Hooks and picks are great for cleaning, removing, and manipulating small parts, and many times these are the only tools that can get the job done properly. These Ullman picks and hooks may be small, but they are sharp, strong, and durable.
I’ve used this set to separate wires, remove O-rings and gaskets, toggle hard to reach micro-switches, clean/scrape grooves, retrieve small parts, clear swarf from a drill bit, and accidentally give myself new scars.
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A 4-piece set should be enough for most common tasks, but if you want to cover all potential angles and applications, 6-piece and 8-piece sets are also available.
lametec
Why not get the Craftsman set, which is $8.99 @ Sears?
I’ve had the Craftsman set for a few years now, and it’s held up well.
Stuart
As far as I can tell, the Craftsman ones are relabeled Ullmans. The longer ones are not always carried in-store, but the shorter ones are a bit cheaper and usually long enough for most jobs.
Allen
I got a Pratt-Read four piece set (USA made) for $ 9.51 on Amazon. Very happy with it.
fred
Pratt-Read is the OEM for lots of house-brand tools – including (at least in the past) some of Craftsman screwdrivers
John
Is the Craftsman 4 pc. Pick and Hook Set Model# 41513 just a relabeled Pratt-Read 82061B set? I think I prefer this type of handle as the cushioned grips don’t hold up to well, at least for me.
Stuart
Possibly, but it’s hard to tell. Here’s the image of the Craftsman picks, and the Pratt-Read ones. They definitely do look alike, although the handle geometries appear to be ever so slightly different.
Given the companies’ affiliations, there’s a very good chance that Pratt-Read is the OEM.
fred
If its UPC starts with 757595 the OEM is probably Pratt-Read
SteveR
While I agree that it’s best not to pull toward oneself while using picks, 90% of the time that’s the direction I find myself using them in. It’s more likely that I’m reaching down in somewhere (engine compartment, into a vacuum cleaner’s brush, into a wire loom, etc.) that I’m using the pick to separate or remove something. Their design shapes (often hooked or angled) are such that you grasp a wire or whatever with it and PULL it toward you; the exception is the straight pick, where the design doesn’t provide any pulling leverage.
The way to avoid inflicting damage on yourself is to wear safety glasses or a faceshield, and gloves (latex, rubber or leather). Another good practice is to work deliberately; know what you want to do before you start and determine what may happen as you work. Most don’t do that; we grab the pick in desperation because what we’ve been using (our fingers or pliers) isn’t working out. We start pulling on something to remove it (without donning the necessary safety equipment), and that’s when people get injured.
For some tasks, a small pair of hemostats can be effective at grasping/removing things. The business end is often angled and the tips are rounded, so injuries are less likely to occur.