Offset spanners

Working on cars is rarely a simple affair, and often there are bolts that can’t be tackled by a spanner or a socket set, which is where these wrenches come into their own.

They go by a variety of names – swan neck, offset, cranked, drop end – but whatever you call them, they are a halfway house between a conventional flat spanner and a socket.

Unlike the latter, they can tackle recessed fasteners even when there is
a long length of thread exposed. Where they have an edge over flat spanners is that they’re easier to use when working hard against panels. They really could be the difference between getting stuck and finishing a job – but which set is the best for your toolbox?

The test
We started our evaluation by checking that the 10mm spanner in each set could withstand the 58Nm load demanded by the British Standard for these tools. Not only did we look for damage, but the spanner needed to show some flexing to ensure that if it did fail, it would safely bend rather than shatter.

Next, we factored in length, depth of offset (above), how tight bolts were held and ring size – a slim design is a good indicator of quality metal. Finally, we looked at value for money, balancing price against performance, the number of tools offered and whether a carry case was included in the cost.
 

Verdict

Unless you’re a professional, you won’t be able to justify shelling out nearly £53 for the superb Kennedy KEN-582-1970K set. So Draper’s 64607 is our Best Buy, narrowly pipping the equally impressive Sealey AK6321. We felt that the raper’s keener price and more reassuring load test results just outweighed the Sealey’s superior finish.