18 in. Aluminum Pipe Wrench

There are not a lot of people around that needs a 36" pipe wrench in there tool box but if you do take a look at the Milwaukee pipe wrench, it leaves my old pipe wrench in the dirt. It's very sturdy to use and feels good in the hands. They have made a slight change to the angle of the adjustable teeth that makes the grip just that much better. I noticed that I don't have to knock down as many teeth marks in the pipe as I did with my old pipe wrench, this might be due to the head angle or just better teeth. This should be your next pipe wrench.

Milwaukee hand tools consistently show engineering and ergonomic improvements over past "tried & true" designs that step up quality, durability and function. This 36" aluminum pipe wrench is another great example of this philosophy of "building a better mouse trap"! Over the past 40 years, I've used several top tier brands of steel and aluminum pipe wrenches (8" to 48") in the oil and gas production industry. There's a lot of small and big pipe to turn and any cheap tools show their weaknesses quickly. Although I'm retired now, I wish Milwaukee had made these wrenches back then! From the extended jaw gripping capabilities, to the beefier handle I-beam construction, to the grooved and stronger ergonomic grip, to the larger and faster curled knob adjustment and to the hardened steel jaw grip angle serrations...this wrench certainly has the looks and feel of a serious tool that will be ready for business, day in and day out. The jaw set opens past 5.5"...should be no issues with 4" drainage steel pipe!!

This is one very big Wrench. It is very well made with a good non-slip finish that makes it easy to grip. It weighs 16 1/2 pounds (about half what a cast iron of the same size weighs). It can be used on pipe anywhere from 1 1/2 to 6" diameter. It measures 42 inches long closed and 48 fully opened. There is a scale cast into the top jaw that makes it easy to get it close to the size needed then adjust as needed once on the pipe.

This 48" pipe wrench is surprisingly light for it's size and length. That's the benefit of an aluminum body that reduces weight while retaining strength. The jaws open up to 8" lending itself to a huge variety of projects. The hook jaw is dye stamped with measurements showing the approximate jaw opening which is helpful to get the wrench set up prior to use. It does take some time to adjust the nut to some of the larger diameter settings - as much as a couple minutes if the jaws are completely closed. Using the wrench is quite comfortable. The aluminum handle is ground smooth and tapered to fit an average-sized hand grip. Obviously, the length of the handle is key to the leverage but it's also nice to know that the double spring coils which adjust the hook jaw are durable and designed to last. Milwaukee always makes great tools and with the limited lifetime warranty this tool is one of the best pipe wrenches around!

You sure will not have to use a cheater bar when you break out this beast. With a handle length over 2 feet long you will get plenty of leverage for stubburn stuck pipes or fasteners, but also can be used with finesse for more delicate work. This wrench has a body made from aluminum and the jaws are made of steel, but it is still very heavy. The jaws can handle something up to 6” in diameter, although the package says 5”. The jaw depth is over 3” deep. The jaws bite and grip very well without slipping or damaging the piece you are working on. This comes packaged from the factory very well, with dense foam inserts to hold it in place during shipping, so even if someone just slaps a shipping label on this product box, it will make it through the shipping process. The wrench also has a lifetime warranty, but I doubt you will ever need it.

I received my Milwaukee 48-inch aluminum pipe wrench today, it came well packed, however I personally don't think you could hurt this heavy duty wrench no matter what you do to it. I don't usually have a need for a pipe wrench that is 48 inched, but when I do it really comes in handy. I've had sewer clean out caps that this wrench would have worked great on. I have been using a cheaper cast iron 48 in wrench that is so heavy I hate to even unload from the truck, this aluminum Milwaukee weighs in at about 18 pounds, big difference. I have used it so far to remove a stuck and rusted on trailer ball from my neighbor’s pickup it worked great. I like the large jaws and the adjustment nut is easy to grip and turn.

Milwaukee 36” Aluminum pipe wrench is high quality with great craftsmanship. Weighing in at approximately 11 pounds, it is much lighter than it’s steel version which weighs approximately 21 pounds, much lighter and easier to handle. I’m very impressed with how rugged it is even though it’s very light. Milwaukee has another winner here and I highly recommend this pipe wrench.

An Italian plumber (even an DIYer) needs to have a good set of pipe wrenches in case a leak springs up or a faucet needs to be replaced. This small aluminum pipe wrench is definitely one to add to your collection. First of all, it's lightweight aluminum construction makes a huge difference. It's much easier to wield with one hand and this helps increase your dexterity and precision with the tool. It's still heavy enough to do the job, but not too heavy where it's a hassle to handle. The grabber part of the wrench which interfaces with the pipe is still made of heavy duty metal, so don't be afraid that the aluminium wrench will strip or bend. The size of the wrench is also fantastic and makes it easy to maneuver in those hard to reach, uncomfortable places that are always a pain to get to (AKA every plumbing location in your house... underneath sinks, behind toilets, etc). My only complaint with this product was the packaging! It was extremely hard to remove the wrench from the packaging which is made of a hard plastic that can be sharp when cut. I am very satisfied with this wrench and plan to use it whenever a plumbing job presents itself.

I already had a pipe wrench this size but I got this to replace my old one (yes there was nothing wrong with my old one) mainly because I'd recently replaced the adjustable wrenches in my box with a set of Milwaukee adjustable wrenches and I'd been so pleased by the quality I wanted to extend it a little farther and replace this one more. I do like the fact that it is a little lighter. Granted for me that is not a huge thing because its not like I lug this around a lot. But every now and then a situation pops up where a pipe wrench is just the fit for a job. And this one fits the bill for me when it does. I'm pleased with the quality of it and the lighter frame is just a nice touch. It also opens just a tad more than my old one so that's a small improvement. I do like that the gripping pieces are still hardened steel. I don't see myself pulling on it hard enough to worry about bending the rest of it. I'm not Arnold and most (but not all) of the things I will use it on would not respond well to that much pressure.

The first thing I noticed about this tool was the comfortable feel of the handle. That means this is already a ‘go to’ tool because it is nice to use. I have other pipe wrenches with more angular handles and, believe me, they bruise the hand after extended use. The overbite jaw with the largest grip area and the steel jaws provide great grip. For such a large tool it is light thanks to the aluminum handle. The jaw has indicators to show the current width of the opening and the maximum opening is 2 ½”.