Best Tool I Never Knew Existed!

[CarlD]

i spotted the same pliers being displayed at the plumbing store. i got them and i've never been happier. i also have a strap wrench but it slips.
BTW - what's a "carboy"?

Yes, I really like these wrenches.

Carboys are the 5 gallon drums that liquid chlorine is sold in by the pool stores. Some are round (nuisance), some are square (much easier since they don't roll on their side). You can buy a spigot to go on them and that makes them the easiest and cheapest way to get LC--and the wrench makes mounting the spigot a snap!

[tphaggerty]

Got mine at Home Depot. These wrenches are NOT in the plumbing supply area (like strap wrenches are), they are in the tool section where the slip-lock pliers are.

I had an older set of rubber strap wrenches, but they don't grip well, especially when wet (and the rubber is getting wimpy). I only wish they had a bigger copy of this guy, I don't think it works on the largest of my unions.

OH! Looky, I just followed the channellock link above and they have 2 larger sizes! Of course, HD doesn't carry the bigger ones, I'll have to decide if it is worth getting a larger set. They are listed as oil filter wrenches, I didn't even think of using them for that! Shows what a "poolhead" I've become.

[Poolsean]

Auto store will have various oil filter wrenches. I used one in my tool kit for AutoPilot manifold unions for years.
I've since switched to the rubber strap wrenches as it's more compact, and I can always get them to grip, even when wet.

[CarlD]

I'm amazed at how much easier these Channelock wrenches work than anything else I've tried. They grip better and do far less damage than standard slip-joint wrenches. They are also the EASIEST wrench to use on the pool applications. In fact, I'll bet they work better on pools than they do on oil filters.

But if you like strap wrenches better, by all means, use them. The right tool is the one that feels right in your hand--and does the job.