What are the best tension tools?

[samfishers]

I know the tools: tubular, double ended, feather touch, normal, twist.


with so many types, which one is the best??

and maybe a video on using a tubular one, that would be very cool.!

[Title edited by MBI to improve searching.]

[delocking]

I work on the basis of which ever fits the keyway without slipping and leaves me room to work with the pick. I'm collecting more wrenches already than picks. but not tried a tubular or feather touch yet.

[Eyes_Only]

I wouldn't waste money on those feather touch wrenches. I've heard nothing positive about them. If you really want a good selection of different types of tension wrenches you should give the Peterson Flat 5 a try.

One is made just to fit those tight euro keyways, and the other four comes in pairs with one thicker and the other thinner (which will substitute nicely for a feather touch wrench) and they have serrated tips so they don't slip out of the keyway.

I keep this set, a Peterson Pry Bar, home made tulip wrench, DIY mini wrench from a small windshield wiper insert, a flat HPC wrench, a thick standard wrench from the Dino Kwik Pick, a wishbone wrench and one from the Souber MTL set in my pick case.

This has been all I needed for tensioners so far when I get sent out on home or business lockout calls for work.

[muskratt]

i prefer just a normal twist. i can pick most locks i have with it. the only ones i cant are euro locks. for those i use a widshield wiper blade homemade one.

[dmux]

with so many types, which one is the best??

the one that works! but it is important to have sever different sizes for the proper fit, i just like using the L- type tension wrenches and the street sweeper bristles seem to be the best for me but i have found out that the tension wrench fit will either keep a lock from opening or opening

[Wolfe]

To digress a little bit, no one tension wrench really fits every situation.
Even at a beginning level people realize that there are many different locks with many different profiles, door handings and so on . As you progress you will (if you havn't already)learn more about the differences and what not.

But in the end you will find no one tension wrench fits all situations.

I hope this helps
W.

[Wolfe]

A few more words of mention
When people say that no one tension wrench fits any situation,(now stay with me i dont want to confuse you and if i do i am sorry) one good tension wrench will serve your purposes quite well on almost all locks.
Now what that tension wrench is will be up for debate. We all have our preferences,mine is a double headed with a twist the next guy you ask might be a somthing else.

The meaning is just bringing the right tools for the job,but in a pinch just about anything will work.. heh.

[raimundo]

To make the bogotas more versatile, I have recently been using little L shaped bits of bobby pin and cut pieces from the handles of bulldog paper clips,(the wide blue steel ones with the plated wire handles) to make the wrenches fit keyways better, I have found that this works even better than a wider wrench in the little american lock keyway. you need the exactly right shim, and the L shape is to leave a part outside the keyway to keep it from slipping inside and getting lost. it has improved my time on the american 5200 (thanks nothumbs) to under 30 seconds.

[le.nutzman]

Whew! Gotta love Rai's Bogotas...............While most will tell you that alot is about the right tension wrench, few will probably tell you that in essence, there is pretty much a tension wrench for every lockpicking application known. The more wrenches you have and are comfortable using, the more versitile and ultimately, more successful you will be.