Crain 362 Door Pin Tool

I generally hate clever little tools that specialize in one task. They are usually more trouble than they are worth, and they end up at the bottom of a tool bin somewhere. This was an exception! === The Good Stuff === * If you have worked on newer doors/hinges, you noticed that the pin is not as easy to get to as it once was. They are generally thinner in diameter, and do not go all the way to the bottom of the hinge. As a result, they are a bit of a challenge to get out of the hinges. This tool is an excellent solution. * Of course you can go after the pin with any number of objects. I used to use an old screw driver, with the head cut off. The shaft would fit into the hinge and let you bang it out. The problem is that it is very easy to damage the door or trim with even a slightly errant hammer stoke. The shape of this tool lets you make contact with the pin, but do your hammering 4 inches from the door/trim. Even one less repair job makes this tool worth its cost. * The top end of the tool has a nice little fork that worked great at getting under the head of the pin once it was knocked out of a hinge a bit. * The tool seems pretty well made, and should last quite a long time. It is sturdy enough to survive in even the worst of toolboxes. === The Not-So-Good Stuff === * It is an expensive tool that really only does one thing. However, if you need to do that thing, and want to do it easy and without any damage, it works great. === Summary === If you have to take off doors on any sort of regular basis, this is a fantastic tool. I am using it just to remove the doors in my house for painting, and I think it was worth the investment.

I needed to pull the pins on a door that was squeaking. The hinges had been lubed at the factory six years ago and black, tarry lubricant was leaking out, creating a mess and causing the squeaking. The pins wouldn't budge using the old hammer & nail trick. This Crain tool--and a good bit of hammering--finally got them out. They were really stuck; the old lubricant was more like an adhesive. It's a simple tool, but well made and should last forever. You have to be a bit careful using it. The hammer needs to strike near the pin to transfer the most force, but an errant hammer blow will damage the door trim. The other end has a notch that's useful for prying up the pin once you've loosened it. Crain makes a #363 tool that has a little clip to hold the pin so you won't accidentally drop it, but if you're careful this tool works fine. Recommended.

Don't waste your time or money on a plastic tool. Or, break the handle of your favorite screwdriver. Two good taps and the pins were out.

This is a high quality heavy duty tool. Both the forked wedge and door pin push rod are easy to use and work well.

I first bought some plastic tool with a metal pin thinking it would do a good job. That thing broke on the first door pin that offered some resistance. The CRAIN 362 is solid and simple. 3 or 4 moderate taps with a hammer moved the pin up a solid inch and then the Y prong side slides on and a couple taps later the pin is completely out. I am elated at how well this tool works.

I use this at work to remove pins on doors all the time and it’s a hell of a time saver and keeps me from breaking numerous chisel blades using them as I shouldn’t!

This tool looks so basic, but it works extremely well. We had pins that nothing would budge even with the biggest hammer, but 3 or 4 taps using this thing and they popped.

Like other reviewers here, I had purchased a much less expensive tool in order to remove door pins only to have that tool break after removing just two pins. I purchased this tool based on its flawless reviews, and am happy to report that it does its job extremely well. It seems that all of the door pins in my home are very difficult to remove, and this tool has removed all of them with no signs of fatigue. I am so happy that I spent the extra money for a reliable and satisfying experience. This is the tool that you need.