Alden 8430P Pro Grabit Broken Bolt and Damaged Screw Extractor 3 Piece Kit

I bought this set three years ago so I would have it on hand if I managed to strip out a screw head. That didn't happen until about a week ago until I encountered a 6-32 screw that had been installed by King Kong's big brother, the one on steroids, (or some idiot with a power driver) and stripped out the Phillips head slots. I had to bear down hard since the screw was hardened but the drill end of the #1 Grabit actually managed to back out the screw before it had finished drilling the hole. A few days later, I encountered another 6-32 screw that had a stripped head. Again, I started with the drill end of the #1 Grabit, let it drill a hole that was a little deeper than the diameter of the bit (it didn't take as much pressure on this one), then flipped over the bit and continued with the extractor end. It grabbed almost immediately and easily backed out the screw. I actually had to use a pair of pliers to get the Grabit to let go of the screw once I had backed out the screw. Both times, I used my little Ryobi impact driver since it has a quick change chuck. I don't understand why so many people are having problems with the Grabits not working or wearing out unless they aren't using them correctly, are using the wrong size, are not using enough pressure, or the Grabits aren't made as well as they were three years ago.

Excellent product and easy to use. I have to removed a number of recessed stainless steel set screws that were frozen in place on a awning. The set screws were frozen so solid that I striped the head using my allen wrench. Anyway I ordered these hoping they would do the job. In the mean time, soaked the set screws with PB Blaster. i then started with the smallest, strip that. Then rim the head again with the second size, Flip the bit and the screw came out. The key to success is to go very slow, hold extreme firm and tight against the hole and let the thread bite into the metal. Don't rush and squeeze the trigger on the reversible drill too hard. Barely moving the chuck is the speed you want. It has to bite into the metal to work. Once you master how much torque and speed to work these bit, the screw will come out. I even used them on Rock-on hardiboard screws even though the manufacturer said not to...it worked.

Besides drill bit end dulling quickly, which is nbd if you use other bits, works great to back screws out. Used frequently in aviation

I had two stripped hex screws to get out of a scooter disk break. We had tried several other solutions before trying these. We tried cutting a slot across the screw, which only caused the bit to cam out as it was slopped. We tried a craftsman and an irwin extractor set that required drilling and pounding the bit it before trying to extract the screw. Both of which didn't work. Then we tried these. We just had to prep the screw head with one end, flip the bit over in the drill, pop it in reverse and back the screw out. It worked excellently, event with the mangled one we tried to cut the slot across. Also the bits showed very little wear after using them.

In order to judge a product of this type, finding out that it works (for me) isn't good enough. Finding out that it works when other extractors fail is what makes the difference. I've used a variety of other extractors over the years, and by variety, I really mean different sizes or brands of extractors that are essentially of the same design. One problem I had was never having the right size. The other was that I often ended up drilling out the screw heads after giving up, and then untwisting what was left after disassembly. Traditional screw extractors have many issues. They have a gradual taper, making it difficult for them to grab after drilling out a shallow hole. They require something to hammer them in place, even when clearance may present an obstacle. Likewise, drilling is more of a constraint with traditional bits in a quick change chuck than with the Aldens, which are shorter. Finally, traditional extractors need something to turn them, and having the right handle from a die set is not always going to be the situation. The Alden set let me extract several cap head screws that an Irwin Tools 53545 Spiral Flute Screw Extractors, 6 Piece Set not only failed to extract, but had also made the problem worse. On one slightly stripped cap head screw, a minimal amount of boring with one end of an Alden extractor let me flip the extractor over and back out the screw easily. On one that had been predrilled for another extractor, I didn't expect the Alden to work. But I somehow managed to get it to bite in a hole much larger than it was designed for when I tilted it to the side. All in all, I like the design much better than anything I've used in the past. The only thing that makes it less than perfect is that it started showing signs of wear relatively quickly. The price per extraction is hard to say, and the bits that show wear may continue to work in the future. Nevertheless, the tool was not a bargain. But buying it before purchasing anything else would have changed that. UPDATE: After six months of owning these, I continue to be impressed by how well they work. I recently misplaced these and had to use the older style. I didn't get very far with it. After looking around and finding these, the job became a breeze. I had to upgrade the review to five stars because these are truly far better than any other solution.

Works really well! Very happy with these bits

Just the tool to get you out of trouble fast