Self-Prying Pro-Bar Hand Tool

If you are fairly new to woodworking, and only will have one pry bar, then this is not the bar for you. I strongly suspect you would use a smaller one much more often than this one. However, that being said, this is an interesting tool. I’ve got 4 different pry bars, and this one is definitely unique. It’s made of thick steel (approximately 0.205”), but still has fairly sharp edges, to squeeze the bar into tight cracks. It has formed ribs to give it additional strength. A plastic (possibly urethane) handle is also a nice touch. The long reach of the bent edge has both positive and negative features. It’s long reach can occasionally be handy, but it can also be a negative, as the fulcrum point is much further away, meaning it will take a lot more force to pry something apart. I recently tore apart two fairly large structures (including a 40’ x 80’ machine shed). My favorite tool for the demolition was the Saws-All, and it would still would have been even if I had this pry-bar at the time. Not saying I would not have used this on some applications, but for most, the Saws-All takes a lot less effort, and is faster. Tool is made in China.

This Zenith pry bar is useful but has some disadvantages. It is very short and the head on one side is very wide. This may be fine for trim and baseboard, which it is marketed as, but I wouldn't use it for framing or decking or anything heavy. It is too short, not enough leverage, and forget hammering this thing hard all day, the reverberations will rattle the fillings right out of your teeth. Not sure about that flimsy plastic handle either. Don't get me wrong, this seems like solid-enough steel, and if you need to demo 1x materials that are nailed (not screwed) into place, then this will probably work just fine. Also it may be good for getting under cement board to pop it up in larger sections. In fact I'll probably use this at work pulling off trim and wood siding, but anything heavier and I'll use something with a much longer handle.

Great pry bar! When it comes to demolition of any size or scale this self prying "pro bar" hand tool is a must have. I have always depended on my "wonder bar" for a variety of different projects. But this pry bar is definitely becoming one of my go too hand tools. Works well at removing a variety of lumber and hardware. Takes a lot of the work out of removal.

This demo pry bar is a tank! Heavy duty construction doesn't flex when prying up on stuck boards. This bar has a nice curved angle and a wide head side that gives great leverage without destroying the work piece. Nice heavy duty grip should stand up to much abuse over time but still feels nice in your hands even when not wearing gloves. The claw end is thick and solid and features a built in nail puller that worked great on old rusty 16d nails. After many whacks with a mini hand sledge it shows little to no wear. At 16" in length it has a nice amount of leverage and enough weight to really pound on stuck boards. So far I have used it on a deck repair and to lift and pry out a sill plate. I will be keeping this with all my demo tools and will be the first bar I reach for. 5 stars!

The Self-Prying Pro-Bar Hand Tool, from Zenith, is now my favorite pry bar for medium heavy work. At sixteen inches long, and over four inches wide at the wide end. You can now take a wide bite without fear of busting your work. Removing crown molding is now a snap. The wide flange has a hump in the middle which really seems to help . The only drawback would be the weight. At almost four pounds, it gets really heavy if you have to pry over your head for an extended time. But stout tools all seem to have weight to them.

Thick metal with sturdy design. Looks like a lot of thought and testing went into this to make sure that it makes prying objects easier and can withstand heavy blows from a hammer. The angle of the prying blade is shallow which helps it get under tight areas and the bump on the main prying face helps you pry off objects by hammering which is great when you can't get the leverage to actually pry. The 4-1/4" prying surface helps protect items from damage that you may want to save for reuse as well as the wall or other surface behind it. The handle makes holding the tool more comfortable.

This tool is designed to remove stubborn nails such as those encountered in demolition work or correcting mistakes in construction. It can also be used to lift flooring or separate pieces of lumber nailed together. When using the large end of the tool, its mechanical advantage is around two which means that more effort is required to remove reluctant nails than if I used a tool with a longer handle (or shorter lower end). Sometimes I had to switch to another tool with a higher mechanical advantage to get stubborn nails free.

Zenith Self-Prying Pro-Bar Hand Tool have two pry bar ends 16-inches long. One end is a standard pry bar about 2-inches wide. The other end is a 4 1/2-inch wide pry bar with a special feature. It weighs as much as a blacksmith hammer at almost four pounds. The wider end spreads the force across a greater surface area than a regular pry bar that concentrates it. The wide end has a special rise or slope element in the center of the base that concentrates this force for lifting. The advantage of it with moldings is that it is less damaging to walls and baseboards in demolition, if used carefully. The wide flat area goes against the plasterboard wall while the base of the pry bar is carefully wedged behind the baseboard with a mallet or hammer. The wider area minimizes wall damage, spreading the force over 4-inches while the sloped base concentrates force, along a smaller 2-inches, to move the baseboard loose. Both ends of the pry bar have V-notches for removing nails. The tool comes with a plastic covered handle in the middle of the tool for long use. It can seem heavier using it all day; although, the weight and stiffness make it a good demolition tool. The smaller pry bar end is more for occasional use since the relatively short tool length and the other large end can make it awkward using for long. It is more for a quick assist. This is a good tool for baseboards as I mentioned, but just about any other job, too. A longer handle would made it a monster for demolition. Too bad the handle is not narrower to get a length of pipe over the shorter handle for leverage. I recently put in vinyl floor squares and could have used it to lift up the old tiles. The width of the base and heft can see making quick work getting the tiles up off the floor. I can see it also for lifting up old ceramic tiles in the bathroom or kitchen, too. You have to see it, photo's don't fully show off it's capability.

The zenith pro bar is a must have for any contractor, I think once you try this bar it will become your got bar and put away your wonder bar. The bar is hefty and very well made. The bar has a lot of great feature and pivot points. The bar is very comfortable to work with and in your hands. It has a excellent pry point built in to it so as it hammers in it will automatically start to pry up the material. It also does have the typical nail Graber in it to

I wanted a bigger pry-bar, i have one but there are some jobs where it is not enough, it is in one of the pics. this one looked good, and i wanted to give this manufacturer a try. it arrived in three days, in new condition. my first thought was, it is BIG and heavy. it is a single piece of flat steel with a nice plastic handle. This is this biggest pry-par i will ever need, this tool can handle any job in my home, no problem. i love it!! i will try more products from this manufacturer.