Wiha Tools Magic Ring Screw Holding Ball Hex L-Key - Tool Time

Ever had to install an Allen bolt into a deep recess and then try to get it started in its threads? Though not an impossible task by any means, it still can often be a little frustrat­ing and time-consuming. But not with the Magic Ring Screw Holding Ball Hex L-Key Sets from Wiha Tools (www.wihatools.com), which make that same job a no-brainer. The Allen keys themselves are high-quality items made of hardened tool steel with a tough matte chrome finish, and they're unusually long for excel­lent leverage when loos­ening or tightening hex-head fasteners. Plus, they store in a clever, two-piece plastic case whose halves slide far enough apart to allow easy re­moval of the keys. To take one out, you just tilt the top of it toward you and lift it out of its slot without having to dis­turb the others.

What makes these keys different are the little spring-steel retaining rings around the circumference of their ball ends. When a key is inserted into a hex-head fastener, its ring provides enough friction in the hex to keep the fastener on the end of the key, facilitating its insertion into places that fingers can’t reach. Once the bolt is at least started into the threaded hole, the key slips right out of the hex with a gentle pull. If you’re anything like me, the first time you use one of these keys to slip an Allen bolt into a tight or blind spot, you’ll finish the job with a grati­fying smile on your face.

The L-Keys are available in a 9-piece metric set (part #66990: $33.40), a 13-piece inch set (part #66991; $41.76) or with both sets packaged togeth­er (part #66992; $72.48). Wiha also sells a wide assortment of T-handles, folding key sets, insert bits and power bits with this same Magic Ring Screw Holding Hex design.