Broke two breaker bars before I learned the difference between impact and non-impact sockets

I was trying to get a stuck lug nut off my 1972 Chevy pickup and snapped a cheap 1/2 inch breaker bar. Then I bought a better one and cracked that too. Finally a guy at the parts store explained I needed impact sockets that flex more instead of regular ones that shatter. Has anyone else been burned trying to save money on sockets and ended up spending twice as much?

2 comments

2 Comments

simon37810d ago

Watched a neighbor do the same thing with garden hoses, bought three cheap ones that burst before he finally got a decent reinforced one. The cheap stuff always costs more in the long run, just part of life.

kelly.emma11d ago

My buddy Mark tried saving money on sockets for his old Ford pickup last summer. He bought a cheap set from a discount auto store and the 21mm socket literally split in half on the third lug nut, sending shards flying across the garage. He ended up buying a proper impact socket set the next day and realized the cheap ones cost him double in the long run.

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