Why are ball socket allen wrenches Anecdotally, I see a lot of bike mechanics on the Internet use ball socketed allen wrenches. Is there an objective reason to using them over the 'regular' hex allen wrenches? Are there particular tasks or scenarios that make one style of wrench better than the other (e.g., prevent marring, or stripped socket hole)?
The ball-end wrenches are really handy when there's an obstruction in front of the bolt, since they can be inserted at a slight angle.

But since the contact area is smaller, you're slightly more likely to strip the hole. So I would use a regular wrench when possible.