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What would everyone choose for a pry bar set if you were to buy new?

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Rinspeed

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Apr 26, 2020
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1,848
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NY
For me it's wilde

If you can find one at Walmart the label those hyper tough, but I bought mine at Tekton






You have to buy the ones at WM with the striker cap to get Wilde, the ones without it are made by someone else in Taiwan, both marked Hyper Tough.
 

Ohio Andy

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Jul 31, 2024
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Location
Columbus, Ohio
You have to buy the ones at WM with the striker cap to get Wilde, the ones without it are made by someone else in Taiwan, both marked Hyper Tough.
That's actually really good to know I had no idea... But the Walmarts I have gone to in Michigan and Ohio never have but I consider interesting tools. Frankly, I stopped looking.
 

Schurkey

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Oct 27, 2011
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2,381
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The Seasonally Frozen Wastelands
Started with non-striking-cap 4-piece Snap-On set, decades ago. Handles melted in a fire. Bought a 5-piece Mayhew Dominator curved set, put them on a shelf, continued to use the non-handled Snappys. Forgot I owned the Mayhew Dominator set. Bought a 50-something inch OTC pry-bar, thought it would be made in USA since it was not the "Stinger" discount/imported line. I was wrong--Taiwan or China, I forget which.

Bought every size Wilde striking-cap curved pry-bars that HJE had, plus the hanger bracket. Gave the damaged Snappys to the husband of my second-cousin. Mayhews are still unused, on the shelf. I feel silly for having bought them. I expect they'll be gifted to someone, someday.

Somewhere along the line, I bought a Mayhew "Demolition Bar". That thing is fantastic. Styled like their other Dominator bars. Not as long as I might prefer, but VERY heavy/strong. The square-stock handle is much thicker than their regular pry-bars, and the "screwdriver" tip is twice as wide, with a nail-puller slot. They discontinued it years ago, which is a real shame.
 

CGarage

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Nov 23, 2018
Messages
3,106
Location
United States/Switzerland
I bought this 3 piece set and I love it. Made in USA. Lifetime warranty (with shipping included in the warranty)



I own this set as well.
- Made in USA
- Lifetime warranty
- Tekton support

Those were my reasons for buying them. And the angled heads. I am not disappointed with the purchase.
 

Zewnten

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Jun 11, 2017
Messages
1,860
I think the curve of the wilde instead of an angle prevents the prybar from slipping out.
 
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drokihazan

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Joined
Apr 8, 2018
Messages
305
I mostly own Snap-On, Wilde, and Tekton. I'd still probably buy Snap-On because I like the handles so much + the ridiculously strong shank on the 54" prybar, but I'd certainly consider Wilde-made Tektons because of the warranty.
I bent the hell out of a 17" Tekton at the junkyard recently and they were happy to replace it under warranty, which meant a lot to me from a customer service perspective - I don't think a 17" prybar was ever designed for the forces I was applying to it. Shoved an alignment punch in the knuckle, shoved the prybar in between the wheel studs and braced against that punch to keep the hub from turning, and jumped on a 36" breaker bar to get a Land Rover castle nut off that was torqued to 360 ft-lbs *before* it rusted into place for 25 years. I got the hub off, but obliterated the punch and the prybar. I'm really happy with Tekton for the warranty service on a tool bent like a pretzel, they didn't even make me send it in, just accepted photos of the damage.
 

drokihazan

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Apr 8, 2018
Messages
305
Yeah there's a few things I definitely don't like about Tekton, namely the way they constantly discontinue things (hard handles :() and the way they include a ton of useless sizes in their sets (you basically can't buy a wrench set from them without 6/7mm anymore, sizes I will never ever use a wrench instead of socket for), but I've had really great customer service from them. I also spread the jaws on a 3/8 chrome finish crowfoot recently, and customer service dug around in the back to find me a replacement chrome one so I wouldn't have a new satin-finish one mismatched in my set. Tekton and Astro have the best customer service of any tool brands in my experience.
 

dr_clyde

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Joined
Jan 7, 2009
Messages
6,482
Location
Holland, MI
My favorites are the old school screwdriver handled ones from Snap-on. They don't make them with that handle anymore, and I don't love the new round handles as much. They're fine, but not my favorites.

I would most likely go with Snap-on again if I had to buy new, as I've had such good luck with the ones I have. Having warranty service and the truck coming by when I need it is also a big help.

That being said, Wilde or Mayhew or any of the ones they re-badge would be fine with me too.
 

dr_clyde

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Jan 7, 2009
Messages
6,482
Location
Holland, MI
For construction prybars, I like Vaughan's Superbar, a Stanley gooseneck wrecking bar, the Marshalltown Burke Bar an Estwing cat's paw.

For machinery rigging and moving, I have an old bar of unknown make that was my great grandfathers. It's a curved point pinch bar that's about 5 feet long, very stiff and extremely strong. I have moved EXTREMELY heavy loads with it, never gave me a lick of trouble. I wish I knew who made it so I can buy another one.

I also really like the articulating head prybars. I have Matco (rebadged gearwrench I think) and Snap-on. They Snappy bars are better for most things, but the Matcos have a tapered head that fits into some places better.
 
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