Spanners are the lifeblood of any toolbox. They can be a set size, or they can be adjustable to fit your needs. If you don’t yet have a spanner in your toolbox, then you are missing out on one of the most versatile, well-used and well-loved tools in any handyperson’s arsenal.
Different Types of Spanners
Before you invest in spanners, you need to know what you’re getting into. Here are the three different, most popular types of spanners and their uses.
Open-Ended Spanner: An open-ended spanner is exactly that – it has two faces to use to grip onto whatever you’re tightening or loosening – but is open-ended in the sense that it is not enclosed. These are best used for smaller spaces, where you might need to grab onto something that’s under a car, or in a tight spot. They come in varying lengths and often as a set – be sure to pick one up if you need something for hard-to-reach places.
Ring Spanner: This spanner is mostly used in easy-to-reach locations and on bolts and nuts to tighten or loosen them. Ring spanners have multiple faces to catch onto whatever you’re looking to loosen or tighten. Great for offering you more control and leverage when ratcheting.
Adjustable Spanner: The adjustable spanner is by far one of the most useful tools you’ll have in your spanner set. There is a small dial on the socket-end of the spanner that allows both faces to move apart or closer together to allow you to adjust to the size of the nut that you’re tightening or loosening.
Here are five reasons why you need to invest in a set of spanners this year.
They’re Relatively Cheap to Get Started
In order to find the utility of spanners, you don’t necessarily need to spend an arm and a leg – you can find a decent starter spanner set for relatively little money. Though, of course, the bigger you go with your spanner set, the more money you’ll spend. Before you go spanner shopping, it’s important that you think about what spanner you need to use the most, where your spanners are going to be helpful and then tailor your shopping in that direction.
They’re Supremely Useful
As noted, sometimes spanners are just the most practical tool for the job. Even if you think you can get at that bolt with a ratchet set – maybe you’re just too far away and if only you had a long ring spanner, for example, you’d be able to do the job just fine! This is where the spanner’s utility comes in. Particularly if you get yourself an adjustable spanner, you’ll be able to loosen or tighten that nut, no matter the size!
They’re Multi-Faceted
While mostly known for being used as tighteners and looseners for various bolts and nuts, spanners have a great range of utility beyond this – adjustable spanners can be used to pull nails or staples out of wood (with the power of leverage), for example. You’d be surprised at what you use your spanner for that you’d never have considered before.
Treat Your Spanners with Respect
Particularly if you buy a set of spanners, you’ll want to make sure that they’re well looked after. After all, you did just spend a pretty penny on them. Make sure that they’re stored in the toolkit they came in – or, if they came loose, just make sure that you have an organised, clean, dry space to keep them from rusting in. A rusty spanner is no good to anyone!
If you’re thinking of making an investment in a spanner set for your toolbox or workshop, you definitely should consider it! It’ll make your life easier in ways that you hadn’t thought of, and you’ll be able to tighten and loosen nuts and bolts so much faster, in more versatile areas of the workspace.
To find the best spanners for your needs visit RS Online today!
