Prybar set

[dleonard1122]

I need a good decent fairly priced set of prybars.

I know the cMan professionals used to go on sale for a great price, anyone know how often this is and for what price?

The regular craftsman are pretty cheap as well but I'd rather get the professionals if they'll be on sale shortly.

Also, I need to be able to store them in my HF 5-drawer cart so if anyone could comment on if the handles of either of those sets fit with the lid closed.


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[ecotec]

The regular ones are made by Wilde and the pro ones, with the striking cap are made by Mayhew. They are both nice pry bars. I prefer the Wilde version, but I think most prefer the Mayhew.

You will probably have to adapt the HF cart to put the pry bars in the screwdriver spots. There are a few examples in the thread about customized HF carts. You could also use a Sunex, or similar, pry bar box that bolts to the side.

If you settle on the Wilde ones, Harry Epstein is the best deal. You can buy all 5 (12"-36") for about $50 plus shipping. If the lifetime warranty appeals to you, the 3 piece Craftsman Wilde and Myhew go on sale often. you could augment that set with the two larger ones when they are on sale at Sears or just buy the two larger ones from Harry Epstein. Both brands are also rebranded by much more expensive brands.

 

[NUTTSGT]

The regular ones are on sale right now for $19.99 at CMan Club prices. 12", 17" and 25"


http://www.sears.com/craftsman-3-pc...p-00943278000P?prdNo=1&blockNo=1&blockType=G1

 

[1950mercury]

If your going to use them a lot get the pros they have a striking cap and better shanks. There has been a couple posts on the regular ones getting chewed up on the first use, and ive seen a lot of people use hammers on them and break the handles. I believe the regular ones are made in china now unless you find old stock.

 

[NUTTSGT]

If your going to use them a lot get the pros they have a striking cap and better shanks. There has been a couple posts on the regular ones getting chewed up on the first use, and ive seen a lot of people use hammers on them and break the handles. I believe the regular ones are made in china now unless you find old stock.

I wonder how hard it would be to get those warrantied after beating on them with a hammer ? If they won't, I wonder if you could make a new handle out of some steel round stock that you could beat on ?

 

[Loscaldazar]

If your going to use them a lot get the pros they have a striking cap and better shanks. There has been a couple posts on the regular ones getting chewed up on the first use, and ive seen a lot of people use hammers on them and break the handles. I believe the regular ones are made in china now unless you find old stock.

No, the new ones are not from China. There is a set the KMART sells that has two screwdriver handled prybar, and one s-hook type bar with no handle that is made in taiwan.

The 3 piece screwdriver handle prybay set is still USA made and no one has seen a China/Taiwan version of it yet.

 

[oldldh]

Mayhew 61366 Dominator Curved Pry Bar Set---

Available at Zoro for $ 67.88 with free shipping...

Set includes 10, 12, 16, 24, and 31 inch pry bars with "striking heads"...

Made in the U.S.A., too!!!

 

[Adam.C]

Mayhew 61366 Dominator Curved Pry Bar Set---available from Amazon for $ 92.90 with free shipping...may be available elsewhere for less, I'm not sure...

Set includes 10, 12, 16, 24, and 31 inch pry bars with "striking heads"...

Made in the U.S.A., too!!!

I don't understand this. For $100 you can buy Snap On bars on ebay new or with very little use. You guys with your "mid range tools". I think you are paying high prices for second quality then asking where you can warranty this weird stuff you are buying. Can some explain this to me?

 

[RedneckWelder]

I brought a set of the standard 3 Craftsman ones for $30 the other week. Made in the US.

 

[OutsideMachinist]

I don't understand this. For $100 you can buy Snap On bars on ebay new or with very little use. You guys with your "mid range tools". I think you are paying high prices for second quality then asking where you can warranty this weird stuff you are buying. Can some explain this to me?

Yes. Most of the time the savings is more than 50%. It is frequently a third the cost or more of Snap On. That set is $67 on zoro. Whats a Snap On equivalent cost? Does snap on even make their prybars? Not sure but wouldn't surprise me if they didn't.

 

[hickfied]

Don't go cheap. I had a gift card to tractor supply and got a set there. I literally bent one tip backwards trying to pry a small block ford valve cover off.

I now have the craftsman 3 piece set and one longer Cornwell. They work great, but only the two smaller craftsman ones will fit in my hf 5 drawer cart

 

[wise]

Get Snap-On ones on ebay. I have Mac ones and even though they are really nice and super tough, I've been kicking myself since day one because I like the SO ones so much more. Buy once, Cry once.

 

[PelicanPines]

If your going to use them a lot get the pros they have a striking cap and better shanks. There has been a couple posts on the regular ones getting chewed up on the first use, and ive seen a lot of people use hammers on them and break the handles. I believe the regular ones are made in china now unless you find old stock.

I just picked up the 3 prybar set 12 - 25 inch from sears. They were USA made as advertised on the website page shown in this thread.

 

[Adam.C]

Yes. Most of the time the savings is more than 50%. It is frequently a third the cost or more of Snap On. That set is $67 on zoro. Whats a Snap On equivalent cost? Does snap on even make their prybars? Not sure but wouldn't surprise me if they didn't.

My set was $80 plus shipping. They may have been used, but you'd never know it from looking at them. They all had the original plastic guards on their tips.

So, would you pay an extra $15 for Snap On?

I'm with you. I'm not sure who makes SO bars. But this is just one of many examples. Guys on here rave about the great deals they get on new Taiwan tools when for a few bucks more, you can get Snap On second hand, possibly unused or in great shape.

 

[Loscaldazar]

My set was $80 plus shipping. They may have been used, but you'd never know it from looking at them. They all had the original plastic guards on their tips.

So, would you pay an extra $15 for Snap On?

I'm with you. I'm not sure who makes SO bars. But this is just one of many examples. Guys on here rave about the great deals they get on new Taiwan tools when for a few bucks more, you can get Snap On second hand, possibly unused or in great shape.

The mayhew prybars are VERY good quality, so why spend sometimes months hoping to pick up a used, questionable condition Snap On set when you can have a professional quality set made in the US right now?

 

[PowerGenGuy]

Get the Dominators, from Napa, on sale occasionally with free 36"

 

[pburressiii]

I have the the non pro series and have had no problems. I have not had to exercise the warranty


It is better to have a tool and not need it, then to need a tool and not have it!

 

[dleonard1122]

Thanks for all of the replies everyone. I'm going to keep shopping around and may even have to measure the handles of some in store to see if they'd fit.


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[davethorik]

I'm with you. I'm not sure who makes SO bars. But this is just one of many examples. Guys on here rave about the great deals they get on new Taiwan tools when for a few bucks more, you can get Snap On second hand, possibly unused or in great shape.

Well since Mayhew are made in Massachusetts, by paying more for Snap-On all you are doing is paying for the name. If it were a Taiwanese company I'd agree with you but in this case Mayhew makes good quality made in USA tools.

 

[Craftsman1]

I have been using regular Craftsman prybars I bought a few years back. No problems with them so far, I'd definitely invest again as I have don't everything from prying metal to raising concrete steps and they are still kicking.

 

[Hpozzuoli]

Unlike breaker bars, a pry bar should be of decent quality. I prefer the ones with striking caps so you don't destroy your handle. I use snap on right now.

 

[texasfiremedic]

A prybar is the one of those tools that I don't what to have to warranty. If I think that I will have to warranty it then I may also be warranting my insurance at the ER. This being said I do have the red craftsman set and have put my full leg strength against them and have not permanently bent them yet.

 

[MN4x4]

I have both the Craftsman regular red-handled 5-piece set and the Craftsman Professional red&black-handled 5-piece set. As stated earlier, only the two shortest ones will go into the service cart vertically. The problem is the length of the handles, not the length of the bar.

Several people have done modifications to their carts to let the longer ones fit. See this thread:

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=137365&highlight=cart+modifications

and this one:

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=46050&highlight=cart+modifications

Both are long reads, but lots of ideas...

 

[Pumpman1968]

I've had the regular red plastic handle Craftsman USA pry bars........set of 3 when they were on sale at Kmart for $20 or so. Have used them for what they were intended.........and they have worked and held up VERY well.

 

[Tugboatguy]

Been using a few yellow handled proto's from zoro, not through daily use but messing with stuff (boat engine mounts, truck suspensions) and have been happy. Fairly priced. Have leaned on them pretty hard.


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[Zeroek]

The craftsman Pro prybars are good but only the 2 smaller ones fit in the screwdriver slots on the HF 5 drawer. The other one is in my top drawer on my 44". I do wish craftsman made a longer pro version pry bar. Longer than 24".

 

[MN4x4]

The craftsman Pro prybars are good but only the 2 smaller ones fit in the screwdriver slots on the HF 5 drawer. The other one is in my top drawer on my 44". I do wish craftsman made a longer pro version pry bar. Longer than 24".

They do - there's a 31" . I know, because I have it.

I also ordered the Mayhew 58" that essentially matches the Craftsman Pro pry bars. I bought mine from thetoolwarehouse.net:

http://www.thetoolwarehouse.net/p-16584-mayhew-tools-40162.aspx

currently $85.25, and you can take another 10% off as a new customer
making it $76.73 which also gets you free shipping!

 

[NorDel Garage]

Today I just bought the Craftsman 3 bar set ,on sale , for $20. Made in USA. have had other CMan pry bars for years with good results.

 

[PelicanPines]

They do - there's a 31" . I know, because I have it.

I also ordered the Mayhew 58" that essentially matches the Craftsman Pro pry bars. I bought mine from thetoolwarehouse.net:

http://www.thetoolwarehouse.net/p-16584-mayhew-tools-40162.aspx

currently $85.25, and you can take another 10% off as a new customer
making it $76.73 which also gets you free shipping!

I actually got an anxiety attack looking at and thinking about a 58" prybar. Partly because I would have to fabricate something to store it.

I have the Craftsman 3 pc set that was on sale recently for $19. Made in USA. I fabricated a hanger for the side of my tower. Very pleased with them but my SO 30yr old has never let me down.

 

[2ndGearRubber]

In regards to the Mayhew bars; a co-work has the whole 5 piece set with striking caps. He's had them for years and years, and when our tool guy saw the beat up handles/caps, he warrantied on the spot. Many tool dealers, especially indy guys, carry these bars.

 

[Askme42]

The mayhew prybars are VERY good quality, so why spend sometimes months hoping to pick up a used, questionable condition Snap On set when you can have a professional quality set made in the US right now?

Yep I have a huge dominator and its right there with my buddy's snap on pry bar.

 

[jcfields]

.

 

[monomach]

The Mayhew with the striking caps (aka Craftsman Pro) are the same quality as the Snappys. If you're going to be whacking them with a hammer, wait for them to go on sale (lowest I've seen in a while was $29.99). Anyone who accuses Mayhew of being of less than professional quality is just a fanboy for a particular brand name.

The Wilde (aka regular Craftsman) are a step down, but they're still a high-quality US-made tool. If you're not going to be whacking on them with a hammer, go ahead and get them at $19.99. They don't get cheaper anymore.

For what it's worth, I've never seen anyone bend or break the tip on a Mayhew or Wilde.

 

[MN4x4]

I actually got an anxiety attack looking at and thinking about a 58" prybar. Partly because I would have to fabricate something to store it.

I use it to check front ball joints on diesel trucks. Just can't do that with a shorter bar - at least I can't.

But I agree on storing it. It still doesn't have a permanent home in my shop...

 

[619DioFan]

I have 4 of the craftsman prybars ( up to 36'' ) I think they are very good quality. they would not fit in my hf 5 drawer cart so I bought the sunex side mount prybar/screwdriver holder. I did have to open up a few of the holes for the larger bars to fit through ( hf step drill bit worked great )

 

[pseshooter300]

Mac has there 4 piece on sale right now

 

[Brownsfan]

I don't understand this. For $100 you can buy Snap On bars on ebay new or with very little use. You guys with your "mid range tools". I think you are paying high prices for second quality then asking where you can warranty this weird stuff you are buying. Can some explain this to me?

These bars are rebranded by Mac and Matco at double the cost or more. Does that make them not mid level? These are just fine for pro use.

 

[Bigblue&Goldie]

I have been using regular Craftsman prybars I bought a few years back. No problems with them so far, I'd definitely invest again as I have don't everything from prying metal to raising concrete steps and they are still kicking.

I've got the Craftsman set as well, and I have never managed to damage them. Hell, I just bought another 17" Craftsman for $10 to keep in my truck box.

I'm not a Snap On hater by any means, but what do you gain in a Snap On prybar over the Craftsman or Mayhew? If a pry bar doesn't bend or chip, what more can you ask out of it? Prybars aren't like ratchets where you can really see a discernable difference in quality. Made in USA is good enough for me. I don't trust any Asian import when it comes to hammers, chisels, or pry bars.