Breaker bars that keep the socket horizontal?

[mr.lemons]

I used a friend's breaker bar today and found that it had a ball detent that keeps the socket horizontal. I found this pretty useful for starting off lug nuts as I could use the bar as sort of a spinner. I am used to using a bar like the one on the left on the first pic. My friend's bar is on the right with a socket attached. Is is standard for bars like the one on the right to have the ball detent or is it specific to his? Thanks.

 

[derosa]

Wright breaker bar has ball detents at 90, 135 and 180, really like them for that reason. Just had to use a 5' cheater on mine to loosen an axle nut and it held just fine so the bar is strong too.

 

[davethorik]

Some have them, some dont. Depends on maker

 

[CJ7VFR]

The breaker bars (1/4, 3/8 and 1/2) that came with my Husky tool set all have the ball detents in them to help hold the sockets at a 90 degree angle or straight.

I have an old Craftsman 1/2 breaker bar, that I got from my dad decades ago, that has a ball in the handle part and the socket holding part has grooves in it. This allows the socket part to rotate in 15 degree increments as the ball kind of clicks into each groove.

I love that one because I can set the socket on the end of the breaker bar to just about any angle I want so it will fit onto a nut or bolt in places I can't reach my hand into to get it on there.

Jim

 

[ImportTuner]

My Wright breaker bar has it .. the Snap On does not

 

[ganymede]

WW2 era Armstrong has it.
Walden from same era has it too.
Walden from the 70's or 80's does not.
Late 60's Wright does not .
60's Bonney with weird tapered handle has it.
1940's Plomb does not.
1970's Proto does not.

 

[visionguru]

My generic (no-name) 18" break bar from Menards has this feature. Quite neat to take off wheel lug nuts.

 

[ptgarcia]

The Carlyle breaker bars I just bought have a ball detent to keep the socket parallel with the bar, but no detents at any other angle.