DeWalt Dip Grip Adjustable Wrench (2-piece)

Why these wrenches earned a spot in my roll

Adjustable wrenches are easy to take for granted—until you need one that opens a little wider, holds its setting, and doesn’t try to twist out of your hand when it’s wet. That’s what I was looking for when I put this two-piece DeWalt set into my everyday kit. After a few weeks of plumbing odds and ends, a couple of bike fixes, and some light automotive work, I’ve come to appreciate what this set gets right—and where it could be better.

Build and ergonomics

The set includes a 6-inch and a 10-inch adjustable, both steel with a blackened body and machined jaws. The handles are dipped in DeWalt’s vinyl with a Grip Armor-style coating that’s there to reduce peeling and improve traction. The grips are not puffy or cushiony; they’re thin, firm, and tacky enough to matter—especially if you’re working in the rain or with wet hands. The flared handle ends are a small but helpful detail that keeps the tool from creeping out of your palm when you’re pulling hard.

Balance is good on both sizes. The 6-inch feels appropriately compact without getting fiddly, and the 10-inch has enough mass to deliver torque without feeling clubby. Fit and finish are clean. The machined jaw faces arrive crisp and flat, which helps them bite properly on fasteners.

Jaw performance and accuracy

Two things matter most to me on adjustables: how precisely the jaws track and how wide they open. On both counts, this set is solid.

• Smooth adjustment: The knurl turns easily without gritty spots. There’s very little backlash, and once I set a size, it tends to stay put instead of walking open.
• Parallel jaws: Throughout the usable range, the jaws remain parallel enough that they don’t rock on the flats and round over fasteners.
• Wide openings: The 6-inch opens to a claimed 15/16 inch, and mine hits that mark. The 10-inch reaches about 1-3/8 inch, which is generous for this size and has let me leave a larger wrench at home more than once.

There’s an etched scale on the jaws in inches. Like most scales on adjustables, I treat it as a quick reference rather than a micrometer. It’s good for “get me close” positioning, especially when I’m working one-handed or in a tight spot where repeated test fits are a pain.

One nitpick: the edges of the machined jaws are quite crisp out of the box. That crispness contributes to a positive bite, but it also means they can scratch softer finishes. If I’m working on plated fixtures or bicycle components that I want to keep pristine, I’ll drop a single layer of tape on the flats or use a dedicated non-marring wrench.

In the field

I used the 10-inch to swap out an old compression shutoff valve under a sink, and the wide opening came in handy. With a backup wrench on the nut and the adjustable on the valve body, I could apply steady pressure without the jaw drifting. The vinyl grip stayed tacky even after wiping down a splash of water. The flared end of the handle kept my hand from sliding off when I leaned into it.

The 6-inch has become my go-to for quick bicycle adjustments—pedals, saddle rails, and the occasional axle nut. It fits easily in a small pouch, and because the jaws don’t rattle, it’s not constantly shifting size in transit. On an old utility trailer, the 10-inch helped with a stubborn battery clamp where the nut was just past the capacity of a typical 8-inch adjustable. It reached, gripped, and didn’t bind.

Across all these uses, the common thread has been predictability: set the size, hold square, apply torque, and get on with it.

Maintenance and durability

The blackened body shrugs off fingerprints and smudges. The machined jaw faces are bare steel, so they’ll need a bit of care to prevent rust if you work constantly in wet or salty environments. Mine arrived with a light oil film on the jaws; after wiping them clean, I’ve kept a drop of light oil on the threads and an occasional wipe on the machined surfaces. No rust so far, but I also don’t toss these in a damp bucket.

The vinyl grips are holding up, with no signs of peeling at the edges. That’s not always the case with dipped handles, and it’s nice to see the coating stay put. The knurl hasn’t picked up grit, and the jaw travel remains smooth.

DeWalt backs the set with a limited lifetime warranty against defects. Like most hand-tool warranties, it’s for materials and workmanship, not wear-and-tear or abuse, so I treat that as a safety net rather than a maintenance plan.

What could be better

• Sharp edges on the jaws: Great for bite, not great for delicate finishes. A light “breaking” of the outer corners at the factory would make these more forgiving.
• No corrosion plating on the machined faces: It’s common for adjustable wrenches to leave the contact faces unplated, but it does mean you should stay on top of drying and oiling if you’re around water a lot.
• Scale is inch-only: That won’t bother many users, but if you work primarily in metric hardware, a dual-scale can be handy for quick presets.

None of these are deal-breakers, but they’re worth knowing before you commit to a set.

Size pairing and coverage

The 6-inch and 10-inch pairing hits a sweet spot for most household, bike, and light plumbing tasks. The 6-inch gets into tight spaces and handles smaller hardware without feeling ungainly; the 10-inch provides the leverage and capacity for valves, larger nuts, and fixtures. If you regularly work on bigger fasteners—think heavy equipment or large iron pipe—you’ll still want a 12-inch or larger adjustable in your kit. But for the vast majority of day-to-day jobs, these two sizes cover a lot of ground.

Practical tips from use

• Set with tension: Dial the jaw down snugly onto the fastener, then add a half-hair more tension to minimize slip.
• Pull, don’t push: Whenever possible, orient the wrench so you’re pulling with the fixed jaw bearing the load. That reduces chances of opening and slipping.
• Protect sensitive surfaces: A strip of painter’s tape on a chrome fixture buys you peace of mind.
• Keep it oiled: A drop of oil on the knurl and a quick wipe of the machined faces after wet work goes a long way.

Who these wrenches suit

• Homeowners and DIYers who want a dependable two-wrench combo that doesn’t take up much space but handles most tasks.
• Tradespeople who need a backup set with good wet grip and a bit of extra jaw capacity.
• Cyclists and mechanics who value predictable jaw tracking and compact size, especially for a roadside kit or mobile toolbox.

If your priorities are maximal corrosion resistance with zero maintenance, you may prefer a fully chrome-plated adjustable. If you need extreme leverage routinely, step up a size. Otherwise, this set hits a smart balance of ergonomics, capacity, and control.

Recommendation

I recommend this DeWalt two-piece adjustable set. The reasons are straightforward: wide jaw capacities for their sizes (15/16 inch on the 6-inch, 1-3/8 inch on the 10-inch), smooth and precise adjustment with minimal slop, and vinyl grips that actually help when hands or tools are wet. The flared handle ends and crisp, parallel jaws make day-to-day use efficient and predictable. You’ll want to mind the sharp jaw edges on finished surfaces and give the machined faces occasional care to prevent rust, but those are manageable trade-offs for the performance you get. For a compact, do-most-things pair of adjustables that stays put on the fastener and in your hand, this set has earned its place in my bag.