When I first started working as a bike mechanic back during—nevermind—one of the two tools I used the most was a Y-wrench with 8, 9 and 10mm box wrenches. Components with metric nuts were plentiful, particularly brakes. Fortunately, the industry moved away from that, but there are occasions when I do encounter a nut. The one I deal with most often is the bleed port on Shimano disc brakes; it requires a 7mm wrench. Crescent wrenches aren’t great for the job because they don’t always give a snug enough fit. Well, Feedback Sports introduced a new tool at Sea Otter and I’m in love. It’s a cross between channel locks and a crescent wrench.
They call it the Adjustable Pliers Wrench and it adjusts like channel locks in single millimeter increments, firmly holding nuts from as small as 2mm all the way up to 35mm. And like channel locks, as you hold the pliers, it snugs on the nut to prevent rounding out. It’s not quite as quick as channel locks to adjust, but it’s quicker and easier than a crescent wrench. The jaws are also thin and narrow enough to reach in places that many crescent wrenches won’t. That it can replace an entire set of box wrenches is a delight. It goes for $55 and can be purchased from you local IBD or directly from Feedback Sports.