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With these Bolt Biters by your side, you’ll never have to worry about a slipping nut or bolt again.

We’ve all been there. You come across an especially tight bolt in need of extraction that just won’t budge. You use all of the tools in your arsenal to break it loose, but it just won’t come out. Eventually, the corners of the bolt’s head begin to wear out to the point where you can’t even grip it with a 12-point socket. You could break out the drill in an attempt to remove it, or you could use these extraction sockets to save the day.

These funky sockets, designed by Gearwrench, are called Bolt Biters. As the name suggests, they use sharp edges to “bite” on to rounded hex nuts and bolts, forming a firm enough grip to get them spinning. Unlike normal sockets, which grip onto the edges of a nut or bolt, these Bolt Biters latch onto the flat sides, digging into the metal to form a solid connection.

Offered in both metric and SAE sizes, these Bolt Biters have saved me from disaster on multiple occasions while working on my project cars. They’re incredibly easy to use, and usually won’t do too much damage to the nut or bolt in question. Most times they’ll slip onto a nut or bolt just as easily as a regular socket would. In some cases, you’ll have to give the socket a few love taps from a hammer to get it mounted correctly. They have impact-socket-level build strength, meaning they’re fully capable of taking some massive hits without fracturing.

The most memorable time I’ve used these sockets was during my time with my BMW 325iX project. One of the bolts holding the alternator to the block had been rounded out long before I took ownership of the car. Because the alternator belt kept snapping I had to tighten and loosen the bolt in question often. Instead of replacing it I simply used a Bolt Biter socket to break it loose and snug it up each time. And it never failed, even after dozens of belt adjustments.

The best part about these extraction sockets is that, unlike some other extraction tools, they’re small and compact enough to fit almost anywhere a nut or bolt might be. So if you can fit a regular socket onto the nut or bolt in question, you can fit one of these Bolt Biters. They clip onto ratchets like any other socket would and, most of the time, don’t require a great deal of force to use.

The downside is, of course, these Bolt Biters are only as effective as you allow them to be. Because there isn’t any mechanical power additive or extra leverage being provided, it’s up to you to provide the force needed to break any nut or bolt free. So if you have a nut or bolt that really won’t break loose, these extraction sockets won’t be a magic bullet. But they will allow you to get enough grip to put all of your strength into twisting something loose without rounding the head out.

The upside to that simplicity is price. Because Bolt Biters are essentially just fancy sockets, they’re not terribly expensive. The 15-piece set I use most often can be had on Amazon right now for just over a hundred bucks. Even if you already have a set of extraction sockets, this makes for a great gift.