I finally gave up on that old impact gun after it seized on a brake job

It was a cheap Harbor Freight one I bought 5 years ago, and the motor locked up trying to break a caliper bracket bolt loose. I had to finish the job with a breaker bar and a lot of swearing. Anyone have a recommendation for a reliable mid-torque model under $300?

3 comments

3 Comments

hollym823mo ago

Ugh, been there... my old one gave up the ghost trying to get a lug nut off. So embarrassing. What are you looking at to replace it?

jason_jenkins343mo ago

My neighbor's a mechanic and he swears by the old Pittsburgh Pro breaker bars from Harbor Freight. He says the flex in the handle actually helps prevent the kind of sudden shock that snaps a cheap one. I snapped a Craftsman last year and it was just a loud pop and then sadness. Now I keep a three-foot pipe in my trunk as a cheater bar for the really stubborn ones, just in case.

hill.david1mo ago

Did you catch that post from the other day where a guy swore his Pittsburgh Pro breaker bar saved his knuckles? I was reading about how the handle actually flexes a little on impact, which spreads the force out instead of just snapping at the neck like a cheap one. My buddy had a Harbor Freight one for years and he put that thing through hell, used a cheater pipe on it all the time and it never cracked. I honestly think people sleep on some of their basic tools because they get hung up on the brand name stuff. Might be worth checking out if you want something that won't leave you stranded with a busted lug nut and a broken tool.