Infomercial Ads

Gator Grip ETC-200MO Universal Socket

Description: Gator Grip is a universal socket that instantly adjusts to grip hex nuts, screw eyes, hooks, lag screws, and bolt heads Fits standard 1/4- to 3/4-inch and metric 7-19mm nuts and bolt heads.

Reviews (15):

Very Useful as a "Go To" tool
Reviewer: A. Flora Asheville, NC USA 09-21-2005
This tool is very useful, and really does work on different sized bolts/screws as claimed. I consider this an excellent "go to" tool, when you need something that will get the job done in a variety of applications. It's not perfect, but it's extremely handy. It's the Swiss Army Knife of wrenches. This would be an excellent item for the kitchen drawer, or wherever you keep an extra screwdriver or hammer, but don't have room for the whole toolbox.

One more thing, it costs $17 & change (plus sales tax) at the local hardware store. I bought mine on Amazon, along with some other Super Saver Shipping items, and had it delivered to my door for less than I could have bought it at the store up the street. Not a bad way to save gasoline, huh?

Gator Grip.. What a rip!
Reviewer: J. Ahn "CargoPants" Chicago 10-15-2005
I always love to try these new innovative products and wanted to try the Gator Grip when I saw it on informercial about a couple of years ago. I bought the gator grip as soon as I saw it on the tools section of Home Depot and the result? Really dissapointed. For $12, it's still a waste of money!

The kit comes with Gator Grip Universal socket and the connector to drill. The build quality is so poor, if you put it on a drill and try to spin it for a second, you will immediately notice that the spin is not symmetrical which makes it really makes it hard to bolt straight down. If threshold is soft material like hardboard walls, doing so will ruin the threshold (and it has).
The pins inside the socket are not that tight and do not give a firm grip. It says it will stand a torque of 1000ft pounds, but it will scratch up the bolt head before it endures that torque.
Do not buy this.

A Unique and Useful Tool
Reviewer: Gen Kiyooka Long Beach, CA United States 08-06-2004
In the world of adjustable wrenches, you've got the crescent wrench and vice-grips.

I was always frustrated by crescent wrenches because they are always losing their grip. Finicky is the word that comes to mind.

The gator grip is useful in many of the same situations where you might reach for a crescent wrench. The action is totally different, of course, but once you get used to it you'll find that having a ratcheting action without having to first adjust the wrench is very handy. This wrench, in my opinion, is not for precision torquing, nor is it the best choice for nuts that are seized, more of an all-around handy item.

Innovative and useful. I'm glad I spent the 20 bucks.

Not-so-handy? This is a great gift !
Reviewer: jimnypivo "Jim Hisson" west of Chicago, USA 12-29-2003
If you know one of those poor souls whose toolbox consists of an 18" long slotted screwdriver, Grandpa's hammer, and hacksaw , then this is the essential nut and bolt tool for them.

Within six months of getting a Gator Grip for Christmas, it was indispensable in two large projects--refitting new lumber on an old rotten picnic table, and in putting up a new garage door opener.

The other reviewers are correct--it's NOT FOR EVERY JOB. Because the pins are cylindrical, it occasionally slips on the bolt head, and it lacks the gripping strength needed for working on something like your car engine. And it WILL NOT remove a nut if there is more than 1/4 inch of bolt sticking out the back end.

HOWEVER, if you are up on a ladder, and/or working with many odd-sized nuts and bolts, this tool is a Godsend. For overall home maintenance, play set assembly, garage door opener installation, or putting together knockdown furniture, it can't be beat. (I only cussed about fourteen times while installing my new Garage door opener, and that was a record!)

As a GIFT, I'd recommend this tool especially for those people who are NOT handy around the house.

This would be a great gift for the independent female in your life--the one who does the home remodeling herself, or for a couple's first home/apt. Although I haven't used it on a bike, I'd think it'd be an excellent addition to the cyclist's tool bag.

so-so
Reviewer: Anonymous 04-15-2003
My friend had one of these sockets when we were taking apart something that had 1/2" and 3/8" nuts. It worked great.. most of the time. What it won't do is work where the nut goes on the bolt very far. If the bolt proptrudes beyond the nut, the gator grip will not catch it and will instead grab ahold of the threads and reduce them to a useless mess. I think if you got used to it, it would hold a respected place in your workshop or toolbox

GREAT BUY!
Reviewer: Anonymous 01-22-2003
I actually own two!!! One for the car and one for home. It has worked great for me. I am really surprised to see bad comments about this product. It is well worth the money. First of all it barely strips if ever. Secondly it is just a time saver. Third of all it looks like it is built well otherwise it could not have handle all the torque I put on it when I worked with it. I recommend it whether you are handy or not.

Gator Strip
Reviewer: Anonymous 12-19-2002
I've seen these in retail stores that have a sample display. I wen't to try it out and here's my findings: The Gator Grip had stripped all the nuts and bolts on the display. So I really wasn't able to try it with an unstripped nut. My thoughts on the engineering of the tool is that the pins in it are round and don't provide a good grip, therefore stripping nuts and bolts with multiple use. The bottom line is, don't use it on things that you have to loosen or tighten many times.

Worked for me
Reviewer: Anonymous 12-04-2002
I used this product to take apart a child's metal swingset. I was able to use it for the many different size screws and nuts without having to continually change the socket. It was worth the money for the time it saved me on just this one job.

The Ultimate
Reviewer: Anonymous 11-30-2002
I work in a factory and part of my job is to help with change overs. I have used many sockets in the past and I often found them frustrating. For often I would have to make several trips to the tool box before I discovered the right size socket. I just recently discvered the gador grip socket and it has being a god send. No more wasted trips pack and forth to the tool box. And no more skined knuckles from sockets that slip. The gador grip is always the right size and it never slips.

A Convenient Socket - in Some Circumstances
Reviewer: H. Row "in1ear" Arvada, CO United States 11-25-2002
I'm often surprised at people's expectations in a product, especially my own. You see an ad on TV and you just know how much it's going to change your life for the better.
What this product does well is fits multiple shapes and sized screws and nuts for quick removal. I used it to tighten the lag bolts and screws on my son's play structure. It worked on 90 % of the hardware. I also used it in conjunction with my cordless drill to remove numerous eye hooks, bolts, screws, etc that weren't needed anymore. This would have taken several frustrating hours without the Gator Grip.

What this product does less well is install bolts, screws, and nuts. It's springloaded which makes it awkward holding the hardware while installing. Just like any socket or wrench made, you need to have the tool squarely placed on the item you're using it on. Otherwise it may slip.

Overall, the Gator Grip met my expectations, made certain chores easier and allowed me more leisure time with my family.

Good Buy!
Reviewer: Randolph A. Sopicki Spring Valley, Ca USA 09-21-2002
This is a very good buy. The Gator Grip works as advertised.

Better than I expected
Reviewer: Anonymous 09-06-2002
It's not a replacement for a traditional socket wrench by any means. Excellent, however for odd-size/shape bolts, nuts, etc. Worked perfectly on square, slighly stripped, probably metric, lag bolts was dealing with.

total waste of money
Reviewer: Wai Kin Sek NY 07-26-2002
Gator Grip? more like Gator Slip. I've tried it on various things in my home and on my car and it have been completely useless. It does not provide a good "grip" of the nut and just keeps on slipping off and I have to constantly re-adjust it. It often will grip for about a half of a turn and then it slips off. Sometimes it takes a while just to make it get a grip of the nut at all.
... For $[money amount], I can just buy myself a regular set of sockets and wrench.
My recommendation would be don't waste your money and save yourself the frustration of trying to get it to work well. For all the time you waste getting it to grip and all the re-adjusting, you can find the correct sized socket and take off the nut already (you can probably put it back on and take it off again before you even take off the nut once with the Gator Grip).

I would buy but
Reviewer: DAVID E. GATES SAN ANTONIO, TX United States 05-09-2002
I would buy this tool if..........
1. I did not have to but a socket wrench
2. I did not have to buy a a drill adaptor

Great Grip
Reviewer: Stephen Kozle Brighton, MI USA 05-30-2002
The Gator is a great tool, so far it's worked on just about everything I've tried it on. Highly Reccomended.

Average Reviewer Rating:

Add my review on this item