IRWIN Tools Hanson Screw Extractor and Drill Bit Set, 35 Piece, 11135ZR

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.

Very sharp drill bits and extractor was able to remove a very stubborn broken stud.

I havn't had to use it much to be honest but when I did it worked well. Seems to be great Irwin quality I have come to expect. I left one star off only because one drill bit broke on the first use...

I’ve used these several times already. They work great.

High quality! Worked great

With a lot of patience and cutting oil, I was able to extract three 3/8” bolts that were sheared off flush with the cast base of a generator. It took over an hour of drilling for each bolt, stopping very often to clear the shavings from the drill bit and to add cutting oil to the bit. But, once I got the pilot hole deep enough and got the extractor to bite by tapping with a mallet, the bolts came out clean and fairly easily using an adjustable wrench. The extractor and the left-hand drill bit do not look damaged at all after three bolts. I might have been able to do the job more quickly with more pressure while drilling, but didn’t want to make the project ten times more difficult with a broken bit or extractor. I just let the drill do the work. Also, most probably know this, but the extractors are not meant to be used with an power drill. It is tempting after spending so much time to just drill the pilot hole, but don’t use a power drill. The extractors are just too brittle. Use a tap handle, an adjustable wrench, or some vise grips. Just don’t use a power tool. Plenty of YouTube videos on how to correctly use these tools. Try searching for “remove broken bolt in recessed hole”.

I recently purchased the IRWIN Tools Hanson Screw Extractor and Drill Bit Set, 35 Piece for some challenging repair projects around the house, and I am thoroughly impressed. This set includes a wide range of extractor sizes, making it versatile for almost any screw or bolt removal job. The high-quality construction of the tools provides confidence that they can handle tough jobs without breaking or wearing out quickly.