Breaker bar vs. Ratchet

[AJHD]

For the purpose of this thread let's say you have a traditional 24" breaker bar in 1/2" drive and a 24" flex head ratchet in 1/2" drive.

For Example:

Snap-on Store

shop.snapon.com

Snap-on Store

shop.snapon.com

Having said that, is there an advantage or disadvantage to using one or the other? Which do you have and which do you use? Is there a specific case for using a breaker bar over a ratchet, or vise versa?

I personally don't understand why you would own both or opt for the traditional breaker bar design.


Here is my opinion:

#1. If you have the 24" flex head ratchet in 1/2" drive, that is essentially a ratcheting breaker bar and there no need for buy a separate tool.

#2. I don't see any cons to use a ratchet over a breaker bar. They both share the same structural weakness, but the ratchet has additional pros.

#3. Weakness in both include the handle itself, the flex joint (pin), and the 1/2" anvil. One of those will fail before the ratchet mechanism will fail.

#4. The additional pros for the ratchet is it's a ratchet. You don't have to remove and reposition the breaker bar. You also don't have to remove the breaker bar or manipulate it and essentially spin it to remove the bolt/nut.

 

[mogandave]

The pin set-back is much further on the ratchet

 

[teagueo]

If you're trying to loosen an extremely rusty fastener, it's better to use a breaker bar than potentially shorten the life span of your ratchet.

The traditional breaker will withstand higher torque for more cycles than a ratcheting one. On a geared mechanism, all the forces are applied to a smaller area compared to the pin type breaker.

You can always just use a really husky 1/2" drive Hazet and call it a day too

 

[vavet]

I always thought the ratchet mechanism would be a weak point. I have no evidence to validate this.

 

[boom_bap]

My 1/2 breaker bar is a little bit beefier handle then my 18 inch 1/2 ratchet. It has less flex. I use both to break stuff loose, benefit of the 18 is that you can still use it afterward to keep working rather than swap out. 24 inch ratchet would be annoying once you've broken a fastner loose. I wouldn't ever see the need for a 24 inch ratchet, at least in tight places.

 

[mogandave]

Breaker-bar bends out straight, effectively making a nut-driver, and can be pretty good for starting nuts and bolts

 

[CS454]

I only ever use my breaker bars if it's something that's going to need a pipe or in place of a backing wrench on an impact.

 

[2ndGearRubber]

Strength wise I think it's a wash. Breaker bar is superior if you need to work something back and forth, like 1/8 turn at a time while you crunch the rust out of the threads. No need to change direction, just wiggle it. Breaker bar is smaller in head size, but you can only clock the head in the 4 positions on the socket. ******* around with crowsfeet on extensions and having to reposition constantly the breaker bar design is superior. The fixture only reaches the nut one way, and a ratchet always ends up clocked wrong.

My main 1/2 drive hand tools are a 30" sk bar and a 24" snap on locking flex. The ratchet is superior in nearly every situation. My cheater bar fits the snap on a little better.

 

[honcho]

I like and abuse breaker bars, I like and abuse ratchets. I use whichever breaker bar or long ratchet at hand to get the job done if something better suited for the task isn't readily accessible. Just don't want to destroy a ratchet if it's the only one on hand but that typically wouldn't be the case for me with a long handled ratchet.

 

[bw77]

Here's a flex head ratchet failing trying to remove a rusted bolt
on a rear wheel bearing.

 

[javyLSU]

Breaker-bar bends out straight, effectively making a nut-driver, and can be pretty good for starting nuts and bolts

^This 100%. One of the most-used features on my breaker bars.

 

[merkyworks]

If your talking tool truck warranty/replace if it breaks then I’m using the ratchet no question. If I have to pay for new tool when it breaks then I’m using a breaker bar cause it’s less money to replace.

 

[AJHD]

I always thought the ratchet mechanism would be a weak point. I have no evidence to validate this.

I remember hearing something about Snap On rating their 1/2" ratchet mechanism at some crazy amount of force. I can't remember the specifics though. But the 1/2" ratchet mechanism is frankly large and overbuilt.

What I can say from my personal experience is I'm about 200 lbs and I literally stood on that ratchet. It took every pound and didn't break/took no damage... See comment below.

...I wouldn't ever see the need for a 24 inch ratchet...

I will be honest, I've only used it once. In fact, I bought it for a specific job and haven't used it since. But it's also something I rather have than not.

When I worked for PepBoys we had a Mercedes come in one day with a damaged front passenger side wheel. The guys wife grenaded the car into a curb.

The lugs nuts were jacked and nothing we tried was working. Well, we didn't have a torch so I got a 24" Snap On 1/2" ratchet and a 1/2" lug nut extractor socket set from my Matco guy. Also something I've only used for that one job. But it worked.

Breaker-bar bends out straight, effectively making a nut-driver, and can be pretty good for starting nuts and bolts

To me, that's obnoxious. Even just using it to change a tire.

As for starting nuts/bolts, I rather do that by hand then move to a ratchet, breaker bar or power tool/impact.

 

[msharley]

His 1/2" drive ratchet did just fine.


This is AMERICA.. Mis use yer own tools any way you want.

I have 1/4", 1/2" & 3/4" breaker bars..(no 3/8"...breaker bar)

Any time a fastener "feels" as if it may be "too tight" for a ratchet, and no way to get an impact gun on it? Right to BREAKER BAR I go..

(have had some of my ratchets for 50yrs...that still work fine...have busted a couple, too)

 

[AJHD]

If your talking tool truck warranty/replace if it breaks then I’m using the ratchet no question. If I have to pay for new tool when it breaks then I’m using a breaker bar cause it’s less money to replace.

That's absolutely fair and price is something I didn't think of. Even buying Snap On the breaker bar is cheaper than the ratchet, although warranty in this case would mostly negate that.

But yeah, it's hard to beat a ~$25 HF breaker bar. I still have one but not sure I've ever used it.

 

[vavet]

That's absolutely fair and price is something I didn't think of. Even buying Snap On the breaker bar is cheaper than the ratchet, although warranty in this case would mostly negate that.

But yeah, it's hard to beat a ~$25 HF breaker bar. I still have one but not sure I've ever used it.

I have a Craftsman 1/2 drive breaker bar- 15 or 18 inches long. When I was wrenching professionally, I entertained the idea of buying a longer one. I priced them at HF but decided against it. My logic: when I'm braking out a 24" breaker bar, things have gotten serious. If that breaker bar lets go when applying that much torque, there's a good chance I'm getting hurt.
HF has some good tools. Some are OK for that tool you need once a year. IMO, a 24" breaker bar is not one of them.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Breaker-bar bends out straight, effectively making a nut-driver, and can be pretty good for starting nuts and bolts

^This 100%. One of the most-used features on my breaker bars.

+2

This subject has come up before. I have always been cantankerous about the term "breaker bar" for the implicit limitation in its utility (i.e., breaking loose stuck bolts). If that's all they were designed for, why make them swivel at all?

In fact, the tool was not even called a "breaker bar" when it first appeared in the 1930's, as an evolution of fixed Offset Handles and Tee Handles and the earliest and later vintage examples always included cross-drilled holes near the end of the handle, for a cross-bar, explicitly for spinning.

Technically, in catalogs and other marketing, Blackhawk called it a "Hinged Offset Handle". Bonney and Plomb called it a "Hinge Handle". Cornwell, New Britain, and Williams preferred "Flex Handle." Sears, Roebuck & Co (Craftsman) used a hybrid variation ("Flex T Handle"), as did Herbrand ("Flexible Offset Handle") and SK ("Flex Head Handle"). There were some notably unique oddballs: Duro-Chrome preferred "Swing Head Handle", Snap-on liked "Nut Spinner Handle", and Thorsen got cute with "Linkjoint Handle."

As far as I have been able to determine, the term "Breaker Bar" wasn't used - and that only colloquially, in shops, etc, until the late 1960's. The earliest I can find it turning up as a technical term in any automotive technical literature is 1971 and that was not a catalog but a hot rod magazine, lending credence to the theory that it came off the street.

The most modern catalogs I have for the mfgr's I cited above are from the late 1950's but spot checks into Bonney, Herbrand, and Snap-on catalogs in the 1960's do not include the term "Breaker Bar." Consequently, I am not exactly sure when the term was adopted by American industry. But, I think we could consider Snap-on a pretty good yardstick of terminology evolution, and we happen to have an excellent resource of Snap-on catalogs at collectingsnapon.com. The last time Snap-on referred to this tool as a "Nut Spinner" in a catalog was 1973. The first time Snap-on referred to it as a "Breaker Bar" in a catalog was 1975.

 

[charbar]

Breaker bar is superior if you need to work something back and forth, like 1/8 turn at a time while you crunch the rust out of the threads. No need to change direction, just wiggle it.

This is the only time I reach for a breaker bar, otherwise mine collect dust.


My SO ratchets are just as strong as my SO breaker bars and it most cases stronger than the cheaper breaker bars I have.
My ratchets are also thinner than my breaker bars so they will fit in places a bar wont, unless it's the girth of the head that is a problem but that is rarely an issue it seems like for me.


As far as swinging one out straight to spin a nut/bolt in or out quickly-nope-not happening here. If I have enough room to get a breaker bar swung out straight then I have enough room to get a power tool in there somehow.

 

[JeepYJ]

you can only clock the head in the 4 positions on the socket.

True but the socket can be clocked in 6, possibly 12 positions, in addition to the four.
A breaker bar is advantageous for use as a lug wrench or if in a road box where you may not have power tools and probably wouldn’t want to haul around a long ratchet.

 

[CHI_Tool&Die]

I just don't like ratcheting a 24" long flex ratchet or any ratchet. I use the breaker bar to break the bolt loose and then swap over to a normal 9-11" ratchet to finish it up. It takes like two seconds to pop the socket off and on and the shorter length helps me move faster.

 

[speed bump]

I've broken several breaker bars (wallowed out the ears and then busted the pin) and only one long ratchet (old Craftsman). The only time I buy a breaker bar is for something where I only need it occasionally and would be worried that the ratchet mechanism may be rusted.

 

[lardy1]

as a non professional, I am not running against any clock. I have bought some pretty nice ratchets for a guy that doesn't wrench for a living and I tend to baby them a bit because I can probably never replace them if I break them.

 

[dnschmidt]

OK, why not just turn your breaker bar into a ratchet. That's what I've done: https://www.toptul.com/en/product-325311/Ratchet-Unit.html

 

[2ndGearRubber]

Here's a flex head ratchet failing trying to remove a rusted bolt
on a rear wheel bearing.

Yeah, they're using a 12" toy ratchet. Should have kissed the threaded area on the bearing prior with a torch. Or just gunned it out, it looks pretty rust free so I wouldn't be worried about breaking bolts.

 

[M6erfan]

Snap-on? 24" ratchet, all day long.

 

[BlakeTheCarGuy]

I own both but I’m also in this as a career. I typically use a breaker bar to break something loose then ratchet it out with the ratchet. Though sometimes I’ll break it loose with the ratchet but I have broken the pawl on a lot of ratchets trying to break something really stuck with them. Never a 24 inch one though. I own the fixed and flex head version from Snap-on both are good I’m pretty sure both are 24 inch. My breaker bars are Pittsburgh no reason to spend a huge amount on those but if we are using Snap-on as a example I’d probably take the ratchet over a breaker bar. No one wants to use a breaker bar to turn something in a tight spot and have to keep moving it.

 

[dukefx]

I always thought the ratchet mechanism would be a weak point. I have no evidence to validate this.

That's the 3rd weakest point. The weakest point is the pin combining the 2 pieces. The second weakest is the square drive.
Both will fail before the gears fail. That doesn't mean that they won't wear down faster due to excessive force.

 

[silvertina]

+2

This subject has come up before. I have always been cantankerous about the term "breaker bar" for the implicit limitation in its utility (i.e., breaking loose stuck bolts). If that's all they were designed for, why make them swivel at all?

In fact, the tool was not even called a "breaker bar" when it first appeared in the 1930's, as an evolution of fixed Offset Handles and Tee Handles and the earliest and later vintage examples always included cross-drilled holes near the end of the handle, for a cross-bar, explicitly for spinning.

Technically, in catalogs and other marketing, Blackhawk called it a "Hinged Offset Handle". Bonney and Plomb called it a "Hinge Handle". Cornwell, New Britain, and Williams preferred "Flex Handle." Sears, Roebuck & Co (Craftsman) used a hybrid variation ("Flex T Handle"), as did Herbrand ("Flexible Offset Handle") and SK ("Flex Head Handle"). There were some notably unique oddballs: Duro-Chrome preferred "Swing Head Handle", Snap-on liked "Nut Spinner Handle", and Thorsen got cute with "Linkjoint Handle."

As far as I have been able to determine, the term "Breaker Bar" wasn't used - and that only colloquially, in shops, etc, until the late 1960's. The earliest I can find it turning up as a technical term in any automotive technical literature is 1971 and that was not a catalog but a hot rod magazine, lending credence to the theory that it came off the street.

The most modern catalogs I have for the mfgr's I cited above are from the late 1950's but spot checks into Bonney, Herbrand, and Snap-on catalogs in the 1960's do not include the term "Breaker Bar." Consequently, I am not exactly sure when the term was adopted by American industry. But, I think we could consider Snap-on a pretty good yardstick of terminology evolution, and we happen to have an excellent resource of Snap-on catalogs at collectingsnapon.com. The last time Snap-on referred to this tool as a "Nut Spinner" in a catalog was 1973. The first time Snap-on referred to it as a "Breaker Bar" in a catalog was 1975.

The Japanese manufacturers to this day also calls them spinner handles, not breaker bars. KTC has a chapter on this on the proper usage of hand tools

 

[dukefx]

The Japanese manufacturers to this day also calls them spinner handles, not breaker bars. KTC has a chapter on this on the proper usage of hand tools

We simply call them flexible driving handles (rough translation).

 

[silvertina]

OK, why not just turn your breaker bar into a ratchet. That's what I've done: https://www.toptul.com/en/product-325311/Ratchet-Unit.html

A friend owns one of those ratcheting adapters. Surprisingly durable item from Toptul

 

[Wrench97]

Breaker bar or Ratchet, if it's that tight I'm grabbing the biggest air impact gun I have

Like has been posted if you have to work it back and forth or have clearance/space issues the breaker bar is the best choice past that the Snap On ratchet is the tool I'm grabbing.

 

[KnurledNut]

I prefer a breaker bar for my digital torque adaptor.
It also makes a better prybar and hammer. No worry about ripping a selector switch off.

 

[Mr Ratchet]

If I can’t use my impact, I almost always us my breaker bars to break loose a fastener. There are enough tests on youtube with these types of tools to see that there are several breaking points on each of them. The disadvantage to the ratchet is it has more parts to fail, harder to fit in tighter places, and could get switched into the wrong position accidently. The disadvantage to the breaker is it’s slower to remove a fastener completely and has less angle options.

 

[Lucid Moments]

+2

This subject has come up before. I have always been cantankerous about the term "breaker bar" for the implicit limitation in its utility (i.e., breaking loose stuck bolts). If that's all they were designed for, why make them swivel at all?

In fact, the tool was not even called a "breaker bar" when it first appeared in the 1930's, as an evolution of fixed Offset Handles and Tee Handles and the earliest and later vintage examples always included cross-drilled holes near the end of the handle, for a cross-bar, explicitly for spinning.

Technically, in catalogs and other marketing, Blackhawk called it a "Hinged Offset Handle". Bonney and Plomb called it a "Hinge Handle". Cornwell, New Britain, and Williams preferred "Flex Handle." Sears, Roebuck & Co (Craftsman) used a hybrid variation ("Flex T Handle"), as did Herbrand ("Flexible Offset Handle") and SK ("Flex Head Handle"). There were some notably unique oddballs: Duro-Chrome preferred "Swing Head Handle", Snap-on liked "Nut Spinner Handle", and Thorsen got cute with "Linkjoint Handle."

As far as I have been able to determine, the term "Breaker Bar" wasn't used - and that only colloquially, in shops, etc, until the late 1960's. The earliest I can find it turning up as a technical term in any automotive technical literature is 1971 and that was not a catalog but a hot rod magazine, lending credence to the theory that it came off the street.

The most modern catalogs I have for the mfgr's I cited above are from the late 1950's but spot checks into Bonney, Herbrand, and Snap-on catalogs in the 1960's do not include the term "Breaker Bar." Consequently, I am not exactly sure when the term was adopted by American industry. But, I think we could consider Snap-on a pretty good yardstick of terminology evolution, and we happen to have an excellent resource of Snap-on catalogs at collectingsnapon.com. The last time Snap-on referred to this tool as a "Nut Spinner" in a catalog was 1973. The first time Snap-on referred to it as a "Breaker Bar" in a catalog was 1975.

You make them swivel so you can use them at different angles if you can't get a 90 degree angle at the fastener. And for the rest of your post that all deals with what they were called before I was born and I am no longer young. They have been breaker bars my entire life (as far as I know) and I will always call them breaker bars.

As for the utility I rarely use them because I live in the south and rust just isn't an issue down here much. I do have both a 24" long 1/2" drive and a 40" long 3/4" drive bar. When I need the extra torque there isn't much of a substitute for the extra length, but I agree with what has been said earlier about ratchets that long being needlessly awkward. The longest ratchet I have is a flex head Snap On that is a little less than 18".

 

[f121]

I havent used my 1/2 breaker bar since I bought my 24" snap on flex head ratchet.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

The Japanese manufacturers to this day also calls them spinner handles, not breaker bars. KTC has a chapter on this on the proper usage of hand tools

We simply call them flexible driving handles (rough translation).

Good to know. Thanks. Curious about Europe, I checked the Wera and FACOM catalogues, which both sell them as "hinged handles".

They have been breaker bars my entire life (as far as I know) and I will always call them breaker bars.

Me providing the tool's history and technical name, which is still apparently used in many parts of the world, and pointing out that it is more diverse and comprehensive of its utilities than the much more common "breaker bar" colloquialism implies, had no intention of persuading anyone from their preferred term. A losing cause if there ever was one.

 

[WagonHo!]

I always thought the ratchet mechanism would be a weak point. I have no evidence to validate this.

Stripped ratchets in tool boxes of unexperienced enthusiastic diy’s everywhere Undisclosed of course Would validate this.

 

[boom_bap]

I was thinking about it. If you work on a lift then a 24 inch ratchet becomes less awkward. On the ground, 24 breaker to break it loose and swap to a short 6-12 inch ratchet makes a lot more sense

 

[dukefx]

Good to know. Thanks. Curious about Europe, I checked the Wera and FACOM catalogues, which both sell them as "hinged handles".

Yes, both hinged and flexible are used.

 

[joel63]

Snap-on? 24" ratchet, all day long.

Or if I feel the need Mr. 3/4 is checking in.