Destroyed a HF Breaker Bar

[Wakefield]

^ ^ Where is that picture of GJer with 48" or longer 3/4 or 1" drive breaker bar ??

Imagine that would be an "easy" pull even on tractor lug nuts !!

I believe Mr. Holeshot posted such a picture of a man with a huge bar,perhaps he had a son that might have been the man in the picture.
(Not the huge Promo Snap On bar which was a prop I believe)

 

[WittHay]

the OP one is better design, poor metal stock probably the cause, that yoke design goes back decades and is more expensive manufacture over the slotted head type use on budget bars, I got breaker bars 60 years old that take a 4ft pipe no bother.

The Proto sockets in the picture were broken taking off front tractor wheels. Using either a Snap-on or Proto 18" breaker bar with a 2 to 3ft pipe.

Have never broken a 18" Snap-on or Proto breaker bar. Craftsman that's a different story

 

[SuperCat]

Those broken sockets belong in the WTF thread.

 

[WittHay]

^ They were broken in the days before powerful 1/2" impacts. It was a 2 man job. One guy would hold the flex-end of the breaker bar and steady the extension while applying pressure on the socket. The other guy would lean on the 3ft. pipe.

 

[Mechanical Noise]

Just an observation I find a bit funny. When a Harbor Freight tool breaks, It's because it was a cheap POS. When any other tool breaks, its some sort of deep mystery.

No mystery. If a non-Harbor Freight tool breaks, it's operator error/tool abuse.

 

[Mechanical Noise]

I don't have that HF bar but I do have the older, big head 25" bar. That one is plenty strong, strong enough to explode my made-in-USA Craftsman sockets. The newer HF pro bar gets nearly as good as ratings on the HF boards. I suspect you got a defective bar.

HF quality control. Exchange it, you'll probably get a good one.

 

[pepi]

Not unexpected ......... you were surprised?

Shouldn't have, it's one of those, "not if *** but when events."

Greg

 

[Mr_B]

^ They were broken in the days before powerful 1/2" impacts. It was a 2 man job. One guy would hold the flex-end of the breaker bar and steady the extension while applying pressure on the socket. The other guy would lean on the 3ft. pipe.

the good old days, when young I use be the boy holding the flex end, rag round it as seen people with bad cuts or loose teeth from exploding breaker bar joints .

 

[sberry]

I had a guy break one, 6 ft pipe on it. Not smart enough to put a 3/4 air gun on.

 

[sberry]

Every once in a while there is a fault. Bac in the early 80-90's I had a lot of cman sockets snap right out of the box, first use and not leveraged. We actually proof tested a set before a job it was bad enough.
The MIT/HF bars are pretty well proven considering the numbers and the abuse they get. I am always leary of leaning that hard on something like that no matter the brand.
I saw this stuff on oil wells, dumb fuggers up on a sketchy place prying with **** tool. I tooled up and got comp and air guns.

 

[Diddler]

Hope it's not against the rules to link video here? I'm not a huge fan of Harbor freight stuff, but some of their tools might actually be good.

 

[HanShotFirst]

Hope it's not against the rules to link video here? I'm not a huge fan of Harbor freight stuff, but some of their tools might actually be good.

I have found the Pittsburgh Pro sockets, Ratchets and associated tools to be very good...about as good as Taiwan has to offer. Which is to say, they are very good tools, but not what I would consider professional grade. Sure a pro can get by just fine with HF Pittsburgh Pro tools but they're probably not what ANY pro wrench would consider preferable.

As a weekend warrior who works primarily on motorcycles, I doubt I would ever kill them.

 

[lightning02]

I have found the Pittsburgh Pro sockets, Ratchets and associated tools to be very good...about as good as Taiwan has to offer. Which is to say, they are very good tools, but not what I would consider professional grade. Sure a pro can get by just fine with HF Pittsburgh Pro tools but they're probably not what ANY pro wrench would consider preferable.

As a weekend warrior who works primarily on motorcycles, I doubt I would ever kill them.

there are alot better Taiwan made ratchets then the design that HF uses.

as for the sockets i never had an issue with them so i cant say if there taiwan made sockets are better if not the same then the next brand taiwan made sockets. i think toptul sockets are taiwan made and just by looks you can tell they are better. but thats just in looks. i never used a toptul socket so i cant fully say if there stronger but i never seen or heard of anyone breaking them or not liking them.