Spanners are some of the most basic tools you could use – but they’re also as useful as they are basic.
“But wait – that looks like a wrench!”
Not so fast; there is a difference between a spanner and a wrench – just like there are differences between a socket wrench and a spanner.
In this blog post, you’ll discover:
- What a spanner is – and how it’s different from a ‘wrench”
- How a socket wrench works – and why it’s NOT the same thing as a torque wrench
- Something to remember when buying new sockets
- A useful tip to avoid rounding down nuts or bolts
What is a Spanner?
Spanners vs. wrenches
Socket wrench vs. Torque wrench
Many people think that a socket wrench is the same thing as a torque wrench – this is false, however.
Yes, they’re both used to tighten down bolts and nuts, but a torque wrench is used for one purpose only – to tighten down nuts and bolts to the correct tension – also known as “torque.”
How to attach and remove a socket
Buying new sockets? Something to keep in mind
- 1/4″
- 1/2″
- 3/8″
Socket wrench sizes – something to remember
Photo by Pixabay
One easily overlooked aspect of socket wrenches is the size – the size of the square-shaped attachment point, that is.
Socket handles come in several different sizes, with some of the most common ones being:
- 1/2″
- 3/8″
- 1/4″
You might not realize it, but in this context, size DOES matter – a lot, maybe even more so than for spanners.
But why? Let’s take a look at an example.
Say that you’re looking to buy some new sockets for your 3/8″ socket wrench. After searching on XLMoto, RevZilla, or even Amazon, you finally find a set you like.
But once it arrives in the mail and you try to attach them to your socket wrench, there’s a problem – the sockets won’t attach.
Why does this happen? Was it because you got ripped off?
No – it’s because the sockets you bought were for a 1/4 wrench.
The takeaway here is this:
- 1/4” sockets will ONLY fit a 1/4” socket handle
- 3/8” sockets will ONLY fit a 3/8″ socket handle