Quick verdict
A 58 inch bar of 2 mm steel tubing with a forked head that slides under a deck board on either side of a joist and levers it up, screws and all, from standing height. The length gives enormous leverage and the curved, powder-coated handle saves the hands. It also pulls pallets apart, lifts flooring and strips roofing. For a deck tear-off it replaces a crowbar, a hammer and a sore back, and the head is wide enough to lift composite without snapping it.
Strengths
- Fifty-eight inches of leverage lifts boards standing up
- Forked head straddles the joist and lifts the board with fasteners
- Two millimetre steel tube with a one-piece handle
- Curved non-slip grip reduces hand fatigue
- Also strips pallets, flooring, drywall and roofing
Weaknesses
- Heavy to carry around a large deck all day
- Head width must fit between your joist spacing and fasteners
- Lifts boards; nails and screws still need pulling from the joist
The overall YardToolLab Score is out of 100. Section scores are out of 10.
Tearing Off a Deck Without a Crowbar
Removing old deck boards with a crowbar and a hammer is slow and brutal: pry, splinter, move six inches, pry again. A deck wrecking bar does it standing. Insaga’s bar is 58 inches of 2 mm steel tube with a forked head that slides under a board, straddles the joist and levers the board up, fasteners and all, in one push. The curved handle has a non-slip grip and the whole thing is powder coated orange so it does not get lost in the debris.
This review is based on the listing specifications and on how forked demolition bars perform on deck tear-offs generally. We have not used this bar ourselves and the brand is a generic importer.
Leverage
At 58 inches the handle multiplies your push many times. A screwed-down treated board that would need a hammer and a wedge comes up with body weight on the handle, and you are standing, not kneeling. Owners of this class of bar describe stripping a deck in an afternoon that would have taken a weekend.
The Fork
The head is what makes it a deck tool rather than a crowbar. The two tines go under the board either side of the joist, so the lift is applied right where the fasteners are and the board comes away without snapping in the middle. Composite, which breaks if pried from the side, lifts clean when the fork is placed over the joist.
After the Board
Screws pull through the old board and stay standing in the joist. Back them out or break them off with a hammer before re-boarding; a joist full of stubs will not take new boards flat. Nails usually come up with the board.
Other Jobs
The same tool is sold as a pallet buster, and it breaks pallets, strips subfloor and tongue-and-groove flooring, pulls drywall and lifts shingles. It is a general demolition lever with a deck-shaped head.
Weight
Steel tube that long is not light, and carrying it around a big deck is a workout. The trade is strength; a lighter bar bends.
Who Should Buy It
- Anyone re-boarding or demolishing a deck.
- Homeowners breaking pallets for projects or firewood.
- Renovators stripping floors and roofs.
Common Owner Complaints
Weight and a fork that does not fit around odd fastener patterns. Both are the nature of a heavy steel bar.
Alternatives to Consider
The Duckbill Deck Wrecker is the long-established branded version. A Gutster bar is a multi-purpose demolition alternative. A flat bar and hammer is the slow traditional method.
Verdict
For stripping a deck, a forked lever bar is the right tool and this one is built heavy enough to do it repeatedly. Set the fork over the joist, lean on the handle and the boards come up from standing height.
Full specifications
Insaga 58 Inch Steel Demolition and Deck Board Removal Bar with Curved Handle FAQs
Slide the forked head under a board so the fork straddles the joist, then push the handle down. The board lifts off the joist with the fasteners still in it. Move to the next joist and repeat.
Rotten boards break regardless. Sound boards and composite lift intact when the fork is right over the joist, which is the point of the design.
Screws pulled through the board stay in the joist. Back them out with a driver or snap them off with a hammer before laying new boards.
No. It is the same tool sold as a pallet buster, and it strips subfloor, drywall and shingles.
