Broken 1/2" drive extension

[honcho]

(Note: I searched for a broken tools thread that I thought I had seen in the forum, but didn't find one)

While using a torque wrench to tighten the lug nuts on my truck to 165 ft-lbs, I broke this no-name 6 inch 1/2" drive extension. I've had cheap locking and wobble extensions break before, but never a straight one. This has got me rethinking having cheap tools in my truck bag because the last place I need a tool to fail is when I don't have backups readily available.

 

[KYmillwright]

Yes.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

 

[tjmonsen5]

Would you look at that. Has it ever been used with an impact gun?

 

[General Geoff]

That's a disturbingly low amount of torque to break a straight 1/2" extension. The Ko-Ken wobble-fix 1/2" extensions I keep in my road box routinely put up with well over 350 ft-lbs (me jumping on the end of a 15" handled ratchet), and they have less contact area with the socket drive than the one pictured.

 

[kythri]

There's cheap, and then there's "so cheap we don't even stamp a name on it" cheap.

 

[Bigblue&Goldie]

Quality tools are cheaper than a tow bill. I keep all USA made tools of various brands in my road box. It's a pretty ****** feeling knowing that a junk tool is what's keeping you on the side of the road. I never understood why people buy **** tools for their road kits and quality tools for their home/shop? At home I have redundant tools, on the side of the road I need to be confident that my limited tools won't fail me.

 

[Mohawk Dave]

On the road or off road trail can literally be life or death for some of us.

Top notch tools in my rides....plus go bag....water...wool blanket from HF....

 

[d.mcfarland]

Was the extension inserted into the socket the entire way?

 

[66354dream]

Ive never even heard of that

 

[66354dream]

Quality tools are cheaper than a tow bill. I keep all USA made tools of various brands in my road box. It's a pretty ****** feeling knowing that a junk tool is what's keeping you on the side of the road. I never understood why people buy **** tools for their road kits and quality tools for their home/shop? At home I have redundant tools, on the side of the road I need to be confident that my limited tools won't fail me.

never thought about it that way but it makes a lot of sense .

 

[Farmall450]

Would you look at that. Has it ever been used with an impact gun?

I don't think it would make it long on an impact.

 

[jobo1004]

Was the extension inserted into the socket the entire way?

That's my thought as well. If the socket was all the way on you wouldn't think the extension would shear off where it did. Granted where the ball is would likely be it's weakest spot.

 

[knobby]

That's a disturbingly low amount of torque to break a straight 1/2" extension. The Ko-Ken wobble-fix 1/2" extensions I keep in my road box routinely put up with well over 350 ft-lbs (me jumping on the end of a 15" handled ratchet), and they have less contact area with the socket drive than the one pictured.

You sir are far braver that I.

 

[honcho]

Was the extension inserted into the socket the entire way?

There is a possibility it wasn't inserted all the way into the socket. I was torquing the nuts at the 6 o'clock position and the hub prevents a clear view. It still failed at a low value for a 1/2" drive tool.

To my knowledge, it has not been used on an impact wrench, the chrome does show any sign of stress fractures that I've seen on chrome plated tools used on impact wrenches.

Live and learn!

 

[RedneckWelder]

I twisted a 1/2" drive extension off just taking off lug nuts on a Ford Escape.

Was. Not. Impressed. There is a reason that my extensions nowadays are big beefy Williams brand ones.

 

[d.mcfarland]

There is a possibility it wasn't inserted all the way into the socket. I was torquing the nuts at the 6 o'clock position and the hub prevents a clear view. It still failed at a low value for a 1/2" drive tool.

To my knowledge, it has not been used on an impact wrench, the chrome does show any sign of stress fractures that I've seen on chrome plated tools used on impact wrenches.

Live and learn!

I'm not saying you used it incorrectly at all. It broke at it's weak point clearly. The deformed circle around the detent ball makes me believe it twisted pretty good also. I am just reaffirming most people's thoughts here that there are some cheap tools that just aren't up to the task.

I'm glad you are going to get some good ones for your emergency set.

 

[redwrench60]

Cheap *** tools crumbling like a breadstick from the Olive Garden? Nah......never heard of it.

 

[shockwave]

This is why I atleast have decent hand tools on my road bag

 

[defektes]

Quality tools are cheaper than a tow bill. I keep all USA made tools of various brands in my road box. It's a pretty ****** feeling knowing that a junk tool is what's keeping you on the side of the road. I never understood why people buy **** tools for their road kits and quality tools for their home/shop? At home I have redundant tools, on the side of the road I need to be confident that my limited tools won't fail me.

Agree 100%,

I do not understand the mentality of keeping nothing but cheapo stuff in a road box. You do not have the luxury of swapping it out or grabbing a different one. I understand the risk of theft, and loss, but those are small risks to take when your stranded and relying on said tools to save you.

 

[thegroundpounder99]

(Note: I searched for a broken tools thread that I thought I had seen in the forum, but didn't find one)

While using a torque wrench to tighten the lug nuts on my truck to 165 ft-lbs, I broke this no-name 6 inch 1/2" drive extension. I've had cheap locking and wobble extensions break before, but never a straight one. This has got me rethinking having cheap tools in my truck bag because the last place I need a tool to fail is when I don't have backups readily available.

I was looking for that thread just a little and couldn't find it either. Thought it was "Last tool you broke" ...I broke one today and wanted to post.

Back to your post, I keep some older Craftsman tools for my road bag. Don't need the best stuff, just reliable and enough to get it home.

 

[ssdave]

I want reliable in my road box, no easy way to get a backup if one fails. I have a Snap-on box, with a top tray and two drawers. My main tools in my garage box are mostly Proto, with some Snap-on, Indestro, and a few odd Bonney, Mac, Matco, etc. I have made it a point whenever I get a spare snap-on at a yard sale or in a box lot of tools, I use it to replace whatever is that size in the road box. Over time, most of it has become Snap-on, although the sockets are pretty much all Proto. I don't have to worry about any of those tools in that box failing.

I have had cheap tools fail, like that extension did, and usually that results in an injury when my hand strikes something or I fall down, or the broken tool hits me in the face. Because of that, I don't use any junk tools. Buying good tools is much cheaper than the injuries from using poor ones.

 

[Olafur]

30 years ago - this is what you got if you bought the cheapest China socket sets.

Perhaps equal junk is still floating around on the market. Last 15 years I have come across many cheap 1/2 drive socket sets and been forced to use some of them working on-site for customers in the construction business. IMHO this is not what you get today if you buy cheap tools. At least not socket sets.

 

[Flivver250]

Cheap tools are a waste of money.

 

[KEH]

The real waste of money is the ratchets in the cheap little tool sets. However, to be fair, I have seen 3/8 cheap ratchets in pawn shop junk bins that have the handle bent from a cheater bar, and the ratchet is still working. I also have seen cheap ratchets with the guts missing or present and not working. I used to pick them up and saw the head off, using the handle for a large short punch. I have enough of them so I've quit bothering. Guess the bottom line is that there is a lot of variation in cheap tools.

KEH

 

[HandToolGuy]

As one who sells more expensive tools - this is what we use as one of the justifications for quality tools. Even though all tools have a warranty... what is that warranty worth when you are out in the field w/ a broken tool and you can't get the job done?

 

[sberry]

Happens every once in a while. Pretty rare, I have beat some cheap extensions bad for a long time. The stuff in my road box is well worn and well proven. Some of it is cheap but it has made it this far and what more can one ask of an old cheap 3/9 wrench that I beat on the other day with a 20oz nail hammer on a brake bleeder. I thought for sure it had met its match, still perfect.
I value that little 3/8 Olympia I paid a dollar for as much as any, would be sorry to loose the little sucker as its been with me a long time, I "recognize" it as a good wrench and reach for it without hesitation.

 

[maico]

That's a disturbingly low amount of torque to break a straight 1/2" extension. The Ko-Ken wobble-fix 1/2" extensions I keep in my road box routinely put up with well over 350 ft-lbs (me jumping on the end of a 15" handled ratchet), and they have less contact area with the socket drive than the one pictured.

Stahlwille put a max of 200 Nm (147.5 ft lb for those living in the steam age) on their 1/2" wobbles

 

[General Geoff]

Stahlwille put a max of 200 Nm (147.5 ft lb for those living in the steam age) on their 1/2" wobbles

Koken makes no distinction in their literature between fixed extensions and wobble or wobble-fix extensions; they are all rated to a minimum of 590 Nm or ~435 ft lbs.


It should be pointed out that a dedicated wobble extension like the one in your picture has even less contact area than a wobble-fix which has a shoulder to engage the base of the socket square drive:

 

[maico]

I guess when it's at maximum wobble it's the corners that would round first not the square drive shear off.

I had a look at the online koken catalogue and it says the wobble-fix extension have less strength than the normal ones.

 

[2oolhound]

I'm lucky enough to have all quality brand extensions in all my boxes. The only place I keep no name is in my scrap tub waiting to be resurrected into some one time use specialty item.

 

[redwrench60]

What's this?.......Tools made from compressed fortune cookie powder fail when you really need them?? The hell you say!

 

[sberry]

I got a 3 pc set from ATD of 3/8 on sale of the wob fix. They worked so well I got another set when they came around in the flier again for like 12$ or something and I snagged another set. I got 25$ in to 6 pieces which by flea market standards may be hi but they came thru auto parts and never needed to use the warranty and we use them quite a bit for a while.
Really nice for plug work while keeping it simple.