Customer Reviews for Milwaukee 12 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”.

I haven't broken one yet. Usually when you make something lighter you take strength or usefulness. Not so with these pipe wrenches which has an 18 in weighing in at about the same or less as my older cast iron 10 inch. With the aggressive teeth and heavy duty materials on the business ends this wrench can be used from small to heavy pipe without all the extra weight.

Good size and weight. Feels indestructible. Handle feels comfortable in the hand. Teeth are sharp and large and are good to grip on any surface. has an overbite jaw to provide the best gripping option. Has an Ergonomic Hook Jaw Design which helps when unlatching from the pipe. Has a hole in the bottom of the handle to hang on work benches or tool belt.

This is a well made wrench that will handle the needs of both DIYers and pros. The aluminium body makes it extremely light while the business end of the wrench is solid steel. I tried mine out on 1” black iron pipe in my shop and it grips very well. The steel teeth are sharp and the jaws are fairly wide which increases the contact to the pipe and provides more grip and less slipping and knuckle busting. The handle is comfortable. And the 12” length with 2” capacity makes it the perfect size for my shop.

This 14" aluminum pipe wrench does everything that it's steel cousin can do but unlike the steel version, I can put this one in my tool bag and it doesn't feel like I am carrying around a car battery. The jaw width adjustment is easy to work and the teeth in the jaws grab hold of pipes and nuts to do the job. It can take a cheater bar, if needed, so I keep a small piece of pipe in the bag with it, just in case. This is a nice, compact, and durable pipe wrench that is easy to tote and work with.

I can see no compromise in strength in this 24" aluminum pipe wrench versus the steel version. It is strong without the weight of the steel wrench. The jaw width adjustment is easy to work and the teeth grippers in the jaws grab hold of the pipe being worked with ease. The length of the wrench makes for good leverage and can accept a "cheater" bar, if needed. This one is going in my shop and my old steel one is going in the yard sale. Great wrench.

Every pipe wrench that I have ever used was bulky, heavy and just a pain to use. When I picked up the box that this came in, I thought that it was empty just because of how light it was. After I took it out, I was a bit concerned about how light it felt in the hand. Like mentioned above, I am used to the heavy, clanking pipe wrenches, but within two minutes, my concerns were put to rest. Not only does this wrench feel great in your hands, it is extremely solid. I tried this first on some pvc then some galvanized, and the grip was unbelievably strong with no slipping.. The teeth are solid, and very easy to adjust as the adjustment knob literally glides up and down. As for it being comfortable, it was made with ergonomics in mind. This aluminum pioe wrench is absolutely perfect for any professional/diy'er that is looking for a solid, functional pioe wrench. I 100% recommend!

This pipe wrench must've been engineered by a plumber or had input by someone in the trade. The lighter weight makes using it easier, without having to have "Popeye forearms". The upper jaw of the wrench is bigger than the lower creating an overbite. This makes hooking/gripping the pipe much easier than wrestling with equal jaws. I'm not sure if this design is patented, but I really like it a lot better. This is a highly recommended product.

Used this wrench just yesterday, replacing the tie rod ends on my truck. Really appreciated the reduction in weight over the traditional steel-bodied pipe wrenches that I own - especially when using it overhead and/or in an awkward position. The aluminum casting appears to be a good quality, with no voids noticeable. The indentations along the grip area are a really nice feature - was able to keep a good grasp of the wrench even though my hands were covered in grease. Jaws seem not quite as sharp as they were before use, and that concerns me a little, as I've only put a little use on it thus far. Maybe that's normal, but I will keep an eye on it with further use, and update the review if necessary.

I got this with a little hesitation, but am glad I did!! The wrench is quite a bit lighter than my other pipe wrenches, even some of the smaller ones, but I haven't been able to find anything bad about it yet, other than that the jaw seems to be a little loose fitting. I haven't had it slip, or even feel like it might, but it just moves a little in the handle. The handle is comfortable, and fits my hand well. The teeth are sharp and bite well, but it's new so it better. I use pipe wrenches in some pretty heavy applications so time will tell if I continue my aluminum wrenches or go back to the heavy steel ones.

This is a light weight but very effective aluminum pipe wrench. I love light weight because all those heavy tools are too hard for me to hold. We found it easy to adjust. Also, the teeth grip on the pipe is excellent resulting in very little slippage when holding a pipe. We had to use it on our shop vac because we couldn’t get the tool off the hose. My husband held the hose with the wrench while I twisted the tool off (it was stuck tight). It was so easy and no slipping. We have been successful in using this pipe wrench on aluminum, steel and plastic pipe. This Pipe Wrench is a good size for so many tough jobs.

This 18" aluminum pipe wrench is a great tool. It has deep sharp jaws and the adjustment gear spins smoothly. With it being light weight aluminum, it's easier to handle than a standard steel pipe wrench. This makes one handed adjustment easy and quick. All in all, a great addition to your toolbox, especially if you have the 12" wrench or the larger 24" wrench.

This Milwaukee pipe wrench is a great buy. It's light-weight, but sturdy, and the jaws are deeper & sharper than some other comparable brands. In my opinion, the best feature is being light weight. This makes it easier to readjust the size easily with one hand in case you have hold your workpiece in position. The only drawback to aluminum is my reluctance to use a cheater pipe in case of a seized part. Otherwise,I would definitely recommend this wrench. Get two if you can as there are times you need a pair for the leverage.

I really like this pipe wrench. Strong, durable, and lightweight compared to steel counterparts. The handle is the only part that is made of aluminium. The largest and heaviest parts of all pipe wrenches is the handle. the teeth, the jaw, and all the adjustments are made of steel to insure longevity. Even though this is a rated for a 3" I was able to use it on a 4" pipe and had no issues. Not recommended by the manufacturer though. The jaw of this pipe wrench is actually spring loaded to help with biting down and releasing bite on pipes. My only other pipe wrench is very old and this is not a feature. May be the norm these days, not sure, but I thought it was a nice feature to have. On another note, I wasn't afraid the wrench was going to slip or break. Everything feels very solid.

I got 4 of the Milwaukee Wrenches 10", 12", 14", 24". The 10" wrench functioned freely and gripped clean black pipe easily and firmly. There are a couple things I feel the need to point out. The lower and upper jaws are not the same width and they are not aligned squarely. I'm also not clear why the upper jaw is longer than the lower, seems a strange engineering tweak that doesn't seem to translate into a practical use. Overall the wrench operated smoothly, the weight was good (read light) because of the aluminum handle. The handles gradually taper to the end which takes some getting used to if you are used to the loop at the end of the Ridgid handle. All in all, I'm not thrilled with these wrenches. While they are completely functional for their stated purpose, there are no innovations and the quality controls seem to be lacking.

I got 4 of the Milwaukee Wrenches 10", 12", 14", 24". Of the wrenches, this one seems to be made the best. The 10" had some misalignment issues, the 14" appeared to be defective. The adjustment knob on the 24" spun freely both up and down, the jaw rested properly in the handle and it gripped new black pipe solidly without slipping. There are a few things I feel I should note. The upper jaw is narrower than the lower jaw. This is less evident on the 24 but very noticable on the smaller sizes and aside from a minor cost savings makes no sense to me. I'm also not clear why the upper jaw is longer than the lower, seems a strange engineering tweak that doesn't translate into a practical use. The handles gradually taper to the end which takes some getting used to if you are used to the loop at the end of the Ridgid handle. Overall the wrench operated smoothly and the weight was good (read light) because of the aluminum handle. All in all, I'm not thrilled with these wrenches. While they are completely functional for their stated purpose, there are no innovations and the quality controls seem to be lacking.

I got 4 of the Milwaukee Wrenches 10", 12", 14", 24". Sadly the 14" seemed defective. Overall the wrench operated smoothly, the weight was good (read light) because of the aluminum handle. The handles gradually taper to the end which takes some getting used to if you are used to the loop at the end of the Ridgid handle. There are a couple of odd things about these wrenches though. The upper jaw is narrower than the lower jaw and the upper and lower don't quite sit square with each other. I'm also not clear why the upper jaw is longer than the lower, seems a strange engineering tweak that doesn't really translate into a practical use. All of the wrenches grip clean black pipe quickly and solidly. All in all, I'm not thrilled with these wrenches. While they are completely functional for their stated purpose, there are no innovations and the quality controls seem to be lacking.

I got 4 of the Milwaukee Wrenches 10", 12", 14", 24". Sadly the 14" seemed defective. The jaw was very loose compared to the other Milwaukee wrenches and my other Ridgid wrenches. The side view of the wrench shows the top jaw is thinner near the nose which was not the same as the 12" wrench it's compared to. Another odd thing is the upper jaw is narrower than the lower jaw and the upper and lower don't quite sit square with each other. I'm also not clear why the upper jaw is longer than the lower, seems a strange engineering tweak that doesn't seem to translate into a practical use. Overall the wrench operated smoothly, the weight was good (read light) because of the aluminum handle. The handles gradually taper to the end which takes some getting used to if you are used to the loop at the end of the Ridgid handle. All of the wrenches seem to grip clean black pipe quickly and solidly. All in all, I'm not thrilled with these wrenches. While they are completely functional for their stated purpose, there are no innovations and the quality controls seem to be lacking.

Overall, a fairly well made tool comprising a lightweight aluminum handle mated with steel fixed and movable jaws (and thumbwheel). Although the somewhat angular shape of the handle is different than the usual pipe wrench, it is quite comfortable to grip, especially due to the absence of any parting-line flash, and the smooth handle surface and finish (powder coat?). Weighing less than a pound and a half (23 ounces) using this overhead will not stress your arm muscles. The grip range extends to 2” pipe (2.275” OD) and, coupled with the short, lightweight handle permits access to larger pipes in tight spaces. The steel jaws have sharp “teeth” which dig into the pipe being turned, without slipping. Instead of the usual flat springs used to center the movable jaws, this wrench uses two coil springs (compression) within the wrench body, which apply tension to the movable jaw (through intermediate steel strips) to minimize “slop” in the jaws. Although not perfectly centered, the jaws gripped well from small diameter pipe to the maximum size. A nice feature is having pipe size markings on the jaw, to permit pre-setting the opening size, based on the size of the pipe being fitted, along with the requisite opening in the end of the handle for attaching a lanyard if necessary to secure if from being dropped when working above others. The only real negatives are; the possibility of the tensioning coil springs “sacking out” and the extremely sharp jaw teeth which, until sufficient use has rounded the edges a little, could, if one is careless, result in a minor cut. The tool, although manufactured in China, appears to be well made and carries the Milwaukee limited lifetime warranty (defects in parts or workmanship).

The Milwaukee 24” Aluminum Pipe Wrench is a great addition to the Milwaukee lineup. The handle is aluminum to significantly reduce weight while the jaw components are hardened steel for strength and durability. This model can handle pipes up to 3 inches in diameter. I found the jaws gripped pipes extremely well and the jaw adjustment was smooth. There is an integrated size chart on the tool showing jaw opening size. When I put it on a 3/4 inch pipe the jaw read 3/4 inch. Having a pipe wrench of this size with reduced weight makes it a joy to work with. The only drawback is the price increase over a steel version.

The Milwaukee 18” Aluminum Pipe Wrench is a great addition to the Milwaukee lineup. The handle is aluminum to significantly reduce weight while the jaw components are hardened steel for strength and durability. This model can handle pipes up to 2.5 inches in diameter. I found the jaws gripped pipes extremely well and the jaw adjustment was smooth. There is an integrated size chart on the tool showing jaw opening size. When I put it on a 3/4 inch pipe the jaw read 3/4 inch. Having a pipe wrench of this size with reduced weight makes it a joy to work with. The only drawback is the price increase over a steel version.