Spool Pin Removers

[poisonokie]

The narrow end of the cross wrench part of my hedgehog studio pin remover that pushes out the spool pin got bent and eventually snapped off, rendering it useless. Is there a better option out there? Supposedly the new model is a little tougher,, but who knows. The Boca bearings tool looks sketchy and all of it is expensive. Just want one that works.

[Montanaro]

I got a hedgehog about 6 months ago and love it. The boca one was terrible in my experience and could never tell when I was going to damage a pin or pop it out successfully.

[kickerfish1]

That is what happened to mine after using it on a T3. Worked flawlessly on my Alphas but not on the T3. Comparing notes with a few others I learned they had the same problem when using it with a T3. Not sure why but it bent then broke leaving half of the tool stuck to the spool. Was able to use a pair of pliers to free it but it dinged the spool lip a very tiny bit.

[rippin-lips]

You use the larger end to push the pin flush with the spool shaft. Then flip it around to the smaller end to totally remove it. I have the gen 1 HH tool and have removed more pins than I can remember without a single issue.

[jbrew73]

i bent the pin on hedge hog toolbut i was pushing the spool pin the wrong direction. poor lighting ,40 something eyes and my ingnorance caused that mistake. i was able to straighten the pin and its worked great since .

[Pettis]

My Boca tool had the push pin piece on the tool pop through the top of the pliers after 3 uses. I contacted Boca and they sent another one out. It is cheaply made and I would not recommend it.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

The Hedgehog and Boca tools are about as good as you'll get even though neither is perfect. It's too much of a niche market to spend a ton on R&D and tooling so I don't expect much better in the immediate future. My recommendation for DIY is to service the bearing right in place. This can be done with a spray blast of carb cleaner or a soak by standing the spool on end with the bearing in a small jar, bottle or tube of solvent. 

[Fun4Me]

I've never used one of these tools before so, take this with a grain of salt. How hard are the pins to get out, once they're flush with the rod portion? If it's something that comes out rather easily at that point ( maybe something small enough to push it through without much resistance ) I would think that one could just drill a hole in a pair of pliers to have a place for the pin to go as it's coming out. 

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

The problem with pliers is that because the work on a pivot, they don't push squarely on the pin and can damage them. What you suggest is how it was done "Back in the day" though. You need a drift to punch it through the rest of the way. They are a fairly tight fit with a few being nearly impossible to budge. 

[poisonokie]

That is what happened to mine after using it on a T3. Worked flawlessly on my Alphas but not on the T3. Comparing notes with a few others I learned they had the same problem when using it with a T3. Not sure why but it bent then broke leaving half of the tool stuck to the spool. Was able to use a pair of pliers to free it but it dinged the spool lip a very tiny bit.

 

Wow, and that's the one that's supposed to be tougher. It didn't like my T3 either. It seemed to work better on the SV spool than the 1016.

[poisonokie]

Mine worked okay the first time. The second time, while trying to get the pin to push the rest of the way through the shaft, the pin wouldn't budge and the tool bent instead. I straightened it out and managed to finish what I was doing. The third time saw the same thing happen, but after straightening it back out a few times it finally snapped. It's like 18 bucks to get that part replaced.

[.ghoti.]

I've had a Hedgehog tool since they first hit the market; several years ago. I have 20+ reels, which all get serviced yearly, and the most used get it up to three times per year. I also service reels for quite a few other people, all local guys. I've used this tool hundreds of times, and its still going strong. And, I've never scratched or damaged a spool with this tool, despite reports to the contrary. Like any other tool, one needs to know how to use it properly.

[Montanaro]

My t31016 had no issues at all with my HH tool.

[poisonokie]

I've had a Hedgehog tool since they first hit the market; several years ago. I have 20+ reels, which all get serviced yearly, and the most used get it up to three times per year. I also service reels for quite a few other people, all local guys. I've used this tool hundreds of times, and its still going strong. And, I've never scratched or damaged a spool with this tool, despite reports to the contrary. Like any other tool, one needs to know how to use it properly.

 

Well, I'm not an idiot.

[Fun4Me]

I wonder if one could rig a normal small c clamp, with a hole drilled for pin clearance, and make it work. 

[jbrew73]

Well, I'm not an idiot.

i am too. but i have learned from my previous mistake and have been quite happy since then. it was very embarrassing that i had a problem with it as i am a mechanic by trade and am used to working with tools.