Silverline CB40 Adjustable Basin Wrench, 280 mm

This tool worked great and allowed me to change the kitchen tap.

A cheap and cheerful tool that does the job. Having never used one before, it took me a while to realise that the head flips two ways for a specific reason, not just for convenience: one way is for tightening and the other way for loosening. It only grips the nut in one direction and slips when you turn it the other way - effectively it's a ratchet. Flipping the head over reverses this action.

A great tool and very effective. After a water leam in the bathroom, changing the hot tap seemed impossible as due to its location against the corner of the bathroom, I couldn't access the nut with a traditional spanner and I was stuck, until I discovered this! Slightly fiddly at first but once you get used to how it works, it makes life so much easier.

The tool is very sturdy and very well made considering how low the price is, but it is very clumsy to use on taps that have worked loose on a sink already fitted to the wall, Plumbers tend to fit and tighten the taps before installing the sink, then they just connect the water pipes. but my taps had worked loose and it was very hard to use this tool for simply tightening them up as the water pipes and the waste pipes are in the way and space is limited because of the wall. but stick with it and little by little it will work, frustrating though it is.

Does the job well.

Doesn't fit in any of the under sink spaces I'm working on.

I have I think 3 different basin wrenches, when you work on refitting taps you need to be able to get around any obstructions and whilst this is probably the most difficult wrench to use due to the 'floppy' head which you have to try to manipulate over the nut, if the other wrenches won't fit, then you need this. If you're buying a wrench just to change your own taps then look at what access you have and if there are no pipes etc in the way, consider a more simple wrench. If you can see there is not much space, then this wrench is as good as any other of the same style.

Bought this on a whim as it was paired with my intended tap purchase and priced at just over £6, never having seen one before. It would have been helpful to have instructions as it took me a while to work out that the head can be angled to suit best access in a confined space, also that the angle of the head must be reversed depending upon whether you are using the spanner to tighten or loosen the nuts. Once I had it figured out, it was a joy to use, especially as it is self adjusting as a result of being spring loaded (meaning that it can be used entirely by feel in those situations where there is no line of sight to the nuts). I can see that it might also be useful on nuts in other situations where access is tricky rather than being limited to plumbing.