Good Thinking

Switch Hex T wrench keeps six bits at the ready in a rotating head

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The Switch Hex T wrench is presently on Kickstarter
3DM Design
The Switch Hex T wrench is presently on Kickstarter
3DM Design
The Switch Hex T wrench comes with six different bits, but users can also swap in their own as needed
3DM Design

Although interchangeable-bit hex wrenches aren't that hard to use, there's always room for improvement … right? The designers of the Switch Hex T seem to think so, as their wrench features a carousel-like multi-bit rotating head.

Currently the subject of a Kickstarter campaign, the Switch Hex T (or SHT – and no, that isn't funny) is manufactured by New Zealand-based company 3DM Design. It was created with bicycle repairs in mind, but could obviously also be used for lots of other tasks.

The device's black-anodized T-handle and shaft are each CNC-milled from a solid block of 7075-T6 aircraft-grade aluminum. Its red-anodized rotating head features six magnetized sockets, each one containing a different S2-steel quarter-inch bit. If users wish, they can swap one or more of those bits for a store-bought size/type that they're more likely to use.

The Switch Hex T wrench comes with six different bits, but users can also swap in their own as needed
3DM Design

The main idea behind the SHT is that instead of having to pull out one bit then search for and insert another, users can simply rotate the head to the bit they need. That said, the tool's wide head would have difficulty accessing bolts or screws in tight spaces. For that reason, a 50-mm (2-in) hex socket extension is included – it sits inside the handle when not in use.

Without that extension attached, the SHT measures 6.2 inches long by 2.6 in wide by 0.8 in thick (157 by 66 by 20 mm). It reportedly tips the scales at 4.6 oz (129 g), extension included.

Assuming the Switch Hex T wrench reaches production, a pledge of US$72 will get you one. The planned retail price is $125. You can see it in action, in the video below.

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Source: Kickstarter

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3 comments
ljaques
That looks like an OK $4 bench tool. I like my little $13 1/4" set of motorcycle T-handle/sockets better. Just add bits.
jeronimo
This a classic example of industrial design gone mad. I have a perfectly good, strong and easily interchangeable head driver that is perfect for any job, including those in tight spaces. It wasn't wastefully carved out of a solid block of expensive high-grade aluminum either. The expected retail price of this gadget indicates it will just gather dust on the shelves at your local Bunnings store.
G.F. Brown
The quoted price is outrageous.