plastic pry tools for cars; which is the best brand?

billymade · Mar 10, 2010

Hey, guys; I do a decent amount of interior work that involves removing plastic parts, door panels etc. from cars. I'm trying to figure out the best brands and quality tools for the job... so far it looks like many if not most are OEM from Bojo; any recommendations on what brand and types of tools people have found best, most useful? Appreciate, any info!

http://www.bojoinc.com/products.html

vssjim · Mar 10, 2010

Those look great and they really make them as most people are selling imported knock offs. I wish I knew about them before as it's always nice to buy from a real manufacturer versus a copycat importer

peter_x · Mar 10, 2010

I have a Sir Tools set I got from my Snap-on guy. They are not the same as those BoJos.

peter_x · Mar 10, 2010

Wow, they actually sell plastic tools to be used in an air hammer!:

http://bojoinc.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=27_1_71&osCsid=7c3517b2b22363e9a0ca5240f309e9a6

kwhitelaw · Mar 10, 2010

bojoinc is the end all answer.

cheap
lots of options
cheap

vssjim · Mar 10, 2010

Screw it after reading about their stuff I just placed an order, wow stuff looks great and made to top standards

justinmc · Mar 10, 2010

vssjim said:
Screw it after reading about their stuff I just placed an order, wow stuff looks great and made to top standards

Indeed. I might have to grab one of the master sets. They sell from them directly for about what the 4piece sets sell from Matco, Mac, etc.

billymade · Mar 10, 2010

What about the three "grades" they sell; experiences?
"soft touch", "medium duty" and "ultra strong"?

kwhitelaw · Mar 10, 2010

I have them all.

The soft ones (iirc milky white color) are fairly flexible. less chance of snapping them.

the ultra strong ones will snap if you don't handle them right.

I tend to use the blue ones most, maybe just because I have 3 or 4 sets so they're easiest to grab. the ends do tend to get chewed up, so you have to be careful the rough part doesn't scratch the dash etc.

billymade · Mar 10, 2010

So, do you recommend the "medium duty" for general interior work or buy all three? LOL!

vssjim · Mar 10, 2010

billymade said:
So, do you recommend the "medium duty" for general interior work or buy all three? LOL!

I ordered the platinum combo set, wow what a great value and you get to try a big assortment of their stuff

AntiqueCarNut · Mar 10, 2010

I have the Gold Master Panel Installer Kit. I use these all the time. Indespensible. :bowdown:

06wt · Mar 10, 2010

harbor frieght actual has a nice set of plastic pry bars, i have 2 sets

kwhitelaw · Mar 10, 2010

billymade said:
So, do you recommend the "medium duty" for general interior work or buy all three? LOL!

both actually. with some newer cars having very soft plastics, I use the soft tools. others, the blue ones.

sputnikv8 · Mar 10, 2010

Dang this place!

I just bought some bojo off ebay. $15 for a blue 4-piece set. I coulda used it on my last Jeep project instead of scuffing the trim.

bgott · Mar 10, 2010

+2 on the Harbor freight, I haven't destroyed mine yet. :thumbup:

billymade · Mar 10, 2010

On my way home, I stopped by harbor freight; they have two set for somewhere around $7-$8... they don't offer as my different types of tools as bojo... they are cheap however. I'm liking the smaller tools bojo has for the little small "trap doors" that had fasteners in arm rests and door panels. Still thinking bojo...

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=95214

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=95432

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=67021

Dust · Mar 10, 2010

The Harbor Freight 5pc set. Costs six or seven bucks, works just as good as the "Name Brand."

I use the small flat blade and the plastic cat's paw almost daily. The rest see virtually no use at all. I just don't need them. I doubt you would, either. Most trim pieces can be removed with one of those two tools, or maybe a metal trim pry bar if it's a tough piece.

danc333 · Mar 10, 2010

I have both of the sets from HF. I have used them many times and the work fine. Just use caution if its very cold as sometimes they can break. The cool thing about them being so cheap is you can modify the tips for special applications and only be out a couple bucks.

billymade · Mar 11, 2010

Found the Sir Tools versions; they offer three different sets:

http://www.google.com/products?q=Sir+Tools+PIECE+TRIM+TOOL+KIT&hl=en&aq=f

Skyline · Mar 11, 2010

I have a set of those blue plastic pry tools, but one tool I really like for trim is actually designed for windshield installs. Any place that will sell you a windshield will sell you one, this one was made by Sommer & Maca (www.somaca.com). What is nice is that they are made of a very slippery, flexible plastic (I think delrin). Virtually indestructible.

07Forester · Mar 11, 2010

I have a few sets. Three of which I use DAILY. I co-own a mobile electronics store with my brother so you can see how many interiors we take apart. The bright blue ones are from Installernet. The other two are from hf. The black ones are the SAME as the bright blue ones they just don't have logos. Also, the installernet ones are $30 and the HF ones are $2.87. No brainer there.

Dust · Mar 12, 2010

Those bottom two HF ones I use virtually every day. Yeah, the tips get chewed up after a few months, but who cares? They still don't mark things up unless you're stabbing trim pieces, and for seven bucks a set, who am I to complain?

Bluetools · Apr 7, 2010

By 'THE SAME' I assume that 07 Forester means the Black set (Harbor Freight knock off made in Armenia of soft plastic) and the bright blue ones (Genuine Bojo, glass-filled nylon, made in USA)? The tips on the Bojo sets can easily be smoothed out to remove nicks, especially the darker blue UNGL spec. which are 30% glass-filled material. That the cheap copies will do the job 90% of the time isn't the point when the 10% they won't is a clip in your eye or a $100 broken trim piece. Check out the Bojo website and see where the extra cost goes into developing new products and materials.

DHCrocks · Apr 9, 2010

I've got a set from Bojo and they are great I usually go for these over the metal type as it won't scratch the plastic. The prytools are in the lower row. The blue ones are hard and the white ones are soft nylon. I usually grab the blue. What sees a lot of use is the white one with the rounded tip, it's good for prying off dash, window switch trim, and center console trim just wedge it between the trim piece and panel to remove. The top row is scrapers and prybars which are good removing emblems and soft gaskets/sealents on delicate material. The one all the way on the right top is for pushing a wire through a gromet harness, this works pretty good as it won't rip the boot. The one in the tube on the bottom is a gap tool for panel alignment, it's plastic so it won't scrach the paint.

Bojo makes a huge variety of stuff I would recommend them. I like the pouch too, it keeps everything organized.

Danglerb · Apr 9, 2010

I'm in about $10 and have a ziplock bag with all the sets from HF in it, plus a set of the metal clip release tools. All work fine so far.

Rocket1 · Mar 12, 2012

I know this is an old thread but does Bojo still make all these tools? Their site doesn't seem to work

rockchucker · Mar 12, 2012

billymade said:
On my way home, I stopped by harbor freight; they have two set for somewhere around $7-$8... they don't offer as my different types of tools as bojo... they are cheap however. I'm liking the smaller tools bojo has for the little small "trap doors" that had fasteners in arm rests and door panels. Still thinking bojo...

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=95214

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=95432

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=67021

3 links to Drip Irrigation parts? lol Hmmmm...wonder what the last few things you searched were for....

I have a full set of Nylon Pry Bars and they are Blue. I swear I got them at Harbor Freight but I can't seem to find them online anywhere. They are way better than everything I am finding online though. Basically all the Pry Bars you could ever want only in Nylon. I will have to take pics of the ones I have because they seem to be much better than what is offered now. I bought the set a few years ago and can't remember where I got them from.

Vinko · Mar 13, 2012

I've go the Bojo-made Snap On's and I like them.

I also have some, made in the USA, like Skyline pictured (not sure of brand) but they're great for working (carefully) with stuff like aluminum.

ActAppalled · Mar 13, 2012

Of course this thread pops up when my OTC kit is scheduled to be delivered today. Those Bojos look mighty nice.

Drew_flux · Mar 13, 2012

I bought a 4pc set from LEXUS a few years ago. they are their recomended sst. Think I paid $30, haven't snaped them yet.

twincam00 · Mar 13, 2012

The blue set from Harbor freight is nice, the yellow set is kinda crappy

darkk · Mar 13, 2012

+3 Harbor Freight set....mine have taken a beating. They were only a few bucks for the set...

cotjocky · Mar 13, 2012

I bought a "Grip" brand set at Northern Tool for $6. They have held up a lot better than I thought they would have. Bought them thinking I would see how well they work before buying a nice set and these have yet to fail me.

They look like this:

richfinn · Mar 13, 2012

I use some plastic tools designed for lockouts (wedges and spatulas) that also work very well on trim, the air bag can come in handy too if you need to make a gap to see where to pry, I also use a thin wire hook for pulling some plastic trim panels.

Your Father · Mar 13, 2012

ActAppalled said:
Of course this thread pops up when my OTC kit is scheduled to be delivered today. Those Bojos look mighty nice.

I have the OTC set, comes in a gray pouch. I've had it for a year, no problems... and I am known to abuse tools.
:rocker:

ActAppalled · Mar 13, 2012

Your Father said:
I have the OTC set, comes in a gray pouch. I've had it for a year, no problems... and I am known to abuse tools.

Good to hear. I'm just a weekend mechanic so they won't get abused often.

Rocket1 · Mar 13, 2012

ActAppalled said:
Of course this thread pops up when my OTC kit is scheduled to be delivered today. Those Bojos look mighty nice.

Where did you order your set from?

darkk · Mar 13, 2012

Skyline said:
but one tool I really like for trim is actually designed for windshield installs.What is nice is that they are made of a very slippery, flexible plastic (I think delrin). Virtually indestructible.

Yup, I've used that same tool for over 40 years......

ActAppalled · Mar 13, 2012

Rocket1 said:
Where did you order your set from?

Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000I28MKU/?tag=atomicindus08-20

plastic pry tools for cars; which is the best brand?

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