Pry Bars Decision

[Rickkyyr8]

Hey guys, in the market for a new pry bars set. Looking at the 5pc sets off Amazon since I have some credit to spend any recommendations on who makes the best set? Thank you!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078BHF66T/?tag=atomicindus08-20

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006WZOJFE/?tag=atomicindus08-20

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08B4N67XG/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[snakeeyes]

I have 3 piece Wilde set not the 5 piece but they are great. Bought a few Mayhew ones later on and they are really close to the Wilde, but the grip is rubberized and strike cap seems more substantial on the Mayhew. Kind of nice if you are hammering a lot.

Overall you cannot go wrong with either. Wilde makes a lot of these for other brands. I would go Mayhew if you want the best.

 

[cjarvis]

I have both brands and I don’t think you’ll be disappointed with either. (Lang is made by Wilde) if I were choosing for myself, I’d probably go with Mayhew because I like the handle shape a bit better. If you’re worried about cost and don’t need a rack, buy the Lang…

 

[sparky 1971]

You can't go wrong with any of the three. I think if I was going to buy a set from Amazon, it would be this rebranded Wilde set for a few bucks less. The reviews claim that the gasket scraper is not part of it though. I like the red handles.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07QXT2FP7/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[CJM8515]

i have the wilde set before they made ones with striking caps-rebranded craftsman actually. never ever had an issue and love them for years

mayhew are better and probably what i would get if just starting off. i also jhave the harbor freight ones-big gray ones with the black handle. so far so good EXCEPT DO NOT strike the handle. idk if it was cause it was cold outside or they just are bad handles..thing literally broke in half. i duct taped it back together with no issue however lol

 

[RedneckWelder]

Mayhew advertises the strike cap as being part of the bar but in reality it merely touches the bar but hitting it easily breaks the rubber handle. I discovered this the hard way. Other than that, both Mayhew and Wilde make good products.

 

[NUTTSGT]

I think Wilde made prybars for Cman and Masterforce as they almost the same thing. I don't think any of those you mention would be a bad set.
I think I would make sure to get striking caps. While you may not think so now, when the time comes, you'll be glad you have them.

 

[Ole Slewfoot]

Benn happy with my dominator set, for some reason blue was much cheaper so I got that.
No breakage yet, but I haven't got into any really memorable pounding episodes with them yet.

 

[2ndGearRubber]

I really like the wilde handles, they would be my choice. I think all of those are good options.

 

[kngelv]

I have Mayhew and Wilde. Both are great. I would go with whatever feels best in your hand.

James

 

[nadogail]

I made good use of my Harbor Freight pry bars when I was doing Industrial Maintenance.

 

[ecotec]

I have the Craftsman rebranded Wilde for the 5 correction 3 smaller sizes, a Mayhew Dominator for the largest size, a couple MAC pocket pry bars, a Snap-on one with a bend in it… and tons of other pry bars…

I would go get whatever is the best deal at the moment for a set of Wilde or Mayhew.

Mine are from back when Sears was selling the Craftsman sets for really cheap (maybe 12-15 years ago-ish).

You will have to amend the set you buy with a large pry bar and a pocket pry bar.

 

[ItsNemo]

I can't seem to find them on amazon right now but the OTC striking pry bars are frickin' awesome...you can REALLY lean on them and they don't bend nearly as much as any other prybars I've tried.

 

[Marvin Berry]

The Hyper Tough steel, strikable pry bars at Walmart are labeled "Made in the USA", and I believe are made by Wilde.

I picked up a 4 bar set in the store for less than $20 in 2021, but I checked the site just now and they don't offer the bars individually anymore and the prices went up (still not as high as the other brands though). The one pry bar set on their website now isn't the same one, those bars aren't US, and they're not strikable.

 

[Fedwrench]

I'm still on the fence about Mayhew's redesign of their Dominator series handle. I really like the Wilde made strikable handles on their pry bars whether they're Lang, Hypertough, Craftsman, or Tekton, Branded.

 

[setfocus]

My favorite pry bars are the snapon with the old style hard handle w/ strike cap.

Closested I've found, still made, is the Wilde made bars.

If I needed a whole set I'd get the orange Lang version of the Wilde, just wish they made the 8" bar in the orange handled Lang. Orange is easier to spot in the engine bay

 

[Mr_B]

I also like the wilde handle better & have got that 6 bar set with the holder .
choice is simply wilde or meyhew & your final choice down to personal preferences ...

 

[Bubba Fett]

Of the three, I would go with the Lang prybars, which are also made by Wilde.

 

[jeepinerdeep]

Doubt you could make a bad pick of those 3. I have a few of the Mayhews ( big as hell ) and a smaller screwdriver style. I have been pleased with the handles and rigidity (not too springy).

 

[dscheidt]

i have the wilde set before they made ones with striking caps-rebranded craftsman actually. never ever had an issue and love them for years

mayhew are better and probably what i would get if just starting off. i also jhave the harbor freight ones-big gray ones with the black handle. so far so good EXCEPT DO NOT strike the handle. idk if it was cause it was cold outside or they just are bad handles..thing literally broke in half. i duct taped it back together with no issue however lol

I broke one of a set of old (2002 +/-) set of HF pry bars a couple years ago. the bar went into the handle maybe 2 cm, and it broke right where the bar ended. they gave me a replacement without any hassle. The new one is a beefier piece of steel (and the angle is different), so maybe they have improved.

 

[Steve_P]

I have the Wilde, and the Mayhew Dominators with the "original" handle. I'm more of a fan of hard handles on a pry bar, but the Mayhew's tips have held up much better for me than the Wilde- Mayhew seems to use a superior steel. Saying that, for the price you can't beat the Wilde, and they sharpen up in a few seconds on a sanding belt.

 

[CGarage]

Everyone forgets the ‘made in USA’ Hypertough pry bars from Walmart. I have those in all sizes, in addition to my Mayhew and Wilde pry bars.

 

[getbentMUSTARD]

I had the Mayhews and while they were great, they flexed a bit too much for my liking. Went with the Snap-on set and couldn't be happier.

 

[ecotec]

Everyone forgets the ‘made in USA’ Hypertough pry bars from Walmart. I have those in all sizes, in addition to my Mayhew and Wilde pry bars.

Are those not Wilde?

 

[JeepYJ]

The Hyper Tough steel, strikable pry bars at Walmart are labeled "Made in the USA", and I believe are made by Wilde.

I picked up a 4 bar set in the store for less than $20 in 2021, but I checked the site just now and they don't offer the bars individually anymore and the prices went up (still not as high as the other brands though). The one pry bar set on their website now isn't the same one, those bars aren't US, and they're not strikable.

Walmart still sells the USA made Wilde bars individually. Walmart also sells import prybars so you need to look for MIUSA label.
Menards also sells a set of Masterforce pry bars that are made by Wilde.
Both of the above are great values for the money.

 

[jgeoffr]

I know these bars don't have handles, but I'm digging this Proto pry bar set I just picked up. Four pieces, made in the USA.

 

[m6z]

Everyone forgets the ‘made in USA’ Hypertough pry bars from Walmart. I have those in all sizes, in addition to my Mayhew and Wilde pry bars.

The 36", 17" and 24" are still available around here and you can get all three for less than $50.

 

[Luciferi]

I have been want pry bars for a long time and finally splurged on the mayhew ones. Zoro has same price as amazon but zoro has 20% off coupons

 

[WWheeler]

Everyone forgets the ‘made in USA’ Hypertough pry bars from Walmart. I have those in all sizes, in addition to my Mayhew and Wilde pry bars.

Are those not Wilde?

Yes. Wilde sells prybars under their own name, and the WalMart brand Hyper Tough, and Menards' Masterforce, and Tekton and Lang and they used to Sears' Craftsman. They may well sell under other names too I'm not aware of.

I have 12", 17", and 25" Craftsman, a 36" Hyper Tough, and a 45" Wilde, and all were made by Wilde.



EDIT: I also added an lil' 8" Wilde to this set.

 

[oldschoolcraft]

What's the longest pry bar that is needed for basic car and light truck (F150 size) work? Is the 31" from Mayhew long enough or do you need to go bigger like the 58" Icon?

 

[Crabman]

HJE has old NOS USA Craftsman 3 prybar sets for 59.95 plus shipping, made by Wilde I am pretty sure. I have a set and they are nice.

The HJE folks support the GJ site and are good people to work with.

3 Piece Craftsman Pry Bar Set w/ Striking Cap (9-43395)

3 Piece Craftsman Pry Bar Set w/ Striking Cap (9-43395) Craftsman Curved Pry Bar w/ Striking Cap Set. 12", 17" and 25".

www.harryepstein.com

They also have a variety of Wilde pry bars, I got the pocket one from them, it is also very nice.

Wilde

The Harry J. Epstein Co. - USA Hand Tools - Surplus/Retail/Liquidation

www.harryepstein.com

Good luck finding the right fit.

 

[GeoBruin]

What's the longest pry bar that is needed for basic car and light truck (F150 size) work? Is the 31" from Mayhew long enough or do you need to go bigger like the 58" Icon?

That depends. Does the work include lifting the car/truck off the ground?

 

[sparky 1971]

What's the longest pry bar that is needed for basic car and light truck (F150 size) work? Is the 31" from Mayhew long enough or do you need to go bigger like the 58" Icon?

I have all of the Wilde bars except for the 31. I don't remember ever using the 36 or 45 but if I ever need one, I've got it.

 

[oldschoolcraft]

Better to have a 58" pry bar and not need it, I guess. Off to Harbor Freight!

 

[isb cornbinder]

If is not made in USA and made by MAHEW, I do not want it.

 

[FigN⋅m]

Any feedback on the Tekton models? USA made, striking caps, 12-45" sizes, seemingly fair prices...

ETA: I see they may be Wilde rebrands.
I ended up with a Husky 3 pack before I knew what I was doing. They seem decent enough and easy to replace.

 

[danielbuck]

I find these indexable pry bars to be fantastic. I have 1 small one that I use all the time, and then two larger ones (up to 4' long or so?) The larger ones are super handy when maneuvering heavy things in to place, like dropping an engine in or something like that and you need to gently shove it over or lift it up on one side. Larger ones are also nice for lifting up machinery an inch or two to put blocks under them.

GearWrench 82301D 3 Pc. Indexing Pry Bar Set 8", 10" & 16"

GearWrench 82301D 3 Pc. Indexing Pry Bar Set includes 8", 10", and 16" bars with 14 locking positions, perfect for automotive and industrial applications.

gearwrenchshop.com

 

[Kurt4440]

Better to have a 58" pry bar and not need it, I guess. Off to Harbor Freight!

You probably should get the 72" as well.
It will make you feel like a beast.

 

[Johnny_opm]

Mayhew feels like a better bar to me than the wilde. The tips on the wilde are also kind of soft.

I don't like the handles on either of the, the dominator is a slightly softer rubber, the wilde is harder but it gets kind of shredded up easily, and I wouldn't call it a hard handle.

So far my favorite has been the new proto (same as the mac) even though I've been trying to get some of the old style proto with the acetate handle for ages now.

I'll give these other mayhew bars a try now that there's finally someone making proper hard handle bars again. Seems like they're using the same material as their screwdrivers.

https://www.amazon.com/Mayhew-Steel-Products-Inc-045256310909/dp/B08PCBCKL6/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[oldschoolcraft]

Three Piece Channel Lock pry bar set, looks like Wilde rebrand, on Harry J Epstein's for $45

Channellock 3pc Pry Bar Set (PRY-3C)

Channellock 3pc Pry Bar Set (PRY-3C) #html-body [data-pb-style=N8BVGOD]{justify-content:flex-start;display:flex;flex-direction:column;background-position:left top;background-size:cover;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-attachment:scroll}CHANNELLOCK P

www.harryepstein.com

Epstein's day tomorrow 4th of July has a 5% off Channel Lock coupon
"She sells seashells by the sea shore"