How to use a wire tie twister
Updated: October 2026
How to use a wire tie twister depends on the tool in your hand. A pull hook takes both loops of a double-loop tie and spins when you draw it straight back. A drill-shank head sits in a 1/4 inch hex chuck and turns only at low speed. Neither feeds wire, and neither strains a fence. The [wire tie twister comparison](/hub/fencing-and-wire/wire-tie-twister) lists the 11 amazon.co.uk tools. Products Compared editorial team, 16 October 2026. Steps follow BS Fixings, the Bon Tool sheet and HSE INDG229. No laboratory test. Prices are GBP. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
How to use a wire tie twister depends on the tool in your hand. A pull hook takes both loops of a double-loop tie and spins when you draw it straight back.
How to use a wire tie twister depends on the tool in your hand. A pull hook takes both loops of a double-loop tie and spins when you draw it straight back. A drill-shank head sits in a 1/4 inch hex chuck and turns only at low speed. Neither feeds wire, and neither strains a fence. The wire tie twister comparison lists the 11 amazon.co.uk tools. Products Compared editorial team, 16 October 2026. Steps follow BS Fixings, the Bon Tool sheet and HSE INDG229. No laboratory test. Prices are GBP. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Drive | Return | Length | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  CYUXING CYUXING drill wire twister set | 1/4 inch hex | n/a | Heads 60 mm and 63 mm | 4.4 | about £7.99 | View offer |
 NEIKO NEIKO 61025A pull twister | Hand pull | Spring recoil and reload | n/a | 7.9 | about £17.32 | View offer | |
| Preis-Tipp |  Zeromall Zeromall pull twister 305 mm | Hand pull | Rebound in the hook | 305 mm | 5.0 | about £7.99 | View offer |
On this page
Set the wire before you pull or spin
The tool does not bring the wire. Where this set states the contents, tie wire is not in the box. You supply mild steel or annealed wire and form the double-loop tie first.
Both loops go on the hook before you pull. One loop lets the tie slip. Next Day Steel’s guide says those ties do not add design strength, so a drawing that names the tie outranks a heavy-duty bullet. Conservation Handbooks limits a twisted joint to mild steel, because high-tensile wire springs undone.
A fencing twister is a short bar, no longer than about 100 mm, with a hole for the loose end. That is not this pull and not this drill. A fence tail belongs on wire twister for fencing.
Use a pull-hook twister
Put the hook through both loops. Pull straight back, in line with the tie, so the hook spins and the wire closes. A pull at an angle walks the loops off. Let the spring or return spindle reload. Pull again only if the tie is not yet snug, then take the hook off. BS Fixings states that order. The Bon Tool sheet gives the same four moves: hook both loops, pull straight back, recoil and pull again if needed, then remove the tool.
The NEIKO 61025A states recoil and reload at about £17.32, with no length given. The spring returns the hook. It does not feed a coil or cut the tail.
Use a drill-shank twister
Confirm a 1/4 inch hex before the bit meets the drill. XIHIRCD, CKUO, KIPTVO, VANORIAL, CYUXING and Mnuwoee all state that shank. Seat it fully, tighten the chuck, and run at low speed. The listings give no torque figure and no twist count. Stop before the wire snaps or climbs the head. Wear eye protection.
CYUXING states a 9# arc at 60 mm and an 11# square at 63 mm. Those millimetres are the heads, not the wire diameter. Measure what arrived.
Hands stay off the chuck. HSE’s INDG229 says to tie hair back and to remove loose clothing, rings, gloves, ties and scarves that can catch. VANORIAL, at about £7.99, includes gloves. Take them off for this step. If the drill twists in your hand, release the trigger before you reach in.
When you stop
Stop on high-tensile fence line. The same pull, or the same slow drill, can spring undone on that wire. A strained line that is moving, or that has sprung back, needs a fencer. On structural reinforcement the tie only holds position during a pour, and the drawing wins.
All-day tying is a different stop. HSE treats rebar tying as repetitive work and names a cordless tier as the control. A Makita DTR180 at Tooled-Up, £914.95 including VAT, feeds and cuts its own wire. At work, PUWER 1998 requires suitable equipment and people shown how to use it.
Common questions
How do you use a pull-hook wire tie twister on a double-loop tie?
Put the hook through both loops, pull straight back so it spins, let the spring reload, and pull once more only if the tie is still loose. Then take the hook off. BS Fixings and the Bon Tool sheet describe that order. One loop is not enough, and an angled pull walks the wire off. The spring returns the hook and does not feed wire.
How do you use a drill-shank wire twister without catching a hand?
Seat a 1/4 inch hex fully, tighten the chuck, and keep fingers, cuffs and hair clear while it turns. HSE’s INDG229 says to tie hair back and to remove gloves, rings, ties and scarves that can wind in. Wear eye protection, because a snapped end can leave the joint. If the drill twists, release the trigger before you reach for the bit.
What speed should the drill run at?
Low speed, and no faster than you can stop if the wire climbs the head or looks ready to snap. These drill-head listings say to run slowly. They publish no revolutions figure and no torque setting, so those numbers are not part of the method. High speed is how a short tie becomes a projectile.
Does the tool come with wire?
No, where this set records the contents. Pull hooks and hex heads are the tool only. You bring mild steel or annealed tie wire and form the double-loop tie before you pull or spin. Gloves in the VANORIAL pack are not tie wire, and they do not belong on a spinning chuck.
Can you use the same steps on high-tensile fence wire?
No. Conservation Handbooks limits twisting to mild steel, because high-tensile wire springs undone. The pull and the slow drill are for tie wire you supplied, not for a strained line. If the line has sprung back, or the boundary must hold stock, get a fencer.
Should you wear the gloves from a drill-bit set while the chuck spins?
No. VANORIAL includes gloves, and HSE’s INDG229 says to remove gloves that can catch in a chuck. Wear eye protection, and keep loose clothing and jewellery clear. Gloves can still be right when you handle a coil of fence wire by hand. They are the wrong choice once the chuck is turning. Which head to buy is on drill or pull wire tie twister.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources and the amazon.co.uk listings in this set, last checked on 16 October 2026.
- Conservation Handbooks, joining wire (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- Conservation Handbooks, fencing tools (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- HSE, PUWER overview (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- HSE, repetitive work (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- Draper 31059 bag tie twister 260 mm (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- Hampton Steel, stock fencing (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- BSI, BS 4449 reinforcing steel (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- Consumer Rights Act 2015 (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- Tooled-Up, Makita DTR180 rebar tying tool (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- amazon.co.uk listings in this set (retrieved 16 October 2026)