When it comes to screw extractors, the old adage that good things come in very small packages is especially true. These are handy little tools that come quite in handy any time you have a screw head that has become stripped or that has broken off, or if you have a bolt that has a head that has become stripped or broken off. Without such a tool, these things can be absolutely impossible to remove. The screw extractor, capable of working on both screws and bolts, comes in a wide range of different sizes for bolts and screws in diameters that range from as small as 3/32" to more than 1/2".

For around $5 dollars or less, you can pick up a screw extractor that will serve as a truly indispensible tool. You will be totally glad to have this tool handy whenever you need it. Let us take a look at what the screw extractor is really all about and how you can use it.

The design behind this screw extractor is actually really simple and elegant. There are three different elements included in the screw extractor. The screw extractor features a square head, followed by a shaft, and then it has cutting screw threads that are reverse tapered.

The Square Head - The purpose of the square head on the screw extractor is primarily for being fastened into a T-shaped handle that is capable of being used with this tool in order to make turning it significantly easier. The square head is also capable of being used to turn the screw extractor with the help of an adjustable wrench or a pair of vice grip pliers.

The Shaft - The shaft of the screw extractor is made out of a high strength variety of steel, and the shaft is responsible for tying everything together. A vice grip type of pliers can be used to grip and to turn the rounded shaft if you want.

The Tapered Threads - The tapered threads are actually the business end for the screw extractor. The threads are specifically designed to be screwed in backward or in a counter clockwise manner so that they can be screw into the bolt or the screw after you drill a pilot hole. They are tapered in such a way that they allow for the screw extractor to dig down into the damaged screw tighter and deeper with every turn of the screw extractor. So while you are turning your screw extractor in a counter clockwise manner, what it is doing is screwing deeper into the damaged screw, and this is turning the damaged bolt or screw in a clockwise manner which is allowing it to be loosened and then removed. It's a pretty simple process, and makes this tool a true lifesaver.

Photo Credits: mobil'homme

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adjustable wrench, bolt, bolts and screws, business end, diameters, elements, extractors, grip type, indispensible tool, old adage, pi, screw extractor, screw head, screw threads, screws and bolts, shaft, vice grip pliers