Destroyed a HF Breaker Bar

[MrGiggles]

Ruined this last night. No cheater bar, wasn't jumping up and down on it. I was tightening the lug nuts on a tractor with the bar at about 12:00 when it let loose.

I have to say, I'm a little underwhelmed after reading all the rave reviews about this thing.

 

[bcradio]

Never have seen any rave reviews about that one. Now the other ones yes I have seen many good reviews on.

 

[vavet]

Wow! Hope the failure didn't cause you to slip and hurt yourself.
I think we've all been in situations where we're not surprised if the tool fails, but if you're just using (not abusing), you might not be so prepared to brace yourself.

Does the particular unit have a lifetime warranty? If so, please post back your experience trying to use it.

 

[rlitman]

Wow! Hope the failure didn't cause you to slip and hurt yourself...

Same sentiments here. I hate wearing gloves, but I keep forcing myself to wear them when wrenching. Too much knuckle blood gets spilled without them.

I may own that same breaker. It should be lifetime warranty at least.

 

[The Tool Tyrant]

WOW, I don't think the breaker bar was faulty at all, I just think you don't know your own strength!

 

[1950mercury]

Every brand of tool has failures and defects. You may have got a dud.

 

[2ndGearRubber]

I've had a 5 foot cheater on mine. Maybe you got a dud.

 

[davethorik]

There have been a lot of positive reviews of that bar on here. If I didn't get a steal on a Mac 24", I would consider it at that price point.

Looking at the pic, it appears the yoke cracked right where the radiused bottom meets the parallel inner side. It appears to not be fully radiused in the yoke opening.

 

[bpjr]

Must be a defective one. I'm 200 lbs and jumped up and down on my 1/2" HF breaker bar to get a stuck axle nut off...no extension on the bar, just my weight. It broke the nut loose and didn't damage the bar in any way.

 

[bobcatdan]

Should buy matco.

 

[CNGsaves]

Unusual failure . . . +1 for a dud. I'd guess that HF pin would fail first ??

Lucky that you weren't hurt when she broke.

 

[speed bump]

I think the breaker bar everyone raves about is the all metal one with a different head design. The style you broke is inherently weaker than the other style. I have broken an USA made Husky 18" bar with that style of head in the pin and my 24" Toptul bar is sketchy enough that I don't use it much anymore. The all steel HF bars have held up pretty well though.

 

[ex-x-fire]

This is the one with the strong head.

 

[BDT/NWMN]

Should buy matco.

Dan
which one was cussed the most when it broke?

 

[bobcatdan]

Dan
which one was cussed the most when it broke?

Was actually shocked I broke the breaker since this newer style has proven very tough to me. The ratchet was a bit of a curse as it was a long trek across the plant to get another ratchet.

 

[jd_1138]

That's the "professional" one. The one that's half the price is good. I keep one in all 3 cars.

 

[Tennessee Cattleman]

Wright makes a tough Bull Bar, use it to remove bush hog blade bolts.

 

[mlum6969]

interesting. i haven't seen one break like that before.

 

[lightning02]

im surprised the drive end didnt break first.

all my breaker bars have this same head design and never have i had one let lose on me. i have this bar as well and it never gave me a problem.

 

[Corndoggeh]

This is the one with the strong head.

That thing never broke on me, had to change a CV axle and the nut on it had rusty crud in the threads (and before I discovered 50/50 atf:acetone mix) and put almost my entire weight on the end, it flexed somewhat and broke the nut loose.

The one OP got is a weaker design, essentially you put the entire load on those two prongs versus the all metal one distributes the load more through the big fat head.

 

[Mr_B]

the OP one is better design, poor metal stock probably the cause, that yoke design goes back decades and is more expensive manufacture over the slotted head type use on budget bars, I got breaker bars 60 years old that take a 4ft pipe no bother.

 

[1982fxr]

Must be a defective one. I'm 200 lbs and jumped up and down on my 1/2" HF breaker bar to get a stuck axle nut off...no extension on the bar, just my weight. It broke the nut loose and didn't damage the bar in any way.

....that you know of. Yet.

 

[Wakefield]

This is the one with the strong head.

I think that was an older one. Was the one that people thought was extraordinarily strong.

 

[Wakefield]

Ruined this last night. No cheater bar, wasn't jumping up and down on it. I was tightening the lug nuts on a tractor with the bar at about 12:00 when it let loose.

I have to say, I'm a little underwhelmed after reading all the rave reviews about this thing.

Is that new one made in China or Taiwan?

 

[mbshop]

Thats why I had a 3/4 breaker bar. No muss, no fuss.

 

[Wakefield]

the OP one is better design, poor metal stock probably the cause, that yoke design goes back decades and is more expensive manufacture over the slotted head type use on budget bars, I got breaker bars 60 years old that take a 4ft pipe no bother.

Old S*K that has a longer thick section at the neck before it tapers down to the handle diameter? (Has fork on the handle,not the head.) But stays thick for about an inch below the fork before tapering down.

 

[ChevyEFI]

the OP one is better design, poor metal stock probably the cause, that yoke design goes back decades and is more expensive manufacture over the slotted head type use on budget bars, I got breaker bars 60 years old that take a 4ft pipe no bother.

That's a whole thread in itself!

Old S*K that has a longer thick section at the neck before it tapers down to the handle diameter? (Has fork on the handle,not the head.) But stays thick for about an inch below the fork before tapering down.

How old are talking? Don't think my 16" 1/2" breaker has that and it is pushing 20years.

 

[dnschmidt]

I like the new professional design from HF more but the older design is inherently stronger. TOPTUL makes both types and recommends the bulkier (first HF design) for the higher torque applications. The reason I like the second design is I can use my Eclatorq digital angle gauge on the head of it when tightening down Subaru head bolts whereas I can't with the bulky design.

I seldom if ever use a breaker bar as I've got super powerful Aircat and Milwaukee impacts. The only time I use them is to remove head bolts on Subaru's since their foot long head bolts act like torque sticks making an impact ineffective.

 

[Empty Pockets]

My best guess is that it was a dud. HF has a lifetime warranty. Take it back and swap it out

 

[Loscaldazar]

Is that a 1/2 drive or 3/8 drive one?

The 3/8 drive one is known to be weak. The 1/2 drive one that people rave about has a different head design (the bar portion is a straight piece with the swivel head with the drive tang being U shaped and bolting over the straight shaft of the handle).

 

[MrGiggles]

Is that a 1/2 drive or 3/8 drive one?

The 3/8 drive one is known to be weak. The 1/2 drive one that people rave about has a different head design (the bar portion is a straight piece with the swivel head with the drive tang being U shaped and bolting over the straight shaft of the handle).

1/2"

The only thing that I think could he a factor in the failure was that the bar wasn't 90* with the fastener. I was only using a deep socket and no extension, it was angled out a little because of the wheel.

 

[Wakefield]

That's a whole thread in itself!
How old are talking? Don't think my 16" 1/2" breaker has that and it is pushing 20years.

The ones I am thinking of had a pin,not a bolt through the fork and pivot. I have a little shorty version like that,I think only 9" or 10" long. When they went to the bolt seems to have been when the thick section below the fork got shortened. I remember Mr. Holeshot who used to post here described his 18" long (?) one that he bragged on the strength having the pin.
(The pin on those S*K are larger diameter than used on some other brands (like Craftsman which I think used to same pin as Armstrong (at least my Craftsman)
damn time flies,my new Craftsman might be 20 years old! It hasn't broke but with what I hear about Craftsman it only gets trusted for routine things like lug nuts. (these being 1/2" drive)

 

[dogdog]

.......tractor lug nuts... shouldn't you be using the 3/4 breaker bars instead ?

 

[kctyphoon]

I was just using the 1/2" extending ratchet to press out leaf spring bushings. I literally had it to the point I could barely more it anymore, and it was fine.. the HF breaker bar has served me pretty well too, so maybe yours had a casting issue? Luckily you can just walk in and get a replacement. If you have some crazy sized lugs, maybe the 3/4" is an option for you..

 

[CNGsaves]

^ ^ Where is that picture of GJer with 48" or longer 3/4 or 1" drive breaker bar ??

Imagine that would be an "easy" pull even on tractor lug nuts !!

 

[Farmall 1066]

When OP says "tractor lug nuts" I'm envisioning Kubota or some compact tractor, where 1/2" is acceptable. Don't think it's a Steiger Tiger. Lol!

I've broken my Snap On one idk how many times, in same manner as the OP. Bought the SK 30" a few years back and can't believe the abuse it's taken.

 

[bcschief]

Some people can break ball bearings in a sand box with a rubber mallet. just joking.

Brian

 

[Eric29]

This is why I don't use HF tools. It just takes one thing like this to seriously injure yourself.

 

[Infinia]

the OP one is better design, poor metal stock probably the cause, that yoke design goes back decades and is more expensive manufacture over the slotted head type use on budget bars, I got breaker bars 60 years old that take a 4ft pipe no bother.

yup +1

the customer is part of HF QC process

 

[HanShotFirst]

This is the one with the strong head.

You know, I RARELY lose tools, I'm pretty **** about putting everything back. But somehow I managed to lose one of those breaker bars.

In the mean time I picked up one of the Pittsburgh Pro ones and it has served me quite well.

Just an observation I find a bit funny. When a Harbor Freight tool breaks, It's because it was a cheap POS. When any other tool breaks, its some sort of deep mystery.