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Ground spike for a rotary washing line

Updated: October 2026

A spare spike from a different line is the one you nearly ordered. A ground spike for a rotary washing line is a diameter match, or a cap-colour match, and the only matched socket in this set is the 45 mm. Parasols and path lights stay off this decision except as a warning. Shelf prices are on the [ground spike comparison](/hub/fencing-and-wire/ground-spike). Peter F. set the amazon.co.uk files against Brabantia’s UK spike index on 19 October 2026. We did not fit these sockets to a test airer. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

A spare spike from a different line is the one you nearly ordered. A ground spike for a rotary washing line is a diameter match, or a cap-colour match, and the only matched socket in this set is the 45 mm.

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Three Brabantia poles, one socket in this set

Brabantia splits rotary poles by cap colour. Black is 35 mm for the Essential. Red is 45 mm for the Topspinner and the Lift-O-Matic. Yellow is 50 mm for the Lift-O-Matic Advance and the SmartLift. A red cap does not fit a black-cap anchor. The UK index lists those sockets at about £15.75, about £17.25, and about £18.25. The amazon.co.uk file for the 45 mm is about £13.00. Argos is about £17.00 and Dunelm has listed it at about £12. None of those shelves replaces another. Only the 45 mm socket is in this comparison. One UK review used it on a 35 mm line and set it in postcrete. The order of checks is the ground spike buying guide.

A 32–40 mm pole is a different socket

The JVL 19-180 bullets say 32–40 mm, at about £6.74, with 4.4 from 7,962 reviews. JVL’s own page describes 32 mm with the adaptor and 40 mm without, about 39 cm, at about £7.99, with a cap. The amazon file does not mention a cap, and its dimensions field is 6 × 5 × 6 cm. Do not print 6 cm as the buried length, and do not merge the two prices. UK reviews say the insert rocks on a 32 mm pole. Soaking the lawn will not tighten it. A 45 mm pole does not go into this spear.

A wide clamp is not a Brabantia socket

The DIVCHI auger claims 2.5 cm to 5.5 cm with three screws, at about £10.99. That range is not a Brabantia size chart. One UK review measured the holder at about 36 mm. The title says 56 cm and the dimensions field says 420 mm, so neither is a buried length. Use it for an airer only when the pole sits in the clamp and you want a screw you can undo. It does not replace a red, black, or yellow cap.

Parasols and path lights stay off this decision

Parasol lines on the DIVCHI and JVL bullets are a warning, not a second laundry size. A spike that held a parasol can still rock a 32 mm airer pole. The EGLO Cuba is a 20 cm plate for a garden light, with a cable hole and a printed ban on hammering. Do not put a washing-line pole on it because both products are called a ground spike. A clamp is a measured exception, not a universal airer base.

Common questions

Which spike fits a Topspinner or a Lift-O-Matic?
The 45 mm Brabantia socket, model 311444, with the red cap. In this amazon.co.uk file it is about £13.00, with 4.6 from 10,126 reviews. Brabantia’s UK page is about £17.25. The bullets name Topspinner and Lift-O-Matic and say concrete is not required. Measure 45 mm before you order. A review that used it on a 35 mm line is the fit this socket does not claim.
What if my cap is black or yellow?
Black is 35 mm, the Essential. Yellow is 50 mm, the Lift-O-Matic Advance or the SmartLift. A red cap does not fit a black-cap anchor. Those sockets are on the UK index at about £15.75 and about £18.25, and they are not in this comparison. Do not pack the gap with postcrete.
Will a 32–40 mm spear take a 45 mm Brabantia pole?
No. The JVL bullets stop at 40 mm. A 45 mm pole is the Brabantia socket, not the spear. The adaptor is already loose on some 32 mm poles in the UK reviews, so it is not going to grip a larger Brabantia tube. JVL’s own page talks about 32 mm with the adaptor and 40 mm without. That still is not 45 mm. If your airer is a Topspinner, leave the spear in the basket.
Is the DIVCHI 2.5–5.5 cm claim a Brabantia socket?
No. It is a clamp with three screws, not a matched bore with a coloured cap. One review measured about 36 mm inside. The bullets also name parasols and bird feeders. Use it for a rotary line only after the pole sits in the clamp and you want to unscrew it. The 56 cm title and the 420 mm field do not agree, so do not buy it for a stated depth.
Can I use a parasol spike for the airer?
Only if the pole diameter matches the socket you measured. JVL buyers have stood a parasol in the same spear, and DIVCHI’s bullets advertise parasols beside rotary dryers. A steady parasol does not prove a 32 mm airer pole will stop rocking, or that a 45 mm Brabantia pole will fit. Match the airer on its own millimetres.
Does the red cap mean the spike itself is red?
The cap is the colour code. The amazon colour field for the 45 mm socket says metal/red, and the steel is the galvanised body. Red marks 45 mm, black marks 35 mm, and yellow marks 50 mm. You are matching the cap to the anchor size. It does not retint a 50 mm pole into a fit.

Related pages

Sources

Public UK sources and manufacturer pages listed in the research digest. Listing prices, stars and review counts are from the amazon.co.uk captures for these ASINs. The Brabantia shelf of £17.25 is the figure on the manufacturer page in that digest.

  1. Brabantia UK 45 mm ground spike (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. Brabantia rotary airer spikes, 35, 45 and 50 mm (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. Brabantia ground-anchor cap colours (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. HSE — underground cables (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. LSBUD safe digging (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. NICEIC — gardens and electrics (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. Approved Document P (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. EGLO 88744 technical sheet (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  9. Consumer Rights Act 2015 (retrieved 19 October 2026)