How to make perfect cheater pipes

[qqzj]

I am currently using some steel pipes, they work okay. But I am concerned that the sharp openings and possibly coarse inside surface can scratch up my nicer ratchets. So I am thinking about making a few nice cheater pipes. Ideally, the outside is chrome and inside should have plastic linings. There should be polyurethane to cover the opening. But I really don't know where to start. Don't have the experience in various things to make it work. If anyone is in a position to help, please do! If Astro Pneumatic or any other tool makers happen to read this, please help too. My business idea is free!

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[whateg01]

Imo, if you want to use cheaters, you shouldn't be using nice ratchets anyway.

 

[qqzj]

Today I was trying to remove a bolt from a strange angle. Lying on my back, I cannot effectively push the ratchet. So I really need the 'extension', even though the torque I applied was no that extreme.

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[t100]

That's what jack handles were made for.

 

[American Locomotive]

I've seen various "cheater" products offered before. They never really seem to last long. I think it's mainly because a cheater is really application specific (both in terms of the specific tool it's used on, and the specific context of when it needs to be used).

Short pieces of Schedule 80 PVC are usually rigid enough to use a cheater and won't mark up your tools.

 

[M635_Guy]

The very few times I've wanted to incorrectly use a tool that way I've wrapped the handle in some duct tape, then wrapped a cloth around that to defend the finish from my jack handle. (you can use gaff tape before the duct tape to make recovery/clean-up easier).

And that was for a ratchet I hate.

Once I hit that situation a couple times, I got a set of the Icon/Mountain long-handled flex-head wrenches and a long 3/8" ratchet. That seems to be enough.

There's no way I'm spending special effort to make something like that when the answer is nearly always having the correct tool.

 

[dsaabm]

I'm sure a tool company would rather sell you a long ratchet than an unwieldy chromed/plastic pipe. Just get some long ratchets or breaker bars in various drive sizes. The only thing I have used a cheater pipe on this past year was an excavator.

 

[Rickster]

They have plastic tubes with ends for golf bags to protect the golf club shafts. Maybe they could fit inside a pipe as a plastic liner for protection.

 

[Gummi Bear]

Buy a stick of Plastibond conduit

Coated inside and out

Chamfer the edges to your liking, and you can coat them with plastibond touchup, or plasti dip. You can get it in steel or aluminum



I presently use an old piece of stainless tubing I dug out of a dumpster 20 years ago. I want to make some new ones out of aluminum conduit.

I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately...

Henry David Thoreau

 

[lis2323]

Imo, if you want to use cheaters, you shouldn't be using nice ratchets anyway.

Agreed.

Here are mine..






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[Renegade1LI]

Agreed.

Here are mine..






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Those are great, like professional cheaters.

 

[unslow1]

My cheaters are a 40" Rural King breaker bar and a floor jack handle if that doesn't do it.

 

[The Cobbler]

so 1-1/4 & 1-1/2 schedule 40 pipe is not acceptable? who woulda thought?
Oh, right, this is GJ. LOL

 

[TTMotorsports]

my cheaper pipe is a piece of tubing with a piece of PVC pipe inside of it to not scratch anything. Used it for atleast 5 years without any issues but all my ratchets and breaker bars aren't nice anyways.

 

[charbar]

Is this for real? Worried about scratching a freaking ratchet? It's a tool, not a Lamborghini.

 

[whateg01]

Agreed.

Here are mine..


...

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I see I'm not the only one who flattens them to fit over any-sixteenths wrenches!

Dave

 

[seber]

For me, it's just breaker bars, never put a cheater on a ratchet. If you really need it, HF sells and extendable ratchet. Interesting putting a cheater on a pipe wrench. I got lucky at an auction and bought a 36" and a 48" for five dollars each so that isn't a problem.

 

[NUTTSGT]

How long of a ratchet or breaker bar are you currently using ?

 

[McFarmer]

For me, it's just breaker bars, never put a cheater on a ratchet. If you really need it, HF sells and extendable ratchet. Interesting putting a cheater on a pipe wrench. I got lucky at an auction and bought a 36" and a 48" for five dollars each so that isn't a problem.

I put cheaters on those too.

 

[M635_Guy]

I put cheaters on those too.

If you have to use one, a cheater bar on a breaker bar is the best scenario. I just don't put a cheater on anything like a ratchet if I can possibly avoid it. I guess my mentality is not to abuse my tools. I'm OK with normal wear and tear, and I don't pray over my tools, but damaging or breaking them by using them incorrectly is something I try to avoid.

 

[demarpaint]

Anyone ever try PCV pipe by itself?

 

[ThePostman]

Is this for real? Worried about scratching a freaking ratchet? It's a tool, not a Lamborghini.

Now to honest, I did take an air file and smoothed out the "seam" inside. Sometimes you just have to use it for one reason or another. I also own Wright 6425, which I've had to put the bigger of those 2 on for some things.

 

[McFarmer]

If you have to use one, a cheater bar on a breaker bar is the best scenario. I just don't put a cheater on anything like a ratchet if I can possibly avoid it. I guess my mentality is not to abuse my tools. I'm OK with normal wear and tear, and I don't pray over my tools, but damaging or breaking them by using them incorrectly is something I try to avoid.

I agree, I was referring to the 36” pipe wrench. No bars on ratchets for me.

 

[M635_Guy]

Anyone ever try PCV pipe by itself?

It's a bad idea - PCV isn't that strong, and my understanding is it tends to fracture in ways that wouldn't be fun.

 

[Ohmthis]

I used 3/4”and 1” ridged conduit. I cut them just shy of my drawer width. They are only used with breaker bars and modified wrenches. PVC is only used for airlines in my shop!

 

[qqzj]

Thanks guys. I got the idea now. The best way to go is to get some steel conduit with thin PVC pipes inside. I have long breaker bars for 1/2 drive. So this is really for the 3/8 mostly. Interestingly, my 3/4 drive ratchet and breaker bars are shorter than 1/2 ones. It seems that we are supposed to fabricate cheater pipes ourselves. Now, I just need to get some ideas on what to fit on the opening. Finally, I can spray paint the pipe neon green or orange. That's going to be a hell of a cheater pipe!

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[Al Borland]

Some of the pipefitters I work with have 3/4" ratchets that are only a head with an opening to insert a pipe as a handle. Convenient. Factory designed for cheater bars.

 

[Bert_]

The very few times I've wanted to incorrectly use a tool that way I've wrapped the handle in some duct tape, then wrapped a cloth around that to defend the finish from my jack handle. (you can use gaff tape before the duct tape to make recovery/clean-up easier).

And that was for a ratchet I hate.

Once I hit that situation a couple times, I got a set of the Icon/Mountain long-handled flex-head wrenches and a long 3/8" ratchet. That seems to be enough.

There's no way I'm spending special effort to make something like that when the answer is nearly always having the correct tool.

Sometimes the cheater is the correct tool.

Probably goes against everything known by garage journal. Supposed to buy a bunch of **** you don't need when a piece of pipe does the same thing.

 

[qqzj]

One possibility is to make a two piece cheater pipe set. So we can bring only one 3/8 stubby one the road, and turn it into a regular ratchet with one piece and an extra long 3/8 with both. This is so much better than extendable ratchets.

 

[M635_Guy]

Sometimes the cheater is the correct tool.

Probably goes against everything known by garage journal. Supposed to buy a bunch of **** you don't need when a piece of pipe does the same thing.

The question is what the cheater is attached to.

Breaker bar? Fine. A ratchet in a pinch? Fine of course.

A breaker bar for routine use on a ratchet? That's just telling you to get the right thing.

 

[claymont]

For me, it's just breaker bars, never put a cheater on a ratchet. If you really need it, HF sells and extendable ratchet. Interesting putting a cheater on a pipe wrench. I got lucky at an auction and bought a 36" and a 48" for five dollars each so that isn't a problem.

If you worked with pipe wrenches on a daily basis, you'd have a set of smaller ones with cheater pipes as your go to wrenches

 

[claymont]

I am currently using some steel pipes, they work okay. But I am concerned that the sharp openings and possibly coarse inside surface can scratch up my nicer ratchets. So I am thinking about making a few nice cheater pipes. Ideally, the outside is chrome and inside should have plastic linings. There should be polyurethane to cover the opening. But I really don't know where to start. Don't have the experience in various things to make it work. If anyone is in a position to help, please do! If Astro Pneumatic or any other tool makers happen to read this, please help too. My business idea is free!

Aluminum conduit works fairly well in most cases.

 

[ThePostman]

Sometimes the cheater is the correct tool.

Probably goes against everything known by garage journal. Supposed to buy a bunch of **** you don't need when a piece of pipe does the same thing.

Again, thank you bert. I stated before, I've put a pipe on wright 6425, that's an almost 4 ft long ratchet, just on its own, then had to "extend" it, to 7ft. You tool polishers..... I understand keeping nice stuff nice, but I buy tools to use and make $, not stare at the pretty chrome. When that chrome is getting scratched from use, I bought something I'm using, and as a result it's probably making me $.

 

[Off_kilter]

Bought a little toolbox off Kijiji a couple years ago and this beut was in it. I definitely chuckled.

 

[jeepnut24]

Section of thread black pipe because it was easy to find and cheap

 

[qqzj]

Cool. This is the most professional cheater pipe so far.

Bought a little toolbox off Kijiji a couple years ago and this beut was in it. I definitely chuckled.

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[mrobins297aaa]

I used 3/4”and 1” ridged conduit. I cut them just shy of my drawer width. They are only used with breaker bars and modified wrenches. PVC is only used for airlines in my shop!

hahaha......good one

 

[joecon]

Mueller-Kueps makes three different lengths of cheater bars.

 

[Bert_]

The question is what the cheater is attached to.

Breaker bar? Fine. A ratchet in a pinch? Fine of course.

A breaker bar for routine use on a ratchet? That's just telling you to get the right thing.

I've used a cheater with a 3/4" rachet quite a bit. Once in a while on a 1/2"

 

[Bert_]

Serious question to those advocating long handle ratchets.

Is the head any different than the short handle version?