Pry Bars (how many and what sizes?)

[OldsRocket]

How many pry bars and what sizes are necessary for working on cars and trucks? What do you guys find yourselves using most?

I was looking at the 5 pc. Craftsman Professional set but after looking at the sizes some seem pretty close (10", 12", 17", 25", and 31").

Is it better to just buy individual bars that have more diversity in sizes?

 

[PT Doc]

My take of that since hf had the same sizes that so has, that those would be good choices. 1 tool cannot do it all and you get a better deal buying them on a set.

 

[BajaBound]

The 5 piece from craftsman was on back order as of last week so I bought the 3pc set and I am happy with it and will get a 40" soon

 

[Buckgnarly]

Whatever you get, get the kind with metal ends for striking. I have the Cman pros and the regular, wound up getting the pros b/c I splintered the end of the red ones hitting them. Would have just gotten the pros from the start had I known that*.

Disclaimer:
*By "that" I mean had I know I would knowingly misuse them like that...no fault of the bars, I actually still have and use them.

 

[BajaBound]

I got the pros after reading posts on GJ about the handles breaking!

 

[canuckian]

I picked up the SO 4 piece striking prybar set off of Ebay and it's a pretty well rounded set (8, 12, 18 and 24 I think). My wife picked me up the 48 inch striking crown one for my birthday last month and though I haven't found a practical use for it yet, I'm sure it'll come in handy any day now. I also have been picking up SO 8 inch ones when I find them cheap as I find they come in handy and I find I sometimes use them in pairs. If you're doing brakes on smaller imports, SO sells a 40 degree offset prybar that I have found to come in handy from time to time.

I also have some older Jobmate(china) ones that I have used pretty hard for many years and aside from needing to run them through the grinder from time to time, they've held up OK.

I guess if you're not using your prybars on bigger equipment, pretty much any decent set will do.

 

[cdseven95]

I have some snap on and harbor freight... The Harbor freight have a lot of flex in them but work well...

 

[greasemonkey44]

ive got a 36" from craftsman i couldnt be happier with, great value for 25$
i have a few 4 pc sets from HF they are ok but the longer ones tend to bend, and the tips on them chip over time. great value for the price tho
HF also has go through screwdrivers for 6 a set, the flat head is worth it as a striking st prybar

 

[cdseven95]

I have some snap on and harbor freight... The Harbor freight have a lot of flex in them but work well...

 

[OldsRocket]

So it sounds like the Craftsman Pros are pretty good. Do you guys use 30" or greater on many things? If so, what?

 

[MoToys]

Cman pros are good.
I use over 30" when I work on the jeep and need to move around the axles.

 

[OldsRocket]

So what is the largest pry bar you use?

 

[Farmrod]

54" snap on use it almost everyday but i work on big stuff

 

[wheats71]

check out matco or snap on indexable bars
i use a 30" matco one in conjuction with many other snap on bars
the indexing head works in a ton of weird situations

 

[nelstomlinson]

You want to use the, biggest, thickest bar that fits. Sometimes that's pretty small.

Get some rolling wedge bars (sometimes called ladyfoot?), too. Where they fit, they are great.

Plastic handles are nice, but it's good to have some bars with a pointy end for lineup work, and as somebody else said, it's nice to have bars you can hammer on.

That looks like at least two different styles, and four or five sizes of each. The lineup style bars probably don't need the extreme sizes. You can use a regular lineup punch on he small end, and may not need a huge one.

ETA: Ladyfoot bars have pointy ends, so they are your midrange lineup bars.

Also, we were talking about hammering; don't forget some different lengths and thicknesses of barstock, ideally in steel and brass. Save all your old axel and drive shafts and jack shafts and such. Sometimes you need a really big drive punch.

 

[mofo62]

.


My idea...


My Pry bar ...




*Mayhew



*Mayhew 426 9/16" x 16" Rolling Head Pry Bar Lady Slipper

http://www.mayhew.com/



V!

 

[Gtamazing]

So what is the largest pry bar you use?

58" Mac. I also work on big stuff.

 

[ptab01]

Mayhew 66302 Cats Paw Pry Bar Set, 4-Piece

As time/needs require i'll up my sizes just have not really needed anything longer

 

[wafrederick]

I have the Matco set which has the metal striking caps.I use the longest one prying out axles on most front wheel drives.

 

[bgott]

So what is the largest pry bar you use?

An around five foot long Chrysler torsion bar.

 

[bentwrench54]

i bought a set of mayhew dominators a couple of years ago. i use them everyday and really like them. i have a 4 piece set from 8" to 36"

 

[Charles (in GA)]

Craftsman bars are made by Mayhew and probably will be the best deal. Sears has a 5 bar Pro set online that you cannot get in the stores. Wait and catch it on sale, all five bars will run slightly over $50 which is a bargain.

Charles

 

[Gregg33]

Not sure if they are available in the U.S., but I have a sweet set of Richardson's. I believe they are Cdn made as many of Richardson's products like their paint scrapers and putty knives are still made domestically. Look great and very durable too. Also have a set of Jobmates. POS, but for the price still not a bad value.

Edit, sober but I meant to say Richard, not Richardson.

 

[Gtamazing]

have mayhew doninaotrs. good for striking

 

[Gtamazing]

intoxicated

 

[JayL]

I just got these the other day. Lady Foot.

 

[Todd.Brock]

I have a 12 or 14" Snap on ladyfoot. Those things are the cats meow if you havent used one before. I bought a 4 piece Mac set with lime green striking handles a couple years ago from a buy getting out of the business for 35 bucks with the tray. I think the largeest is 36 doe to a 10 or 12". I also found last year these two prybars from the same collection that have a hook in the end of them. They were free and matched the others I have.

 

[ReiKo]

You need to check out Mayhew's Dominator pry bars... I have majority of the sizes and love them all... And they have the striking caps at the top fo the handle...

 

[dede2897234]

What are the advantages that ladyfoot (or rolling wedge) bars have versus pry bars?

Which automotive repair jobs would the use of a ladyfoot bar be required or advantageous?


Thanks,

Dave

 

[darkk]

A man can never have to many pry bars....trust me.

 

[DrkMtnDew]

there's nothing i haven't been able to move with my Cman Pro set and 48'' SO. and a hammer.

 

[mtkst19]

What are the advantages that ladyfoot (or rolling wedge) bars have versus pry bars?

Which automotive repair jobs would the use of a ladyfoot bar be required or advantageous?


Thanks,

Dave

i use them most in aligning holes w/ the point end and w/ the foot end-- used in pairs to pull gears or bearing races, pulleys etc.

 

[wornoutoldman]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/OTC-...Z350273344987QQptZMotorsQ5fAutomotiveQ5fTools

 

[DrkMtnDew]

What are the advantages that ladyfoot (or rolling wedge) bars have versus pry bars?

Which automotive repair jobs would the use of a ladyfoot bar be required or advantageous?

off the top of my head, lining up the bolt holes in a gm engine/trans. cradle. run the roll bar through the cradle and into a hole in the frame and it make aligning the hole simple. did one today is why i thought of it.

 

[bentwrench54]

off the top of my head, lining up the bolt holes in a gm engine/trans. cradle. run the roll bar through the cradle and into a hole in the frame and it make aligning the hole simple. did one today is why i thought of it.

that's what i've seen them used for, and they work well for that purpose!

 

[littletoes]

Used and Love a "Johnson Bar", and have used one to move some damn heavy stuff. Chillers, boilers, and some very big pumps.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnson_Bar_(locomotive)

I have a few pry bars, and they sure come in handy. Bought the earlier version of these back in the mid 80's, and they are the cats "Meow". Can't believe how much pressure I can put on one of these, and what I can tear apart.

http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item.asp?item_ID=81473&group_ID=21405

What has surprised me, how much I have used the tiny little pry bar....would have never guessed that one.

Won't trust "MY" fingers to just any kind of bar, give me one with a Damn Good Reputation.

Many the time I've used bars that are over 72" long, glad to have 'em too.

Check these out;

http://www.easternrigging.com/prybar.htm

 

[pdizzleinmt]

i have a matco 48" extending and indexable prybar. i use it all the time. i also have a couple snapon striking end prybars

 

[jhelrey]

I have Snap On striking bars. One that is 18 inches and another around 36". Long enough that it goes to my hip.

I bought them for mechanic work but I actually use the large one doing landscaping tasks more so like busting up concrete, etc. They are great for prying out the broken chunks, etc.

 

[nelstomlinson]

What are the advantages that ladyfoot (or rolling wedge) bars have versus pry bars?

Dave, the rolling wedge gives you loads of leverage in a compact form. Also, if you have an obstruction that is keeping you from getting a straight bar in place at a good angle, sometimes the rolling wedge lets you get inside of the obstruction.

 

[t100]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/4-Pi...t=Motors_Automotive_Tools&hash=item5184de65aa