1/2" breaker bar - replacement

JML755

Well-known Member
Was working on my woodchipper tire in a field. Had my pickup bed open and was being careful to keep track of my tools and putting them in the bed when I was done with each one. Packed everything back into my toolbox and moved the woodchipper to the yard behind a house I own and continued to work on it. Got home that night and found my 1/2" breaker bar missing out of the toolbox. The socket that was on the end of it was there. Bothered me to no end. It was part of my first set of Craftsman tools I bought in 1972 that I have every single piece of it still intact (or did until now).

Couple of days later, retraced my steps, scoured the field, had my daughter look too ("Dad, it's just a tool"), looked up and down the driveway, under the chipper, emptied my toolbox, etc. No luck.

This weekend I went to Sears to replace it. $25 for a new one, MADE IN CHINA. For a couple of pieces of forged steel on a pivot! Well, the guarantee is still lifetime, so maybe that's what I'm paying for. :lol: Hopefully, the tool specs that Craftsman has for their suppliers is different than HF's or other cheapo tool places. That original breaker bar was strained (sometimes with a cheater pipe) to what I thought would be a "snap event" several times over the last 40+ yrs. We'll see if the new one holds up. I DID notice that Craftsman has some wrenches that have MADE IN USA on them, but most say MADE IN CHINA if they have a tag or nothing at all if they're hanging on a hook.

BTW, buying a replacement probably means I'll be walking through the grass soon and find the original bar. :roll:
 
I just sold a 19" 1/2" drive Plomb breaker bar S-K spark plug socket and 5"S-K extension on eBay yesterday for 99 cents. [Made a little money on shipping] Paid 25 cents for the Plomb breaker bar. Got a metal detector?
 
(quoted from post at 09:55:06 06/11/13) Go big time and buy a 3/4" breaker bar and a reducer. And of course you need a 5' pipe.

Got one. I've never used anything more than 3' as a cheater on the 3/4". That was to break loose/tighten the lugs on my backhoe rear tires. The specs call for 528 ft-lbs of torque and with a 5' bar I could probably get there. :shock:
 
FWIW, is it hiding in the gap between the bottom of the tailgate and bed? Had a long chisel do that once, even rode around some before I found it.
 
Got a small set of Montgomery Wards sockets that
I've had over 40 years. Plastic case still swings
open. Won't take it out in the field just because I
don't want to lose it or parts thereof. Have
advised would be borrower kids that it's a Special
Edition. Kinda attached to it.
 
A couple of years ago, I replaced a 1/2" Craftsman ratchet (through warranty) because the ratchet mechanism simply was worn out. This ratchet had to have been 30+ years old. I thought it was funny that the main difference between them was that the new one had lots of warnings molded in it, where the old one had none.
 
(quoted from post at 09:58:51 06/11/13) I just sold a 19" 1/2" drive Plomb breaker bar S-K spark plug socket and 5"S-K extension on eBay yesterday for 99 cents. [Made a little money on shipping] Paid 25 cents for the Plomb breaker bar. Got a metal detector?

I've got a set of 1/2" & 1/4" drive Plomb that were my dad's. I would guess he bought them in about 1944.
I was in a wreck once and lost a couple pieces of the 1/2". I wouldn't mind finding replacements.

Dusty
 
and you could have went to HF and paid 19.99 and got a 24 inch barker bar and it also has a life time warranty. I have three or four and have never broke one and that is with a pipe on the end many times. just about all of sears tools are china now
 
I have worn out several breaker bars over the years. Bought a snap on 24 inch and broke it a few years later. No dealer around at the time, traded to Mac tools for one of theirs. Like it better. Eventually broke that one, no Mac dealer around, snap on would not trade so bought another snap on. Cost me 70 bucks. Later on a fellow worker knew a Mac dealer and got me a new one so have two. Don't figure to wear either one of them out though. My original was a craftsman as was as good or better than any since.
 
"BTW, buying a replacement probably means I'll be walking through the grass soon and find the original bar. :roll:"

Or when you are bush hogging.

Be careful finding it, and when you do, use it for many years in good health.

Mark
 

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