Draper 71247
Price £59.95
Contact 02380 266355
Performance 10/14
Is it worth the money? 5/6
Overall score 15/20
Comments These spanners are so new that we had to use Draper's own samples for our review. The finished set will have seven wrenches rather than the ten pictured here, and they will be supplied in a case. We like the swivelling head, precise 72-point ratchet, and competitive price. But the best feature is the very slim ring, which is just over 3.5mm wide.

Clarke Pro 62
Price £46.94
Contact 01992 565300
Performance 8/14
Is it worth the money? 5/6
Overall score 13/20
Comments This is a really great set: the ratchet mechanism is infinite, so there are no clicks, and it works as soon as you change direction. However, this feature has made the ring bulkier than the Draper tools, by around 1.5mm. Six spanners cover 10-19mm and there's also an excellent wooden case. Less pleasing are hex, rather than bi-hex, drives.

Halfords 7-piece Metric set
Price £49.99
Contact 08457 626625
Performance 8/14
Is it worth the money? 5/6
Overall score 13/20
Comments This is slightly more expensive than our other Budget Buy (the Clarke Pro 62, above) but this set actually contains seven wrenches, despite what the picture indicates. This does not have the fancy ratchetless ratchet mechanism, but the fine 72-tooth action is practically as good. One major advantage over the Clarke Pro set is the slimness of the rings, which are as good as our Best Buy (above).

Franklin AR605
Price £98.11
Contact 01142 721429
Performance 9/14
Is it worth the money? 3/6
Overall score 12/20
Comments Franklin's ratcheting ring spanners have a reputation for being mega durable, and these certainly seem well made. This set contains 11 wrenches, spanning sizes 8-19mm, and all come with fine 72-tooth ratchets, a ratchet reverse switch, and an angled ring end. It would have been our Best Buy had the rings been a bit slimmer.

SIP Omega 00525
Price £102.99
Contact 01509 500300
Performance 8/14
Is it worth the money? 2/6
Overall score 10/20
Comments We love the slim rings and precise feel of these spanners. Even though the ratchets are not reversible, they all boast a 72-tooth action. SIP includes ten spanners in the pack, which encompass sizes from ten to 19mm. The ten and 11mm size spanners are 'stubbies' for maximum convenience of use.

Draper 68068
Price £99.95
Contact 02380 266355
Performance 10/14
Is it worth the money? 4/6
Overall score 14/20
Comments As with a normal combination wrench, the ring ends are angled upwards. And, the slim 3.8mm ring is very manoeuvrable. The ratchet itself is as good as those of our 'Best Buys' here, and it has a reversing lever as well. Another handy feature is a stop ledge, which prevents the ring from dropping past the fastener. The 12 spanners cover sizes from eight to 19mm.

Franklin FR306
Price £54.64
Contact 01142 721429
Performance 7/14
Is it worth the money? 5/6
Overall score 12/20
Comments These six stubby ratcheting wrenches – in sizes from eight to 13mm – will at times prove to be a godsend. They are fitted with ultra-fine ratchets, but sadly there is no reverse switch. The ring end is a hex rather than bi-hex pattern, which is useful.

Kennedy KEN-582-3815K
Price £35.14
Contact 01162 888000
Performance 6/14A
Is it worth the money? 6/6
Overall score 12/20
Comments This traditionally styled ratcheting ring spanner set, is also the most comprehensive. The seven flat spanners have rings on both ends and cover six to 21mm. Kennedy supplies a durable wallet to keep them together. The disadvantages are bulky rings and a clumsy 36-tooth ratchet.

Kennedy KEN-582-3990K
Price £64.59
Contact 01142 721429A
Performance 7/14
Is it worth the money? 4/6
Overall score 11/20
Comments Nine wrenches cover sizes between ten and 19mm. Kennedy throws in a durable wallet as part of the package. The ring's width is a reasonable 4.5mm and the ratchet is suitably fine, with 72 positions but no reversing switch. Like most of these spanners, the ring end is flat rather than angled.

Teng Tools TC43
Price £119.99
Contact 01525 718080
Performance 9/14
Is it worth the money? 2/6
Overall score 11/20
Comments This is a high price to have to pay for just eight wrenches. The ends are angled like conventional wrenches, and the 4.1mm ring width is impressively compact. All the spanners feature a reverse lever that is shaped for easy switching, and the ratchets are the usual fine 72-tooth versions.

SIP Omega 005000
Price £78
Contact 01509 500300
Performance 8/14
Is it worth the money? 4/6
Overall score 12/20
Comments As with Omega's standard wrenches these, too, are slim, compact and tough. The rings on these are just as slim as those on our 'Best Buys' here, and have a fine 72-tooth ratchet. The eight wrenches come in sizes of eight to 19mm, but at this price, a reverse lever should have been included.

Screwfix 10184
Price £19.99
Contact 0500 414141
Performance 5/14
Is it worth the money? 6/6
Overall score 11/20
Comments This product has the slimmest ring of all the traditionally styled ratcheting wrenches – but this is only because there is no plastic strip around the middle, which leaves the 34-tooth ratchet mechanism exposed. The set spans sizes between six and 21mm, and all sizes have a reversing switch.

Kamasa SP1402
Price £14.99
Contact 01488 684545
Performance 4/14
Is it worth the money? 6/6
Overall score 10/20
Comments This is quite a cheaply priced set of spanners. However, a price of around £15 for five spanners, with ratchet reverse levers, encompassing sizes from six to 21mm, is pretty well unbeatable. Our main complaints are that the wrenches have thick rings and sport fairly coarse ratchets.

Sealey AK638
Price £150.35
Contact 01284 757500
Performance 9/14
Is it worth the money? 1/6
Overall score 10/20
Comments Just like the Clarke Pro 62 (above) these are supplied in an attractive wooden case. And also like the Clarkes, the ratcheting action is infinitely variable. This set of ten covers sizes from ten to 19mm. But the rings aren't very slim and the ratchet is not reversible.

Laser 3229
Price £45
Contact 01926 815999
Performance 6/14
Is it worth the money? 5/6
Overall score 11/20
Comments This is a very useful set. The spanners feature fine 72-tooth ratchets and the sizes (10, 12, 13, 14, and 15mm) cover the most common fasteners. But points are lost for wide rings and no reversing mechanism, while the price is high for just five wrenches. l–