Spanner Wrenches

[3Dfan]

I'm thinking of picking up a spanner wrench for general camera repair/restoration. I notice that some come with flat tips and others come with interchangeable tips. To what extent would the interchangeable tips be necessary?

 

[Greg_E]

Some things take a flat tip, some take a round tip. That's about all I can add.

 

[JBrunner]

Mine has flat tips. It has worked on everything I have run across. (more than a few) YMMV.

 

[dmax]

Adjustable spanner wrenches with interchangeable tips will greatly simplify your life. Different slots will require flat tips with different thicknesses, for example. And the ability to re-orient the tips (facing inwards or facing outwards) allows you to get into tight places where a single-purpose spanner will not fit. Avoid buying the cheap spanner wrenches that are black anodized - they are wobbly and are of poor quality. I would strongly recommend the spanner wrench with interchangeable tips from Fargo Enterprises/Micro Tools. I have used a number of spanners from other sources, and none compare with the build quality and utilitarian value of the spanner from Micro Tools.

 

[David H. Bebbington]

I bought one of these:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200166469119
Compact and easy to grip, quite robust.

 

[John Koehrer]

Interchangeable tips are convenient. Most spanner rings use slots but the occasional decorator ring or cap will be round holes. Think of the cap on some winding levers. I've used the spanners from micro tools for years & bought all the accessory tips available. That said, I've USED the pointed tips & the straight flat tips 99.9% of the time. The offset flat tips I have only used when the straight tip wouldn't reach because of an obstruction or offset.