How did it happen?

[knock knock]

What is the last tool you broke or seen broken?
Mine was a cheap c clamp used on the neigboors brake change.

 

[darkzero]

Other than drill bits which are consumables & many times I can just resharpen, this.....

I'm actually quite bummed about it. I have a plan to fix it, if unsuccessful, no problem, I have another one that I got for free under warranty.

 

[finn]

Last one I recall, other than a junk HF zip tie tightening tool that went back for credit the same day, was an imported vice from Farm and Fleet with a lifetime warranty.

Seems my son was replacing the axle bearing of the $900 Ford Contour he bought as a winter car.

I didn’t have a proper hydraulic press so we tried the 6” Vice.

There’s a lot of energy released when a cast vice let go.

Brought it back to F&F and they would readily replace it no questions asked. I couldn’t see getting another of the same, so asked if they would credit me on the best vice they had at the time..

No problem, but “here’s the email of the corporate buyer. See what he says”.

Got a return email the next day from corporate, with a copy to the store manager in Montgomery ill, authorizing the upgrade.

I still have the new (Jorgensen?) Vice in its orange box, waiting for a place to put it sitting, on a shelf, unopened, probably twenty years later.

Excellent customer service.

 

[rust in the eye]

Busted a Bondhus ball tip hex key(I was really asking for it) and now faced with finding a single. I'll struggle by without the ball tip until I have a more significant tool order as net cost to buy only one and nothing else amounts to near $10 including the shipping.
the price I pay for abuse

 

[Kent_B]

My most memorable was a 14mm SO deep chrome socket that I split doing a Subaru wheel bearing. It was well over 30 years old so I just bought a Husky off the rack and considered the SO as a consumable.

 

[BTL-A4]

My lathe chuck key tip broke. 1/4" square. Looks like a stress fracture or defect.

Years ago I borrowed a Harbor Freight breaker bar from a neighbor. It broke turning the wheel bolts on my 914. Part went flying all over the place. I took it back to my local HF and they gave me a new one. It was old, so I told them I bought it along time ago at their original store in Long Beach. My neighbor bought me a can of Liquid Wrench for going through all the trouble.

I found an open-end/box wrench from HF that was broken. Took it back and got a replacement out of a set. Went back a few days later and bought the set for 20% off.

I broke the tips off a pair of small Craftsman pliers. They didn't have the ones I broke anymore, so I got better ones.

When I was teaching woodshop, the students would strip the tips of Craftsman Phillips head mini-screwdrivers driving in brass hinge screws into oak. They drilled pilot holes, but didn't really have the proper technique down.

 

[isb cornbinder]

I went for a visit and BROKE out laughing when my friend showed up. I cannot show the picture he does not know about. He showed up in his yard, naked and riding an Harley Davidson golf cart.

 

[john.k]

I was helping my nighbour with the side fence .....his set of screw bits went crunch one after another ...........so he went and got some more of the same cheap brand..... they broke off in the screws too........so he went back and got some more........... maybe a better brand next time ?

 

[Fixr]

I went for a visit and BROKE out laughing when my friend showed up. I cannot show the picture he does not know about. He showed up in his yard, naked and riding an Harley Davidson golf cart.

Mental Eyebleach STAT!

 

[AC-WC]

My last one about a year ago was my digi-tork Craftsman torque wrench Close to 30 yrs. I was torquing the front strut on my wife's car at 130 ft lbs almost fell on my keister when it broke. The new digital ones are over $200. Needless to say I now have a Tekton but it's the old style screw type clicker that's harder to read.

 

[Ohio Andy]

I found an open-end/box wrench from HF that was broken. Took it back and got a replacement out of a set. Went back a few days later and bought the set for 20% off.

I bought a set of three small locking pliers at harbor freight and one of the locking pliers had a problem so I brought it back and they broke out that set of three and then they put the two remaining ones on the discount shelf.

The discounted price was about 15% missing one of the three pliers. The store nearest me never has good deals on their discount rack, the prices are always very high relative to the entire set. I mean someone must be buying them.

 

[BTL-A4]

I bought a set of three small locking pliers at harbor freight and one of the locking pliers had a problem so I brought it back and they broke out that set of three and then they put the two remaining ones on the discount shelf.

The discounted price was about 15% missing one of the three pliers. The store nearest me never has good deals on their discount rack, the prices are always very high relative to the entire set. I mean someone must be buying them.

Someone told me the price goes down the longer they sit in the shelf. I didn't wait for the set to go down; I bought it as soon as I could to make sure I got it.

You're right; the discount is never very good.

 

[oldwino]

Ju yesterday I broke a 5/16” ratcheting box wrench (Gearwrench). Handle moved just fine but no turnie on the business end. Couldn’t have been more than 30lbs torque. Time to upgrade

 

[chris142]

My ratcheting gear wrench E-torx E8 wrench

 

[Semi-hole mechanic]

I broke the tip off a CMan straight screw driver using it to pry on something, old screwdriver, no big loss. Local Sears couldn’t get a replacement, it’s still in my toolbox being used as a small prybar.

 

[HaiKarate]

1/2 craftsman chrome socket on my impact lol

 

[hobie18]

Phillips screwdriver. Handle twisted. Low torque. Lower quality.

 

[Sumboodie]

M18 high torque.

Randomly works when trigger is pulled. Sent it to the big Milwaukee heaven.
Before was a grinder, metal circ saw, drill and a wood circ saw. All those let the smoke out.

 

[Boogerman]

Last tool broke Wiha precison ball end driver. Turning in setscrew on rifle part, just twisting driver with 3 fingers, snapped. Ball end stuck in set screw. Personal project, just set aside haven't gotten back to remove snapped end. Not going replace, had this happen ball ends too many times.

 

[Boogerman]

Forgot, broke small ball peen hammer handle last week. Doing brake rotor/pad change, using two pry bars to move calipers back, got lazy and was going to use hammer head as shim to pry with pry bar last little bit just because it was within reach. Got carried away and pulled sideways on handle to pry against bars, and it cracked. Replaced with octagon green Proto handle I like better, so improved the hammer anyway.

 

[CHI_Tool&Die]

I annihilated my Interrapid vertical .0005” indicator the other day. I mixed up my axis orientation on the control handle because I was in a rush and rapid jogged downward in Z instead of moving across in X like I thought. Full sent it into the part I was indicating in. Pissed as hell but I’m hoping that a guy my foreman swears by can fix it.

 

[DGersic]

1/2” breaker bar. Was attempting to remove the hub on my Dakota. Had a long cheater pipe on it. Bar bent before the anvil gave up.

 

[Semi-hole mechanic]

1/2” breaker bar. Was attempting to remove the hub on my Dakota. Had a long cheater pipe on it. Bar bent before the anvil gave up.

Was the hub nut a nylock? I replaced my right front earlier this year on my ‘97 2wd. The aftermarket was a nylock and went on a lot harder than the OEM came off.

 

[pizza]

a sds plus bit just melted down in a hole i was drilling into brick. the carbide tip debrazed or otherwise detached itself, and the drill bit slightly mushroomed behind it as it spun. that hole was right where i wanted it, too. damn

 

[DGersic]

Was the hub nut a nylock? I replaced my right front earlier this year on my ‘97 2wd. The aftermarket was a nylock and went on a lot harder than the OEM came off.

No, just rusty/stuck/hard to remove. 24” SO bar and HF Earthquake eventually got it loose. Other side popped right off without issues.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Broke a Cman punch the other day trying to straighten it out.

 

[cherrybomb]

I was helping my nighbour with the side fence .....his set of screw bits went crunch one after another ...........so he went and got some more of the same cheap brand..... they broke off in the screws too........so he went back and got some more........... maybe a better brand next time ?

He needs to spend more time on this site.Our knowledgeable members can lead him to make better choices,saving time running back and forth,and making wrenching fun

 

[john.k]

Its quite funny ,actually ...the hardware stores have any number of sets of Chinese driver bits for a coupla bucks ..........the good stuff is kept under lock and key ,local big box hardware the bit case has two keys ,just like a bank safe.

 

[2ndGearRubber]

Around 2 weeks ago my snapon 13mm ratcheting wrench decided to only ratchet in reverse, not forward. Around the same time, I shattered the tip of my Wera #2 screwdriver.

Today, I split my 19mm wheel socket.

It's been a bad run.

 

[Dixie_Flatline]

Craftsman extractor about a month ago while trying to remove a stuck exhaust manifold stud. This was 80s Craftsman I believe, got it from my grandfather, so I am left wondering if it was just time to go or I was applying too much force. When it let go I ended up punching the frame rail which felt amazing!

 

[Fixr]

Around 2 weeks ago my snapon 13mm ratcheting wrench decided to only ratchet in reverse, not forward. Around the same time, I shattered the tip of my Wera #2 screwdriver.

Today, I split my 19mm wheel socket.

It's been a bad run.

Has your skin been turning green? Clothing turning to shreds?

 

[Wiz02]

I recently broke an ancient cheap 3 inch long 1/2" drive impact extension trying to remove a lugnut. Time before that was years ago when my 1/4" drive Craftsman SS ratchet puked it's guts out removing some sheet metal screws out of a dryer.

 

[Dixie_Flatline]

Has your skin been turning green? Clothing turning to shreds?

You thinking what I am thinking?

 

[micromind]

3/8" heavy hex nut on farm machinery. 11/16" wrench. Open end, no room for the box end.

Pulled way hard, wouldn't budge. Went and got pipe......snap!!

Apply smokewrench.....get new bolt and nut.

 

[ChevyEFI]

I don't remember the last.

But I have a cracked handle shovel nearby.