Screw Extractors

Screw Extractors and Easy-Out Tools for Broken Bolt Removal in Australia

A screw extractor — also called an easy-out or bolt extractor — removes broken bolts, snapped studs, stripped screws, and damaged fasteners that can no longer be driven with a conventional tool. Breaking a bolt in a threaded bore is one of the most time-consuming problems in maintenance and repair work; the right extractor resolves it quickly without damaging the parent material. AIMS Industrial stocks screw extractors and extraction sets from Sutton Tools and Bordo for Australian trade and industrial customers.

Types of screw extractor

• Spiral flute extractors (easy-outs) — the standard type; left-hand spiral flutes grip the drilled hole and bite harder as you turn anti-clockwise to extract. Works on broken bolts, snapped studs, and rounded-off fasteners. Sizes are matched to the broken fastener diameter
• Multi-spline extractors — serrated profile engages damaged hex heads, rounded bolt heads, and socket cap screws that can't be driven. Used where the fastener head is still accessible but stripped or rounded
• Hex bolt extractor sockets — bolt extractor sockets with reversed taper serrations inside; tighten onto damaged hex heads for high-torque removal with a breaker bar or impact driver

Extractor size selection

Size the extractor to the broken fastener diameter. Most extractors are sold in sets covering M4–M20 or 3/16"–3/4" ranges. The extractor must engage the drilled pilot hole — too small and it won't grip; too large and it risks cracking. Sets typically include a drill bit correctly sized for each extractor, which removes guesswork from the pilot-drilling step.

Procedure for broken bolt extraction

Centre-punch the middle of the broken fastener. Drill a pilot hole straight and centred — misalignment drills into the thread rather than the fastener. For deep or difficult extractions, use a left-hand twist drill: it may remove the fastener without needing the extractor at all, as the cutting action turns in the extraction direction. Insert the extractor, apply firm anti-clockwise torque (use a tap wrench or T-handle, never an impact wrench — extractors are hardened and brittle), and extract.

Material note

Screw extractors are hard and brittle. They will snap under excessive torque or if used on fasteners that are in tighter than the extractor can handle. A snapped extractor is often harder to remove than the original broken bolt (it's harder than the surrounding material and can't be drilled out with standard drill bits). Apply even, controlled torque — do not use power tools on spiral-flute extractors.

Related products

See also: drill bits for pilot drilling, thread repair inserts for re-tapping damaged threads after extraction, and tap wrenches for controlled torque application.

For specific fastener removal challenges or volume requirements, contact our team.