Skip to main content

The best breaker bars to add to your DIY repair toolbox

Why struggle with a tightly screwed bolt when you can easily loosen it with a little help from a breaker bar? Add this essential tool to your arsenal and make sure that no bolt is ever too challenging for you. With a breaker bar, you can make repairs and home-improvement projects an easy task.

When your own strength and tricks prove to be inefficient, you need the smart engineering of a breaker bar to give your sore arms a break. These functional tools make it easy to loosen and remove tight bolts that could break if you try to force them with the wrong device. Let’s take a look at our favorites.

Recommended Videos

Capri Tools Breaker Bar

Best overall

Image used with permission by copyright holder

With 30 inches of extended length and a 1/2-inch drive, the Capri Tools Breaker Bar gives you the extra leverage you need to make your job easier. It features a chrome vanadium body and chrome molybdenum head to give you maximum strength and durability. The pivoting head with a rotation of 230 degrees gives you the range of movement that you need to get the job done.

Neiko 1/2 Inch Drive Premium Breaker Bar

Best durable breaker bar

Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Neiko 1/2 Inch Drive Premium Breaker Bar is made with forged and heat-treated chrome for superior strength and durability. Its 180-degree flexible head gives you the optimized leverage to work at any angle, so you can securely break and loosen nuts and bolts.

EPAuto Breaker Bar

Best value breaker bar

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Durability and affordability meet with the EPAuto Breaker Bar. At a reasonable price point, this tool offers the great durability of chrome vanadium steel alloy. It is corrosion-resistant and provides 180-degree flexibility with spring-loaded ball bearing sockets.

When bolt removal gets tough, you need the right tool to get the job done. The breaker bars on our list offer toughness and gravity to loosen those challenging nuts and bolts that would otherwise be stuck forever. Enjoy the durability and leverage that a quality breaker bar from our list offers.

Editors' Recommendations

Thinking about installing sliding barn doors? 5 essential questions to ask yourself
Considerations before installing sliding barn doors in your home
Barn door

Sliding barn doors are a trendy, do-it-yourself design upgrade that can really transform your home's aesthetic. In fact, the increased popularity of farmhouse-style homes has made sliding barn doors even more common than ever.

Basically, a sliding barn door is one that you can install anywhere in the home, and it's usually a wood or metal material hung on a sliding track. Instead of opening and closing like a traditional door, it slides to the side and hangs neatly against the wall. People love them because they're space savers, they can easily revamp a space, and they add lots of character to the room. Plus, installing sliding barn doors is pretty simple if you love to do DIY. But before you delve into the trend made famous by Magnolia's Chip and Joanna Gaines, there are a few things you should take into consideration.

Read more
The November home maintenance checklist everyone needs
Fall checklist for your interior, exterior, and landscape
White two-story house with autumn leaves in the front yard

Another hot summer has passed, and the temperatures are dropping. As winter draws near, don’t be caught off guard by an early freeze. During the fall, it's important to devote some time to quick home maintenance to prepare you and your home for the colder season.

November home maintenance will keep you on track and ahead of the changing weather, not to mention the fast-approaching holiday season. If you have that nagging feeling there's something you’ve forgotten about, we can help. Use this fall home maintenance checklist to get organized and get it done.

Read more
How to remove old caulk: A 4-step guide to get this tedious job done quickly
This is how to remove old caulk the right way before slapping on the new stuff
Man caulking around window

Sealing certain areas in your home against both moisture and escaping air is a good practice for preventing heat loss and water damage, and caulk is a tried-and-true sealant to use. Whether it was used in the bathroom, on exterior windows, or on your welcoming front door, caulk can not only get grimy and stained after a while, but it can also start to break down and lose its effectiveness. That's why periodic re-caulking is a recommended practice, but you need to get rid of the old gunk before applying the new stuff. Here's a guide on how to remove old caulk.

How do you know when it's time to re-caulk?
When caulk loses its elasticity and waterproofing abilities, it's time for replacement, and knowing when it's time to re-caulk is pretty simple. Signs of deteriorating caulk include visible cracks or gaps, peeling, or a discolored and moldy appearance.

Read more