This tough-looking wrench is the new Craftsman Extreme Grip 12″ Breaker Wrench, designed for loosening tight and stuck fasteners.
It’s reminiscent of the Crescent clench wrench, the similar Craftsman models, and many earlier wrenches of a similar style that have existed for quite some time. It seems to be a more old fashioned design.
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The Craftsman Extreme Grip Breaker Wrench is long, giving you a lot of leverage for tasks where you need brute force. Its serrated jaws give it an aggressive look, and likely a strong and secure grip. Obviously, this is not the tool to use on delicate or easily marred materials.
The Craftsman Breaker Wrench also has a slip joint design, allowing you to increase the jaw opening width as needed. This means you can use it on fasteners, and then work on pipes or other larger materials.
I guess this makes it a 2-in-1 tool, capable of nut-busting tasks and certain plumbing applications.
It also features a dual-material handle, which Craftsman says provides “all day comfort.”
As with other tools of this nature, the jaws are spring-loaded and self-adjust. The jaws’ opening width can accommodate hex fasteners 3/8″ to 1-3/4″, and NPS pipe sizes 1/8″ to 1-1/4″.
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Price: $20
Buy Now(via Sears)
Compare(Channellock Nutbuster via Amazon)
Compare(Knipex Raptor via Amazon)
Compare(Knipex Raptor via Amazon Direct)
Smaller Alternatives
If the Craftsman 12″ Breaker Wrench is a bit too large for your needs, consider these 2 alternatives. I own both, and can enthusiastically recommend them.
The Channellock Nutbuster is very capable at loosening small and medium sized fasteners. Its no-slip fastener grip holds tighter when you turn the pliers, and its jaw shape has proven to be quite perfect.
Compare(Channellock Nutbuster via Amazon)
What I like most about the Knipex Raptor pliers, aside from the great handle grip, is its less aggressive and smooth jaws, which do a lot less damage if you need to use them on a stuck fastener you need to reuse. It still works well on rusted-on, corroded, and other types of gnarled fasteners.
Compare(Knipex Raptor via Amazon)
Compare(Knipex Raptor via Amazon Direct)
First Thoughts
Back to thoughts on the Craftsman 12″ Extreme Grip Breaker Wrench…
One advantage this type of tool has, compared to pliers – even the other 2 mentioned above – is that you don’t need to squeeze the handle to maintain a good grip. You don’t have to do that very much with all types of pliers, but you do with a lot of them. Let go of that lower pliers handle, and the top jaw might swing free and you lose your grip on the stuck-on fastener.
With a tool like this, you can focus your strength and energy on torquing-free the stuck fastener, fitting, or pipe.
This is one tool that I’d think especially lives up to Craftsman’s Extreme Grip branding.
It’s reasonably priced too, at just $20. Part of me wishes that Craftsman also made a shorter version, but when dealing with stuck fasteners, a bit of extra leverage is hardly ever a bad thing. With a 12″ length, you shouldn’t have too much trouble fitting this into your tool bag or toolbox, or finding a place for it on your pegboard next to a longer pipe wrench.
If you need something with a bit more turning power, invest in a breaker bar for your socket set, and a dead blow mallet for extra coercion. I suppose you could use a dead blow mallet with this Breaker Wrench, but I don’t know if that would be a good idea.
fred
The earliest ones that I recall seeing were made by Heller Brothers and called “masterwrench”. Heller Bro’s were better known for their Nu-Cut files. The masterwrenches date from before WWII – and you still see vintage ones for sale on eBay. We had several sets of ones from Weil (called adjustamatics) made in Japan and dating back to the 1960’s.
One notable difference with this one – as you note – is the slip joint for the movable jaw.
fred
I forgot to mention why we bought and carried some of this style wrench.
It is good for use in some recesses where you have limited access to the fitting. You can sometimes reach in with the end of the wrench – slap it on to the fitting and start turning. In the reverse direction it has a ratcheting-like action allowing you to reposition the handle – but sometimes at the expense of marring the fitting. You might do the same with a conventional pipe wrench – but might need to fiddle a bit to adjust the opening – the spring-loaded jaws on this style wrench obviate adjusting.
Farid
I was about to to comment that a pipe wrench does the same thing. Thanks for pointing out the — slight– advantages of this new tool.
Jman
I love the channellock nutbusters. I use them often on rigid conduit. I have the smaller pair and the larger pair. Great tools at a great price.
Bruce
A tool like this shouldn’t have any material on the handle. Build it strong, leave it bare. It’s just going to get destroyed by the breaker bar anyway…. Extreme by grandma’s fanny.
matt
I like Extreme Grip tools. Sure they are not for the hard core Snap On tool connoisseur, but they actually get great reviews. Craftsman seems to be expanding the line with additional diamond tip screwdrivers (16 total now) I have quite a few Extreme Grip tools in my toolchest. They just came out with this new set; I hope ToolGuyD reviews it soon. It’s $99 however expect it to be 1/2 price with sales eventually…
http://www.sears.com/craftsman-extreme-grip-45pc-3-8-dr-bit-socket/p-00947305000P?plpSellerId=Sears&prdNo=26&blockNo=26&blockType=G26
Stuart
That set is in my radar for posting about tomorrow or early next week. 🙂
Adam
Your wishes were answered. 55% off at the moment
Nate
Crescent makes one of these for sale at HD for $20 as well.
Greg
Meh. This is exactly the problem with Craftsman (Really it’s the honchos at Sears) these days. They bank on all of these gimmicky tools or tool sets most of the year especially around Christmas time. I’ve totally given up on the brand. I will not purchase anything more from them. My massive collection of oldie but goodie stuff is going to my son someday for his first stuff but beyond that I’m done with them. All of the local stores here never have a good stock of replacement tools for when you break one and warranty it.
If I’m going to be buying China-Mart type stuff these days I’ll either go to HD, Lowes, or Harbor Freight. For example in the same month last year I went thru 3 1/2 Craftsman breaker bars. After the second time of warrantying it I thought is this going to stop. Sure enough I broke a third and final before giving up and purchasing one of the Snap On looking ones from Harbor Freight. I’ve given that tool absolute hell for a year now and it has held up with no problems.
Beyond that though I buy USA hand tools whenever I can or equivalents from Germany, Japan, or Taiwan. These are my for my tools that get used day in and day out. The extra money is worth it. I have that Knipex along with a ton of their stuff. I’ve never had problems with any of them. Same with Channellock.
Ed Lukens
I bought these on sale and thought they would be great but I can’t get them to grip on a pipe or shaft so I went back to a regular pipe wrench. I would not use them on a hex fastener (where they might work) due to the teeth marring the fastener. I regret the purchase and they are in the bottom of the toolbox collecting dust.