Spanners

Industrial Spanners and Wrenches for Australian Trade and Workshop Use

Spanners are the everyday hand tools for tightening and loosening hex fasteners — the workhorse of mechanical, plumbing, electrical, and general trade work across Australia. From basic open-end spanners through to ratcheting combination wrenches and torque-controlled drivers, the right spanner matched to the work makes the difference between fast progress and damaged fasteners. AIMS Industrial supplies a comprehensive spanner range from Bahco, Stahlwille, and Wiha — quality drivers built for daily Australian trade use.

The spanner types in our range

• Open end spanners — U-shaped jaws engage two flats of the fastener; fast on and off but lower torque capacity. See our open end wrenches
• Ring (socket end) spanners — closed ring engages all six points of the fastener; higher torque capacity than open end. See our socket end wrenches
• Combination spanners — open end one side, ring the other in matching size; the everyday workshop choice
• Ratcheting spanners — internal ratchet mechanism in the ring end for fast driving without lifting and re-engaging. See our ratcheting spanners
• Stubby and offset spanners — for restricted-access work where standard spanners can't fit
• Torque wrenches — for tightening fasteners to specified torque values
• Pipe wrenches and adjustable spanners — for plumbing and varied-size work. See our plumbing tools

Choosing the right spanner

• For general workshop work — combination spanner sets cover the daily-used range of sizes
• For tight or seized fasteners — ring (socket end) spanners minimise rounding risk
• For high-volume fastening — ratcheting combination spanners save significant time
• For restricted access — stubby, offset, or angled-head spanners reach where standard spanners can't
• For electrical work — VDE-insulated spanners certified to 1000V (mandatory for live or near-live work)
• For plumbing — pipe wrenches and adjustable spanners handle varied-size pipe and fittings

Sizing — metric and imperial

Spanner sizing matches the fastener hex size:

• Metric — 6mm through 32mm covers most general trade work; smaller and larger available
• Imperial (AF / SAE) — 1/4 inch through 1-1/4 inch for US-spec equipment and older Australian work
• Whitworth (BSW) and BS — for heritage British equipment and restoration work

Most Australian workshops are metric-first, but imperial spanner sets are essential for automotive (US-origin vehicles), older equipment, and imported machinery. A complete trade kit usually includes both metric and imperial.

What separates quality spanners from cheap ones

Three things: jaw tolerance (precision-machined jaws grip fasteners exactly; cheap jaws round off fasteners under torque), steel grade and hardness (chrome-vanadium or chrome-molybdenum steel, properly heat-treated; cheap spanners twist or break under load), and finish (mirror chrome or matte chrome that resists corrosion; cheap finishes peel and rust within months). Quality spanners earn back their price through years of reliable service.

Brands stocked at AIMS

Bahco is the trade workhorse — solid quality at sensible price, the brand most Australian tradies eventually settle on. Stahlwille and Wiha cover the precision and premium end where European-spec or particularly high-quality work is the priority. All three brands deliver the jaw tolerance, steel hardness, and finish quality that survive years of daily trade use.

Set or singles

A 12-14 piece combination spanner set typically covers the daily-used metric range (8mm-22mm). For varied trade work, sets are economical and keep the kit organised. For specific replacements or specialty sizes, singles let you build a custom kit. Most workshops carry one base set plus singles for specialty applications.

VDE-insulated for electrical work

For work near live electrical conductors, spanners must be VDE-certified to 1000V — two-layer insulation, drop-tested, dielectric-strength tested. Don't substitute non-VDE spanners in electrical applications.

Companion ranges at AIMS

Spanners sit alongside our broader fastener tool range — see socket end wrenches, ratcheting spanners, open end wrenches, and socket extensions and adaptors for the broader range.

Need help speccing spanners for trade, electrical, or specific work? contact our team — we'll match brand, size range, and pattern.