When working on your car, you'll find that having a set of spanners is necessary. Cars are made up of many bolts and screws, and different tools are required. This includes ring spanners and power tools.
Ring spanners are wholly useful when unscrewing bolts in various areas. The thin profiles and kink at each tip mean they can slot right into awkward spaces throughout a car.
But while the spanners market may seem straightforward at glance, it is actually very crowded. The same applies to electric screwdrivers which we have also provided a guide on.
Happily, we at CAR are here to guide you. You may need a good set of ring spanners or a socket set for work on your classic car. These are the best ring spanners on the market today.
The best value ring spanner set
Starting with the most simple form of ring spanners, Duratech offers a set of eight very trusty instruments with two sizes on each end. This ring spanner set charms with total simplicity and is a default choice for anyone mechanically minded.
Offering eight spanners 6-22mm sizes, this set can happily deal with anything from bolts holding a seat to an engine. And with length ranging from 16-26cm, they can reach a great deal of depths which may include a narrow crevice in an engine bay.
Pros
- Good range of sizes
- Simple
- Durable
Cons
- Not the widest range of sizes
| Sizes | 6-22mm |
| N.O spanners | 8 |
| Material(s) | Steel |
| Head style | Box end |
| Weight (combined) | 1.31kg |
| Package dimensions | 34.29cm x 9.1cm x 6.7cm |
The best on a budget
Via BGS TechnikIf your ring spanners need more sizes, then the BGS Technic 12-piece has you covered. Sizes range from 6-32mm, meaning larger bolts on more important components can be tackled.
The length of the BGS ring spanners stretch to nigh-on 30cm - meaning you could comfortably reach a distant bolt in your engine bay. They are a tad pricier than the Duratech spanners, but quite literally, you get more for your money.
Pros
- Wide range of sizes
- 12 spanners included
- Simple
Cons
- Not the most advanced on the market
| Sizes | 6-32mm |
| N.O spanners | 12 |
| Materials | Steel |
| Head style | Box end |
| Weight (combined) | 3.24kg |
| Package dimensions | 30cm x 30cm x 5cm |
The most versitile ring spanner set
Via HaskyyIf you're an advocate for the more traditional spanner, but would like to put a ring on it. Haskyy is only happy to oblige and offer a joint ring and ratchet spanner set.
Consisting of 14 pieces ranging from 8-24mm, this hybrid ring spanner set can also rotate. With 180° of rotation from the rings on the end, they can adjust to the most awkward angles within your car.
Grip from the ring spanners won't be an issue either as 72 teeth in total are integrated in the tools.
Pros
- Rotating ends which are useful for confined spaces
- Good range of sizes
- Has traditional spanners too
Cons
- Doesn't include larger sizes
| Sizes | 8-24mm |
| N.O spanners | 14 |
| Materials | Steel |
| Head style | Fixed square |
| Weight (combined) | 3.41kg |
| Package dimensions | 38.29cm x 17.7cm x 6.3cm |
The best ring spanner set for awkward spaces
One of the quirkier types of ring spanners come in the form of 'half moon' spanners. Essentially, these are shaped like a half moon and can be useful for awkward spaces.
In confined spaces where bolts are difficult to access with a normal ring spanner, the half moons prove their weight. The Duratech half moons boast great value for money for jobs which may become strenuous with a standard ring set.
It's just a shame that only a mere ten sizes (8-22mm) are available from five spanners.
Pros
- Good value
- Half moon design useful for awkward spaces
Cons
- Very limited sizes
| Sizes | 8-22mm |
| N.O spanners | 5 |
| Materials | Steel |
| Head style | Box end |
| Weight (combined) | 920g |
| Package dimensions | 32.2cm x 23.7cm x 3.9cm |
The best quality ring spanner set
If you insist on using the best quality tools possible when working on your car, Starwork ring spanners are for you.
You can choose from a number of different sets ranging in quantity and price. You can even choose whether you want the flexible version or not. But whatever you choose, each 120T is built to vigorously high standards, and is a revered marque for tools.
The 7-piece set is perhaps the best value with seven sizes available in seven tools. But the Starwork set falls short in terms of ring spanner size quantity.
Pros
- Great quality tools
- Range of specs available
Cons
- Quantity is very limited
| Sizes | 13-19mm |
| N.O spanners | 7 |
| Head style | Open end |
| Weight (combined) | 420g |
| Package dimensions | 27cm x 6.5cm x 6.5cm |
What to consider when choosing a set of ring spanners:
How do I know which ring spanners are good quality?
Usually, much like multitools, it's reflected in the price. Cheaper products are built down to a low cost, and while it may seem tempting, issues could occur. The most notable being the bolt grips rounding off over time due to the cheaper steel.
But this is nothing that consumer reviews can't solve - even extending to power drills. If a user has reported a great experience with a set of ring spanners while continuously working on their Norton motorcycle, then there's a good chance those tools are trustworthy.
The amount of teeth of a ring spanner is a useful guide too. A ring spanner set with 120 teeth is likely to be more durable than one with 70 - solely because of the better grip levels with the bolt.
How should I choose which style of ring spanner to go for?
That all depends on what work you intend to do. If you need to access parts that are quite easy to reach, then you may not need the flexible variants. But if a bolt is hidden at the bottom of a narrow crevice, then the rotating ends may be the answer.
For more precise jobs involving screws, it may be worth considering an electric screwdriver.
What is the most difficult part of a car to access?
We have a few horror stories ourselves at CAR. What jobs did you find tricky?
Aaron Hussain is a commercial content writer at Bauer Media writing for Parkers and CAR. He is obsessed with classic cars and anything with a fascinating story to tell.