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Open ended vs combination spanner: which one you add first

Updated: 23 October 2026

You already own a combination set, the nut is on a long stud, and the ring will not pass. Open ended vs combination spanner is that choice: two open sizes on one tool, or one size with a ring on the other end. This page does not review combination spanners. The [open-ended spanner comparison](/hub/hand-tools/open-ended-spanner) contains only open-ended products, with amazon.co.uk details as they stood on 22 October 2026. Peter F., DIY and tools editor, used Haynes, CAR magazine, Rapid and those open-end files. There is no lab test. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You already own a combination set, the nut is on a long stud, and the ring will not pass. Open ended vs combination spanner is that choice: two open sizes on one tool, or one size with a ring on the other end.

Our top picks

BGS BGS 12-piece double open-end set

Best overall

BGS BGS 12-piece double open-end set
7.5/10about £19.09
View offer
Hilka Hilka 8-piece open-ended set

Best value

Hilka Hilka 8-piece open-ended set
6.7/10about £11.63
View offer
SOL SOL 6-piece double-ended set

Alternative

SOL SOL 6-piece double-ended set
6.3/10about £4.79
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Same size with a ring, or two open sizes
  2. 2.When the open-only set is the one to add
  3. 3.When the combination set should come first
  4. 4.Labels that say both

Same size with a ring, or two open sizes

A combination spanner is one size throughout: an open jaw at one end and a ring at the other. One tool cannot hold and turn two 13 mm fasteners at once. A double open-ended spanner is two sizes. A 10×13 mm tool gives you 10 mm and 13 mm, and neither end is a ring. The open jaw slides on from the side. A ring has to pass over the end. Haynes tells UK readers to use the open end for access and a ring when they can, because two flats slip sooner. How the pairs should read is on the buying guide.

When the open-only set is the one to add

Add double open-ends when the combination set is already in the drawer and one job still fails. A nut on a long stud is the usual case: the ring stops, the open jaw does not. If both fasteners are the same size, one double open-end still cannot hold and turn them. A combination set that stops at 19 mm will not turn the 24 mm nut on 15 mm pipe, or the 32 mm nut on 22 mm pipe. If the head will not enter, the next tool may be thin, on thin open-ended spanners.
BGS BGS 12-piece double open-end set

Testsieger

BGS BGS 12-piece double open-end set
7.5/10about £19.09
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When the combination set should come first

If the toolbox is empty, buy the combination set first. Each size then has a ring for the hard turn and an open jaw for access. A rusty nut, and any specified torque, belong on a ring or a socket. A double open-end is the second purchase. CAR notes that a plain open jaw may need about 60° before the same bite returns, where a 12-point ring needs about 30°. Why a tube on the handle is a bad idea is on how to use an open-ended spanner.

Labels that say both

The SOL six-piece shows pairs from 6×7 mm to 16×17 mm, while a highlight says combination. Two numbers on one tool means two open sizes. One number, with open and ring in the description, means a combination spanner. Hilka prints seven sizes and does not say which ends share a spanner. BGS prints pairs from 6×7 mm to 30×32 mm, while the browse label says combination wrenches. The pairs win. There is no ring in that wallet.

Common questions

What is the difference in one sentence?
A combination spanner is one size, open at one end and a ring at the other. A double open-ended spanner is two open sizes and no ring. The ring is safer on a tight nut. The open jaw is the one that can slide along a stud. Piece count does not change either fact.
If I own combination spanners, when do I still buy double open-ends?
When a ring cannot pass onto the fastener, or when you need two different sizes at once. A nut on a long stud is the usual reason. A 13 mm nut with a 10 mm bolt head is the other. You do not need a second open-end roll for ordinary bolts the ring already fits. If both fasteners are the same size, one double open-end still cannot hold and turn them together.
Why do combination sets use the same size both ends?
So that the ring and the open jaw match the fastener you are on. You crack with the ring, then finish with the open end if you have to come in from the side, without picking up another size. The cost of that design is a second tool whenever the nut and the bolt head share a size, which is the point CAR’s UK guide makes. A double open-end spends its second end on a different size instead.
Which tool runs a nut along a long stud?
The open jaw. A ring has to pass over the end, so a long thread or a stud that is fixed at the far end blocks it. A double open-end is often the better second tool once you already own combination spanners and still cannot get the ring on. Seat it square, and do not treat that easy run as permission to hang a tube on the handle for the first tight turn.
Which tool should loosen a rusty nut?
A ring or a socket, if either will fit. Haynes is explicit that the open end bears in two places and can slip. Use the combination spanner’s ring end, or a socket, for the crack. Use the open end once the nut is moving, or from the start if the ring cannot enter. A specified torque still needs a torque wrench. An open jaw does not become accurate because you pull gently.
Can one listing say both “double ended” and “combination”?
Yes, and in this batch one does. The SOL pairs are double open-ends from 6×7 mm to 16×17 mm, and the highlight says combination. The BGS browse label says combination wrenches while the title and the pairs say open end. Read the sizes. Two different open ends are not a ring. If you needed the ring, that listing is the wrong product however the badge is worded.

Related pages

Best open-ended spanner sets

Open ended spanner

Open ended spanner set: which jaws cover your job?

How to use an open ended spanner without rounding it

Thin open ended spanner: when a 3 mm head is enough

Sources

Sources from the research digest, last checked on 22 October 2026.

  1. HSE, PUWER overview (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  2. ISO 10102:2018, assembly tools for screws and nuts (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  3. BSI, BS ISO 1711-1:2019 hand-operated wrenches and sockets (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  4. TED, spanners, citing ISO 3318:2016 (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  5. Haynes UK, car maintenance tools (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  6. Faithfull compression fitting spanner, 15 mm and 22 mm (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  7. Monument 15 mm and 22 mm compression fitting spanners (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  8. Teng Tools 6211, trade double open-end set (retrieved 22.10.2026)