> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.goodkit.io/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Wera 6004 Joker Review: Clever, but It Slips in Tight Spaces - URL: https://www.goodkit.io/wera-joker-wrench-set-review-great-idea-disappointing-in-practice/ - Published: 2026-04-08T17:45:13.000Z - Updated: 2026-09-17T18:00:06.000Z - Description: The self-setting 6004 is clever on accessible fasteners. In awkward engine work it lost our trust. This is not a verdict on every wrench in the Joker range. - Author: goodkit crew - Tags: Tools, Reviews, #pass At a glance Pass on the self-setting 6004 Joker; these are the wrenches we keep using. Our NEIKO metric combination set has held up well aboard. It is a conventional wrench set, not a self-adjusting or ratcheting equivalent. [NEIKO 03575A metric · Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000H0S8SE?tag=goodkit08-20&ref=goodkit.io) [Read our long-term NEIKO review →](https://www.goodkit.io/neiko-03575a-metric-wrench-set-review-no-rust-after-two-years-aboard/) We may earn a commission from qualifying purchases through these links. [Disclosure](https://www.goodkit.io/affiliate-disclosure/) ## Wera makes great tools. This one has problems. We like a lot of Wera’s design work, but our experience is not uniformly positive: the [Zyklop set earned a mixed verdict after its ratchet failed](https://www.goodkit.io/wera-8100-sb-2-zyklop-review-brilliant-until-the-ratchet-failed/). The 6004 Joker self-setting wrench disappointed us in a different way. **Which Joker?** We mean the [6004 self-setting wrench](https://www.wera.de/en/tools/6004-joker-4-set-1-self-setting-spanner-set?ref=goodkit.io), with moving jaws that fit a range of fastener sizes—not Wera’s fixed-size Joker combination wrenches. The criticism here should not be applied to the whole Joker family. On paper it solves a real problem: the jaw adjusts to the fastener and lets you work back and forth without a thumb wheel. In our use, it did not deliver where we most needed it. ## Where it falls short We wanted the self-setting wrench to help with tight spaces, awkward angles and fasteners that were difficult to see. Those are the situations where it disappointed us. **It slips off.** The self-setting jaw doesn't grip like a real wrench. At an odd angle or under real torque, it lets go — not every time, but enough to lose your trust. **The return angle matters.** [Wera specifies a 30-degree return angle](https://www.wera.de/en/tools/6004-joker-4-set-1-self-setting-spanner-set?ref=goodkit.io) for the 6004’s jaw-based ratcheting action. This is not the fine-toothed mechanism of a socket ratchet. In the cramped spots where we used it, we often did not have enough room for that return movement. **It's harder than finding the right wrench.** After wrestling with it in a few difficult spots, we kept putting it down and digging out a standard combination wrench or a crow's foot. Faster, more reliable, less frustration. ## Where it works fine On easy-access fasteners with room to swing, it is a nice tool. The finish and feel are good, and the self-setting jaw is clever. Our objection is its usefulness in the awkward spaces where we expected it to earn its place. ## The bottom line What we liked - We love Wera tools generally - Self-setting concept is genuinely clever - Classic Wera build quality What we didn't - Slips in tight spaces - Ratcheting arc is too wide - More trouble than a standard wrench when it matters A great idea that doesn't survive contact with the situations where you actually need it. In easy spots it's a nice wrench; in hard spots it slips, can't complete its arc, and costs you more time than a traditional wrench. It's been relegated to novelty status in our toolbox. We wanted to love it. We can't recommend it. ## Check the options We do not recommend the self-setting Joker for tight-space work, but the current price and conventional alternatives are here for comparison. **Affiliate disclosure:** As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. - [Wera 6004 Joker self-setting wrenches on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Wera+6004+Joker+self-setting+wrench+set&tag=goodkit08-20&ref=goodkit.io) - [NEIKO 03575A metric combination wrench set · Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000H0S8SE?tag=goodkit08-20&ref=goodkit.io) The verdict Great idea. Pass. concept9 / 10 tight-space use3 / 10 build7 / 10 value4 / 10 ## A conventional alternative we actually use For engine maintenance aboard, our [NEIKO 03575A metric combination wrenches](https://www.goodkit.io/neiko-03575a-metric-wrench-set-review-no-rust-after-two-years-aboard/) have held up well, including to corrosion. These are conventional open-end/12-point box-end wrenches, not self-adjusting or ratcheting substitutes for every Joker function. ## Need a smaller ratchet instead? For small screws and sockets rather than an adjustable wrench, our [Tool-Check Plus review](https://www.goodkit.io/wera-tool-check-plus-review-tiny-ratchet-great-tools-weak-case/) explains where its tiny ratchet genuinely helps—and why its holder still frustrates us. It is a different tool for a different job, not a direct Joker replacement.