Looking For A Better Seat Wrench

I want to get a better seat wrench or a set of seat wrenches. The one I have has 2 long tapered sides--1 for square and 1 for hex. This works fine for seats with small holes, but when the holes are large, too much of the seat wrench protrudes past the seat and bottoms out against the inside of the pipe preventing me from screwing in the seat.

I want a seat wrench that has 4 sides to it--like a tire iron: 2 large tapered sides (1 square and 1 hex) and 2 small tapered sides (1 square and 1 hex). That way, regardless of the size of the seat, only a little bit of the wrench sticks out past the seat, and everything is golden.

Does such an animal exist?

As you mentioned, seat wrenches come in tapered, and in the stepped version. I use both. The stepped version is probably more likely to give a better grip, especially if the seat socket is worn.

Here's the real "secret" : Look in any plumber's tool bag and you will find 2 seat wrenches....on of them has quarter inch, or the first step, ground off. This is because many common showers, including the ubiquitous Price Pfister 2 and 3 handles, use the largest step on the wrench, and it will bottom out, which will lead to stripping the seat socket due to poor grip.

Verdeboy said:

... when the holes are large, too much of the seat wrench protrudes past the seat and bottoms out against the inside of the pipe preventing me from screwing in the seat.

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If you cannot find the combo-wrench you would like to have, you could buy another like what you already have and cut it off at the appropriate length.

That was my plan if I couldn't find the "ideal" 4-sided wrench. Seems like someone from Pasco ought to get on this right away.

They also need to make a 3-groove basket strainer wrench. It's very low-tech and difficult to tighten up one of those new 3-grooved basket strainers by holding it in place with just a needle-nosed pliers!!

Sexaur makes an excellent set of seat wrenches. They are neither tapered nor stepped, but come in a set of 5 bars each with a different size seat on the ends (2 per bar). Was trying to find a link, maybe later, I have to go right now

This is what most plumbers use.

http://www.shop.com/op/aprod-p51445466-k24-g1-~3+piece+seat+wrench-nover

Thanks.

I still think they should make one seat wrench tool with 4 tips like this lug wrench. Then, you can tighten it without needing a crescent wrench.

wrench

The 4 way wrench is a good idea, UNTIL, you need to insert the wrench further into the faucet than the cross handles will allow, or there is something too close to allow the cross handle to turn.