IRWIN HANSON Screw Extractor and Drill Bit Set

These extractors ARE made in USA. Some have complained the pckg. Said “Hanson” instead of Irwin. Irwin acquired Hanson in the 90’s. Hanson is IRWIN! Many people have rated these extractors poorly saying either the left hand bit or the extractor snapped immediately. Just because it says extractor doesn’t mean the broken bolt is coming out! These bits and extractors are hardened which means they are more brittle. If you throw too much torque on the bit or extractor it’s going to snap! You have to take your time with bit! “Let the tool do the work son!” A sharp brand new bit doesn’t need a lot of force. Let it cut. When you insert the extractor and first apply torque you have to FEEL the extractor. If you feel it resisting and not breaking loose STOP. Ion the photos attached I snapped a bolt off inside a washing machine transmission spindle. First I drilled a 1/8” hole in the 5/16” bolt. First attempt no go. The extractor was twisting too much. FEEL the torque. If it’s not moving step up to the next size. I drilled the bolt with the 1/4” bit and tried with the next size up extractor. NO GO STILL! But I didn’t just crank on it as hard as I could. I grabbed a small torch and put a 20 second shot of heat on the shaft. Put some torque on the extractor and bolt backed right out like butter! You have to understand how corrosion, heat, penetrating oil etc affect your metals. If the bolt is corroded badly you need a cutting torch not an extractor! This extractor by IRWIN/HANSON is top quality! Works great. If you don’t know what you’re doing and have no mechanical aptitude you shouldn’t blame the product. ;)

NOTE: I have not used the bits. But you probably aren't buying this for the bits. I have yet to break an extractor. Bits are made in Brazil, but the extractors are USA. The metal case they come in is very nice. Thought it was plastic from the image. Pleasant surprise. Let's assume the bits are just ok. If you are dealing with the occasional stuck screw or bolt, these bits will probably hold up just fine. If you are dealing with them on a daily basis, you might want to upgrade the bits or get an extractor set from Viking/Norseman or the like. Mainly because left hand bits are invaluable in removing a stuck screw. They often can break the screw loose or at least break the bond, making the actual extraction much easier. Regardless, for $20, in my opinion just the extractors are worth it. It's like getting the bits for free. As for this form of extraction, I love it. It works great for me. I haven't broken an extractor. If you go this route, use a center punch just to help line up your bit (even if you have the split ends that avoid "walking"). Then make sure you drill straight. Finally, if you are getting a lot of resistance with the extractor, make sure there is no material blocking the path of your damaged screw. If the path is clear, the extractor will not break and your screw will come right out. I don't know why nobody mentions this on the YouTube videos!! Last thing, don't try to turn them with a drill. I actually damaged the jaws on my cordless drill treating the extractor like a drill bit. Not smart, but that's how you learn. If you get a tap wrench, just note it will have to cover more than 1/2" tap size. The size of the extractors on the grip end is not the same as a tap size. The EX-5 is slightly less than the size of a 3/8" socket. Get an oversized tap wrench or just use a standard adjustable wrench.

This set is awesome. I had several hex head screws that were thread locked and corroded in place on a sailboat prop that I was changing. I had tried several hardware store stripped screw extractors without success. I had used heat, penetrating oils and left cut drills without success. This set was a little pricey but it was that or take it to a “pro”. I had four screws which were stripped. I used the left drills and corresponding extractor and the screws were out in minutes. There was very little damage to the drills or extractor. The set is packaged well very straightforward and highly effective. If you need to remove stripped screws this set will work. However, don’t forget to use heat and to clear off the head of the screw.

My dad blunted these in about ten minutes. He then said they weren't 'hanson' and I should ask for a refund. I haven't even told him about the import tax. That said, I've used them for a ton of things since, very useful in drywall. Not great at extracting hardened steel manifold bolts though, in case you were wondering. Save yourself the time and heli coil it or take it to an engineer.

Excelente producto y la Marca siempre me ha gustado, son de excelente calidad sus herramientas

Todo bien, gracias...

Great product. The set comes in a metal index case with left handed drills and corresponding removal tools. Follow the instructions and these will serve you well. I had 2 M3 machine screws that were broken off in the casing of a brushless motor. This set allowed me to remove both bolts without damaging the threads.

Good Quality