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VR16 vs VR22 hog rings

Updated: 16 October 2026

You have a strip of rings and a plier, and the packets look close enough to swap. They are not. VR16 vs VR22 hog rings means matching Rapid’s closing range to the tool that feeds that ring: 2–8 mm for VR16 and 5–11 mm for VR22. Only the VR22 pair sits in this amazon.co.uk set. A C-type ring or an M clip is a separate family. The five listings are on the [wire fixing pliers comparison](/hub/pliers/wire-fixing-pliers). Products Compared checked Rapid’s UK pages and these listings on 16 October 2026. This is not a lab. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You have a strip of rings and a plier, and the packets look close enough to swap. They are not.

Our top picks

Rapid Rapid FP222 with 200 VR22 rings

Best overall

Rapid Rapid FP222 with 200 VR22 rings
8.6/10about £35.71
View offer
QWORK QWORK C-type hog ring kit

Preis-Tipp

QWORK QWORK C-type hog ring kit
8.3/10about £18.98
View offer
GMMG GMMG M-clip fence pliers

Alternative

GMMG GMMG M-clip fence pliers
5.2/10about £10.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.VR16 against VR22
  2. 2.C-type and M clips are not those codes
  3. 3.What a refill may be
  4. 4.Galvanised is a coating, not a year count

VR16 against VR22

Rapid’s UK ring pages state a closing diameter: the thickness of wire the ring is meant to shut on, not the length of the ring. VR16 closes 2–8 mm and is sold for the FP20 and the FP216. VR22 closes 5–11 mm and is sold for the FP20 and the FP222. The ranges overlap from 5 mm to 8 mm, so a 6 mm line wire can look as if either ring would do. The magazine still has to be the one built for that ring. An FP222 does not take VR16. MyToolShed’s FAQ calls VR16 “approximately 16 mm” and VR22 “approximately 22 mm”. That is not Rapid’s closing range. Use 2–8 mm and 5–11 mm. Only the FP222 is in this comparison. The tool alone is £29.64. The same plier with 200 VR22 rings is £35.71. The FP216 and the FP20 are not among these five. If the packet says VR16, none of these pliers is the matching magazine. The buying order is on the wire fixing pliers buying guide.

C-type and M clips are not those codes

QWORK at £18.98 calls its rings 20 mm C-type and states an 8 mm closure, with 2,500 galvanised rings and a 50-ring magazine. An 8 mm figure sits inside both Rapid ranges if you only look at the digit. It does not make the ring a VR16 or a VR22. UK reviews say the clips may not be a standard size, so a later refill from another brand may not run. BREUAILY at £13.49 includes 600 M clips and also says “E type”, with no closure and no VR number. GMMG at £10.99 includes 600 type M clips, also says “C ring” and “M-nail”, and prints no closure. “M” and “C” on that page are not one standard. McVeigh Parker lists omega pliers for a 20 mm M-ring clip. That plier is not an FP222. Whether a nose will enter chicken wire is on hog ring pliers for chicken wire.
Rapid Rapid FP222 with 200 VR22 rings

Testsieger

Rapid Rapid FP222 with 200 VR22 rings
8.6/10about £35.71
View offer

What a refill may be

A refill follows the name on the plier you hold. For either FP222, that name is VR22. The £35.71 kit includes 200 of those rings. The £29.64 tool does not, so you buy VR22 separately, and you do not drop in M clips or QWORK C-type rings. For the QWORK plier, stay with that kit’s C-type ring unless a later box says it will feed. For BREUAILY or GMMG, the refill is the M clip sold with that plier. Until a closure is printed, you cannot match it to 5–11 mm or to 8 mm. Who that points you towards is on best wire fixing pliers.

Galvanised is a coating, not a year count

UK owners of the FP222 say a similar-looking hog ring will not feed. Galvanised is the coating Rapid states for its fencing rings, and the coating QWORK states on its rings. No year count is stated. It is not a service life.

Common questions

What does VR16 close to, and what does VR22 close to?
On Rapid’s UK pages, VR16 closes 2–8 mm and VR22 closes 5–11 mm. Those figures are the wire the ring is meant to shut on. The overlap from 5 mm to 8 mm does not mean one plier takes both. A shop line of about 16 mm and about 22 mm is a different claim. Use Rapid’s ranges when you order Rapid rings.
Which Rapid plier takes which ring?
The FP222 takes VR22 only. The FP216 takes VR16 only. The FP20 takes both and has no magazine. Here you can buy the FP222 alone at £29.64, without rings, or with 200 VR22 rings at £35.71. The FP216 and the FP20 are not in this set, so a VR16 packet has no matching plier among the five.
Can I put VR16 rings in an FP222?
No. Rapid specifies VR22 for the FP222 and VR16 for the FP216. A wire between 5 mm and 8 mm sits inside both closing ranges, and the magazine is still the wrong one. None of these listings says VR16 will feed an FP222. For the two Rapid rows, buy VR22.
Is a C-type ring with an 8 mm closure a VR22?
No. QWORK’s bullets call its rings 20 mm C-type and state an 8 mm closure. VR22’s Rapid close is 5–11 mm on a different ring, for the FP222 and the FP20. An 8 mm digit inside that range does not rename the QWORK ring. UK reviews say those clips may not match a later standard refill.
What closure do the M-clip kits state?
They do not state one. BREUAILY includes 600 M clips and also says “E type”, with no millimetre close and no VR number. GMMG includes 600 type M clips, also says “C ring”, and still prints no closure. A 20 mm M clip for a different omega plier is not these boxes. You cannot match either kit to Rapid’s ranges from the page.
Why do similar-looking refills jam?
United Kingdom reviews of the FP222 say a similar hog ring will not feed. The cheaper kits here are M clips or QWORK C-type rings, and none of those pages claims VR22 compatibility. The strip buckles because the shape is wrong. Use a refill that names VR22.

Related pages

How to use hog ring pliers

Wire fixing pliers

Best wire fixing pliers for chain link or stock net

Wire fixing pliers: buy the right ring family first

Hog ring pliers for chicken wire: will the nose fit

Sources

Public UK sources and amazon.co.uk listings, checked on 16 October 2026. Shelf prices and star lines are the figures in the display file. The same Rapid kit was also seen at UK trade shops at about £42 to £69 including VAT. That is not the Amazon shelf price.

  1. Rapid: Fence pliers guide (VR16 and VR22) (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  2. MeshDirect: Small hog-ring pliers and mesh hole size (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  3. BSI: BS 1722-2:2020 strained wire and wire-mesh fences (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  4. Conservation Handbooks: Handling, straining, fixing and joining wire (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  5. HSE: UK law on design and supply of work equipment (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  6. Consumer Rights Act 2015 (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  7. amazon.co.uk: Rapid FP222 with 200 VR22 rings (B00H2KCXDS) (retrieved 16 October 2026)