Spanner Or Grips what do you use ?

Dustydazzler · Jul 19, 2023

Had a bit of a debate with some lads on site the other day...

Now , I always use a spanner / adjutsable spanner to do up nuts , glands , fittings

But , they all use mole grips / plumbers pipe grips

What do you use ??

Avo Mk8 · Jul 19, 2023

My father would tell me off for using grips or pliers on a nut. In fact even adjustable spanners were frowned upon. "Use the correct size spanner". Mind you that was in the days of BA and Whitworth!

Based on what you observe, I hope no plumbers become motor engineers!

Mike Johnson · Jul 19, 2023

If you can get a spanner on then use it, pump pliers and the like are a bodge on a nut with flats IMO.

DPG · Jul 19, 2023

A nut should be tightened with a matching spanner, unless there is a good reason not to. Or you've left the spanner in the van

snowhead · Jul 19, 2023

The clue is in the name, PIPE grips, not fitting grips.
A decent Plumber / Heating engineer wouldn't use grips with teeth on a fitting with flats.
You can get grips, of the same design as pipe grips but with flat jaws, used for chrome fittings and taps.

Spanners or adjustables.

littlespark · Jul 19, 2023

Use the plumbers screwdriver to tighten up brass bushes… with the biggest hammer you can find.

I carry adjustable (shifter) and grips in the box, along with mole grips, socket set, other sizes of adjustables in the van.

The right tool for the right job

newfutile · Jul 19, 2023

I use a bush wrench but I usually only use 20 and 32 mm bushes and lock nuts

Marvo · Jul 19, 2023

I had a pair of Lennox parallel jaw pump pliers that are similar to the Knipex but the snout on them is longer. A put them on the milling machine and cut the tips of the jaws at about a 40 degree angle. They work well for gripping gland nuts even when there's a cable installed. They're also slim enough profile to access gland nuts even when there's multiple other glands on the same gland plate getting in the way.

I don't have them here so I can't show a picture of my actual handywork but imagine the red lines in the photo below being where I milled them.

[ElectriciansForums.net] Spanner Or Grips what do you use ?

pc1966 · Jul 19, 2023

My choice in order of preference would be:

Correct spanner or socket
Adjustable spanner if above unavailable
Sliding "pipe grips" for big glands where I don't have any spanners big enough, and as thin brass nuts they ain't taking a lot of torque anyway...

Mike Johnson · Jul 19, 2023

I did cut a slot in a few ring spanners to allow using them over the top of cables and other inaccessible bits of kit.

7029 dave · Jul 19, 2023

1Correct spanner
2Bush spanner
3Ajustable spanner
My vintage footprint grips for metal conduit work (well they vintage now)

nicebutdim · Jul 19, 2023

pc1966 said:
My choice in order of preference would be:

Correct spanner or socket

Adjustable spanner if above unavailable

Sliding "pipe grips" for big glands where I don't have any spanners big enough, and as thin brass nuts they ain't taking a lot of torque anyway...

This would be my order of preference and I think the wide range of work that goes on in the world needs to be borne in mind.

The correct spanner of socket should be the first choice of any reasonable minded person, but sometimes that isn't feasible due to constraints of time and distance or often physical size.

Adjustable spanners are a good second choice but, unless you're hauling the mother of all toolboxes around, they get very big and very heavy to have to hand for larger sizes.

Grips, which is a collective term used for more than simple pipe grips, are often the practical choice. I keep a smooth jawed set, but quite often find myself needing something much bigger and there's very little I can't sort with 18" grips. I keep thinking about grinding the jaws to have a smooth set, as no one seems to make such a thing and I would then need to take less care when using them, but reality dictates that sometimes a less than ideal tool is the perfect choice.

Does any forum member carry spanners in their box to fit 63mm or 75mm glands?

James · Jul 19, 2023

I cant believe nobody has mentioned a hammer and screwdriver for chasing round impossible to get at lock nuts inside panels.

(removing tin hat, replacing with crash hat!!!)

7029 dave · Jul 19, 2023

James said:
I cant believe nobody has mentioned a hammer and screwdriver for chasing round impossible to get at lock nuts inside panels.

(removing tin hat, replacing with crash hat!!!)

James you know we've all done it

Dustydazzler · Jul 19, 2023

I must admit a little piece of me dies everytime I see a youngster on-site doing up / chewing up a plastic gland with a pair of combination pliers

littlespark · Jul 19, 2023

James said:
I cant believe nobody has mentioned a hammer and screwdriver for chasing round impossible to get at lock nuts inside panels.

(removing tin hat, replacing with crash hat!!!)

I did!!!! #6

DPG · Jul 19, 2023

littlespark said:
I did!!!! #6

Yeah but you've lost all credibility since the pool table incident

littlespark · Jul 19, 2023

DPG said:
Yeah but you've lost all credibility since the pool table incident

At least i didnt drop the slate on my foot like i did with the TV...... My big toe is now half black under the nail.

Spanner Or Grips what do you use ?

Dustydazzler

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Avo Mk8

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Mike Johnson

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DPG

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snowhead

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littlespark

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newfutile

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Marvo

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pc1966

Mike Johnson

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7029 dave

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nicebutdim

James

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7029 dave

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Dustydazzler

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littlespark

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DPG

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littlespark

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