I'm not so sure what you are talking about seeing as how spawners are no longer part of survival. However, before the removal, you did in fact need a rank to break them without silk touch. You did need silk touch if you didn't have a rank. Hope this helped. ~GuyGuy
as guyguy already mentioned, spawners (eco-wise) are no longer part of survival. There is no way to obtain, or collect, a spawner. the only way you an utilize them is to either set a home and set up a make-shift mob grinder and repeat til the seed changes or just do nothing.