As we’ve already touched on - and as most people would already have been well aware - the short and sweet answer here is that hex keys are just a simple hand tool system for tightening and loosening certain types of bolts and screws. Of course, the full range of hex bolt sizes you could potentially need to tackle is very broad indeed, and more expensive hex key sets come with more options for ensuring you’ve always got the right sized tool for the job. The trade-off for this improved user-friendliness is that T-handle hex keys can be less versatile when it comes to working in tighter spaces or with very low clearance above the fastener.

For the most part, you’ll be able to rely on near-universal compatibility without too many concerns, as long as you’re using a true ‘hex’ head fastener (i. In fact, their use is now so widespread that the inclusion of a free hex key with flat-pack furniture, bicycles and other products requiring quick straightforward assembly is now an extremely common practice (although, unsurprisingly, the quality of such giveaway tools is often very questionable). Hex keys have a number of important characteristics that make them particularly well suited to the straightforward, user-friendly fastening role that has made them so popular among operators of all experience levels. There are numerous Allen key types sold on today’s market, many of which adhere very closely to the fundamental early design blueprint. In particular, the T-handle design provides a more comfortable grip than the standard L-shaped hex key, but importantly it can also allow for significantly increased torque (provided the gauge of the hex wrench itself is high enough), because the additional weight of the T-handle acts as a counterbalance that can help to seat the tool more firmly and securely in the head of the fastener.

To counter this, some high-end T-handle hex keys boast a sliding T-handle portion, where the crossbar of the handle can be repositioned off-centre. Industrial historians seem to agree that hex socket screw drives were probably conceived rather earlier than this - likely sometime in the mid-to-late 1800s - but that it wasn’t until the early 20th century that hex head fasteners started being produced in any great numbers. Even though all Allen keys feature a hexagonal cross-section, these come in various sizes to better suit different applications. Unlike other Allen keys, it is nearly impossible to lose a folding Hex wrench, as they are enclosed in the handle.

e. screws and other fasteners) than to the driver itself, and thus would seldom be applied to the actual hex key by most professional users. While most people will know exactly what’s meant by this, there’s some potential for confusion here too: industry standards dictate that the term ‘hex head’ is far more commonly used in reference to driven parts (i. As you might well have predicted already, the name ‘Allen’ when attached to these basic wrenches is actually a registered trademark, whereas the term ‘hex key’ is the generic version - although in casual use, the distinction between the two has become almost entirely blurred over time.Moglix is a company started in 2015 by a group of young entrepreneurs with an aim of bringing in revolutionary and exciting solutions to the global e-commerce. standard short arm allen key, 10mm standard short arm allen key and 14mm standard short arm allen key.

The term “Allen key” derives from the Allen brand name of Allen Manufacturing Company, the original producers of hex keys or hexagonal wrenches to fasten hexagonal set screws. Due to the T-handle, you can spin the wrench quickly, while allowing enough leverage in common usage. These comfortable T-Handle HEX bits make it easy to apply more torque and are much preferred by professionals and regular users. Similarly, power saws of all varieties require Allen keys to change blades or for minor adjustments. This is very handy when low torque and tight clearance are the main factors on which you are working.

Since furniture pieces can have tight spaces and require long reach, you can use a set of long arm Hex keys. This 6 piece jumbo hex key set has been manufactured from heat treated steel and features a blackened oxide coating to protect against corrosion. A solid, high quality hex wrench or Allen key set will potentially last many years and prove useful time and time again, whereas lower-grade ‘freebie’ tools are much more likely to be severely limited in both their adaptability to other tasks and overall longevity in frequent use. However, if the widespread embracing of this new standard spread quickly throughout the industrial world, it wasn’t until the onset of WWII that hex drive screws and wrenches - be they trademarked Allen originals, or any number of similar duplicate designs that popped up around the same time - really began to gain traction on the domestic market.