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Pick Set

nmk_61802

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I find myself looking for a good set of full size picks. Anything decent other than the truck brands? Would like USA or European, but not required. Under $50 would be nice to.
 
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audiocrazy25

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Craftsman Professional have lasted me 2+years of occasional use. Some Sears still have old stock. I paid $20 for the set I have.
 

Monte

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Dec 23, 2008
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i think the euros don´t make "full size" picks, only the smaller picks + hooks.
 

jjjrmx5

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Craftsman Professional have lasted me 2+years of occasional use. Some Sears still have old stock. I paid $20 for the set I have.

Old stock?

They're still the same design, same COO and are still in production and still available online and in stores. Old stock is same as the new stock.

And, IMHO, still one of the better deals and products still on Sear's shelves.
:thumbup:
IIRC, around $40 when not on sale.
 

pipsters

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Joe B.

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I actually used the Craftsman Pro ones to scratch out a ton of grout in the bathroom and they still stayed sharp. I was amazed by how well the held up.
 

garfunkle24

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Mar 18, 2008
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How about Mayhew:

418EXXoNuYL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

Mayhew picks
 

Danglerb

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Doesn't Mayhew and Ullmann make the picks for Sears?

I have a few sets of picks, still my favorite are the ones that are double end, HF and Snapon sell look alikes, work about the same too.
 
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nmk_61802

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I don't know who the OEM on the Craftsman professional $20 picks are but Ullman makes the $7 standard ones and $9 longer length ones. I have both and use the smaller Ullman made ones a lot more. The professional ones are really big.

I already have a set of ullmann minis so the large size should not be an issue

Doesn't Mayhew and Ullmann make the picks for Sears?

I would assume Mayhew makes the C-man fullsize since they make the pro prybars. I had not thought about C-man until this thread. I have pretty much stopped shopping there since the switch to China made without lowering prices to match the quality drop. I was eyeing Gearwrench, but want to see what other alternatives I had.

I like my Snap-on hard handle picks/hooks, bought them used from here and ebay.

Unfortunately one Snap-on would cost about the total amount I want to spend. Not being a pro I don't see the justification for the higher price, and getting a dealer to work with me for purchase and warranty is like pulling teeth.

Those are all good sets, but if you need to remake a pick into something else, nothing beats HF
http://www.harborfreight.com/4-piece-pick-and-hook-set-66836.html
http://www.harborfreight.com/7-piece-pick-and-hook-set-93958.html

I have a set of HF mini picks. They reshap themselves alright, every time I use them they dull and/ or bend.
 

SteelCityYaga

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Aug 15, 2011
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Doesn't Mayhew and Ullmann make the picks for Sears?

I have a few sets of picks, still my favorite are the ones that are double end, HF and Snapon sell look alikes, work about the same too.

IIRC, Ullman makes the cushion grip set for Sears.

Check out the McMaster Carr number 3842A35 it's a 4 piece pick set for 12 bucks made in the USA.
 
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Keep

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FYI this ^^^^^^

I have a set of Ullman minis already, although I do love the PB Swiss mini's above, something I like about the Euro handles.

I like the PB handles, but I am not happy with the picks themselves. Of the 4 minis I have snapped the tip of 3 of them. They are very brittle.
 
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nmk_61802

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Central IL

Ended up picking up a set of the Cman pros last night.

Cman pros. But they have really large handles. Tough as nails

The handles are really big. I have a set of the pro screwdrivers and never thought the handles where that big, but I usually use my Wiha ACR set.

I may leave them unopened awhile to see if anything better pops up.
 

buening

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I vote for the Craftsman pros AND any mini set. The Craftsman ones are great for areas where space is not limited. For close quarters, the mini's come in handy. I find the grip on the minis aren't big enough to get a firm grasp when pulling stuck cotter pin, which is where the larger sticky grip of the Craftsman comes in handy.
 

PinkLinc

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Jan 12, 2011
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Phoenix, AZ
The Cman mini picks are the biggest POS tools I've ever used. I bought the set and snapped 2 of them in a matter of 30 seconds and all I was doing was trying to pull an old, brittle seal. There is no way those things would pull out a stuck cotter pin.
 

jjjrmx5

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The Cman mini picks are the biggest POS tools I've ever used. I bought the set and snapped 2 of them in a matter of 30 seconds and all I was doing was trying to pull an old, brittle seal. There is no way those things would pull out a stuck cotter pin.

PinkLinc, if you are referring to the mini picks pipsters linked to which are the Craftsman units with teh long black rubber "sausage" style handle, I have found them to be VERY useful when running short of fondue forks while hosting a large fondue party at the house. :)

For automotive or industral use, not so much.

LOL.
 

buening

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I don't own the Craftsman minis (I own PB Swiss, no issues but they don't go through much rigorous use), so I can't comment on their quality. The Craftsman Pros are a quality piece for the money and are my go-to ones unless the space is cramped. Mini picks really aren't intended for heavy use, but rather delicate small work.

The Snap On ones are definitely better picks but not for a budget minded non-professional.
 
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nmk_61802

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Mar 6, 2008
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Central IL
I don't own the Craftsman minis (I own PB Swiss, no issues but they don't go through much rigorous use), so I can't comment on their quality. The Craftsman Pros are a quality piece for the money and are my go-to ones unless the space is cramped. Mini picks really aren't intended for heavy use, but rather delicate small work.

The Snap On ones are definitely better picks but not for a budget minded non-professional.

Interesting how our taste and opinions are similar.

I live in Champaign Il, work as a designer for an engineering firm in town and own three Mustangs myself:

1966 Coupe
1992 GT Hatch
1994 Cobra

Would have bought I Ford truck too but didn't like the feel of the F150 vs the Nissan Titan or Toyota Tundra.
 

gsea

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Nov 29, 2011
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Anyone ever seen King Tool's pick sets? There made in Montana. I've seen them online and wonder if they're any good... ?
 

Skin

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Feb 24, 2010
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Boston
I don't own the Craftsman minis (I own PB Swiss, no issues but they don't go through much rigorous use), so I can't comment on their quality. The Craftsman Pros are a quality piece for the money and are my go-to ones unless the space is cramped. Mini picks really aren't intended for heavy use, but rather delicate small work.

The Snap On ones are definitely better picks but not for a budget minded non-professional.

Small delicate work? Than most any would suffice. The Snap-On mini picks are hugely overrated here. I broke 2 doing some incredibly light prying. They arent anything special.
 

WR250F

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Aug 28, 2011
Messages
481
CMan Pro picks are very good quality and for the money are hard to beat.

The handles on them look identical to the CMan Pro screwdrivers which are made by S-K, but, I don't know if S-K makes picks...

The CMan minis are lightweight to be sure, but with regular use mine have held up well (so far).

HF picks are better than I thought they would be. I picked up a set thinking the project I was working on at the time would definitely trash at least one, maybe more. They held up great, and I use them often as my beater set.

I'd buy the CMan Pro full size set again in a heartbeat. The minis too probably, but I have kept the minis dedicated to fairly light duty tasks, fearing one would snap the first time I put any force on them. I yank out cotter pins and pull (small) seals with them, but no prying of any sort.
 
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