Friendly advice to new people: ball joint allen wrenches

[TenMetrePeter]

There's always having an old allen key in the screw socket and heating it with a butane/propane torch. (Or culinary brûlée torch for the lawyers and bankers) Take it out with pliers before putting in the good allen key!

[nglitz]

Be careful with the ball ended wrenches. They have significantly less contact area to get that little bit of an angle. It's entirely too easy to strip the hex out of the screw, especially stainless screws. Especially flat head screws that have a reduced hex. It's common enough that there's a term for it: "balled out".

[Chia]

Well, since we have so many experts in this thread I'm going to retract my advice...

I'll keep on using my stainless steel wrenches, but y'all do what you want.

[hansb57]

As I read the topic title I thought "great, somebody warning against the use of them"
I've been using allen heads for about 30 years in racing and in the first year I used the ball joint wrenches occasionally. I stopped using them after ruining several bolt heads.
For my pistol I only use high quality regular allen wrenches and replace them as soon as the start looking used and lose the sharp edge.
(I replace the 5 most frequently used at least once every year no matter what, costs approx. $20 (in euros)

For dropping them! I use swisstools wrenches, they come in different bright colors for different sizes.

For hand tightening bolts I use an Arrowmax lightweight handle which I converted to holding 1/4 bits
Due to its light weight and flimsy way the bit holder is held in the handle prevents me from using to much force

For torquing I use a Wiha digital torque screwdriver.

https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--XbiDNdhMnM/ ... C00691.JPG

A gun is a precision instrument. I like to treat every nut or bolt as if it would strip or break instantly

[TenMetrePeter]

The reason the best ball end keys only have the ball on the long end is that you use the plain hex on the short end for tightening and cracking open, and the ball end for loose speed work in awkward spaces. Yes trying to undo a tight screw with the ball end will damage both screw and key.

[Rover]

You can always dress a larger one with a file and hammer it in.

Whatever works!