A 4 tine pitch fork is the most popular with my guys.

Ed

 

Agreed. Same here.

 

Shingle eaters are the best

 

Amen to that!

 

Depends what you are tearing off. I find pitch forks to be the quickest for removing shingles. Then come back with one of those home depot tear off tools with the teeth for popping out all the nails very very quickly.

For tearing off low slope it's a cutter and a wheelbarrow, and sometimes an axe for flashings.

 

I use a shin-go. it has the little teeth and its great for pulling up nails. and it doesnt put alot of stress on your back.

 

"I use a shin-go." Me too.

 

WE STARTED 30+ YEARS AGO WITH FLAT BOTTOMED GARDEN SPADES,moved to the shingle eaters,after getting used to them ,won`t switch back,we prefer to remove shingles and nails at the same time,so we don`t have to go over the same area twice,just sweep,and waterproof it in

 

shingle eater is hands down the very best. I have tried them all.

 

I have always used a four tine pitchfork. I've wanted to try some of the other tools you guys are talking.Most roofs we tear off have 2 layers or 3 layer with shakes. So my question is how effective are these tools on multi layers.

 

THE SHINGLE EATER IS GREAT WITH ASPHALT,AND WORKS WELL ON SHAKES FROM THE BOTTOM UP,ON SHAKES ON SLATS/PURLINS WE USUALLY USE A HAMMER between the slats,the pitchfork tends to break more slats which we don`t want,because typically we sheathe over the slats with 1/2" ply,without them minimum would be 3/4"+ considering how some of the old rafters are spaced

 

For shakes, I find it way faster to use the claw of a hammer and to rip them from the side.

For slates, I use a flat shover and what I do is to slide the shovel under the side of the slate and twist it popping the slate off. I do this in rapid succession going down the line and can stay in one place while picking off the rows next to me.

Tiles, similar to shakes...pop them off with my hammer.

For flat roof tear offs, my favorite "tools" are LABORERS!

:lol:

 

Just curious as to what most of you guys are using for tear-offs. I prefer shovel and fork depending on type of shingle. Ive been looked at oddly more than once when I hop in with guys to tear off with a fork or shovel.

Shingle Eater is one of if not the first specialized tear off tools, and is still the most rugged of the bunch. Shingle Eater favors the open, smooth-deck walkables and in the right hands will be very tough to beat under those conditions. However, the very features that give it the performance in ideal conditions make it cumbersome under less than perfect conditions.


AJC’s Shin-go is an excellent all-‘rounder. It has decent thrust, enough lift to pull a spike, and the deep gullets will pull some of the more ornery nails. Great for salvaging flashings.


Roofers’ spade is just a square shovel with teeth and fulcrum added. The low working angle gives it excellent reach and thrust. It is one of the lightest options and has a low rate of fatigue for its operator.


Roof Bully, home depot’s red-handled stripper is very economical and works well on stapled shingles. The mild steel is short-lived, but the dull blade will ride over some of the rougher deck. It also features a square heel, which is handy for bent over nails and stubble.


Shin-dig (and wipr-do) is another dull-bladed shovel, which is nice on the rougher decks, but can have trouble getting under the material. It features a reverse blade, which is handy for bent away nails. It also has a good striking surface, which is very nice for tightening loose boards and pounding down stubble. An excellent choice when in rougher conditions.


Pitchfork, or more accurately dung fork, was made to penetrate material which isn’t easily shoveled. This has great appeal as a tear off tool because it reduces tedium, particularly under adverse conditions. It’s obvious downside is that the nails need be dealt with in a separate operation. In order to show an advantage in productivity over a shovel-type tool, a fork needs to cover the area at a tremendous rate of speed.


Stripping irons benefit from lessons learned from all of the above and yet are based on a completely different operating principle. Virtually all other strippers use lever-action to free the shingles from the surface, whereas stripping irons use wedge-action to get consistent long strokes on rough deck. Their major drawback is the learning curve presented by these unique concepts.

 

The Red Ripper has the "power to play rough all day" Rip shingles and peel nails in seconds, save 30% on labour and reduce back strain. Only $60 for a shingle removal tool that will get the job done quickly and efficiently. http://www.roofersworld.com/redripper.htm

 

The Red Ripper has the "power to play rough all day" Rip shingles and peel nails in seconds, save 30% on labour and reduce back strain. Only $60 for a shingle removal tool that will get the job done quickly and efficiently. [URL="http://www.roofersworld.com/redripper.htm"]http://www.roofersworld.com/redripper.htm[/URL]

Not a bad looking shovel, your Red Ripper. I like the picket-fence teeth, they’ll work very well. I also like the reverse-blade and striking surface, they will get you through much adversity. It also looks wonderfully lightweight.


All it needs to be a great ripper is a reduced working angle, somewhere around 12-15 degrees. I don’t mean to hack on your tool because it does have the best features of all the shovels I’ve tried, so please, bear with me.


Firstly, the most overlooked fact when designing these rippers is that most of the effort is expended on the thrust (slam) and NOT on the lift (pry). With a steep angle like that, you can’t get your full body behind the tool, so the arms and upper body (back) tire quickly. Secondly, the lower angle will provide more REACH, which is very handy on a steep-staged roof. Third, the reduced angle will make both your reverse-blade and your striking surface more effective. Lastly, the suggested angle will make your tool one-handable for even more reach and great videos of guys running dual rippers!


Keep your fulcrum as close to the forward cutting edge as possible, leaving just enough lift to barely pull a spike. This will minimize effort on the pry and maximize sweet spot. Your current pattern looks pretty good on this.


For $60, I’m assuming it’s a tempered steel blade so it’s performance will last more than just a few roofs. You can go about 50 points of carbon without running into welding issues.


Yeah I know, you gotta change your tooling, but fix that angle and you’ll have the best performance of all the many shovels on the market. I’ve been through it on my rippers, and can tell you that it’s well worth it.


Good luck to you on your ripper. Hope to see you around.

 

Ran into a Lowe's for some stuff and came across this Kobalt Shingle Remover.

When I looked at in detail, it was identical to a Shingle Eater only it had a bar welded into it across the top (like a bicycle handlebar) with foam grips and a hump bar in the center with a placing for your foot 3/4's of the way down.

It was black and branded as a Kobalt, but it was a Shingle Eater.

I picked it up and took it on the job and it was just as much a revelation as The Shingle Eater was when I first used it. It was a little heavier, but you didn't lift it to work it...you simple slid it under the work and pushed down with both hands. It was so much easier and I could rip up 4 shingles at the same time in one push (1 layer).

If any of you guys come across one in any Lowe's, trust me, it's worth the $39. I payed for it!

That's right...just $39. for a Shingle Eater on Steroids!

I'm trying to get a pic of it...when I do, I'll post.

Trust me boys, get it!

 

Yes



I JUST got back from lowes, they dont carry them anymore and cant order them.......seriously need to find a place that carries them. Bought 3 of them 7 years ago and they all dissapeared. Just got back into roofing after being off for 5 years and MUST find these shovels.

 

Got a pic!

 

still try for the asphalt shingles.....

 

It dosn't tear the shingles into tiny bits like other shovels. And the deeper teeth dont slip off nails when prying them up as easy as other shovels. I have used other shovels that do work good bub are a lot heavier then the rippers.

 

And the head angle is very good on them so a lot less bending way over to pry. I have not seen you other tools There are only a few places in the area that carry the rippers

 

shingle eater works for us

 

4 Prong potato fork.

I like the four prong potato fork to remove the shingles, then we come back with the shingle eater to get the nails.

 

I like the four prong potato fork to remove the shingles, then we come back with the shingle eater to get the nails.

If you like the potato fork, it might be worth taking a look at Razor Bar. Not limited by tooth length, it has infinite penetration for long strokes on rough deck. Its tempered steel teeth tend to self-sharpen and will deliver high performance for many tear off jobs.

Nice looking brake btw.

 

We found shingle eaters are the best for shingles so we can remove nails as we go save you from coming back, we use wood forks for wood shakes.

 

I hate using them for tearing off shingles personally. Yes it seems like less work so you don't have to go back and pull nails, but I find we tear off more per push with the pitch forks and it's not at all that time consuming to follow with the eater to get the nails. Nothing's worse than constantly smacking the nails with the eater when you're trying to rip.

 

I use a flat garden spade and then go back over the area with a claw hammer to pull the nails. I want something better for the wood shingle tear offs, most of them here are fixed with narrow crown staples which are a pain to remove from the battens after the shingles are off. I use a cats paw for this which works but isn't ideal, slips off the staples too easy and frequently sends them flying all over resulting in a big cleanup that at times includes the neighbours properties!
Any recommendations? Anything I get will have to come from the US as they're not available here in NZ.

 

Wooden shingle stapled to slat, Hmmm...

Provided that the slats were at least 3 1/2 inches wide, I'd pull out the power stripper. Those staple jobs can be pretty tough depending on the specifics.

The staples will still need to be dealt with. A (welder's) grinder will make short work of them, but may pose a fire hazard. Be careful. I usually use either end-nips, or just bend them over with a hammer, depending on who's looking :whistling:

 

Only use pitch forks. It's tough to find thin wide tines but now we just buy them and put them on the grinder before they gon the roof.

I wished you could still get the good ones.

I have toothy shovels too. They work great for pulling nails. As far as ripping shingles? Way slower than a pitch fork!

 

Tines that are thin AND wide? I have either maximized that concept, or went totally opposite, not sure which.


Anyhow, If you like the forks, it may be worth your while to have a look at this thing. It gives long strokes on rough deck, and has several cool tricks for dealing with the debris.

The "good ones" may be gone, but perhaps now you can get better ones. It took over twenty years practice to get the tool running just right. It would be nice to see some of my fellow roofers benefit from those lessons.

 

This pic gives you some idea of what i'm up against. Battens are 2" wide.

 

Those narrow battens look tough for a fork, not enough surface to ride on. My first choice ripping that one would be Shin-dig. Second would be Shingo.

 

aND i WOULD USE A SHINGLE EATER FROM THE BOTTOM UP.WHICH PULLS SEVERAL COURSES AT ONCE WITH THE NAILS,AND ANY STRAGGLERS WOULD BE ELIMINATED WITH MY 20 OZ. estwing hammer---but what do I know,only been doing this for over 30 years,and I don`t sell tools like some here seem to-but just so you kinow the very best tear off tools cannot be purchased,as they are
"Will,And Determination"
and not for nothing,but I went to help a friend in Indiana,they used shingos,and I of course brought my shingle eaters--before long the guys were asking if I had more,and yes a few of them used the shingle eaters,Asked if they liked them ,they said HELL YES,Why don`t you use them?,,because these are what the boss buys

 

"THE ROOFING GOD"

{ so you kinow the very best tear off tools cannot be purchased,as they are
"Will,And Determination" }



my words exactly.......:thumbup:

 

red rippers for years