HF Pro Breaker Bar

[diggerrick]

This has probably been covered already, but search won't work on my phone. Anyway, I was so unimpressed with the $10 HF 25" breaker bar that I sold it in a garage sale. True it never broke, but it sure did flex a lot. In a tight space it just wouldn't break anything loose. So this morning I noticed the new Pittsburgh Pro 1/2" drive 25" breaker bar with soft handle on sale for $19.99, so I got one for $16 with the 20% coupon. This new design is miles better than the cheap one. I haven't played with it much yet, but I already like it better than the cheap one. Anybody else try one yet?
http://m.harborfreight.com/12-in-drive-25-in-professional-breaker-bar-62729.html

 

[kctyphoon]

looks good.. the old one has worked well for me in the few times ive needed it.. i keep it on one of the trucks at work to tighten bolts that adjust the tension on bolsters. they keep telephone poles from shifting around while they are being towed on a trailer. ive actually sheared one of the bolts with the old HF breaker bar. i think i got it for like $12 on clearance months ago.

 

[PoorOwner]

Yeah the old style with the black handle gives a funny flex feeling

Are you saying the new one doesn't flex as much? Different material ?

 

[JettaGetUpandGo]

Stop spending my money.

That looks leaps and bounds better than the standard 25" bar. You're right, it did flex a lot, but I never broke mine either! The extra leverage over the Craftsman 18" is great.

 

[brook41]

I like this one better, thick and doesn't bend http://www.autozone.com/ratchets-so...st-1-2-in-drive-24-in-breaker-bar/560039_0_0/

 

[firworks]

I had a similar experience with the old 25" HF 1/2" breaker bar. It worked but it sure flexed a lot. I replaced it with a SK XXL 30" 1/2" breaker bar from SK day at Epstein's so I'm good on breaker bars now!

 

[kidcharlemange]

I bought one a few weekends ago and rotated my old HF breaker to trunk duty. I haven't gotten to use the new one a ton yet, but I did front brakes on my wife's car last weekend and used the new breaker on some rusty caliper bolts. It did a good job and I'd say it's well worth the price.

Off topic - this is my first post here. I've lurked for a long time and really enjoy the website!

 

[popparoach]

I passed on what seemed like a good deal for these , I just don't think I would use these much as I have Matco 24" locking flex ratchet and the tekton 30". So I don't think a 15" in 1/2 drive would be of much use.

 

[unslow1]

I just went by both HF and Autozone. Neither had the breaker bars shown in the links. Maybe they just are getting rid of old stock or something. They didn't have empty spaces.

 

[popparoach]

I wonder if we can make a frankenratchet with the new style bar and a HF flex head ratchet.

 

[PoorOwner]

The duralast specs seems better if the weight is correct it is 3.75 vs HF 2.35 lbs

The duralast maybe longer at 27.5" , but it maybe measuring the head straightened I don't think the head is 3.5" long.
I believe it has a lifetime warranty.

special order only free shipping right now no minimum.

 

[Super Mech]

The new HF breaker bar looks good from the pictures. I have the 10.00 1/2 HF breaker bar and I have to say that the thing is just about indestructible. I have put 5 and 6 foot pipes on that thing and it won't break. For ten bucks it's awesome.

 

[Wakefield]

That one shows the hinge on the handle style like an S*K
I think previous Harbor Freight bars with fork on the head style have come from both Taiwan and China.
My Duralast 72-124 is only about 24" long seems stout but the bolt was loose when it was new -I thought they had discontinued those and replaced them with a Chinese one

 

[Richard Cranium]

I also have the older hf breaker bar and it has never let me down yet, Maybe tomorrow, who knows

 

[redwrench60]

I have one here I bought for a perticular use. I went to buy the $10 cheapy and ended up with the pro version after seeing how much better it looked. I can say this, it's most definitely better than anything you'd buy from Craftsman, Kobalt or Husky. It appears to be a decent quality Taiwan made tool for a fair price. It has good chrome, good fit and good overall build quality. I'll be curious to see how the plastic and rubber handle holds up.

 

[jetdawg]

definitely thread worthy

 

[PoorOwner]

Just got a shipping info for duralast 72-124 and it says 1kg 2.2 lbs
I hope it comes in heavier

Will measure diameter and weight and report back,
The head probably breaks first so might not matter

 

[sberry]

8$ for a tool that seems noticeably better isn't much.

 

[anndel]

Looks decent enough but maybe it's made out of re-bar.

 

[Super Sport]

Just got a shipping info for duralast 72-124 and it says 1kg 2.2 lbs
I hope it comes in heavier

Will measure diameter and weight and report back,
The head probably breaks first so might not matter

I have both pro-quality and cheap breaker bars. The cheap ones are usually noticeably heavier and thicker. I'm sure they're compensating for cheaper metal. Basing quality on weight and size doesn't matter. My Snap On and Matco bars would lose to the Harbor Freight ones!

 

[Mechanical Noise]

I have both pro-quality and cheap breaker bars. The cheap ones are usually noticeably heavier and thicker. I'm sure they're compensating for cheaper metal. Basing quality on weight and size doesn't matter. My Snap On and Matco bars would lose to the Harbor Freight ones!

Thicker is stiffer and better. The older HF bar is thin and flexible. It bends like a beam style torque wrench. The steel quality seems to be good enough because it always springs back.

 

[AA/FC]

I wonder if we can make a frankenratchet with the new style bar and a HF flex head ratchet.

It looks pissible. I will find out tomorrow. I already own the 25" SO ratchet (I love it) but I think a HF frankenratchet would be nice to have too.

 

[lightning02]

I wonder if we can make a frankenratchet with the new style bar and a HF flex head ratchet.

It looks pissible. I will find out tomorrow. I already own the 25" SO ratchet (I love it) but I think a HF frankenratchet would be nice to have too.

that be cool to see and then put under a load and see what it does with that head with that much leverage.

 

[Mach 1]

I have the Snap on Breaker Bar..and it flexs something fierce...just doesnt feel right.

I have just started using the 3/4" ratchet and it doesnt flex..I made an extension for the handle that adds another 2' out of a 1.5" pipe..you can stand on it and it doesnt have that flexing felling to it..

 

[anndel]

I have Armstrong breaker bars in 3/8", 1/2" and 3/4".

 

[AA/FC]

I wonder if we can make a frankenratchet with the new style bar and a HF flex head ratchet.

It looks pissible. I will find out tomorrow. I already own the 25" SO ratchet (I love it) but I think a HF frankenratchet would be nice to have too.

that be cool to see and then put under a load and see what it does with that head with that much leverage.

Well, It can be done.... but not without modification.

I had to drill out the cross pin hole in the ratchet head because the cross bolt on the breaker bar is larger than the bolt on the 1/2 drive ratchet. I also had to slightly elongate the hole to allow the bolt to go all the way through the hole. Even so, the ratchet head will still not swivel. The shoulders of the breaker bar run right up to the bottom of the ratchet head and since the shoulders are not a perfect radius (there is a flat spot in the center) it stops the head from swiveling. I could hit those breaker bar shoulders on my disk sander which would probably give me enough clearance for the head to swivel but I'm not sure I even need this ratchet since I already have the big SO version. I may just re-assemble this as a breaker bar and call the "donor Ratchet" a loss. The only part that I drilled was the ratchet head, The breaker bar pieces are still unmodified.

Anyway, just thought I would update this thread since I mentioned trying this yesterday.

Disclaimer: If you try to make one of these yourself, you WILL need to modify some of the pieces to make it fit. You have been warned. You are on your own.

 

[firworks]

Well, It can be done.... but not without modification.

I had to drill out the cross pin hole in the ratchet head because the cross bolt on the breaker bar is larger than the bolt on the 1/2 drive ratchet. I also had to slightly elongate the hole to allow the bolt to go all the way through the hole. Even so, the ratchet head will still not swivel. The shoulders of the breaker bar run right up to the bottom of the ratchet head and since the shoulders are not a perfect radius (there is a flat spot in the center) it stops the head from swiveling. I could hit those breaker bar shoulders on my disk sander which would probably give me enough clearance for the head to swivel but I'm not sure I even need this ratchet since I already have the big SO version. I may just re-assemble this as a breaker bar and call the "donor Ratchet" a loss. The only part that I drilled was the ratchet head, The breaker bar pieces are still unmodified.

Anyway, just thought I would update this thread since I mentioned trying this yesterday.

Disclaimer: If you try to make one of these yourself, you WILL need to modify some of the pieces to make it fit. You have been warned. You are on your own.

How much is the Snap-On equivalent of what you are frankenstein's monstering? That looks to be like 40$ in HF parts.

 

[MrSmiley]

How much is the Snap-On equivalent of what you are frankenstein's monstering? That looks to be like 40$ in HF parts.

~$200 off the truck. Used about 150

 

[AA/FC]

~$200 off the truck. Used about 150

Keep going....

My SO ratchet pictured is the locking head version. I know the NON locking is $226 retail but is ususlly on sale for about $190.(I bought one of those too) The locking version is obviously more. I think around $240 or $250. I'd have to check my SO invoice to be sure.


And yes, it's about $40 in HF parts. Actually less since I got 20% off of both items. Lol



.

 

[firworks]

Well, It can be done.... but not without modification.

I had to drill out the cross pin hole in the ratchet head because the cross bolt on the breaker bar is larger than the bolt on the 1/2 drive ratchet. I also had to slightly elongate the hole to allow the bolt to go all the way through the hole. Even so, the ratchet head will still not swivel. The shoulders of the breaker bar run right up to the bottom of the ratchet head and since the shoulders are not a perfect radius (there is a flat spot in the center) it stops the head from swiveling. I could hit those breaker bar shoulders on my disk sander which would probably give me enough clearance for the head to swivel but I'm not sure I even need this ratchet since I already have the big SO version. I may just re-assemble this as a breaker bar and call the "donor Ratchet" a loss. The only part that I drilled was the ratchet head, The breaker bar pieces are still unmodified.

Anyway, just thought I would update this thread since I mentioned trying this yesterday.

Disclaimer: If you try to make one of these yourself, you WILL need to modify some of the pieces to make it fit. You have been warned. You are on your own.

You probably could put the ratchet back together with a cylindrical shim in it. What size ID is the hole you drilled and OD of the pin for the ratchet?

Edit: Since "cylindrical shim" is a thing and isn't what I meant, put a little piece of brass tube in there.

 

[AA/FC]

You probably could put the ratchet back together with a cylindrical shim in it. What size ID is the hole you drilled and OD of the pin for the ratchet?

Edit: Since "cylindrical shim" is a thing and isn't what I meant, put a little piece of brass tube in there.

Meh, it's probably not worth it to me to save that ratchet. I have PLENTY of quality 1/2 inch ratchets that I rarely use now. I don't really need another, especially a Taiwan ratchet taking up more space in the ratchet drawer. It was less than $19. It was a cheap enough "gamble" to see if I could make a clone of a $200+ SO ratchet. And remember, I had to slightly elongate the hole so it's not perfectly round anymore. I doubt any type of shim would hold up real well if the hole isn't perfect.

 

[firworks]

Meh, it's probably not worth it to me to save that ratchet. I have PLENTY of quality 1/2 inch ratchets that I rarely use now. I don't really need another, especially a Taiwan ratchet taking up more space in the ratchet drawer. It was less than $19. It was a cheap enough "gamble" to see if I could make a clone of a $200+ SO ratchet. And remember, I had to slightly elongate the hole so it's not perfectly round anymore. I doubt any type of shim would hold up real well if the hole isn't perfect.

Well if you end up about to throw it away throw it in a flat rate envelope instead. I can probably figure out some way to get that thing back together for fun screwing around.

 

[dudutzu905]

since you already drilled the ratchet head, why not take it(the ratchet head) to the grinder, grind 2 small areas to allow the handle to swivel?

 

[90zcar]

I am very interested in this new breaker bar style. I could always use another one and attach a socket for my lugs to keep in my trunk. I bought one of the 25" breaker bars back in the spring and was unimpressed by how much the bar flexed so I stuck a 19mm deep on it and threw it in my wife's trunk.
I since saved up and bought a snap on 25" ratchet and don't regret it one bit
Even tho I said I didn't like the flex of the hf bar that doesn't mean I don't like it. For 10 bucks you can't beat it especially for a lug breaker.
Interested in this new comfort handle one. Will let some time pass to see more reviews


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[BK13]

Well, the new bar looks pretty cool. Now I just need to figure out if the completionist OCD side of my brain will over ride the cheap ******* that I seem to be turning into. I already have a few of the new-style ratchets, but I also have a 24" Snap On bar (that I haven't touched since I discovered M18 impact wrenches).

I'd put money on me buying it eventually. Along with one of the jumbo SK bars. LOL Might as well have a complete selection of redundant tools.

 

[bczygan]

This thread made me stop by HF and really look at the new bar.

Already have a selection of HF breaker bars, so didn't get it.

Good to know it's there if I want it.


Bill

 

[diggerrick]

Side by side comparison:

 

[PoorOwner]

Duralast
Weight in at 3.5 lbs

Guaranteed for life
Made in Taiwan

Measure to drive is about 23.75"

 

[flying eyeball]

 

[theoldwizard1]

I have Armstrong breaker bars in 3/8", 1/2" and 3/4".

But the 1/2" and 3/4" are the same length ! LAME