Show us your broken wrenches

[ReggieR]

Anything but Allens, ratcheting and the like.
Double box end, combinations, double open ends, striking wrenches.
This is due to the GJ infatuation with warranty replacements( when-if necessary). I've been yanking on wrenches since Nixon was the liar of the year and may have popped 3-4 with a large bar, pipe or hammer as my assistant.....and alcohol as a fuel additive.Operator error every time.

Here we have a worry thread over Carslyle or Channelock impending doom wrench failures and what to do when it doesn't happen.I don't get it.
Ratchets can be another matter.....if you don't own a breaker bar.Pretty hard to tear up a ratchet unless you're stupid or it's pure junk from the git gR....alcohol,pipe,hammer,size 12 enter the dance.

Sockets are another critter. I've popped my fair share of them, especially 12 point. Big difference in yanking a 10 inch long 3/4" box wrench and pulling a 18-20 inch plus breaker bar with a 3/4 socket on it.

Lets see these busted wrenches

 

[Tallpilot]

I think most of your assertions are correct. I think it has entered the flat rate mechanic ethos that you break the tool if you have to because time is money then make the tool truck guy give then a new one.

I'll leave the merits of that strategy to the philosophers.

 

[jonesg]

Sockets are consumables,
wrenches only break from abuse.

 

[Gmonkee]

Don't use logic on this site!

It just confuses the natives.

Store branded rebrands of Asain tools are all a flavor of the month thing anymore. Next month its gonna be a different style/supplier/house brand anyway and invariably the guy wanting warranty will hate them.

Don Quiote had a simpler task than trying to apply reality to the entitled of this world. Better chances of success too.

 

[CoogarXR]

When I was in my teens and early 20s I broke a lot of tools. But I was less patient (more prone to grunt-power and cheater pipes) and I owned crappier tools. I don't think I have broken a tool in ages.

 

[Whoismiked]

In regard to the warranty part of this discussion:

I agree that in 99% of situations people don't break wrenches when using them correctly. But the way I look at it, piece of mind does have value.

Kind of like spending the money on a security system for your house or car, it may never actually come into use, but the piece of mind 'just in case' does have value.

Also when someone purchases something and it is advertised as having a lifetime warranty, that does play a role in their purchase decision on how much value that purchase has to them. Also you have to assume that the warranty is also factored into their product price. So if something changes for that to no longer be the case (the company shuts down or whatever) the customer feels like they lost value, even though they may not likely ever need that warranty, it was sold to them with a promise that may no longer exist, that feels like lost value.

 

[48RON54]

ive broke a few wrenches but never bothered to take pictures. The culprit has always been me using a cheater bar to get more leverage.

ive had a 1/2" craftsman ratchet that I've abused the **** out of and she is still holding strong. Just last night I was standing on it trying to loosen up some lugnuts and she still didn't give out. That ratchet impresses me. I guess eventually it will die on me lol

 

[PFSard]

- I don't have any broken wrenches. Cracked a few sockets from using a cheater bar. No pics for these.

- I love that saying "since Nixon was the liar of the year". Did you make that up yourself? I'd like to use that in the future.

 

[2oolhound]

Here's one -

I put a large open end over the the broken jaw for leverage when trying to remove a corroded on master brake reservoir on my motorcycle. I don't remember how I eventually got it off after breaking this one.

I glued it on the face of a tool box -

 

[HighwayTrout]

I love this thread already.
The local common complainers of warranty have nothing to show. lol
Funny how that works.

*bob menery voice*
Anyways, ReggieR back to you.


Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[trackwelder]

I love this thread already.
The local common complainers of warranty have nothing to show. lol
Funny how that works.

*bob menery voice*
Anyways, ReggieR back to you.


Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app

Who other than a tool polisher takes pictures of the tools they break? I have broke a ton of **** up here in the rust belt. Yes some from abuse and some just from yanking the hell out of the wrench. I broke a deep 3/4”-3/8 drive snappy socket the other day. No pictures it just sits on the desk at work waiting to get replaced.

 

[gtlaw]

 

[2oolhound]

I find open end wrenches spread and round the nut before they break. The way mine broke was interesting but then it was being abused.

 

[rijndael]

Who other than a tool polisher takes pictures of the tools they break?

People who use the pictures for the warranty return, like with Tekton or Sunex.

 

[48RON54]

did you run it over with a forklift?

 

[HighwayTrout]

People who use the pictures for the warranty return, like with Tekton or Sunex.

That and pretty much everyone living in 2018.

 

[sberry]

I broke a couple banging against them with an impact It didn't occur to me they were warranted till after I cut them up in to something else. I spent 10$ and replaced them all.

 

[plinker]

The only wrenches that actually broke on me (open end spreading doesnt count) were #1, a Bonney made Matco WCL 7/8 long combo. Jaw snapped off replacing a hydraulic hose. #2 is a Carlyle 12mm x something mm zero box end wrench. Tried using it on a driveshaft bolt and the box end developed a crack.

No pictures as the local Matco guy and Napa took care of them in a timely fashion, though I have the jaw piece from the 7/8 yet.

For open end's spreading; mostly Craftsman RP's, a couple Snap-on and Matco wrenches, any size 9/16 and under. Particularly 7/16.

Installing 1/8 npt grease fittings on hydraulic cylinders did most of the 7/16 wrenches in, including a flank drive plus wrench. Not sure if the factory didnt form the threads right or what, but in order to clock them correctly it took a bit of force (90* fittings).

 

[redwrench60]

I’ve been wrenching for a living for a lot of years. Not quite since Nixon was liar of the year but.......

I’m not likely to break a wrench unless it’s just an absolute **** quality throwaway. I’m more likely to spread the open end or round off a really tight fastener with a poor quality wrench. The only one that really surprised me was a V-throat open end 18MM Cornwell wrench that split right at the V while I was loosening a P/S pressure line. No pics because my dealer warrantied it right away. I like to know I can really lean into my tools and not worry about them spreading or breaking unexpectedly.

 

[gtlaw]

did you run it over with a forklift?

I'm just that strong

 

[tym]

The only wrench I've broken was an Allen (sorry). I was (mis)using it to remove the nut from a rusty GM alternator.

 

[American Locomotive]

I've only "broken" one wrench before. It was one of those Craftsman super-mini 5/16 box end wrenches - the ones that are like 3" long for super tight areas. I was taking off a Jeep driveshaft at the junkyard, and it was the only 5/16 wrench I have. Can't really blame it.

I have bent a Snap-On wrench trying to take off a stubborn bolt. A craftsman wrench took the same bolt off no problem.

 

[tym]

I have bent a Snap-On wrench trying to take off a stubborn bolt. A craftsman wrench took the same bolt off no problem.

Please tell me it was a raised panel Craftsman wrench too, as that'll drive some GJers nuts.

 

[American Locomotive]

Please tell me it was a raised panel Craftsman wrench too, as that'll drive some GJers nuts.

Yup, just a normal 13mm RP craftsman wrench

 

[Tallpilot]

That and pretty much everyone living in 2018.

Things have changed quite a bit now that we all have a camera in our pocket or on our belt all day long. Now half the people I work with had a cell phone in high school and can't even remember land lines. I remember getting rid of our last rotary dialer.

I’ve been wrenching for a living for a lot of years. Not quite since Nixon was liar of the year but.......

I’m not likely to break a wrench unless it’s just an absolute **** quality throwaway. I’m more likely to spread the open end or round off a really tight fastener with a poor quality wrench. The only one that really surprised me was a V-throat open end 18MM Cornwell wrench that split right at the V while I was loosening a P/S pressure line. No pics because my dealer warrantied it right away. I like to know I can really lean into my tools and not worry about them spreading or breaking unexpectedly.

More than a few stories indicating these V style wrenches have a weak point there. I'm not enough of an engineer to make a reasoned analysis however it is interesting Snap-on does not offer a wrench with that design.

 

[Tallpilot]

Please tell me it was a raised panel Craftsman wrench too, as that'll drive some GJers nuts.

Yup, just a normal 13mm RP craftsman wrench

This is a good explanation. If your lobster claw wrench fits it is going to be less likely to spread. But they are so ugly in the drawer they offend Wamsutta so you should go with the 'curves in the right places' Snap-on.

 

[WWheeler]

Things have changed quite a bit now that we all have a camera in our pocket or on our belt all day long. Now half the people I work with had a cell phone in high school and can't even remember land lines. I remember getting rid of our last rotary dialer. [...]

Glad I never threw away the last of our rotary phones. We had a 3+ week power outage due to major ice storm ~7-8 years ago. Even though we were limping by with a generator the local phone company was also down so no one could place a call. Even all of the cell towers were down. My neighbor, who is in his 90s, who we let stay with us through the outage, shared a story about a power outage "40 years ago" when touchtone phones were fairly new where only rotary phones would work. So, I dusted off an old rotary phone and sure enough, I could place calls to anyone outside of the outage no problem. It wouldn't ring though if someone tried to call us. We were the only ones in town that we knew of that had figured out a way to make a call.

 

[Gmonkee]

Long live the lobster claw!

Not spreading is the magic in them.

 

[Gmonkee]

Glad I never threw away the last of our rotary phones. We had a 3+ week power outage due to major ice storm ~7-8 years ago. Even though we were limping by with a generator the local phone company was also down so no one could place a call. Even all of the cell towers were down. My neighbor, who is in his 90s, who we let stay with us through the outage, shared a story about a power outage "40 years ago" when touchtone phones were fairly new where only rotary phones would work. So, I dusted off an old rotary phone and sure enough, I could place calls to anyone outside of the outage no problem. It wouldn't ring though if someone tried to call us. We were the only ones in town that we knew of that had figured out a way to make a call.

I have two old linesmans phones in storage that can be clipped onto any phone wires. I hope to never need them. Communication can be important in an emergency. Tone and pulse capable is the nice feature.

 

[kythri]

Glad I never threw away the last of our rotary phones. We had a 3+ week power outage due to major ice storm ~7-8 years ago. Even though we were limping by with a generator the local phone company was also down so no one could place a call. Even all of the cell towers were down. My neighbor, who is in his 90s, who we let stay with us through the outage, shared a story about a power outage "40 years ago" when touchtone phones were fairly new where only rotary phones would work. So, I dusted off an old rotary phone and sure enough, I could place calls to anyone outside of the outage no problem. It wouldn't ring though if someone tried to call us. We were the only ones in town that we knew of that had figured out a way to make a call.

Knowing how to manually pulse dial is an option, as well...

 

[tym]

Knowing how to manually pulse dial is an option, as well...

Get your phreak on!

In college I used a EE-8-B field telephone to take calls in my dorm room for a while. Placing calls was a little more...complicated.