The best screw extractors, compared.
Top pick: Engineer PZ-58 pliers Best value: BGS 1896 spiral set – About £5.60 for six spiral bands from 3–6 mm up to 19–25 mm, 4.1 from 2,311 ratings, with snaps reported as well as jobs saved. Updated October 2026.
A screw extractor removes a screw, bolt or stud that a normal driver can no longer turn. The head may be stripped, the internal hex may be rounded, or the head may have snapped off flush. In the UK you use one when a hinge, a gate latch, furniture or a small automotive fastener will not move, and you want to save the thread if the hole is still sound. You tell a suitable one by the failure in front of you. A head that still sticks out can be gripped. A rounded hex needs a socket sized to the flats that remain. A ruined head that is still there suits a bit that drills a seat, then bites in reverse at low speed. A flush break needs a centre punch, a centred pilot, then a spiral that turns anti-clockwise. A millimetre band, a metric thread range and a #0 to #4 chart are different scales. Do not convert one into the other. Steel names on the listing are seller claims. Reviewers still report a bit that spins or snaps, and a drill end that will not cut a hard bolt. A large review count records both outcomes. It does not mean every fastener will move. The fork between a proud head, a rounded hex and a flush stud is in the [screw extractor buying guide](/hub/screws-and-accessories/screw-extractor/sub/screw-extractor-buying-guide).
A screw extractor removes a screw, bolt or stud that a normal driver can no longer turn. The head may be stripped, the internal hex may be rounded, or the head may have snapped off flush.
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
What has failed?
The Engineer PZ-58 pliers on amazon.co.uk are about £16.99 and show 4.7 from 9,982 ratings. They are screw removal pliers for a stripped, damaged or rusted head that is still proud. The card prints heads of about 3 mm to 9.5 mm. The listing says alloy steel jaws and TPR handles, made in Japan, and the maker page states about 160 mm and 130 g. That hardness line is a seller claim, not a measured test on this page. In the Amazon reviews, proud stripped heads came out. The jaws fail to grip, or they mark the head, when the screw is flush or the first pull is too hard. They are not the tool for a broken stud.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Stripped, damaged or rusted screw heads still proud
Less suitable: Flush broken studs, or screw heads outside about 3 mm to 9.5 mm
Specifications
Common questions
What tool type is the Engineer PZ-58?
One pair of screw removal pliers, about 160 mm, for a stripped, damaged or rusted head that is still proud. The jaws grip the head. There is no drill.
What size does the listing print?
Screw heads about 3 mm to 9.5 mm. Heads outside that band, and any flush break, are outside the stated job.
What do UK reviews repeat?
Proud stripped heads came out. The jaws slip, mark the head, or fail on the first hard pull when the screw is flush.
The Engineer DBZ-20 hex set on amazon.co.uk is about £19.99 and shows 4.5 from 683 ratings. It is hex-socket extractor bits for a rounded internal hex on a screw that is still proud. The card prints 2 mm to 5 mm across flats. The listing says high carbon steel, made in Japan. That is a seller claim, not a measured hardness. UK reviews describe success on rounded Allen bolts, and also a bit that spins or snaps when the socket does not match. The number-of-pieces field says 1 while the title says 4. It is the top pick here for a rounded Allen bolt still proud. It is the wrong tool for a flush stud.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Rounded internal hex on screws still proud
Less suitable: Flush broken studs, proud-head-only plier jobs, or hex sockets below 2 mm across flats
Specifications
Common questions
What tool type is the Engineer DBZ-20?
Hex-socket extractor bits for a rounded internal hex on a screw that is still proud. The listing says you do not have to drill the fastener out.
What size does the listing print?
2 mm to 5 mm across flats. A #0 to #4 chart and a millimetre band are different scales. This page does not convert them.
What do UK reviews repeat?
Success on rounded Allen bolts that are still proud, and spin-out or a snap when the socket does not match. It is the wrong tool for a flush stud.
The Kuyotine 9-piece HSS 6542 on amazon.co.uk is about £10.99 and shows 4.2 from 102 ratings. It is a double-ended bit set for a stripped or rusted screw head that is still on the surface. The card prints extractors #0 to #4 and drills at 2.0, 3.0 and 3.5 mm, as six extractors and three twist drills. The listing says HSS 6542 with a claimed 63–65 HRC, and it also prints cobalt and titanium lines. That is a seller claim, not a measured test. UK reviews include jobs on doors and gates, and a snap on stainless. Electronics and heavy machinery appear only as bullet claims. The tip has to run in reverse at low speed.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Stripped or rusted screw heads still on the surface
Less suitable: Flush broken studs, a proud head you can grip with pliers, or hex sockets below 2 mm across flats
Specifications
Common questions
What tool type is the Kuyotine set?
A double-ended bit set: one end drills a seat and the other grips. The stated job is a stripped or rusted head that is still on the surface.
What size does the listing print?
Extractors #0 to #4, and twist drills at 2.0, 3.0 and 3.5 mm. Do not read #0 to #4 as the millimetre bands on a spiral stud set.
What do UK reviews repeat?
Jobs on doors and gates, and a snap on stainless. The tip only bites in reverse at low speed. A soft drill end or a skipped reverse is the usual failure.
The BGS 1896 spiral set on amazon.co.uk is about £5.60 and shows 4.1 from 2,311 ratings. It is a spiral stud extractor for torn screws and stud bolts after a pilot hole. The card prints six bands from 3–6 mm up to 19–25 mm. The listing says carbon steel. That is a seller claim, not a measured hardness. No separate drills are in the listing. UK reviews both save jobs and report a bit that spins or snaps. Drive fields say internal hex, but this is a spiral stud set, not a double-ended bit. It is the best value here for a torn screw or stud once you can drill a centred pilot. It is not a proud-head plier.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Torn screws and stud bolts after a pilot hole
Less suitable: A proud-head job you can grip with pliers, or a flush stud if you cannot drill a centred pilot
Specifications
Common questions
What tool type is the BGS 1896?
A spiral stud extractor for torn screws and stud bolts after a pilot hole. It is not a double-ended bit, even where a drive field says internal hex.
What size does the listing print?
Six bands from 3–6 mm up to 19–25 mm. That is not the same scale as a #0 to #4 extractor chart.
What do UK reviews repeat?
Jobs saved on a matching fastener, and failures when the bit spins or snaps. The set does not include a separate drill.
The Bryze 10-piece left-hand set on amazon.co.uk is about £13.99 and shows 4.1 from 93 ratings. It pairs five spiral extractors with five left-hand twist drills for stripped, rounded or broken bolts, screws and studs. The card prints drills from 1/8 in to 19/64 in and extractors #1 to #5. The listing says #6542 HSS with a 135° point and a cobalt claim on the drills, and #37 alloy steel on the extractors. That is a seller claim, not a measured test. UK reviews describe left-hand drills that spun some bolts out, and extractors that snapped in flush studs or failed to bite. The supplied drills would not cut some hard wheel nuts.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Stripped, rounded or broken bolts, screws and studs when a left-hand drill can start the hole
Less suitable: Flush studs in hard steel, and wheel nuts the supplied drills will not cut
Specifications
Common questions
What tool type is the Bryze set?
Five left-hand twist drills and five spiral extractors. The stated job is a stripped, rounded or broken bolt, screw or stud, when the left-hand drill can start the hole.
What size does the listing print?
Left-hand drills from 1/8 in to 19/64 in, and extractors #1 to #5. Those are not the same scale as a 3–25 mm spiral band.
What do UK reviews repeat?
Some bolts spun out on the left-hand drill. Extractors snapped in flush studs or failed to bite, and the supplied drills would not cut some hard wheel nuts.
The S&R 5-piece spiral set on amazon.co.uk is about £13.58 and shows 4.0 from 1,913 ratings. It is a spiral stud extractor for broken or damaged screws and bolts. The title prints M3 to M18. The listing says chrome-vanadium steel, made in Germany. That is a seller claim, not a measured hardness. No separate drills are in the listing. UK reviews describe wheel nuts and motorcycle studs that came out after a pilot hole, and extractors that rounded off or snapped. The head-size field says M6 while the title says M3 to M18. Stop if a snapped extractor would stay in the hole.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Broken or damaged screws and bolts from M3 to M18 after a pilot hole
Less suitable: Flush studs where a snapped extractor would stay in the hole, or jobs with no separate drill
Specifications
Common questions
What tool type is the S&R set?
Five spiral stud extractors in a round box, for broken or damaged screws and bolts after a pilot hole. No separate drills are listed.
What size does the listing print?
M3 to M18 on the title line. The head-size field says M6. Treat that clash as a listing conflict, not as a single agreed size.
What do UK reviews repeat?
Wheel nuts and motorcycle studs came out after a pilot hole. Extractors also rounded off or snapped. Stop if the broken piece would stay in an engine, hub or suspension stud.
The Ryster 6-piece HSS set on amazon.co.uk is about £8.99 and shows 3.9 from 2,776 ratings. It is a double-ended bit set for stripped, painted, rusted or rounded screws and bolts. The card prints #0, #1, #2, #2, #3 and #4, so there are two size #2 bits and no separate drill kit. The listing says alloy steel and HSS. That is a seller claim, not a measured hardness. UK reviews include rusted screws that came out, and spin-out when reverse is unclear. Reviewers say the instructions skip reverse drive. The tip only bites in reverse at low speed.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Stripped, painted, rusted or rounded screws and bolts
Less suitable: Flush broken studs, a proud head you can grip with pliers, or hex sockets below 2 mm across flats
Specifications
Common questions
What tool type is the Ryster set?
Six double-ended extractor bits in a travel case. One end drills and the other grips. There is no separate drill kit.
What size does the listing print?
#0, #1, #2, #2, #3 and #4. The spare #2 does not extend the range. Do not treat these numbers as millimetre bands.
What do UK reviews repeat?
Rusted screws that came out, and spin-out when reverse is skipped. Reviewers say the instructions do not tell you to run the tip in reverse.
The YURINWOO 9-piece HSS 6542 on amazon.co.uk is about £11.05 and shows 3.9 from 691 ratings. It is a double-ended bit set for stripped, rusted or embedded screws. The card prints #0 to #4 plus three twist drills. The pieces field says 9, while the bullets describe six extractors plus three drills. The listing claims HSS 6542, and the material field also says high carbon steel. That clash is a seller line, not a measured test. UK reviews include garden-light and chair jobs, with soft supplied drills and poor instructions. The tip only bites in reverse at low speed.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Stripped, rusted or embedded screws
Less suitable: Flush broken studs, a proud head you can grip with pliers, or hex sockets below 2 mm across flats
Specifications
Common questions
What tool type is the YURINWOO nine-piece?
A double-ended bit set for stripped, rusted or embedded screws. The bullets describe six extractors and three twist drills.
What size does the listing print?
#0 to #4 plus three twist drills. The pieces field says 9. Read the bullet list before you assume every piece is an extractor.
What do UK reviews repeat?
Garden-light and chair screws that came out, and supplied drills that were too soft, with poor instructions. Reverse at low speed is the step the leaflets often skip.
The YURINWOO 5-piece HSS 6542 on amazon.co.uk is about £7.99 and shows 3.9 from 133 ratings. It is a double-ended bit set for damaged, broken or stripped screws still on the surface. The card prints extractors #1 to #4. The carbide drill size is not numbered. The title says a 5-piece double-ended set, while the bullets split four extractors and one carbide twist drill. The listing says HSS 6542 with a claimed 63–65 HRC. That is a seller claim, not a measured test. UK reviews describe locks and windows that came out after a pilot hole, and bits that failed to grip or sheared.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Damaged, broken or stripped screws still on the surface
Less suitable: Hard fasteners where the bit shears, or screws the pilot will not bite
Specifications
Common questions
What tool type is the YURINWOO five-piece?
A small double-ended set for damaged, broken or stripped screws that are still on the surface. The bullets split it into four extractors and one twist drill.
What size does the listing print?
Extractors #1 to #4. The carbide drill diameter is not numbered on the card. There is no #0 in this set.
What do UK reviews repeat?
Locks and windows came out after a pilot hole. Bits also failed to grip or sheared on harder fasteners.
The FOTYBEI 9-piece HSS 6542 on amazon.co.uk is about £13.97 and shows 3.9 from 131 ratings. It is a double-ended bit set for damaged, stripped or rusted screws. The card prints #0 to #4 and drills at 2.0, 3.0 and 3.5 mm. The listing says HSS 6542 with a claimed 63–65 HRC. That is a seller claim, not a measured test. The bullets call three twist drills carbide. The included-components field says a beech wood base, while the bullets say a plastic case. UK reviews include decking and motorcycle-frame jobs, with a muddled leaflet and bit damage.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Damaged, stripped or rusted screws
Less suitable: Flush broken studs, a proud head you can grip with pliers, or hex sockets below 2 mm across flats
Specifications
Common questions
What tool type is the FOTYBEI set?
A double-ended bit set for damaged, stripped or rusted screws. The bullets include three twist drills with the extractors.
What size does the listing print?
#0 to #4, and drills at 2.0, 3.0 and 3.5 mm. Those drill diameters are not a conversion of the #0 to #4 chart.
What do UK reviews repeat?
Decking and motorcycle-frame jobs that came out, plus a muddled leaflet and bit damage. The case description also clashes: beech wood base in one field, plastic case in the bullets.
The SKmoon HSS 4341 four-piece on amazon.co.uk is about £7.99 and shows 3.8 from 7,123 ratings. It is a double-ended bit set for stripped or rusted heads. The bullets say any screw size, but the card prints four extractors and no numbered chart. The listing says HSS 4341 with a claimed 62–63 HRC. That is a seller claim, not a measured test. The bits are double-ended only, with no separate drills. The package-quantity field says 50 while the title says 4. A large review file shows both grip and soft drill ends.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Stripped or rusted heads when you accept that no size chart is printed
Less suitable: A job that needs a numbered size, a flush stud, or a proud head you can grip with pliers
Specifications
Common questions
What tool type is the SKmoon set?
Four double-ended extractor bits in a compact case. The stated job is a stripped or rusted head. The bullets say any screw size, without a numbered chart.
What size does the listing print?
Four extractors and no numbered chart. The package-quantity field says 50 and the title says 4. Do not treat the bullet line as a size range.
What do UK reviews repeat?
Both grip and soft drill ends, across 7,123 ratings at 3.8. Spin-out and a snap still appear when the bit does not match the fastener, or when reverse is skipped.
The WQEDVN four-piece budget set on amazon.co.uk is about £4.29 and shows 3.4 from 13 ratings. It is a double-ended bit set described for wood, metal and plastic, in a two-step drill and extract. The card prints four extractors and no size numbers in the bullets. The bullets say HSS 4341, and the material line says HSS. That is a seller claim, not a measured test. The bits are double-ended only. UK reviews describe threads stripping straight away. The low star line and the small sample are why it sits last, even at this shelf price.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A two-step drill and extract on wood, metal or plastic, if you accept a thin review file
Less suitable: A hard fastener, a flush stud, or any job where a stripped thread on the first attempt matters
Specifications
Common questions
What tool type is the WQEDVN set?
Four double-ended bits in a portable box. The stated job is a two-step drill and extract on wood, metal and plastic.
What size does the listing print?
Four extractors and no size numbers in the bullets. You cannot match a fastener to a printed band from this card.
What do UK reviews repeat?
The star line is 3.4 from 13 ratings. Reviews describe the threads stripping straight away, and a bit that spins or snaps when it does not match.
Twelve amazon.co.uk listings were compared from the stored pages. There is no laboratory hardness test. A star rating is not a promise that every fastener will move. The top pick is the Engineer DBZ-20, for a rounded hex that is still proud. Best value is the BGS 1896, for spiral coverage after a pilot hole, with snaps reported in reviews. The weights below sum to 100.
Failure match
30%A proud head suits jaws. A rounded hex of a few millimetres across flats suits hex-socket bits. A ruined head that is still there suits a double-ended bit. A flush break suits a spiral after a centred pilot, or a left-hand drill plus an extractor. A tool aimed at the wrong failure scores lower, even with a high star line.
Printed size
20%The size on the listing is used as printed. Millimetre bands, an M thread range and a #0 to #4 chart are different scales. No conversion between them is applied.
Steel claim
15%High carbon steel, alloy steel, carbon steel, chrome-vanadium, HSS 4341 and HSS 6542 are recorded as seller claims. A claimed Rockwell figure is not treated as a measured test. Reviews that describe a drill which will not cut stainless or a high-tensile bolt count against the claim.
Stars and sample
20%The amazon.co.uk star line is read with its review count. A high count shows both jobs that worked and bits that spun or snapped. It does not mean every fastener will move.
How you run it
15%Listings whose UK reviews say to use reverse at low speed score higher on this point. A leaflet that skips reverse, or a tip run clockwise, is the failure reviewers repeat on double-ended kits.
Match the failure before you match a size chart. Jaws, hex-socket bits, double-ended bits, spirals and left-hand drills are different tools. A star line is buyer opinion. None of these scores is a laboratory hardness test.
A screw extractor removes a screw, bolt or stud that a normal driver can no longer turn, because the head is stripped, the hex is rounded, or the head has snapped off. Shop listings are not one set. You separate them by whether a head still sticks out, by the size band printed on the card, and by whether the tool is a jaw or a drill-in bit. Quality here means the steel name on the listing, the amazon.co.uk star line, and UK reviews that both save a job and describe a bit that spins or snaps.
Removal pliers need a head that still sticks out, about 3 mm to 9.5 mm on the plier listing. On a flush stud the jaws slip or mark the surface. That job needs a centred pilot, then a spiral or a left-hand drill.
On double-ended kits, reviewers repeat that the leaflet skipped reverse and that the tip only bites in reverse at low speed. Running it clockwise, or starting on the largest bit, is how the seat strips. A centre punch keeps the pilot on the axis.
#0 to #4, a 3–25 mm spiral band and M3 to M18 are different scales. Forcing a thin extractor until it twists off leaves the broken piece in the hole. Stop if that happens in an engine, hub or suspension stud.
Start with the fastener you can see. A proud head of about 3 mm to 9.5 mm suits removal pliers. Those jaws grip a stripped, damaged or rusted head that still sticks out, and they cannot pull a flush stud. A rounded internal hex of 2 mm to 5 mm across flats suits hex-socket extractor bits, including a small Allen bolt in furniture or light automotive trim. A ruined head that is still on the surface suits a double-ended bit.
Read the size the listing prints. One spiral set bands six carbon-steel pieces from 3–6 mm up to 19–25 mm. Another prints M3 to M18. Double-ended sets mostly print #0 to #4, often with a spare #2, sometimes with drills at 2.0, 3.0 and 3.5 mm. A left-hand kit prints drills from 1/8 in to 19/64 in and extractors #1 to #5. Those scales are not the same, and there is no conversion in the sources. Treat steel names as claims.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
The head is still there and the drive is ruined. If it sticks out at about 3 mm to 9.5 mm, the Engineer PZ-58 pliers grip it. They show 4.7 from 9,982 ratings at about £16.99. They will not pull a flush stud. If the head is ruined but still on the surface and you want drills in the case, the Kuyotine nine-piece is the double-ended set with the higher star line in this group.
The head has gone and you can drill a centred pilot. The BGS 1896 is six carbon-steel spirals from 3–6 mm up to 19–25 mm, at about £5.60, with 4.1 from 2,311 ratings. Reviews both save jobs and report snaps. Stop if an extractor snaps in an engine, hub or suspension stud. The set does not include a separate drill.
The internal hex is rounded and the screw is still proud, including furniture and light automotive trim. The Engineer DBZ-20 covers 2 mm to 5 mm across flats, at about £19.99, with 4.5 from 683 ratings. It is the wrong tool for a flush stud, and the pieces field says 1 while the title says 4.
The top pick is the Engineer DBZ-20 hex set at about £19.99. It is hex-socket bits from 2 mm to 5 mm across flats, with 4.5 from 683 ratings, for a rounded Allen bolt that is still proud. It will not pull a flush stud. The best value is the BGS 1896 spiral set at about £5.60, six carbon-steel spirals from 3–6 mm up to 19–25 mm, with 4.1 from 2,311 ratings, for a torn screw or stud after a pilot hole. Reviews also report a bit that spins or snaps. These scores are not a measured hardness test.
BGS 1896 spiral set
About £5.60 for six spiral bands from 3–6 mm up to 19–25 mm, 4.1 from 2,311 ratings, with snaps reported as well as jobs saved.
Editorial
Peter F. is the editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk. Comparisons in this category are checked against amazon.co.uk listings, review evidence and public UK sources.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
UK public sources and the maker page named in the digest for this comparison. Shelf prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures in the stored listings.
This page contains affiliate links. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Scores use amazon.co.uk listings and public UK sources. They are not a laboratory hardness test.
