Question: As far as breaker bars are concerned...is there any big difference between the cheaper ones and the more expensive brands (besides the pricier ones being made in the US and sometimes having a warranty)?

I'm shopping around for a 1/2" drive breaker bar, and there are tons of them out there. With ratchets I prefer to go with a USA made brand for quality, but on breaker bars does it matter as much?

edit: While I'm at it...I've also seen those "slide bars." How useful are those, would one of those possibly be more useful than a plain old breaker bar?

 

when you have the three foot cheater pipe on the breaker bar you don't want to be saying I wish I bought a better bar! Spend the money!!!!

 

how much is alot? I just bought a Matco 1/2" flexhead 25" ratchet for about $200. Makes stretching those headbolts easier. Much more useful than a breaker bar not to mention 1 less tool taking up space in the box.

 

Yes it matters. I have broken my fare share of cheap breaker bars. You know they are worthless when the bar breaks before the socket does. You have to think about what you are gonna use it for. I would really see no need for a snap-on, or matco breaker bar, or ratchet for that matter, especially for general automotive use. I have my share of expensive tools but, my 1/2 craftsman ratchet has never let me down, even when having to hammer on it. Get good quality tools, but some things are just overpriced, I've learned from exp.

 

Happened to be shopping at Sears yesterday and seems Craftsman only makes an 18" breaker bar; there may be more options in the catalog, the 1 advantage is the ability to exchange if it breaks. Have a 1/2" drive 18" Craftsman flex handle and it's taken quite a beating, cost around $30. If looking for cheap, HF offers a 1/2" drive 25" inches breaker bar for $13. Not a particular fan of HF tools find some may last and others break down in less time than it takes to cook a 3 minute egg.

 

In the smaller sizes, I haven't noticed a lot of difference (3/8" and 1/4"). Yes, I am someone who has used a 1/4" breaker bar (it isn't an often thing). In the 1/2" up to about 15", I haven't noticed a lot of differences, but those get used for things like lawn mower blade bolts, and tensioners. (not high stress) Longer then that, and I would look for a good USA brand, or go one drive size up. I bought a (junk store find) Armstrong 3/4" bar that I used, until I found a Snap-on 24" bar reasonably (searched Ebay, CL, newsgroups).
I've known people to buy cheap ones (emergency get by's), and I have no problem with that, just know that if it starts to flex, you need to find another answer (stop then, before it breaks).

The t bars are handy, IMHO, just not as generally useful as a breaker bar.

 

I'm looking at something probably in the 15-16" range.

The reason I asked about the slide bars is that craftsman makes one that is 15" long...and according to the website is only $13? Doesn't seem right, I think I am gonna stop in there this evening and see what they have anyway.

 

I've got the hf bar as mentioned above, and so far it has worked fine. Most of the time If it's stuck and the impact won't get, then I just but a wrench on and hammer on the wrench or cheater pipe the wrench. Hammering the wrench seams to work most of the time. Most of the time when I really need something more than the hammer will provide, pipe wrench's are involved and thats a whole different story.

 

> but on breaker bars does it matter as much?

Yes, but, the truth is the 1/2" breaker bars are mostly junk. Your best spent money is probably on the Husky from Home Depot. Your worse is probably Sears as the connecting rivet breaks pretty easy (from experience).

What you should do is get a sliding 3/4" T handle from the HF 3/4" socket set ($50-$60). Then get an impact adapter to use on 1/2" sockets. That way you can use a pipe for leverage with the socket adapter (1/2-2-3/4") hopefully being the weak link.

imho

 

I have a Husky 1/2" breaker bar and it's pretty decent. I don't use it that much though. I usually use my Husky 1/2" ratcheting breaker bar. It has a swivel head, and I got back when they still traded any lifetime warranty tool. I broke an SK on an axle nut, traded it for this, and blew the socket apart with a 4' jack handle cheater pipe. I have since used this thing to destroy many sockets, but I kinda killed it when I ran it over with a 26000lb excavator. The head cracked, but I have recently welded it back together. It's worked for the few things I've tried it on, but I wouldn't trust it with a cheater pipe again.

 

LOL, that sounds like a sure way to break something!

 

if you go to Sears and get their breaker bar, it may only have a 18" handle but all you gotta do is get a piece of gas pipe and you can make that handle as long as you want to and if it breaks, walk it right back to sears and they will replace it with no questions asked!! done it many times!!!

 

I have an old school Craftsman breaker bar and it has seen it's share of cheater bars; hasn't broke yet.

 

I use a NAPA 1/2" breaker and haven't had any problems. Now, my brother, on the other hand, spent the money to get a SnapOn. He's broken a few cheaper breaker bars, and that can be an injury waiting to happen. He's a mechanic though, so his tools see much more use than mine.

 

I have a 31' Snap-On. It only comes out for serious twisting. I broke one once using a cheater and the Snappy guy replace the whole thing, not just the broken pin. This one has lasted thirty + years.