ITT: Tools we've broken while wrenching

ITT: Tools we've broken while wrenching.
This little 14mm came apart while I was putting in the bolts for my winch on my bumper.

Wait what brand is that? Must've been absolute shit. I've only ever broken 1 tool before. It was a duralast ratchet. I was changing the springs on a car and i had to use the ole' jacj plys ratchet combo on the camber bolts that were fucking stuck on there real good. Poor teeth broke, ratchey just free spinned after

I broke a no name fleshed ratchet from Taiwan. It was literally my go to ratchet for everything. Even used it as a breaker bar when I didn't have clearance for an actual breaker bar. 2 ft pipe and everything. Lasted a good 4 years.

Rip.

It was so good I felt like buying another one for $20 from eBay. Shit was a champ.

Broke a 1/4 inch drive Snap-On ratchet trying to loosen the 12mm CAS locking bolt on my Miata. It still kinda worked, just not very pleasant since the teeth that broke off are still in there.
Ended up getting it off with a Harbor Freight box wrench (which ended up bending on a different job)

Also cracked a 17mm no name bit on a lug nut stuck on a stretched stud

killed many cheapo no name ratchets on a motorcycle with rusted bolts. I've bent countless screw drivers by using them improperly. Killed a multimeter running a current through it. killed a electric currency tester doing the same thing.

some extra leverage might have been applied...

>Sae

Ayy lmao!

Broke an universal joint fastening a gearbox, an electric hand drill, electric impact wrench, al kinds of bits and a 11mm socket.

All in two years, the electrical tools were 18v professional Hitachi's, hand tools were Stahlwille.

>Snap-on
Subtle.

Broke a "PowerTorque" 3/8 ratchet which is O'Reillys brand. Teeth got all fucked up and it jammed up inside

I also broke a couple husky ratcheting wrenches but I was being stupid with them.

i also broke a 1/2" jet breaker bar on a u bolt last weekend

>Killed a multimeter running a current through it
I have done that.
Forgot it was on ohms and rested for current. Blow fuse, but need to finish job so wire fuse posts together. Next day go to measure current and forget it's on ohms. No fuse, no multimeter.

19mm

Friend and I were trying to get a bolt off of an old piece of farm equipment he had (forget what it was eactly) using a 32" breaker bar and a 1" drive 2 1/2" socket.

After both of us standing and jumping on it, even with a 3' cheater bar, we resorted to using a come along tied to a tree with the breaker upright at a 90* angle. We thought it finally broke loose, nope, socket cracked and the head of the bar twisted.

Funny, it was a duralast too.

i did that on a cheapo multimeter

one time i thought about doing it to my nice meter then i thought to myself "i wouldn't do that to you, fluke"

Any tips on keeping a torque wrench around for a while? I understand tools break but I want to keep this set.

>too dumb to use the red wrench

Don't use it for removing bolts?

I've never broken a Craftsman tool.

Then again, I inherited them from my dad. They're probabby shit today.

Don't use it as a hammer

Broke a Snap On T45 torx the other day taking a seat out, not the first time it's happened, seats and seatbelts are always problematic. Can't use a torch on them because it's too close to the upholstery.

>Using the red wrench
>Not the blue/white wrench
Wew lad

Put it in a safe, heated, place
Use it in a heated place if possible
Keep it clean, but oiled
Always reset the torque settings
Calibrate it ever 1-2 years.

Sure, if you want to just cut it off.

My old manager did this because he was a tard

Don't drop it

Send it off for calibration annually.

Don't use it for anal

Broke a Kobalt ratchet while I had a cheater bar on it. Got another one at the store in under 10 min for free.
>tfw Kobalt has a no hassle lifetime warranty on hand tools

Broke a Taiwanese 19mm socket.

Both of these were while I was trying to get the crankshaft bolt off my AW11. While I was at the store, I bought an 18" breaker bar and a 19mm impact socket. Got the bolt off in under 15 minutes after that. Amazing what the right tools will do lol

Just only use it to torque bolts down.

Too many guys use them as breaker bars too and that's why they end up breaking.

Plus keep it well lubricated and away from dramatic temperature changes, aka don't store it in your car and it should last a long time.

I've done that accidentally one too many times. Get two nuts and put them on the end, then use those to crank the opposite way it got stuck and it'll come off no prob.

Sometimes banging it against the ground works too, just don't fuck up the threads.