What is a heavy-duty wrecking bar?

13th August 2021


What is a heavy-duty wrecking bar?


	Shop for Wrecking Bars


		The heavy-duty wrecking bar (sometimes called a ‘gorilla bar’) is designed to handle heavy-duty demolition, wrecking and ripping tasks with ease.Its design is optimised for both strength and durability, and to avoid damaging support surfaces during prying and levering tasks.

		To spread the force of heavy-duty lifting over a wide area, avoiding damage to both the bar itself and the support surface (the surface in contact with the heel during levering), the heavy-duty wrecking bar incorporates a bent claw and chisel edge with wide contact surfaces.

		For items which are particularly heavy or otherwise difficult to lift, a heavy-duty wrecking bar’s bent claw is forged at an angle of about 107 degrees from the shaft.

		A standard wrecking bar’s bent claw is forged at an angle of about 36 degrees from the shaft. While this allows a greater angle of leverage (the angle between the shaft of the bar and the contact surface), it can make lifting objects which are particularly heavy or tightly fastened difficult.

		The large, rounded heel on a standard wrecking bar design may obstruct the user from inserting the claw beneath heavy objects on a flat surface. Usually, the solution would be to use your hands or a second bar to help lift the object onto the claw.

		This may result in a dropped and damaged workpiece!

		The flat heel and wider bar-to-claw angle of the heavy-duty wrecking bar make it possible to slide the claw beneath the edge of a workpiece with little difficulty.

		The heavy-duty wrecking bar is the only wrecking bar to incorporate an oval shaft. This combines the comfort of use of a round shaft with the structural strength of a flat shaft.

		As we have previously seen, a flat bar is strongest when force is applied along its narrow edge. To maximise the benefit of the oval shaft’s narrow edges, the heavy-duty wrecking bar’s bent claw and chisel edge are forged in line with the narrow edge of the shaft; this means that, when using either end, force is always applied along the narrow edge.

		What are heavy-duty wrecking bars used for?
		Heavy-duty wrecking bars can be used for a range of heavy-duty wrecking, demolition and prying tasks, such as:

		Lifting very heavy crates and boxes

		Demolishing plasterboard

		Ripping out moulding

		Ripping out flooring materials

		Used with care, a heavy-duty wrecking bar can be used for lighter prying or lifting tasks where the intention is to preserve materials being removed, but there are other bars which are better suited to delicate tasks (see: What is a moulding bar?)

		What heavy-duty wrecking bar sizes are available?
		Heavy-duty wrecking bars are manufactured to lengths from 350-1200mm (14-48in), and weights from 320-4100g (11oz-9lb 6oz). You may see the 350mm model marketed as a ‘junior’ heavy-duty wrecking bar – this is because it is small enough and light enough to be used by someone with less strength and skill than required by the largest models.


		For comparison, the lightest heavy-duty wrecking bar (320g [11oz]) weighs roughly the same as a tennis racquet …

		… while the heaviest (4100g [9lb 6oz]) weighs slightly more than four unabridged English dictionaries!

		Be aware of your own limitations when choosing which size heavy-duty wrecking bar to buy; a range of sizes is available to suit most strength and skill levels. Choosing a bar which is too heavy for you to use is simply a waste of money!

		If you’re unsure of your skill level, you can opt to purchase a set of heavy-duty wrecking bars containing a selection of sizes; either the 350mm, 620mm and 915mm (14in, 24in and 36in) models, or the 350mm and 460mm (14in and 18in) models.

		What are heavy-duty wrecking bars made of?
		Drop forged alloy steel Heavy-duty wrecking bars are manufactured using drop forged alloy steel.

		For more information on the different types of steel, see our earlier page: What are bars made of?