifetime warranty. Break a wrench, walk into the store, and walk out with a new one, no questions asked. For a farmer who is hard on tools, this peace of mind is incredibly valuable.
The full polish chrome finish isn’t just for looks. After a greasy job, these wrenches wipe clean easily, preventing the buildup of grime that can make tools slippery and hard to handle. The ergonomics are familiar and comfortable, making them a dependable workhorse for day-to-day repairs around the farm.
While the manufacturing has moved around over the years, the core promise of the brand remains. The warranty is still one of the best and most accessible in the business. A Craftsman set is a safe, reliable choice that guarantees you’ll have a functional tool for life, no matter how much abuse you put it through.
Wright Tool Wrench Set: USA-Made for Tough Use
When you’re ready to invest in a set of wrenches that will likely outlast you, you look at a brand like Wright. Made in Ohio, these tools are forged from American steel for professionals who can’t afford tool failure. This is the set you buy once and pass down to your kids.
Wright wrenches often feature designs like the patented "WrightGrip," which puts more contact on the flats of a fastener rather than the corners. This significantly increases torque and dramatically reduces the chance of rounding off old, rusty, or partially damaged bolt heads. When you’re trying to remove a 50-year-old plow bolt, that extra grip makes all the difference.
The cost is the main consideration here. A Wright set is a significant investment compared to other options on this list. But if you believe in the "buy once, cry once" philosophy and want the absolute best in terms of strength, precision, and durability, you won’t be disappointed.
Williams Supercombo: Industrial-Grade Durability
Many don’t realize that Williams is the industrial tool brand of Snap-on. This means you get much of the same engineering, metallurgy, and quality of the legendary tool truck brand but at a more accessible price point. These are no-nonsense tools built for heavy-duty factory and field use.
The "Supercombo" open end is a key feature, designed to grip the fastener on more surfaces to allow for more torque without slipping. Like Wright, this is a huge advantage when dealing with less-than-perfect hardware on older farm implements. The fit and finish are all business—thick, strong, and ready for abuse.
For the serious hobby farmer who regularly works on heavy equipment, a Williams set offers a perfect balance of professional-grade performance and value. It’s a significant step up from consumer-grade tools, providing the confidence you need when putting your full weight into breaking a stubborn nut loose.
Husky Mechanics Set: Best All-in-One Value Kit
For someone just starting their farm or building a tool collection from scratch, a comprehensive mechanics set is often the most practical first step. Husky, The Home Depot’s house brand, offers enormous value by bundling wrenches, sockets, ratchets, and extensions into a single carrying case.
The advantage here is breadth. While a dedicated Williams wrench might be stronger, the Husky kit ensures you have a tool for almost any job that comes up. You won’t have to stop a project midway through because you realize you need a deep socket or a universal joint. Having the right category of tool on hand is often more important than having the absolute best version of it.
Like Craftsman, Husky tools are backed by a no-hassle lifetime warranty. If you break a socket or a wrench, a quick trip to the store gets you a free replacement. For sheer bang-for-your-buck and the convenience of getting a wide array of tools in one purchase, the Husky mechanics set is an unbeatable starting point.
SAE vs. Metric: Choosing for Your Farm Equipment
The most common question isn’t which brand to buy, but which measurement system to get: SAE (inches) or metric (millimeters)? The hard truth is that on a modern farm, you need both. There is no way around it.
Your equipment dictates your priority. An old Allis-Chalmers or Ford tractor will be entirely SAE. A new Kubota or Kioti will be almost exclusively metric. Your pickup truck, baler, and even your chainsaw could be a frustrating mix of both, sometimes on the very same component.
The best strategy is to buy the set that matches the primary machine you work on most. If your main tractor is metric, invest in a quality, complete metric set first. You can supplement it with a smaller, less expensive SAE set to handle the odd jobs on older implements. Trying to use a 13mm wrench on a 1/2-inch bolt is a recipe for disaster. It might seem close, but it’s the fastest way to strip a bolt head and turn a simple task into a major repair.
Ultimately, the best wrench set is the one you have with you when something breaks. Investing in a quality set—or two—isn’t about spending money on tools; it’s about buying back your time and saving yourself from future headaches. Choose wisely, keep them organized, and you’ll be ready for whatever your farm throws at you.
