Pro tip: that $12 basin wrench from the hardware store saved my Saturday

I used to think you needed the expensive $50 basin wrench for sink work. Last month I was swapping out a faucet on a tight undermount sink in my rental property. The cheap one had enough reach and the handle held up fine through all the nuts. Has anyone else found the budget version works just as well for occasional use?

2 comments

2 Comments

aaronrobinson7d ago

Dude, same. I grabbed the $12 one from Ace a few years ago thinking I'd just return it if it broke. Still using it. Got plenty of leverage and it hasn't stripped a single nut.

clairebaker7d ago

And that's exactly what I figured too, like if it breaks no big loss. I actually bought my $12 one from a big box store and the first time I used it I dropped it down the wall cavity behind the vanity. Spent twenty minutes fishing it out with a coat hanger and a magnet. The thing still works fine after that abuse, no rust or anything. Honestly I think those cheap tools are made from the same stuff as the expensive ones, they just don't have the fancy handle. What do you do when you have a tight spot the basin wrench can't reach?