Allen Wrench Hex Key Sets Not Made In China
The Allen Wrench or Hex Key is one of the most common household tools. Furniture manufacturers, such as Ikea, even give them away for free to assemble the furniture they sell. The primary reason to get an allen wrench hex key set is to have multiple sizes of keys avavailable in one package that is more difficult to lose or misplace. If you wind up making that investment, you might as well purchase a high quality set.
High quality Allen Wrench hex key sets are ones that use more robust metal that would not warp, chip, or twist. A high quality set also has better size tolerences, so it will have less chance of stripping the bolt as you apply pressure to it. This is important when you keep detaching and attaching the same bolt (such as for bikes or cars).
The lower quality and cheaper sets are always made in China, so avoiding Chinise made Allen Wrenches makes a lot of sense. Several great manufacturers make Allen Wrench Hex Key Sets in Europe, Tiawan, and USA.
Good Allen Wrench Hex Key Sets
EPAuto
EPAuto makes a inexpensive automotive products in Taiwan. Thier Allen Wrenches are not the best, but they are rated well and do the job for a very low price.
Kobalt
Kobolt is also a Taiwanese manufacturer. They are on the budget side as well, but they sell a kit that includes a very convinent T handle that makes it easier to turn the keys. They are not super high quality, but good for the price.
Eklind
The Eklind Tool Company is an that specializes in Hex Keys. Everything they make is manufactured in the USA. They offer fairly good quality at the low end of the Allen Key price ranges. Although they are not very high-end, they do have a large selection of Hex Keys and we recommend that you take choose ones that you would use most often.
Bondhus
Bondhus is a direct competitor of Eklind tools in the Hex Key market. They also make all of their tools in the USA and offer fairly good quality for reasonable prices. Bondus makes all kinds of tools and their Hex Keys are only a small part of thier whole catalog.
Better Allen Wrench Hex Key Sets
Gedore
Gedore is an old German company, which manufactures tools in Germany. They make a huge selection of hand tools. They also use more durable and better steel, and therefore are more expensive than the low-end tool manufacturers. You can expect to pay almost double for the same set of Hex Wrenches because of they quality that they produce.
Facom
Facom is an old French company who continues to make tools in France. They are direct competitors with Gedore and make many different types of hand tools. Same as Gedore, their Hex Keys are made out of high quality steel.
PB Swiss
PB Swiss Tools makes their tools in Switzerland. They make very high-end Allen Wrenches and you can expect to pay three times the price of the low-end wrenches. They use better metal and have better design than the mid-range companies.
Best Allen Wrench Hex Key Sets
Wiha
Wiha is a German company which manufactures very high end hand tools. Their Hex Keys are manufactured either in Germany or Poland, depending on the model. Their prices are steep, but many people really swear by their quality.
Wera
Wera Tools is one of the premier manufacturers of hand tools. Most of their Allen Wrenches are made in the Chech Republic. You can expect to pay three times the price of the lower-end Hex Keys, but you get what you pay for. These tools can take a beating and still look great.