Answers.Body: <p>Lego is generally quite robust, but there are potential weaknesses:</p>
  
  <h2>Material Problems</h2>
  
  <p>Some parts are prone to damage as a consequence of the material from which they are made:</p>
  
  <h3>Plastic</h3>
  
  <ul>
  <li>Sunlight can cause discoloration</li>
  <li>Bricks can be damaged by extremes of temperature</li>
  <li>Older bricks (pre ABS) are prone to warping, discoloration and may become brittle</li>
  <li>Most plastic bricks are easily damaged by pressure (eg. from teeth) and abrasion</li>
  </ul>
  
  <h3>Stickers</h3>
  
  <ul>
  <li>Most are easily damaged by water</li>
  <li>Wear easily</li>
  <li>Are easily damaged when they span components</li>
  </ul>
  
  <h3>Rubber</h3>
  
  <ul>
  <li>Rubber bands tend to perish</li>
  </ul>
  
  <h2>Structural Problems</h2>
  
  <p>Damage can also be caused due to the shape and structure of some components:</p>
  
  <h3>Long Parts</h3>
  
  <p>Long thin parts are prone to bending or snapping under load, for example:</p>
  
  <ul>
  <li>Long technic beams</li>
  <li>Flags, signs etc. with long stems</li>
  <li>Larger plates and baseboards</li>
  <li>Swords</li>
  <li>Propeller blades</li>
  </ul>
  
  <h3>Clips and Other Joints</h3>
  
  <ul>
  <li>Lego clips are prone to breaking under stress, for example:
  
  <ul>
  <li>Minifigure hands</li>
  <li>Flags that clip on to flag poles</li>
  <li>Bricks with clips on</li>
  <li>etc.</li>
  </ul></li>
  <li>For older types of window frame, the lugs that hold the shutters can snap off quite easily:</li>
  </ul>
  
  <p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/zaybF.png" alt="Window frame"></p>
  
  <ul>
  <li>Ball sockets can break if you force the ball out by levering it against the socket instead of pulling it straight out.</li>
  </ul>
  
  <p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/5NtQN.gif" alt="enter image description here"></p>
  
  <ul>
  <li>The hinge holes on chests can be stripped out by pushing the lid open too far</li>
  </ul>
  
  <p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/WWxlO.gif" alt="enter image description here"></p>
  
  <h3>Technic Parts</h3>
  
  <ul>
  <li><p>Wheels and gears can crack under stress</p></li>
  <li><p>Smaller items that fit on technic (axles bushes and the smaller cogs) are easily crushed</p></li>
  </ul>
  
  <p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/SkzUF.png" alt="enter image description here"></p>
  
  <h3>Other Parts</h3>
  
  <ul>
  <li>It is rather easy to supply excessive force to angle brackets eg. by stepping on them or when they are at the junction long parts that can apply leverage</li>
  </ul>
  
  <h2>Electronics</h2>
  
  <p>Electronic items have special problems:</p>
  
  <ul>
  <li>Battery boxes can be ruined by leaking batteries</li>
  <li>Electrical items can be damaged by applying the wrong voltage, eg. 12v to 4.5v lamps</li>
  <li>Most electrical items can be damaged by water</li>
  <li>Cables break easily, and (at least in the case of the old 4.5v system) can easily be pulled from plugs</li>
  <li>Some conductors are prone to corrosion</li>
  </ul>
  
  <h2>Recommendations</h2>
  
  <p>I recommend:</p>
  
  <ul>
  <li>Sort lego before washing to remove parts that will be damaged by water</li>
  <li>Don't play with lego on the floor where it can be stepped on</li>
  <li>Keep bricks out of sunlight</li>
  <li>Don't let bricks get too hot</li>
  <li>Keeping lego away from children(!) and pets</li>
  <li>Remove batteries when not in use</li>
  </ul>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2011-10-30T20:25:44.167Z
Answers.Text: @Joe: ...and not quite serious! (I've aready bought my 7-year old more lego than I've ever owned myself) At the same time, I don't let him play with my vintage / collectors items. He just isn't ready.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Kramii
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2011-12-13T19:03:48.227Z
Answers.Text: Not making any children is safer, IMHO
Answers.UserDisplayName: Joubarc
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2013-12-24T06:58:13.827Z
Answers.Text: "Don't play with lego on the floor where it can be stepped on". That's more for your own safety. Walking barefoot on small lego pieces hurts. A lot.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Stephane Delcroix
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2015-03-30T09:48:33.050Z
Answers.Text: If I wouldn't have played with LEGO when I was a kid most likely I would be an engineering PhD student in one big university of the UK. LEGO are the ones that brought me here, so **Keep LEGO close to children**
Answers.UserDisplayName: Ander Biguri
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2011-10-30T08:56:06.173Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2015-03-26T15:15:35.553Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2015-03-26T15:15:35.553Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Kramii
Answers.Body: <ul>
  <li>Minifig Hands (and skeleton arms) - if you replace/change tools often</li>
  <li>Axles - be careful where bearing loads, long axles make easy weak points.</li>
  <li>Gears - I've had cracked 24t gears - old style, cracked old style crown gears, and those tiny bevel gears, the old style - I've had those broken too.</li>
  <li>Pneumatic system push fittings - I've seen sheared off.</li>
  <li>Electrical cables - these can get caught up and kinked which will break the signal.</li>
  <li>Lego space - whip antenna - <img src="https://i.sstatic.net/OrpUR.png" alt="whip antenna"> - these can snap in the long fragile stem.</li>
  <li>Longer accessories - such as Swords and Spears can be bent and broken.</li>
  <li>Technic 2M Cross Axle with Groove <img src="https://i.sstatic.net/uzvVS.jpg" alt="2M Cross Axle with Groove"> have been snapped under load.</li>
  <li>Lego-made rubber bands exposed to oxygen degrade over time. </li>
  </ul>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2011-10-29T14:27:06.943Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2011-10-29T19:03:50.927Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2011-10-29T19:03:50.927Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Danny Staple
Answers.Body: <p>The pieces that broke most frequently for me were the <a href="http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=2335" rel="nofollow noreferrer">2-by-2 square flags</a>:</p>
  
  <p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/5uAEr.gif" alt="enter image description here"></p>
  
  <p>They are often used in pirate sets as cannon porthole covers (shown in red on the <a href="http://www.brickset.com/detail/?set=6285-1" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Black Seas Barracuda</a>). The clips tend to break <em>very</em> easily.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2015-04-07T02:31:32.643Z
Answers.Text: Especially when people put them on the wrong sized pole :(
Answers.UserDisplayName: Craig
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2011-12-01T17:26:39.777Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2011-12-01T17:37:28.853Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2011-12-01T17:37:28.853Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: gnovice
Answers.Body: <p>I would say the most breakable piece, in my opinion, is the <strong>Plate, Modified 1 x 1 with Clip Horizontal</strong>.</p>
  
  <p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/5AjXt.jpg" alt="Plate, Modified 1 x 1 with Clip Horizontal"></p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2011-11-30T22:17:10.217Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2011-11-30T22:17:10.217Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: craigmoliver
Answers.Body: <p>I've had quite a few of these break:</p>
  
  <p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/nWcZX.png" alt="enter image description here"></p>
  
  <p>Peeron calls them Minifig Mechanical Arm (id <a href="http://www.peeron.com/inv/parts/30377" rel="nofollow noreferrer">30377</a>). Apparently Lego calls them Space Skeleon Arm (I'm guessing that should be Skeleton, but no idea)</p>
  
  <p>They're used as door hinges in the <a href="http://www.brickset.com/detail/?Set=7893-1" rel="nofollow noreferrer">City Passenger Plane</a>:</p>
  
  <p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/waJQr.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2011-12-12T10:04:01.750Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2011-12-12T10:04:01.750Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Benjol
Answers.Body: <p>Minifigure hook hands are easily broken&nbsp;— especially the gold-coloured hooks from the 2010 Pirates line, as the material used for gold pieces is rather fragile.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2013-06-22T17:56:01.723Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2013-12-24T01:59:39.410Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2013-12-24T01:59:39.410Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Bertram
Answers.Body: <p>The ones that break for me are the sockets for the ball joints.  See <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/grandpappy/3988584161/" rel="nofollow">http://www.flickr.com/photos/grandpappy/3988584161/</a>...</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2011-11-15T18:05:37.997Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2011-11-15T18:05:37.997Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Nathan
Answers.Body: <p>The ones that gave me the most trouble were the "new-style" BIONICLE axle connectors like <a href="http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=60176" rel="nofollow noreferrer">this one</a>:</p>
  
  <p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/q0EbM.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></p>
  
  <p>It seems that the parts holding the axle ball were much thinner than on the previous versions, and they tended to crack and break from extensive use. It was possible to use some cracked ones, but some broke beyond that.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2015-04-02T07:09:27.107Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2015-04-02T07:09:27.107Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Mints97
Answers.Body: <p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/fzFlq.gif" alt="Bracket 2 x 2 - 2 x 2"></p>
  
  <p>It isn't even a fair contest. In my childhood of playing with Lego Space sets, this piece (Bracket 2 x 2 - 2 x 2) broke the most.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2011-12-07T13:38:38.587Z
Answers.Text: What, in your experience, causes them to break most easily?
Answers.UserDisplayName: Kramii
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2011-12-07T13:47:35.963Z
Answers.Text: I think there were two reasons. When used in building it was used to attach pieces which ended up being horizontal, so if there wasn't enough support underneath you could flex it at the corner of the "L" and break it. The second reason I believe is that I had all bricks in a big bucket, I think the act of sifting through the pieces may have put stress on the piece enough to bend it and it would break. If I had compartmentalized storage that may have saved some pieces.
Answers.UserDisplayName: ghoppe
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2012-07-20T18:30:29.207Z
Answers.Text: I too had a few of these pieces break, but not many other pieces. This is only wild speculation on my part, but it may be to do with a combination of two things: Design - Mine cracked horizontally between the studs across the hole, which is probably the weakest point due to the least amount of plastic. Sun exposure: My classic Space sets that used these pieces have quite a lot of fading and maybe the UV exposure made them brittle.
Answers.UserDisplayName: mcqwerty
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2011-12-06T15:14:34.757Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2011-12-06T15:14:34.757Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: ghoppe
Answers.Body: <p>98% precent of all the broken LEGO pieces I own are colored in reddish brown. I've broken a lot of them too. Just broke one right now, in fact. They probably use a weaker type plastic on them. I seem to be the only one who's ever noticed this.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2021-01-02T12:14:31.080Z
Answers.Text: At some point of time elements in Dark Red were prone for braking a lot. Especially 1x1 tiles. It seems like this issue has been addressed by TLG.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Alex
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2016-07-08T20:09:24.943Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2016-07-08T20:09:24.943Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Ladondorf
Answers.Body: <p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/fhTLK.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></p>
  
  <p>This weekend I sorted through some boxes of lego that have laid dormant under my parents' house since I moved out. They contained bricks from the 80s to late 90s. THe only broken pieces I found where these technic chain pieces, crushed at the bottom of the box, and lego traffic signs broken off at the base. I can reuse the traffic signs by sticking them into a 1x1x1 barrel piece, but the chain is ruined and I'll need to buy a whole new one.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2015-04-07T21:44:07.917Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2015-04-07T21:44:07.917Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Craig
Answers.Body: <p>Without about the hinge plate. All three I had in 6652 and 6678 broke at the time which was really disappointing in pre-Internet times as you had no way of replacing them.</p>
  <p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/Tffl7.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/Tffl7.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2021-01-01T15:25:28.683Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2021-01-02T08:25:16.473Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2021-01-02T08:25:16.473Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: user7660047
Answers.Body: <p>I remember that <em>back in the day</em> (which would be mid eighties), I had a number of 1×1 translucent plates <em>split</em> on me. Right through the middle &mdash; and then I had two halves. They would typically split either when trying to connect or disconnect them to/from a regular stud. No idea if it was a bad batch or what. Haven't had that happen with more recent versions.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2014-02-23T21:41:25.463Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2019-12-27T08:32:47.587Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2019-12-27T08:32:47.587Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: SQB
Answers.Body: <p>1x1 plates in transparent colors (mainly red and green) from the Lego space sets in the 80's/90's seem to use a plastic that is very brittle to start with and doesn't age well.</p>
  <p>Just pushing one of those onto a stud can be enough to break the piece in 2 or more parts.
  I just rebuild all my old sets over the Christmas holiday to identify and replace missing/damaged parts and I found I needed to replace 12 of these, out of a total of 31.</p>
  <p>I broke about half during the rebuild. The other half were already broken 20 years ago when the pieces were relatively new. I recall that 1 snapped when it was brand-new on the first time build when I bought that set around 1995.)</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2021-01-04T10:57:09.717Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2021-01-04T10:57:09.717Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Tonny
Answers.Body: <p>I've had one or two <a href="http://rebrickable.com/parts/6558" rel="nofollow">long technic pins (part 6558)</a> break on me.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2015-04-07T07:36:56.577Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2015-04-07T07:36:56.577Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: kguest
Answers.Body: <p>I see no mention of <a href="http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=92842" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Lego propeller blades</a>. Both when I was a child and now in my kids' LEGO collection I find it hard to get a propeller that doesn't have at least 1 blade broken off.
   <img src="https://i.sstatic.net/S3z5V.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2015-03-26T15:13:53.850Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2015-03-26T15:13:53.850Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Phil B.
Answers.Body: <p><a href="https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=54200#T=C" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Slope 30 1 x 1 x 2/3</a>, better known under &quot;Cheese Slope&quot; name is another element that tend to crack even in the modern days no matter what color is being used.</p>
  <p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/YYHKo.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/YYHKo.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
  <p><a href="https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=62520c01" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Technic U-joints</a> are also quite vulnerable parts in motorized applications.</p>
  <p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/TfG1c.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/TfG1c.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2021-01-02T12:22:03.667Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2021-01-02T12:22:03.667Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Alex
Answers.Body: <p><strong>Wheel 30.4 x 14 VR</strong> has the tendency to crack around the axle under high stress.</p>
  
  <p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/y97in.jpg" alt="Wheel 30.4 x 14 VR"></p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2011-10-29T14:10:02.363Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2011-10-29T14:10:02.363Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Pubby
Body: <p>I've had a few pieces break over the years, which was a real bummer as I was not expecting them to.</p>
  
  <p><strong>What are some commonly used pieces that are prone to breaking?</strong> Pieces that should be handled carefully and stored separately.</p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2011-10-29T14:05:05.410Z
Comments.Text: This might be better as a community wiki, as there are multiple correct answers.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Pubby
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2011-10-29T14:21:08.030Z
Comments.Text: I didn't know Lego bricks could break! I realize there is a theoretical limit but I've never seen damage.
Comments.UserDisplayName: William Grobman
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2015-04-07T07:51:44.507Z
Comments.Text: Easy one: the space helmet.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Stephane Delcroix
Tags: <piece-information><durability>
Title: What pieces are prone to breaking?
UserDisplayName: Pubby
ThreadText: # What pieces are prone to breaking?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2011-10-29)
  
  I've had a few pieces break over the years, which was a real bummer as I was not expecting them to.
  
  **What are some commonly used pieces that are prone to breaking?** Pieces that should be handled carefully and stored separately.
  
  **Tags:** piece-information, durability
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: This might be better as a community wiki, as there are multiple correct answers.  
  > **username_1**: I didn't know Lego bricks could break! I realize there is a theoretical limit but I've never seen damage.  
  > **username_2**: Easy one: the space helmet.  
  
  ---
  
  ## 18 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_3 on 2011-10-30. Score: 15 | Accepted answer
  
  Lego is generally quite robust, but there are potential weaknesses:
  
  ## Material Problems
  
  Some parts are prone to damage as a consequence of the material from which they are made:
  
  ### Plastic
  
  * Sunlight can cause discoloration
  * Bricks can be damaged by extremes of temperature
  * Older bricks (pre ABS) are prone to warping, discoloration and may become brittle
  * Most plastic bricks are easily damaged by pressure (eg. from teeth) and abrasion
  
  ### Stickers
  
  * Most are easily damaged by water
  * Wear easily
  * Are easily damaged when they span components
  
  ### Rubber
  
  * Rubber bands tend to perish
  
  ## Structural Problems
  
  Damage can also be caused due to the shape and structure of some components:
  
  ### Long Parts
  
  Long thin parts are prone to bending or snapping under load, for example:
  
  * Long technic beams
  * Flags, signs etc. with long stems
  * Larger plates and baseboards
  * Swords
  * Propeller blades
  
  ### Clips and Other Joints
  
  * Lego clips are prone to breaking under stress, for example:
    + Minifigure hands
    + Flags that clip on to flag poles
    + Bricks with clips on
    + etc.
  * For older types of window frame, the lugs that hold the shutters can snap off quite easily:
  
  ![Window frame](https://i.sstatic.net/zaybF.png)
  
  * Ball sockets can break if you force the ball out by levering it against the socket instead of pulling it straight out.
  
  ![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/5NtQN.gif)
  
  * The hinge holes on chests can be stripped out by pushing the lid open too far
  
  ![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/WWxlO.gif)
  
  ### Technic Parts
  
  * Wheels and gears can crack under stress
  * Smaller items that fit on technic (axles bushes and the smaller cogs) are easily crushed
  
  ![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/SkzUF.png)
  
  ### Other Parts
  
  * It is rather easy to supply excessive force to angle brackets eg. by stepping on them or when they are at the junction long parts that can apply leverage
  
  ## Electronics
  
  Electronic items have special problems:
  
  * Battery boxes can be ruined by leaking batteries
  * Electrical items can be damaged by applying the wrong voltage, eg. 12v to 4.5v lamps
  * Most electrical items can be damaged by water
  * Cables break easily, and (at least in the case of the old 4.5v system) can easily be pulled from plugs
  * Some conductors are prone to corrosion
  
  ## Recommendations
  
  I recommend:
  
  * Sort lego before washing to remove parts that will be damaged by water
  * Don't play with lego on the floor where it can be stepped on
  * Keep bricks out of sunlight
  * Don't let bricks get too hot
  * Keeping lego away from children(!) and pets
  * Remove batteries when not in use
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_3**: @Joe: ...and not quite serious! (I've aready bought my 7-year old more lego than I've ever owned myself) At the same time, I don't let him play with my vintage / collectors items. He just isn't ready.  
  > **username_4**: Not making any children is safer, IMHO  
  > **username_2**: "Don't play with lego on the floor where it can be stepped on". That's more for your own safety. Walking barefoot on small lego pieces hurts. A lot.  
  > **username_5**: If I wouldn't have played with LEGO when I was a kid most likely I would be an engineering PhD student in one big university of the UK. LEGO are the ones that brought me here, so **Keep LEGO close to children**  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_6 on 2011-10-29. Score: 7
  
  * Minifig Hands (and skeleton arms) - if you replace/change tools often
  * Axles - be careful where bearing loads, long axles make easy weak points.
  * Gears - I've had cracked 24t gears - old style, cracked old style crown gears, and those tiny bevel gears, the old style - I've had those broken too.
  * Pneumatic system push fittings - I've seen sheared off.
  * Electrical cables - these can get caught up and kinked which will break the signal.
  * Lego space - whip antenna - ![whip antenna](https://i.sstatic.net/OrpUR.png) - these can snap in the long fragile stem.
  * Longer accessories - such as Swords and Spears can be bent and broken.
  * Technic 2M Cross Axle with Groove ![2M Cross Axle with Groove](https://i.sstatic.net/uzvVS.jpg) have been snapped under load.
  * Lego-made rubber bands exposed to oxygen degrade over time.
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_7 on 2011-12-01. Score: 6
  
  The pieces that broke most frequently for me were the [2-by-2 square flags](http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=2335):
  
  ![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/5uAEr.gif)
  
  They are often used in pirate sets as cannon porthole covers (shown in red on the [Black Seas Barracuda](http://www.brickset.com/detail/?set=6285-1)). The clips tend to break *very* easily.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_8**: Especially when people put them on the wrong sized pole :(  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_9 on 2011-11-30. Score: 5
  
  I would say the most breakable piece, in my opinion, is the **Plate, Modified 1 x 1 with Clip Horizontal**.
  
  ![Plate, Modified 1 x 1 with Clip Horizontal](https://i.sstatic.net/5AjXt.jpg)
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_10 on 2011-12-12. Score: 3
  
  I've had quite a few of these break:
  
  ![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/nWcZX.png)
  
  Peeron calls them Minifig Mechanical Arm (id [30377](http://www.peeron.com/inv/parts/30377)). Apparently Lego calls them Space Skeleon Arm (I'm guessing that should be Skeleton, but no idea)
  
  They're used as door hinges in the [City Passenger Plane](http://www.brickset.com/detail/?Set=7893-1):
  
  ![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/waJQr.jpg)
  
  
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  ### Answer by username_11 on 2013-06-22. Score: 2
  
  Minifigure hook hands are easily broken — especially the gold-coloured hooks from the 2010 Pirates line, as the material used for gold pieces is rather fragile.
  
  
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  ### Answer by username_12 on 2011-11-15. Score: 2
  
  The ones that break for me are the sockets for the ball joints. See <http://www.flickr.com/photos/grandpappy/3988584161/>...
  
  
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  ### Answer by username_0 on 2011-10-29. Score: 2
  
  **Wheel 30.4 x 14 VR** has the tendency to crack around the axle under high stress.
  
  ![Wheel 30.4 x 14 VR](https://i.sstatic.net/y97in.jpg)
  
  
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  ### Answer by username_13 on 2015-04-02. Score: 1
  
  The ones that gave me the most trouble were the "new-style" BIONICLE axle connectors like [this one](http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=60176):
  
  ![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/q0EbM.jpg)
  
  It seems that the parts holding the axle ball were much thinner than on the previous versions, and they tended to crack and break from extensive use. It was possible to use some cracked ones, but some broke beyond that.
  
  
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  ### Answer by username_14 on 2011-12-06. Score: 1
  
  ![Bracket 2 x 2 - 2 x 2](https://i.sstatic.net/fzFlq.gif)
  
  It isn't even a fair contest. In my childhood of playing with Lego Space sets, this piece (Bracket 2 x 2 - 2 x 2) broke the most.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_3**: What, in your experience, causes them to break most easily?  
  > **username_14**: I think there were two reasons. When used in building it was used to attach pieces which ended up being horizontal, so if there wasn't enough support underneath you could flex it at the corner of the "L" and break it. The second reason I believe is that I had all bricks in a big bucket, I think the act of sifting through the pieces may have put stress on the piece enough to bend it and it would break. If I had compartmentalized storage that may have saved some pieces.  
  > **username_15**: I too had a few of these pieces break, but not many other pieces. This is only wild speculation on my part, but it may be to do with a combination of two things: Design - Mine cracked horizontally between the studs across the hole, which is probably the weakest point due to the least amount of plastic. Sun exposure: My classic Space sets that used these pieces have quite a lot of fading and maybe the UV exposure made them brittle.  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_16 on 2016-07-08. Score: 1
  
  98% precent of all the broken LEGO pieces I own are colored in reddish brown. I've broken a lot of them too. Just broke one right now, in fact. They probably use a weaker type plastic on them. I seem to be the only one who's ever noticed this.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_17**: At some point of time elements in Dark Red were prone for braking a lot. Especially 1x1 tiles. It seems like this issue has been addressed by TLG.  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_8 on 2015-04-07. Score: 0
  
  ![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/fhTLK.jpg)
  
  This weekend I sorted through some boxes of lego that have laid dormant under my parents' house since I moved out. They contained bricks from the 80s to late 90s. THe only broken pieces I found where these technic chain pieces, crushed at the bottom of the box, and lego traffic signs broken off at the base. I can reuse the traffic signs by sticking them into a 1x1x1 barrel piece, but the chain is ruined and I'll need to buy a whole new one.
  
  
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  ### Answer by username_18 on 2021-01-01. Score: 0
  
  Without about the hinge plate. All three I had in 6652 and 6678 broke at the time which was really disappointing in pre-Internet times as you had no way of replacing them.
  
  [![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/Tffl7.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/Tffl7.png)
  
  
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  ### Answer by username_19 on 2014-02-23. Score: 0
  
  I remember that *back in the day* (which would be mid eighties), I had a number of 1×1 translucent plates *split* on me. Right through the middle — and then I had two halves. They would typically split either when trying to connect or disconnect them to/from a regular stud. No idea if it was a bad batch or what. Haven't had that happen with more recent versions.
  
  
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  ### Answer by username_20 on 2021-01-04. Score: 0
  
  1x1 plates in transparent colors (mainly red and green) from the Lego space sets in the 80's/90's seem to use a plastic that is very brittle to start with and doesn't age well.
  
  Just pushing one of those onto a stud can be enough to break the piece in 2 or more parts.
  I just rebuild all my old sets over the Christmas holiday to identify and replace missing/damaged parts and I found I needed to replace 12 of these, out of a total of 31.
  
  I broke about half during the rebuild. The other half were already broken 20 years ago when the pieces were relatively new. I recall that 1 snapped when it was brand-new on the first time build when I bought that set around 1995.)
  
  
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  ### Answer by username_21 on 2015-04-07. Score: 0
  
  I've had one or two [long technic pins (part 6558)](http://rebrickable.com/parts/6558) break on me.
  
  
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  ### Answer by username_22 on 2015-03-26. Score: 0
  
  I see no mention of [Lego propeller blades](http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=92842). Both when I was a child and now in my kids' LEGO collection I find it hard to get a propeller that doesn't have at least 1 blade broken off.
  ![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/S3z5V.jpg)
  
  
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  ### Answer by username_17 on 2021-01-02. Score: 0
  
  [Slope 30 1 x 1 x 2/3](https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=54200#T=C), better known under "Cheese Slope" name is another element that tend to crack even in the modern days no matter what color is being used.
  
  [![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/YYHKo.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/YYHKo.png)
  
  [Technic U-joints](https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=62520c01) are also quite vulnerable parts in motorized applications.
  
  [![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/TfG1c.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/TfG1c.png)
  
  
  ---
  
  