Every now and then you find a special tool. The kind of tool you wonder how you ever did without. The kind of tool that truly makes you want to go break something. The Stanley FuBar utility bar is that tool. We all know what FuBar stands for Functional Utility Bar. Right. The um, original meaning is a bit closer to the truth as this tool will wreak havoc on any demo project, allowing you to disassemble walls faster, pull off drywall with more efficiency, and punch through lathe and plaster like it was paper mache. There’s only one caveat: don’t put this tool into the hands of anyone you don’t want to send off on a mass demolition spree. It’s too difficult to resist the urge to destroy. We tried. It’s nearly impossible.
Stanley FuBar Utility Bar Features
The tool itself is made from tempered (heat-treated, strengthened) steel and is four different tools in one:
- Pry bar
- Nail puller
- Dimensional lumber/decking straightener/puller
- Hammer
Oh, but it’s so much more. The Stanley FuBar utility bar can split apart wood that is nailed flush, or even be used as an “attack hammer” to destroy an area of sheetrock and allow you access to the inside of a wall. I’m certain that somewhere a person has mastered how to use it as a throwing tomahawk, but we didn’t get a chance to use it in that capacity… yet. This is a really handy multi-purpose tool and one we feel that many users will be able to keep in their arsenal and use regularly.
Using the Stanley Fatmax Fubar
Certainly, it is built for the framing professional. It let me quickly grab onto a twisted piece of dimensional lumber and get it properly aligned before securing it in place with a few nails. This was one of the ways we tested it, and it truly became invaluable as we ran into a stack of lumber that looked like it had been affixed to the center of a maypole and spun around for several hours. We simply slapped it onto the lumber with the alligator-style jaws and pulled up on the handle as a co-worker shot in some nails from the end. Thanks to the extended “roof” of the tool’s jaws, we were able to get a lot of leverage with minimal effort.
We also liked the weight of the Stanley FuBar utility bar. It’s heavy enough to do some damage, but it’s not completely unwieldy like a dead blow hammer. There is a sort of deftness to it. This is thanks in part to the excellent industrial design, which gives the tool a thinner profile and allows it to have strength without the sheer mass of a more blunt tool.
Options and Models
Stanley has four additional “flavors” of the FuBar, coming in different sizes and for slightly different purposes:
- 30″ FuBar Utility Bar (55-120) – a heavier, 8.5-pound multi-purpose demo tool made for serious destruction
- 30″ FuBar Forcible Entry Tool (55-122) – almost identical to the above 30″ Utility Bar, this tool also includes a gas-shut-off feature, spanner wrench, hydrant wrench, and heat-resistant grips. This tool is perfect for firefighters and is designed with them clearly in mind.
- 18″ FuBar Forcible Entry Tool (55-121) – a near clone to the 30″ Forcible Entry Tool, this smaller, more portable tool also includes a gas-shut-off feature, spanner wrench, hydrant wrench, and heat-resistant grips. This tool is again targeting firefighters and emergency personnel
- 15″ FuBar Utility Bar (55-119) – this “baby” version of the 18″ FuBar is for those individuals who are looking for something just a little bit less wieldy than the original FuBar. We wish them well, and ask that they not leave behind any hairspray or stockings on the jobsite when they leave… Of course we’re certain that somewhere there’s a guy with a 30-inch FuBar making fun of us and our “puny” 18-inch model…
Final Thoughts
Overall, the Stanley FuBar utility bar is one of our favorite demo tools to use on the jobsite. We can safely say that we’ve never encountered anyone who has held it in their hand and not immediately presented us with a glisten in their eye and a sideways glance for something to destroy. But the tool goes far beyond demolition, presenting a nail puller and handy pry bar into the mix. For this reason, I like its performance and value.
This tool will save you time and materials. In construction, that’s money in the bank. Pick one up for all your framing guys – they’ll use it with smiles on their faces.
