Co-Authored By:
A hex key, also known as an Allen key or Allen wrench, is a small handheld tool that's used for for driving bolts and screws with a hexagonal socket. They are available in many different sizes, though they all have the same hexagonal-shaped tip. To learn more about hex keys and the benefits they offer, keep reading.
Besides, is an Allen wrench?
An Allen wrench is one of the simplest wrenches to use. The Allen wrench itself is a small L-shaped wrench with six sides. If you look at a cross-section of the Allen wrench, it looks like a hexagon. Since the Allen wrench has such a specific shape, it can only be used with items especially designed for it.
Thereof, why are hex key called Allen wrenches?
Answer: It isn't. It's called a “hex socket key” (hex short for “hexagonal”). The hex key, or at least its means of manufacture, was devised by the Allen Manufacturing Company of Hartford, Connecticut, and patented in 1910. It was produced as the companion piece to the company's hexagonal socket screws.
What Is the Difference Between a Torx Key and an Allen Key? Allen keys, also called hex keys, feature a hexagonal cross section, while Torx keys feature a star- or asterisk-shaped cross section.