How To Remove Stripped Screws Using An Extractor

I ran into several stripped screws when I was trying to replace the joists underneath this old deck, so I picked up this extractor set.
Now I’ve never used one of these before, so I was super curious to see how it would work.
I paid 24 bucks for it- there’s 4 different sizes in the kit.
One end has a drill bit, and the other has an extractor.
The first thing you do is drill out the head of the screw.
This bit is designed to be used in reverse- it didn’t take long at all to drill out the head of the screw.
The number 2 bit seemed to fit the best.
Next you flip it around and put the extractor side out- again, in reverse, the directions say to go at a slow speed.
Right away it gripped the head of the screw and started backing it out.
This is not a sponsored post and there’s other brands that make similar products, but I was impressed with this extractor.
I actually had to use the vice grips to get the screw loose- that’s how well it grabbed.
Here you can see how the extractor locks right into the screw.
One thing I did learn- if you drill too fast and create a bunch of heat you can actually smoke the composite decking.
I’m definitely going to keep this little kit in my toolbox from now on…
Let me know in the comments if you’ve ever used an extractor to get a screw out.‪@hausplans‬

#build #howto #tools #screwextractor #drill #driver #construction #diy #contractor