Tools & DIY · Head-to-head
RIDGID 31025 Model 18, 18 in. Heavy-Duty Straight Pipe Wrench vs REED Manufacturing RW18 Heavy Duty Straight Pipe Wrench, 18 in.
Which should you buy? Our verdict on both, pulled from our full The Best Pipe Wrenches: 4 Compared (and One to Skip) comparison.
The RIDGID wins on documentation rather than on any single spec: it is the only one of the four with a published use guide, a suggested pipe size chart and a full parts breakdown from the 6 inch to the 60 inch. The REED RW18 is the same class of ductile iron tool with its own catalogued wear parts, and Reed states those parts interchange with the major US brands from 18 inch up.
RIDGID 31025 Model 18, 18 in. Heavy-Duty Straight Pipe Wrench
Buy itThe reference tool, and the only one here whose maker publishes a use guide, a size chart and a part number for every wear item.
- RIDGID publishes a ductile iron housing, an I-beam handle and a full floating forged hook jaw, with replaceable hook and heel jaws.
- The parts list gives a catalog number for the hook jaw (31670), heel jaw assembly (31675), pin (31690), spring assembly (31680), nut (31685) and handle assembly (31445).
- The Pipe Wrench Use Guide states a suggested pipe range and a maximum pipe size for every wrench from 6 inch to 60 inch, and a 325 BHN maximum workpiece hardness.
- At 5 1/2 lb it is 1 3/4 lb heavier than RIDGID's own 18 inch aluminium wrench of the same 2 1/2 inch capacity.
- RIDGID's page says the line complies with federal specification GGG-W-651 Type II, and that specification was cancelled without replacement in 1999.
- No maximum applied force or torque is published anywhere, so there is no number to work to.
REED Manufacturing RW18 Heavy Duty Straight Pipe Wrench, 18 in.
Buy itA high tensile ductile iron 18 inch whose wear parts are catalogued and, Reed states, fit the other big US brands too.
- Reed publishes a high tensile ductile iron handle, hardened alloy steel parts and a solid steel pin in the heel jaw.
- Four wear parts carry their own catalog numbers: hook jaw RW18B, heel jaw and pin RW18C, coil and flat spring RW18E, nut RW18F.
- Reed states its heavy duty straight parts are interchangeable with most major heavy duty US brands including RIDGID, for straight, 45 degree offset and end wrenches from 18 inch to 48 inch.
- At 6.1 lb it is the heaviest tool here, and heavier than the RIDGID of the same nominal size and capacity.
- Reed's parts sheet states that parts for 14 inch and smaller wrenches were discontinued in June 2012, so the small Reeds are no longer repairable.
- Reed publishes capacity and weight but no suggested pipe size range and no separate use guide.
Side by side
The 8 criteria below are the ones our full comparison judged every product on, narrowed to these two.
| RIDGID 31025 Model 18, 18 in. Heavy-Duty Straight Pipe Wrench Our pick | REED Manufacturing RW18 Heavy Duty Straight Pipe Wrench, 18 in. | |
|---|---|---|
| Our verdict | Buy | Buy |
| Best for | Anyone buying one pipe wrench to keep, who wants the wear parts to still be orderable in a decade. | Someone who wants a US made ductile iron wrench and cares that the jaws are not locked to one brand. |
| Price tier | $$ · mid-range | $$ · mid-range |
| Size and jaw capacity | 18 in, 2 1/2 in nominal pipe | 18 in, 1/4 to 2 1/2 in nominal pipe |
| Published weight | 5 1/2 lb (2.6 kg) | 6.1 lb (2.8 kg) |
| Body material the maker states | Ductile iron housing, I-beam handle | High tensile ductile iron handle, hardened alloy steel parts |
| Replacement hook and heel jaw catalogued | Yes, hook jaw 31670 and heel jaw assembly 31675 | Yes, hook jaw RW18B and heel jaw with pin RW18C |
| Other wear parts catalogued | Pin 31690, spring assembly 31680, nut 31685, handle assembly 31445 | Coil and flat spring RW18E, nut RW18F |
| What changing the heel jaw takes | Drive out the pin, pin sold separately | Heel jaw supplied with its pin |
| Suggested pipe size range published | Yes, a chart for every size from 6 in to 60 in | Capacity only |
| Use and safety guidance published | Four page use guide in three languages, with a 325 BHN workpiece limit | Product page and parts sheet only |
Which one is right for you?
Pick the RIDGID 31025 Model 18, 18 in. Heavy-Duty Straight Pipe Wrench if
anyone buying one pipe wrench to keep, who wants the wear parts to still be orderable in a decade.
Know before buying: at 5 1/2 lb it is 1 3/4 lb heavier than RIDGID's own 18 inch aluminium wrench of the same 2 1/2 inch capacity.
Pick the REED Manufacturing RW18 Heavy Duty Straight Pipe Wrench, 18 in. if
someone who wants a US made ductile iron wrench and cares that the jaws are not locked to one brand.
Know before buying: at 6.1 lb it is the heaviest tool here, and heavier than the RIDGID of the same nominal size and capacity.
The bottom line
Our overall pick is the RIDGID 31025 Model 18, 18 in. Heavy-Duty Straight Pipe Wrench - The reference tool, and the only one here whose maker publishes a use guide, a size chart and a part number for every wear item. Choose the REED Manufacturing RW18 Heavy Duty Straight Pipe Wrench, 18 in. instead if someone who wants a US made ductile iron wrench and cares that the jaws are not locked to one brand.
Want the full picture, including the other options we compared and the popular one we'd skip? Read the complete The Best Pipe Wrenches: 4 Compared (and One to Skip).