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Fence post spike vs repair spike

Updated: October 2026

You have both a cup and a flat stake in the basket, and the titles call each of them a spike. Fence post spike vs repair spike is a split in what the metal holds. A drive-in socket holds a new post in soil. A side stake screws to an old post that still has sound timber. A third piece, a short repair socket, is for wood that has already broken off inside concrete. Brand-by-brand rows stay on the [fence post spike comparison](/hub/fencing-and-wire/fence-post-spike). Peter F. compared the amazon.co.uk listings in this set with UK trade guides on 19 October 2026. We did not load-test either type. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You have both a cup and a flat stake in the basket, and the titles call each of them a spike. Fence post spike vs repair spike is a split in what the metal holds. A drive-in socket holds a new post in soil.

Our top picks

Fixings Direct Fixings Direct 75 mm spike, 2 pack

Best overall

Fixings Direct Fixings Direct 75 mm spike, 2 pack
9.4/10about £24.99
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arksoldier arksoldier repair kit, 2 pack

Rank 2

arksoldier arksoldier repair kit, 2 pack
9.2/10about £47.52
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IRONBABE IRONBABE repair kit, 2 pack

Rank 3

IRONBABE IRONBABE repair kit, 2 pack
9.2/10about £47.59
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On this page
  1. 1.A socket is for a new post
  2. 2.A side stake is for an old post
  3. 3.A post broken off in concrete is a third buy
  4. 4.Which to buy in this comparison

A socket is for a new post

A drive-in socket is a steel cup on a long point. You hammer it into firm, stone-free soil, using a dolly so you do not bell the rim, and the new post drops in and is bolted. East Coast Fencing keeps that method for light fencing. The only sockets here are the Fixings Direct listings: 75 x 75 mm, 600 mm, bolts and a driving tool. Both packs show 4.7 from 241 reviews, and that count is one shared line. Screwfix’s Sabrefix 75 mm drive-in two-pack, £23.89 including VAT on 19 October 2026, is the same kind of object on a trade site. EN 846:2000 is printed on that Screwfix line only. A repair stake has nowhere for a new post to drop in.

A side stake is for an old post

A side stake is a blade or a cranked plate about 85–90 cm long in this set. You drive it beside the post and screw it to timber that will hold the fixings. Vinclus is 85 cm. CAKKVDE is 88 cm. WUDLEP’s four-pack title says 90 cm. arksoldier and IRONBABE name 4x4 and 6x6 as a brace range, not a socket size. None of these listings gives you a 75 mm cup. The crank might miss a narrow concrete collar. Reviews on arksoldier praise an offset that can miss a footing, and one review says the point hits the concrete. When the blade stops, the failure is the ground. Thinner stakes bend or split a weld. A side stake has no cup for a new post.
Fixings Direct Fixings Direct 75 mm spike, 2 pack

Testsieger

Fixings Direct Fixings Direct 75 mm spike, 2 pack
9.4/10about £24.99
View offer

A post broken off in concrete is a third buy

If the post has rotted through at ground level and the concrete is still sound, you want a short repair socket between the wood and the footing. Screwfix lists a Sabrefix 75 mm repair two-pack at £21.95 including VAT on 19 October 2026 for that break. DIY Doctor separates that short spike from a larger side spike used when the collar is too wide. This amazon.co.uk set does not include that short repair socket. PYYB’s two-piece anchor is still a side repair, and a reviewer called the joint temporary. An 85 cm flat stake will not cup a stump inside concrete. If nothing metal will pass the collar, breaking the footing out can become a full reset. A bolt-down shoe is not in this set either.

Which to buy in this comparison

For a new 75 mm post in firm loam, buy the Fixings Direct socket. For a leaning panel whose timber will hold screws, buy a side stake. The heavier one-piece kits are arksoldier and IRONBABE. For wood that is gone and concrete that is sound, buy the short repair socket, not an 85 cm flat stake from this set. For a gate or a solid run around 1.8 m, concrete the post. A catalogue figure of 2 mm steel is not a measurement of these listings. Coating and pack value are on the fence post spike buying guide. Whether the timber will hold screws stays on fix a leaning fence post.

Common questions

What is the difference between a drive-in spike and a repair stake?
A drive-in spike, in this set, is a socket. The new post drops in and is bolted, and the soil holds it. A repair stake is a side plate you screw to the old post. One is a cup. The other is a brace. The shared word spike on the title does not make them interchangeable.
Which one do I buy for a brand-new post?
The Fixings Direct socket, stated for 75 x 75 mm and 600 mm, at about £24.99 for two or about £31.99 for three. A side stake has no cup. arksoldier’s 4x4 and 6x6 line is a brace range for an existing post, not a size of socket for timber that is still in the shed.
My post has snapped off inside the concrete. Which product is that?
A short repair socket, of the kind Screwfix lists at £21.95 including VAT for two 75 mm Sabrefix repair spikes on 19 October 2026. The long stakes in this amazon.co.uk set are side braces. They are the wrong shape for a stump inside a sound concrete base.
Will a long side stake clear a wide concrete collar?
Sometimes a crank misses a narrow collar. Reviews also describe the point hitting the concrete. A wide collar is the case DIY Doctor sends to a larger side spike, and even that can fail to get depth, so the job becomes a reset. Hitting a thin stake until it bends does not clear the footing.
Is a bolt-down shoe either of these?
No. A bolt-down shoe fixes to hardstanding, such as a patio slab. This comparison has drive-in sockets and repair stakes. It does not have a shoe, and it does not have a concrete-in shoe for soil that will not take a drive-in point.

Related pages

Best fence post spike

Post support comparison

Fence post spike

Fence post spike buying guide: socket, stake, soil

How to install a fence post spike and keep it plumb

Fix a leaning fence post if the timber will hold screws

Sources

Public UK sources listed in the research digest. Listing prices, stars and review counts are from the amazon.co.uk captures for these ASINs. Screwfix prices are the figures dated 19 October 2026 in that digest.

  1. England Class A limits for gates, fences and walls (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. Timber fencing sheet — post depth, spikes and concreting (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. HSE HSG47 — avoiding danger from underground services (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. LSBUD — utility plans from member companies (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. Screwfix Sabrefix 75 mm drive-in spikes, 2 pack (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. Screwfix Sabrefix 75 mm repair spikes, 2 pack (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. East Coast Fencing — spikes, shoes and repair supports (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. Consumer Rights Act 2015 (retrieved 19 October 2026)