3/4" drive versus 1" drive breaker bars.

[Ton ton]

Has anyone broken the ICON 36" long 3/4" drive breaker bar? Just curious . I bought one this week. If you have broken any brand name 3/4" breaker bar- feel free to share your story here. I have not broken a 3/4" drive breaker bar yet. Thank you for your time.

 

[crewchief888]

I have an old snap on 3/4" drive bar, ratchet head and flex head.
I broke several flex heads "back in the day".

 

[corn chip]

couple year ago i bought the sk 3/4 breaker. seems like it was on sale when they had tool of the month or something. i dont see any way you could bust it

 

[Mytoolsupply]

I really feel like any broken 3/4" tool is the result of mis-use, Especially a breaker bar.

I broke one of the china ones once but it took a piece of pipe and a skidloader to do it, I was impressed with how strong it was.

 

[Ton ton]

Thank you for the replies, everyone.

 

[turner66]

I've broken 1/2" breaker bars more than few times without much difficulty (usually because i was too lazy to go to the box and get the right tool for the high-torque job), but once I step up to the 3/4" breaker bar, I haven't been able to bust any of those, even with my trusty 5 ft black iron cheater pipe...

Just as a point of reference - I find no torque numbers published on the Icon, but even on the 20" Pittsburgh Pro 3/4" breaker bar they publish 750 ft lb max torgue. I would think the Icon must be at least that or more...

3/4 in. Drive 20 in. Quick Release Breaker Bar

Amazing deals on this 3/4In Dr 20In Quick Release Breaker Bar at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

 

[Jacobs976]

It's basically impossible to break a 3/4 breaker unless it's improperly heat treated. Only seen one breaker that was arguably destroyed but not actually destroyed, guy tried running a lug off by rolling on the bar and turned it into a wheel because his china set's bar was soft but the anvil was decent enough.

 

[Professional Tool User]

Even if the breaker bar isn't brand name, it's not going to be that easy to break. You only need to compare a 1/2" dr breaker bar side by side with a 3/4 and you'll see how beefy everything is in comparison. If you put on a cheater, I bet the cheater pipe will bend first.

 

[corn chip]

a person isnt nearly strong enough to break a 3/4. i was standing on mine to loosen a bolt and i doubt it even deflected one bit

 

[Zewnten]

Sure, "broke" a tee style using a cheater pipe, sheared the handle as it failed. Also sheared the drive of a regular style breaker. But the cheater pipe is 5ft long. That said if it was a ~1" handle diameter style like what Snap On now uses I'd doubt you could break it, at least I haven't with around 6ft of pipe, might still shear the anvil though.

 

[uscarry45]

I have broken a 3/4 breaker bar but it took a 6ft cheater and two guys. It can be done

 

[rooster59]

It's all a matter of scale. Ask guys who repair BIG tractors.

 

[corn chip]

your not breaking one without a very long cheater. period

 

[plewlandsbob]

I have an old snap on 3/4" drive bar, ratchet head and flex head.
I broke several flex heads "back in the day".

I have done the same. I fix farm equipment and heavy equipment. When you're out in the field, with no air tools, you have to do what's necessary, to get that nut or bolt moving.
You are under pressure to get that machine fixed, if there is an operation or crew on hold waiting till you fix something, that can cost hundreds or thousands of bucks an hour.
If you say, I can't loosen that bolt, because, I might break my tool, you would be chased off site and they would call someone else in.
Have been doing this a long time, before battery tools , were a thing. Even then, sometimes they are not powerful enough and you just have to use , as long a cheater as required.

 

[Jlarson]

Bought an Icon last time we needed another 3/4" bar, still going after 2 years.

I have obliterated the head of a 3/4" SK before, also I've determined by scientific testing the Snapon ones don't appreciate when you use a forklift on them.

 

[dmaxfireman]

Bought an Icon last time we needed another 3/4" bar, still going after 2 years.

I have obliterated the head of a 3/4" SK before, also I've determined by scientific testing the Snapon ones don't appreciate when you use a forklift on them.

I have used a fork lift / loader bucket pushing on a 10ft cheater pipe on my 1in snap on breaker bar with a 2in socket on more than one occasion.

The first time, we waited til the snap on guy got there and made him watch. That breaker bar paid for itself multiple times last summer pulling excavator counter weights, no way to put usable heat on the bolt that was 18+ inches long that hadn't been removed since being installed at the factory.

 

[Jazz1]

Never even bent a 3/4" bar but the toughest thing I tackle are big truck wheel nuts