Snap-On SGA173B Hose Pick Review: The Oversized Pick That Earns Its Spot in Any Toolbox

Introduction

Some tools earn their place through complexity. Others earn it by being so simple and so handy that you keep reaching for them without thinking. The Snap-On SGA173B hose pick belongs firmly in the second group. It was designed to loosen and break free rubber hoses from metal couplings on vehicles, and it does that job well. In practice, though, it turns out to be useful for a much longer list of tasks: prying, picking, reaching, stretching, bending, digging something out, or cleaning a tight spot. It is essentially a grown-up, large-format version of a small precision pick, and once you own one, it tends to migrate to the front of the toolbox.

What It Is and How It Is Designed

The SGA173B is about as simple as a tool can be: a strong steel shaft with a bend near the tip and a taper to a point, finished with a large handle. The design has stayed essentially unchanged for many years, which says something about how well the basic formula works. The newer versions appear to use a higher chrome finish than older examples, but the angles and overall shape remain very similar.

Because the steel is strong, you can apply real force with this tool, whether you are prying against a stubborn hose or levering something loose. That also means the sharp end deserves some respect when you are working with it.

The Handle: Useful, But Not Essential

The SGA173B uses a screwdriver-style handle, the kind designed around research into how a human hand rotates a tool. It is a comfortable, large handle, and combined with the stiff steel shaft it lets you put serious force into the tip without discomfort.

That said, you do not really need this kind of handle on a pick, and occasionally it can get in the way. A straight, fully symmetrical shaft handle works fine too, since you can grab it in whatever comfortable position the task demands. With the SGA173B you sometimes just grab it however it lands in your hand. The real value of the large handle is leverage and comfort when you are applying force, not rotation.

Living With It: Everyday Uses

The honest headline is that the original purpose barely gets exercised. Loosening a hose from a coupling is what the tool is made for, and on older vehicles where hoses seize in place it would be genuinely essential. On newer or well-maintained vehicles, most hoses can be wiggled or pulled free without one.

In day-to-day use, the pick shines at everything else: getting into small areas, reaching into gaps, digging out debris, cleaning narrow recesses, prying gently against rubber parts, and stretching or bending things that fingers cannot manage. The size and shape of the tip fit into places other tools simply cannot, which is what makes it one of those tools that is hard to explain until you have used it a few times.

Old Version vs. Current Version

An earlier version of this tool, marked A173, can still turn up on the secondhand market. The older example carries a list price in the region of $31 off the truck in current terms, and it is easy to imagine the original costing not much more than about $10 back in the day. Functionally, the two generations are close: the newer pick appears to have a higher chrome finish, while the bend angles and overall shape are very similar.

One practical note: owning two turned out to be a genuine benefit, since one lived in the garage and the other in the shop. That duplication was not planned around a need for two picks, but it removed the constant back-and-forth of fetching the same tool between workspaces.

Buying Advice

This is a tool worth buying before a specific need arises. The temptation is to wait until a hose refuses to budge, but the SGA173B’s value comes from the hundreds of small tasks it handles in between hose jobs. If a large, comfortable pick with a bent and tapered tip is missing from your kit, this design fills that gap completely.

Snap-On sells picks like this in many different shapes and in sets, so it is worth checking whether a different head shape suits your work better. For a single, large general-purpose pick, though, this design has fully covered the need so far. It is also a tool that most owners would buy again without hesitation, which is about the strongest endorsement a simple hand tool can get.

Conclusion

The Snap-On SGA173B is a case study in how a single-purpose tool becomes a workshop staple. The hose-loosening job it was built for is real, especially on older vehicles, but the everyday value comes from its strong shaft, sharp tapered tip, and comfortable large handle. If it is missing from your toolbox, it is an easy recommendation.