Spanners are one of the most common hand tools found in any tool bag, box or kit and are used for fastening and loosening nuts or bolt heads with a hexagonal shape. They are typically made from hardened chrome vanadium steel or beryllium copper, and the most common types can comprise of a ring-style spanner on one end and an open jaw spanner on the other (a combination spanner), or two open jaw ends (an open-ended spanner).
The ring end recess, if present, is generally a six-point or twelve-point opening and sometimes offers a ratchet mechanism that helps apply maximum force with minimal user effort. This will most likely match the size of the open jaw end, but always check each tool. The open jaw is typically offset by 15 degrees to allow for a greater freedom of movement during operation, which also allows a higher torque force to be applied to help turn the chosen fastening.
Spanners are available in a variety of metric (mm) and imperial (in) sizes to allow for greater functionality across a wider range of applications. Our range includes products from leading brands such as Bahco, Facom, Ega-Master, Stanley, Wera & RS PRO.
In the case of open jaw spanners, these tools work by holding the opposite sides of a nut or bolt to channel the physical movement of the user, applying torque force to the fastening so that it can be turned. The same rules apply to ring-style spanners, the only difference being that the ring fully encases the fastening rather than applying force to opposite sides. Depending on the material they are made from, spanners can often withstand large amounts of torque being applied to stubborn fasteners.
Spanners are used across many industries, including: