Inventor of the ball-end hex driver, made in Minnesota since 1964
✅ Made in USA
Where Bondhus products are made
Monticello, Minnesota
Ball-end, hex and TORX wrenches forged from proprietary Protanium high-torque steel.
The Balldriver
John Bondhus invented the ball-end hex driver here in 1964 — still the company’s signature.
FELO line
The FELO screwdrivers, pliers and cutters Bondhus distributes are made in Germany.
Bondhus’s hex, ball-end and TORX tools are made in Monticello, Minnesota; the FELO-branded screwdrivers, pliers and cutters it also distributes are made in Germany. Check the line before assuming origin.
The story
Bondhus began in 1964 when John Bondhus invented the ‘Balldriver’ — a hex key with a rounded ball end that lets a wrench reach a fastener at an angle. That single innovation became the foundation of a company that still makes its signature tools in Monticello, Minnesota, on the banks of the Mississippi.
The Monticello plant turns proprietary Protanium high-torque steel into hex, ball-end and TORX wrenches built to resist wear and breakage, and every Bondhus tool carries an unconditional lifetime warranty. Customers should know the distinction: the hex, ball and TORX tools are American-made in Minnesota, while the FELO screwdrivers and pliers Bondhus also distributes are made in Germany.
One 1964 innovation — the ball-end hex driver — became a fixture in toolboxes worldwide.
Why they matter
Hex keys are a commodity flooded with imports, so an American maker that forges its own steel is worth supporting.
Buying Bondhus’s Minnesota-made wrenches keeps a 60-year-old tooling operation and its jobs in the USA.
Featured products
Browse Bondhus tools available now in the Buy American store.
Frequently asked questions
Are Bondhus hex keys and Allen wrenches made in the USA?
Yes. Bondhus’s ball-end, hex (Allen) and TORX L-wrenches, T-handles and bits are manufactured at the company’s own factory in Monticello, Minnesota.
Is everything Bondhus sells American-made?
No. The core hex/ball/TORX hand tools are made in Minnesota, but the FELO-branded screwdrivers, pliers and cutters are made in Germany and imported by Bondhus.
What makes Bondhus tools distinctive?
They’re forged from proprietary Protanium high-torque steel, they introduced the original ball-end hex driver in 1964, and they carry an unconditional lifetime warranty.
