Male end wrenches

Allen Key

Traditionally, screwdrivers are your go-to tool for screwing or unscrewing fasteners. However, not all fasteners and bolts are built the same. Take hex screws, for example, that features a hexagonal shape and can only come undone by a hex key, also known as an Allen key. Hex keys are the most suitable tool for loosening or tightening hex screws. Needless to say, keeping a hex key set in your toolbox, among other hand tools, is essential, especially if you're a professional working in the industry. Beta Tools offer some of the best and most durable Allen key sets in Australia.

Quick Facts About Standard Hex Keys

Six contact surfaces on Allen key:

The "hex" in hex keys suggests 6, which indicates that the key touches 6 points on the hex screws to loosen or tighten it.

Hex key creates torque upon being used:

A torque is necessary to work on a fastener. The Allen key comes in an L shape, which means you have to hold the long arm (the handle) of the key and twist it around the shorter end. This creates the torque needed for tightening or loosening the screws and getting the job done.

Hex key sets can be used in compact spaces:

Often, you could be required to reach small and confined spaces where larger tools like conventional screwdrivers or wrenches won't reach. Hex Keys are designed to reach compact spaces, such as in furniture.

Hex keys are also known as Allen wrenches:

The reason why the name "Allen" got associated with the hex keys is that in the early 1900s, the Allen Manufacturing Company based in Connecticut manufactured their own branded hex key and named it Allen wrench. The name and the product gained enough popularity that the word Allen is now attached to the tool itself. Although, hex keys themselves have been around since the 1800s. In 1860, there were several patents for hexagonal-shaped tools with six points of contact in the U.S.A. But it was in the 20th century that hex keys became an everyday tool. Now it is widely used for commercial and consumer purposes.