Reed Tool RCORP Smooth Jaw Wrench, 2-Inch

Building Mechanic required to work on Boilers and are good for the job intended.

I purchased this smooth-jawed pipe wrench to avoid wear on my irrigation system’s 2-in. galvanized union nuts that have to be frequently loosened and re-tightened. In the past I’ve used a serrated-jaw wrench and thought this Reed alternative would be a good choice – besides weighing less than my steel wrench.The purchase was a mistake. I used the tool to loosen two union nuts – no cheater bar, just my 76 year old arm. The adjustment nut immediately jammed on the threads and cannot be loosened without using a pair of slip joint pliers to rotate it. On closer examination it looks like the whole wrench assembly is nothing by a set of cheap cast parts. This is much different than what I expected from a Reed tool, and especially so considering its high price.

Good tool

Much to my dismay the RCORP is an import. It's not the highest quality thing out there, but if you need capacity this will do it. Very little machine work here unlike some other Reed tools, but for an entirely cast wrench it's decent. The movable jaw has an irritating amount of slop which can't make it difficult to use without readjustment every time you take it off and slip it back on a valve, union, etc. The wrench has one severe limitation which is that even though the jaws may open enough to fit around a large hex they're not actually long enough to grab it. It's something that I've run into occasionally.I've had the RCORP for a few months now and I use it often. I did without it for 30 years and I could do without it again, but sometimes it's nice to have. A few days ago I used it to get a solid hold on a boiler heat exchanger header while removing piping, which is something you just can't really do with a normal pipe wrench. I still prefer a large Crescent style adjustable wrench, but if you need smooth jaws and large capacity all in a nice thin pattern, this is pretty much the only game in town.

I needed a wrench for large diameter nuts (fittings). This is that big, although the flats are a little shallow. Also for large diameter you need a longer arm. I used a pipe on it, and it worked freeing up a seized fitting. There was some jaw deflection, perhaps expected with a 4 foot bar on it. So it's not perfect and should be updated. It held up to what I did with it, and that's something.

Good finish

Great quality.