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Eyelet pliers for tarpaulins

Updated: 23 October 2026

Eyelet pliers for tarpaulin work only when the hole already in the sheet is a 10 mm or 12 mm eyelet near the edge. A 5 mm craft kit with tarp in the bullet is a different purchase. The [eyelet pliers comparison](/hub/hand-tools/eyelet-pliers) ranks the ten handheld kits. This page keeps the outdoor cover and drops the belt sizes. Peter F. wrote it on 22 October 2026 from those amazon.co.uk files and UK seller notes. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nobody here load-tested a cover in wind.

Eyelet pliers for tarpaulin work only when the hole already in the sheet is a 10 mm or 12 mm eyelet near the edge. A 5 mm craft kit with tarp in the bullet is a different purchase.

Our top picks

TOWOT TOWOT 10 mm eyelet pliers

Best overall

TOWOT TOWOT 10 mm eyelet pliers
9.2/10about £15.27
View offer
HAPDEN HAPDEN 6/10/12 mm eyelet pliers

Alternative

HAPDEN HAPDEN 6/10/12 mm eyelet pliers
8.3/10about £43.99
View offer
Ecraft Ecraft 10 mm eyelet pliers

Alternative

Ecraft Ecraft 10 mm eyelet pliers
8.4/10about £23.99
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On this page
  1. 1.Match the eyelet that is already in the sheet
  2. 2.Which kits in this set are cover-sized
  3. 3.Brass, thin sheet, and the edge
  4. 4.What a new eyelet does not hold

Match the eyelet that is already in the sheet

Measure the eyelet in the hem. Kuvr specifies 12 mm internal for their screens. House of Tents recommends 10–12 mm for tent tarpaulins. If the old eyelet is 12 mm, a 10 mm kit will not match it. Belts and card sit on the eyelet pliers buying guide. Swpeet and Mygeromon are 5 mm. Wonkee Donkee warns that some pliers are too small for tarpaulin eyelets.

Which kits in this set are cover-sized

TOWOT at about £15.27 is the 10 mm top pick, 4.6 from 3,843, with a 3 mm bullet. UK reviews still report a punch that went blunt after about 10 canvas eyelets. The metal is not brass. Ecraft is the next 10 mm sample, 4.5 from 733, with a title count of 500 and a unit line of 27. HAPDEN at about £43.99 is the only row with 12 mm, and the bullets say brass.
TOWOT TOWOT 10 mm eyelet pliers

Testsieger

TOWOT TOWOT 10 mm eyelet pliers
9.2/10about £15.27
View offer

Brass, thin sheet, and the edge

Hanolex says solid brass does not rust and plated steel can once the plate cracks. HAPDEN is the cover-sized kit here that says brass. NCONCO says brass at 3 mm and 5 mm, the wrong band. SBGGRL's rustproof line sits on chrome-plated steel. House of Tents says patch the torn area before a new eyelet. Toolbug says the frame only works near the edge.

What a new eyelet does not hold

A set eyelet is a local ring, not a rated tie-down. Sails and HGV curtains leave this page. Laser Tools sells 12 mm and 16 mm tools for those curtains. For a domestic tarp, match the old eyelet and stay in the 10–12 mm band. TarpSolutions sells loose 12 mm eyelets from £4.03 for ten. A seller's strength line is not a measurement used here.

Common questions

What size eyelet does a domestic tarpaulin use?
Often 10 mm or 12 mm, and the eyelet already in your sheet is the one to copy. Kuvr specifies 12 mm internal and 23 mm outside for their screens. House of Tents talks about 10–12 mm for tent tarpaulins, with a repair kit around 11 mm inner diameter. A Draper-style kit uses 10 mm internal brass grommets. There is no single garden-tarp size that replaces a measurement.
Is 10 mm enough, or do I need 12 mm?
Match the old eyelet. A 10 mm kit such as TOWOT, Ecraft, Spurtar or SBGGRL SB05 is the band when the existing hole is 10 mm, also written 3/8 inch or 9.53 mm. HAPDEN is the only kit in this set that includes 12 mm. Kuvr's 12 mm hem is the specification for their screens. It is not a rule that every builder's tarp must move from 10 mm to 12 mm.
Can I use the 5 mm pliers if the bullet mentions tarps?
The bullet is a list of materials, not a measurement. Swpeet, Mygeromon, Guttiuaa and NCONCO are 3 mm, 5 mm or 6 mm kits. A TOWOT reviewer returned a 6 mm set because tarpaulins needed 10 mm. Wonkee Donkee warns that some pliers are too small for tarpaulin eyelets. A high review count on a 5 mm kit does not change the hole.
Do I need brass?
Hanolex says solid brass resists rust and plated steel can rust once the plating cracks, and that colour is not the metal. In this set, HAPDEN says brass at 6 mm, 10 mm and 12 mm. The 10 mm kits from TOWOT, Ecraft, Spurtar and SBGGRL SB05 do not say brass. SBGGRL calls chrome-plated steel rustproof, which remains a bullet. For a cover left outside, start from the brass claim and still match the millimetre.
Will pliers reach a hole in the middle of the sheet?
No. The frame stops at the edge. Toolbug states that, and one HAPDEN review says about an inch. None of these listings prints a throat depth. Patch and set near the hem if the sheet is within what the cutter will pierce. A hole in the middle of a wide cover needs a hammer and a setter, or a press.
Should I patch the torn eyelet before I set a new one?
House of Tents says yes: repair the torn area, then set a new eyelet, in their guide with a hammer kit at 10–12 mm. A new ring in the original rip has the same weak cloth around it. If you use pliers instead of their hammer kit, the patch still comes first, on a single thickness the punch can cut. A doubled garden sheet is where an Ecraft review says the cutter failed.

Related pages

How to use eyelet pliers

Eyelet pliers vs a hammer setter

Eyelet pliers

Best eyelet pliers: the 10 mm pick and who should skip

Eyelet pliers buying guide for size, metal and reach

Sources

Sources for this comparison, last checked on 22 October 2026.

  1. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 9 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  2. GOV.UK, General Product Safety Regulations 2005: Great Britain (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  3. BS 3102:1959, withdrawn listing (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  4. Wonkee Donkee Tools, replacing eyelets on a tarpaulin (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  5. Hanolex, why brass eyelets (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  6. Hanolex, brass grommet size table (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  7. Toolbug, how to use eyelet pliers (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  8. Laser Tools, eyelets and grommets for covers and curtains (retrieved 22 October 2026)