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Reader Question: Which Design?

By J.R. Bluett

I noticed this stud remover from Craftsman because it’s a different design than I usually see, the ones that look like they belong in a tap and die set.  This one runs $25, which is comparable to the other design, so I’m curious as to how they stack up.

Have you used both designs?  Is one better than the other?  Let us know in comments.

Stud Remover [Sears]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]


This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 18th, 2008 at 11:44 am and is filed under Amazon, Craftsman, Hand Tools, Reader Question, Sears. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

11 Responses to “Reader Question: Which Design?”

  1. cw Says:
    November 18th, 2008 at 12:07 pm

    I was expecting you to reference this style:

    http://www.matcotools.com/Catalog/toolcatalog.jsp?cattype=T&cat=2222

    which seems to work pretty well. They are kind of like the ‘Sears’ style above, with several internal cams per unit. Autozone sells an OEM-branded of 4 sizes for $30.

  2. james Says:
    November 18th, 2008 at 12:24 pm

    Has anyone had issues with images not loading on this page recently. I can only see the very top of this photo the rest of the area is blank it was happeneing yesterday with the picture of the clamp also

  3. fred Says:
    November 18th, 2008 at 12:49 pm

    Similar to the Prot 4520

    https://weldwarehouse.securesites.com/cgi-bin/einstein.pl?::1:WLDWH:1:number=4520

    The old Proto 4510 - wich worked with a 1/2 inch impact gun was completely different and more effective

  4. KMR Says:
    November 18th, 2008 at 2:10 pm

    We use the MATCO style linked above. They are UNBREAKABLE!

  5. Mark Bickford Says:
    November 18th, 2008 at 7:51 pm

    Well, basically there are 4 kinds of removers.
    The kind you posted, which requires quite a bit of the stud/broken bolt to be sticking out of the hole.
    The kind CW references, which don’t require as much of the stud/bolt to be sticking out.
    The kind you mention that looks like it belongs in a tap/die set, doesn’t require any of the old bolt/stud sticking out, but does require that you drill a hole into it, to then wedge the remover into.
    My favorite method involves clamping a nut over the old stud/bolt & filling the nut with some high-tensile welding rod. then just apply a socket to the new nut.

  6. KMR Says:
    November 18th, 2008 at 8:53 pm

    “My favorite method involves clamping a nut over the old stud/bolt & filling the nut with some high-tensile welding rod. then just apply a socket to the new nut.”

    Makes it kind of tough to reuse the stud then?

    The cylinderical multi-internal cam type (like the MATCO ones above) seem to be the gentlest and most reliable. The other aspect to consider is that when you remove a stuck stud, you are less likely to snap it if you are applying torque along the the fastener’s central axis. The one in the Toolmonger lead photo often leads to snapped studs!

  7. Jbullfrog Says:
    November 18th, 2008 at 8:54 pm

    I have Snap-On extractor sets that use threaded collets inside a tapered housing to remove and install studs without damaging the treads.

    http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item.asp?search=true&item_ID=10336&PartNo=cg500&group_id=1247&supersede=&store=snapon-store&tool=all

    I also have collets for pipe nipples.

  8. J.R. Bluett Says:
    November 19th, 2008 at 1:07 pm

    Mark, I’d probably at least be playing with your method, I just don’t have a welder at home yet. The ones at the Toolmonger shop are a great start, though I’d like to get a welder that would be able to weld Superman to a freighter.

  9. Dave R Says:
    November 19th, 2008 at 7:09 pm

    The Craftsman pictured above was designed for removing the studs from a engine block. They have been in use for I know 40 years since I owned one and used it while repairing Ford tractors back in the 60’s. The studs were threaded into the block and then the head was put on and a nut tightened down. If a head stud broke or the threads were fouled up, then you had to replace the stud and this would be the go-to tool.

  10. David Bryan Says:
    November 24th, 2008 at 9:53 pm

    It is kind of odd you say them others are the kind you usually see because like Dave R says these have been around forever.

  11. ambush Says:
    December 8th, 2008 at 1:05 am

    You can also use two nuts jammed against each other.

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