Proferred Adjustable Mining Wrench with Hammer

Multi-tools can be a lot of different things. They can be cheap pieces of stamped metal in the form of a shark that are functionally useless. They can be moderately effective secondary tools to help keep you from having to climb back down the ladder to get a tool for a couple of screws. Then there are some trade-specific multi-tools that function as primary tools. Tools like the Proferred Adjustable Mining Wrench aim for the latter. But does it accomplish its goal?

King Solomon’s Mining Wrench?

Adjustable Wrench/Pipe Wrench

The Proferred Adjustable Mining Wrench will likely spend most of its life as an adjustable/pipe wrench. The thumb wheel adjust action is easy and etched marks make dialing in the specific bolt or pipe size up to 2″ (45 mm) a breeze. Markings are in both metric and imperial on opposite sides of the jaw.

Once you get the diameter set, there’s about 1 mm of play in the jaw, but seems to be little risk of the jaw backing off.

The adjustable wrench feature is obvious with one look at the design. Proferred also claims pipe wrench ability, which generally gives the wrench the ability to give you some extra bite. Proferred accomplishes that with a spring-loaded slide on the fixed end of the jaw. As the teeth bite down on a pipe, it slides up to give you a more secure grip than a standard adjustable wrench gives you on its own.

Ratcheting Wrench

For common 7/8″ nuts and bolts, the Proferred Adjustable Mining Wrench features a ratcheting wrench opposite the adjustable wrench jaws. I like this over an open wrench for the sheer convenience of not having to pull it off the bolt and reset it.

Socket Wrench

While 7/8″ might be a common nut and bolt size to work with, it’s certainly not the only size you’ll run into. For the times you run into another size, there’s a 1/2″ socket adapter to convert the wrench into a socket wrench.

The adapter sets in the wrench as a friction fit rather than with a detent lock or something similar. It’s possible to pop it out of the setting if you press in against the nut, so just be sure to let the socket slide over the nut and let the ratcheting action take care of the work.

When you’re not using the adapter, it fits in a small pocket on the sheath.

Hammer

When Proferred says this has a hammer on it, they’re talking about the ability to strike a socket wrench or lever to help loosen something that’s stuck, not pound nails. The hammer is a protrusion coming off of the fixed end of the jaw and one glance will tell you that you’re not going to do any framing with it. But when you need to hit something without worrying about your safety manager getting on your case about proper tool use, this will work.

Sheath

The tool and adapter fit nicely in the included sheath. A belt clip will keep it secure to your a tool belt or just the belt holding your pants up. If you need some additional security or don’t have a belt to clip it to, a chain a clasp lets you hook it round any loop.

The Bottom Line

When you need a multi-tool specifically for mining that can actually do each of its jobs well, the Proferred Adjustable Mining Wrench performs its five functions admirably. At $46.29, it will save you space on your tool belt and the cost of purchasing multiple tools to do the same job. The build quality is excellent and there’s no reason to think you’ll have to replace it anytime soon.