Striking Wrench
A heavy open-end wrench with a reinforced box end, built to be struck with a hammer to break loose seized fasteners.
What is it?
The striking wrench, also called a slugging or impact wrench, has a heavy, reinforced box end designed to accept hammer blows. When a fastener is seized, corroded, or over-torqued, you seat the wrench and strike the reinforced end with a sledge or ball-peen hammer to deliver a high-impact shock that frees it — without damaging the tool.
What is it used for?
- Breaking loose seized, corroded, or over-torqued fasteners
- High-torque industrial, agricultural, and construction fastening
- Heavy-equipment, truck, oil field, mining, and marine servicing
- Working large fasteners where a standard wrench will not reach or cannot get enough force
Common sizes
- 50mm through 90mm in 5mm steps
- Open-end style, chrome polished finish
- Heavy forged alloy-steel construction
How to choose
Choose the size so it fully seats on the fastener head (never upsize, or you will round the nut). A forged alloy-steel body and reinforced striking end handle repeated hammer blows. Match the opening style (open vs box end) to access and torque needs.
Anatomy
Understanding the parts of a striking wrench helps you use, maintain, and buy it with confidence.
- Open end: the jaw that seats over the fastener head
- Reinforced box end: the hardened striking surface designed to take hammer blows
- Shaft: the heavy body that transfers impact force to the fastener
- Handle: the extension that gives reach and directs the tool
Materials & construction
Striking wrenches are forged from premium hardened alloy steel for strength, wear resistance, and resistance to deformation under repeated impact. A chrome-polished, corrosion-resistant finish extends service life in harsh, oily, and marine environments.
Safety & maintenance
- Always wear safety glasses; impact fragments and tool chips are a hazard
- Use an appropriate striking tool such as a ball-peen or sledgehammer on the reinforced striking end
- Ensure the wrench is fully seated on the fastener before applying any impact force
- Never strike a standard wrench that is not designed for impact
- Inspect the striking end for mushrooming or cracking and replace if damaged
Also known as
slugging wrench, impact wrench, hammer wrench