Description
Size the nut and read the thread pitch with one kit that fits in your wallet. Pick your scale: Heavy Hex Inch, Heavy Hex Metric, SAE Inch or SAE Metric.
The front of the metal HexSizer has the nut and stud or bolt scales. It sizes a nut from one flat, even with the stud in the way. The back is laser engraved with thread profiles in the same scale: inch profiles on the inch gauge, metric on the metric gauge. On top of that, each set comes with a Clear Card Thread Checker and a size and pitch chart.
Why the thread pitch matters: once you know it, the chart lines it up with the bolt size and nut size. That tells you which wrench or socket to grab before you walk back to the shop or the truck.
Why a clear card?
A metal thread checker with swing-out leaves needs room to sit in the threads. Inside a nut, on a stud tucked behind a flange, or on a bolt in a tight bracket, it often won't fit. The clear card doesn't have to. You can hold it against the threads and see through it, or take a pencil rubbing and read that instead. If you can get a pencil and a scrap of paper on the threads, you can get the pitch.
Three ways to read the pitch
1. Use the back of the HexSizer. Compare the threads to the profiles laser engraved on the back of the gauge.
2. Hold the clear card against the threads. Lay the clear card on the threads and slide it until one row of arrows lines up with every thread crest. The number at the end of that row is the pitch.
3. Take a pencil rubbing. Put a piece of paper over the threads and rub lightly with a pencil. The threads show up as a row of lines. Lay the card over the rubbing and match it to a row of arrows.
The Heavy Hex Inch card reads 4, 4.5, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 16 and 18 threads per inch.
Pick your scale
| Scale | HexSizer front | Clear card | Who it's for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heavy Hex Inch | Nuts 1-1/16" to 4-5/8", studs 5/8" to 3" | Threads per inch, Imperial Heavy Hex | Millwrights, bolting techs and pipefitters on flanges, heat exchangers and turbines |
| Heavy Hex Metric | Nuts 32 mm to 120 mm, studs M22 to M76 | Metric thread pitch, Metric Heavy Hex | Millwrights and bolting techs on metric flanges, plants and wind turbines |
| SAE Inch | SAE and common inch sizes to 1-1/2" | Threads per inch, SAE Inch | Technicians and DIYers working on cars, mowers and engines |
| SAE Metric | Metric sizes 1 mm to 32 mm | Metric thread pitch, Metric SAE | Technicians and DIYers on metric cars, engines and bicycles |
What's in the package
- Metal HexSizer in your scale, in a vinyl sleeve: nut and stud scales on the front, thread profiles on the back
- Clear Card Thread Checker in the same scale, in its own vinyl sleeve
- Instruction sheet for the HexSizer
- Instruction sheet for the thread checker
- Size and pitch chart: bolt size, nut size and thread pitch
- Detachable tether
About the HexSizer
The HexSizer measures a nut from one flat, so you can size it while it's still on the stud. It shows only the standard sizes, so the answer matches what's on the shelf. It's 6061 aluminum, anodized blue and laser engraved, so the marks don't wear off. Made in the USA, patent 10,288,400.
Frequently asked questions
Why both engraved profiles and a clear card?
The gauge is metal, so you can't see through it. The clear card lets you see the threads through the arrows, and it reads a pencil rubbing, so you can check threads the gauge can't get to.
Can I use the clear card on an internal thread, like inside a nut?
Yes. Take a pencil rubbing if you can reach the threads, or hold the card against them and look through it.
Which scale should I pick?
Heavy Hex is the big stuff in plants, refineries and on wind turbines. SAE is the everyday hardware on cars, mowers and in the garage.
