Over at Amazon, they recently listed new Stanley FatMax folding diamond-coated ball hex key sets.
We’ve seen something similar before – Craftsman came out with Extreme Grip diamond-coated folding hex key sets nearly 2 years ago.
The hex keys feature ball ends, which allows users to access fasteners from other than straight-on. The ball shape gives you a little latitude. Each tip is coated with an industrial-grade simulated diamond coating, which is said to provide up to 40% better grip on fasteners.
The rest of each hex key has a black phosphate finish for rust prevention.
Each hex key can also be locked in at several angles: 90°, 135°, and 180°. I imagine that you should see some pretty strong torque delivery at 90°.
Hmm, I wonder if they’re using higher quality diamond particles (check out my images here!), or lower cost diamond particles that look a very different.
Price: ~$24 per set (as of the time of this posting)
Available in SAE (Yes, ), and Metric (FMHT80765) sizing.
- SAE: 3/32″, 7/64″, 1/8″, 9/64″, 5/32″, 3/16″, 7/32″, 1/4″
- Metric: 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 mm
Buy Now(SAE via Amazon)
Buy Now(Metric via Amazon)
There’s also a 22pc hex key set, currently priced at $23 on Amazon.
See Also: ToolGuyd Roundup of 16 Awesome Hex Keys and Hex Drivers
First Thoughts
As with the Sears Craftsman Extreme Grip hex key sets, I’m torn between “that could be useful!” and “uch, what a useless gimmick” points of view.
I’ve tried Dewalt folding hex key sets before, and they’re okay.
Yes, I’ve had ball hex keys slip in fasteners before. But will “up to 40% improved fastener grip” provide measurable improvement?
I’d like to believe that Amazon’s preorder prices are a little inflated, or perhaps simply wrong. $23 for each folding hex key set seems like a bit much to me.
Would you use this?