OP
Southernsorrow
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didn't open the bar yet, still in the bag they might be po'd enough to want it back now :-x.. proof of life cellphone pic:
Advice on a 24" Breaker
- Thread starter Southernsorrow
- Start date
I haven't opened it up yet to look but I expect to see like... a single tooth and 500 pawls all made of the toughest steel. Anchor tatoos on every one for extra strength.
chrisnazzy
Well-known member
davethorik
Well-known member
My V24SF is identical to yours. There is a nice heavy split washer used as a spring to keep tension on the joint, and it stays nice and tight. I like the triangle grip too. I think you'll like it.
OP
Southernsorrow
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This thing measures out to a 21/32 thick, snap-on lists there as 11/16 thick. I HIGHLY doubt I'll ever break this thing. I simply don't do heavy enough stuff with it. Compared to the rectangular shanked craftsman that snapped on me this Mac is a Lot thicker.
To answer a previous post: The reason I use a breaker over the ratchet "some of the time" is if I ever did do serious damage to my ratchet(s) "and they feel pretty un-killable" if I didn't drop dead on my own I'd probably be killed. Using a cheater pipe on a ratchet "too me" just seems like a bad idea when I have a solid piece of steel at my disposal.
Maybe I'm just too ocd to bust up my good tools, it kind of takes me awhile to afford them as it is. That's what the craftsman and harbor freight stuff is for. I don't mind hammering on a $40 tool but not the $200 stuff.
Plus at only 165lb, as my father would say "I don't have enough ***" to put into the shorter 16-18 inch for heavier sided work
the extra 6 inches helps out with that 
JJThrasher
Well-known member
This is what I was going to suggest. I have the Matco 24" ratchet and it has handled a 60" pipe on it when my 3/4" ratchet was too fat to fit. I've had at least 1000-1500 ft-lbs of torque pushed through that bad boy and never had an issue.
OP
Southernsorrow
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yeah it's way better than the craftsman I had that's laying in the field somewhere, well the bottom half at least. I think the top half made it over the fence into the neighbors yard
. Snapped in half, not at the square drive. Now you guys have me looking at and wanting a 24" flex head ratchet.... The 18" straight is/has been my favorite.... but now the breaker bar looks like he needs a buddy his size.. I should have never downloaded these tool catalogs
OP
Southernsorrow
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A 1000lb....**** I dont think I even went past 400ish with mine.... Dont own anything that would take that much torque around my yard.
The only reason I first went to 1/2 myself was 3/8 was just too damn small everytime needed to fix somthing around here I had to use a 3/8 to 1/2 adapter to use the bigger sized sockets. But back in the city the most I needed was the 3/8 size, now many years later moved back out into the country I need the bigger toys for pretty much everything lately.
I can get stuff off and back on easily with the 18 inch ratchet without problem it's just "easier" to use somthing longer "on some things" plus I dont mind using a cheater pipe or jumping on the breaker bars. I am currently looking at snap on 24 inch flex ratchets. If the ratchets can hold up to that kind of abuse, the breaker will probably be used as a last resort tool. I'm 50/50 on flex handle vs straight ratchet. Any downsides or weaknesses to having a flex head other than the hinge pin or screw?
My credit card just curled up in a corner and melted about an hour ago
Mac has a 26" axis flex ratchet. I bought one from a member here to go with my Matco set, ya know for when 18" isn't enough.
On one of the incline press I work on we torque the die shoe bolts to 1000ft lbs. To break loose we use a 6' flatbar with the hex key welded to the end, it takes two stout gents pushing/pulling to break them loose.
On one of the incline press I work on we torque the die shoe bolts to 1000ft lbs. To break loose we use a 6' flatbar with the hex key welded to the end, it takes two stout gents pushing/pulling to break them loose.
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nh_yota
Well-known member
I have the Tekton 24" 1/2" drive breaker bar that sells for about $20 on Amazon and I've been quite pleased with it so far. I needed it for a suspension/wheel bearing project on my truck last fall since I don't have an impact wrench. I couldn't afford to spend more money for an expensive breaker bar, and honestly I don't need to use one that big very often so the Tekton fit the bill.
I used it to break free some of the larger bolts on the front suspension which were pretty tight thanks to rust and loctite. I was sure I would snap the head off the Tekton breaker bar but it handled the torque just fine. I've used it a few times since then and I keep it under the rear seat of my truck.
On a related note, I've had one of those long-handled 1/2" drive Craftsman flex ratchets for years and I'll admit I've used it as a breaker bar more often that I should since I didn't have a 24" breaker bar until I got the Tekton. I also have a 15" long 1/2" drive Craftsman breaker bar which my brother gave me years ago but 15" is too short to do much good, which is why I used the longer Craftsman flex ratchet as a breaker bar for years.
I agree, I've got the same breaker bar and it is a great value and a great tool.
OP said he already had a non-flex verion long 1/2 drive, shl80a
https://store.snapon.com/Dual-80-17...th-Soft-Grip-Long-Handle-Ratchet-P650581.aspx
so he's getting flex+6 inches with this breaker bar.
the 24 in flrx ratchet is more expensive than both of those options, so saving $$
that's not to say the 24 flex ratchet is n't sweet
bob15
Well-known member
Wright has a nice 24" breaker bar. If truck tool only, Snap On. I had a Mac 3/4" breaker bar......I bent the handle, without a cheater bar. Won't buy another Mac breaker bar again.
Wakefield
Well-known member
Was it a relatively recent 3/4" dr. bar? (Mac's older 1/2" dr. bars used to be praised as I recall) those were hinge/fork on the head not the handle style
Somewhere on this forum I posted my sister's picture of my S*K 3/4" dr. bar
looks pretty stout but short at only about 18" -someone suggested that was so it would fit into some tool box-I guess it is assumed that cheater pipes end up on some of those things
Fedwrench
ALLIANCE MEMBER
You need a none of the above choice in your poll
Here's my spin not that anyone cares. I own Matco and Snap on 24" 1/2 drive breaker bars and they seem to flex a little more than I like. I would buy the thickest and stoutest 18 inch breaker bar to reduce the flex. I picked up one of SK's 30 inch 1/2 drive breaker bars, & I've been real happy with it.
Get the bar from the dealer that is the most dependable and serves you the best.
Here's my spin not that anyone cares. I own Matco and Snap on 24" 1/2 drive breaker bars and they seem to flex a little more than I like. I would buy the thickest and stoutest 18 inch breaker bar to reduce the flex. I picked up one of SK's 30 inch 1/2 drive breaker bars, & I've been real happy with it.
Get the bar from the dealer that is the most dependable and serves you the best.
OP
Southernsorrow
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I chucked my new mac in the vice "the head, not the square drive", put about 20 inches of pipe on it and hung from it and it flexed a little but damn I was yanking on it pretty good. It maybe deflected an inch but it snaps right back to perfectly straight once you stop bouncing on it. I highly doubt I'll ever break it with the stuff I work on, but if it does I literally only paid $44 for it brand new...
If I was buying from a truck or online at full price I'd have chose the snap on option as suggested by everyone the last few days. But since I ended up with the Mac "which I originally thought I lost" I'm happy with it.
All this damn tool talk has me finding things I Need... didnt need need anything a few days ago.... but now have to have this, that and the other thing ..
Now I'm trying to decide on flex vs straight handle snap-on 24" ratchet and if I want to buy it new from snapon or used/like new off ebay or forums
I already have a straight handle 18" Snap-on, I guess the flex version 24 would be better?
Just bought a set of knurled matco extensions 2,10,15 inch to replace the napa, and craftsman brand ones
I mostly prefer to just buy things New from the manufacturer or dealer but damn on ebay the Matco Extensions were $50 shipped for mint condition 2,10,15 inch knurled and got the 5 inch sk new for $8 shipped priority mail.. everything shipped this morning and they come tomorrow and monday.....
FergusonTO35
Well-known member
The Snappy SN24C I bought new off the truck when I was a tech has always served me well. it's primary use was crankshaft bolts and CV axle nuts so you can imagine it has endured some punishment. If I was buying one new today I would take a hard look at S-K and Wright.
JJThrasher
Well-known member
Disclaimer I AM DRUNK
Now. I used to be over 300lbs now I am a bit under. My big pipe in my box is 60" = 5'. Now 300lbs x 5 feet = 1500 ft-lbs which is how I get those numbers.
Now my biggest usage of such a technique of long *** pipe and 1/2" ratchet is 3500-5500 Dodge trucks where the axle tube is bent and you can't fit the impact to press the ball joints out.
Also since I haven't mentioned it recently I love these trucks since I make a killing on them. ******* engineers speccing way too small of an upper ball joint.
I had a 2014, 5500 Dodge work truck a while back. The upper ball joints started squeaking horribly at about 55,000 miles. I drilled and installed grease zerks in both uppers and the squeak instantly went away. They didnt want to take grease but I was able to force enough in there to make a difference.
bob15
Well-known member
It was around 1998-1999 vintage breaker bar. The Snappy guy bought it off me when I bought his (Snap On) 1 1/8" thick breaker bars, flex head and the ratchet head. Zero complaints with the Snap On.