POCORO Roof Shingles, Shingle Removal Tool, Roofing Tools, Pitch Hopper, Shingle Nail Installer, Roof Shingle Nail Puller, Nail Remover Pry Bar For Safe Roof Shingles Replacement Roofing tools and Equipment

Why I Reached for the POCORO RS501

The first time I put the POCORO RS501 in my pouch was for a small repair: two nail pops and a cracked shingle that needed a clean swap without bruising the surrounding courses. The challenge with this kind of work isn’t the nailing—it’s getting a nail set under an overlapping shingle cleanly, straight, and without cracking brittle material. That’s exactly the niche this tool fills: a compact, two-in-one shingle nail installer and puller designed for precision under an overlap.

Design and Build

The RS501 is a simple piece of polished steel, 11 inches long and just over an inch wide. One end is a thin, claw-like tip for getting under a nail head and levering it out; the other has a shaped slot that captures a roofing nail and guides it in at a true perpendicular. There’s no handle wrap or rubber grip—just steel. That’s a plus for sliding under shingles, and it keeps the profile slim, though you’ll want gloves for long sessions.

The steel is finished smooth and resists rust reasonably well. After a few sessions of tapping on the strike area, the finish inevitably scuffs; that’s cosmetic rather than structural. I saw minor marring on the struck edge and some scratch-through, but a quick wipe with oil after wet work kept rust at bay.

In Use: Driving Nails Under Overlaps

This is where the RS501 earns its keep. The nail-slot is cut to hold a standard roofing nail snugly without wobble. The procedure is straightforward:

• Slip the thin end under the overlapping shingle until the strike face lands where you want the nail.
• Seat the nail in the slot.
• Keep a touch of upward pressure on the tool so the steel acts as a backing plate for the shingle above.
• Lightly “set” the nail with a tap or two, then finish to depth.

Because the slot holds the shank, nails go in square, which helps avoid “smiles” and crooked heads. I especially appreciated this when working on a chilly morning, when shingles are less forgiving. With a putty knife or taping knife as a sacrificial shield above, I could drive nails cleanly with no surface cracking.

There’s a learning curve to avoid glancing blows on the shingle above. The RS501 sits between courses on a small riser, and if you get sloppy, you can graze the upper shingle. I mitigated that by:

• Using lighter set taps at first, then finishing with firm, centered hits.
• Keeping the upper shingle slightly lifted with a plastic wedge or taping knife.
• Standing slightly off to align the hammer face parallel with the slot.

Once you get the rhythm, it’s fast and accurate.

Nail Removal Performance

The claw tip is thinner than a standard pry bar, which is exactly what you want for roofing repair. I slid the tip past the granules to the nail head, gave a short wiggle to seat it, and twisted. For typical smooth-shank roofing nails, the tool pops them out cleanly with minimal granule disturbance.

Two caveats:

• For stubborn ring-shanks or nails driven hard into the deck, leverage is limited by the tool’s compact length. I could still work them out, but it took a few incremental lifts. On a truly stuck nail, I’d reach for a longer pry bar after the RS501 breaks the seal.
• If the nail head is really buried, warming the shingle (sun or a heat gun) helps the tip sneak under without scuffing.

As a spot-repair puller, it’s precise and gentle, which matters more than brute force on a finished roof.

Ergonomics and Reach

At 11 inches, it’s easy to carry and maneuver, with good control in tight spots around vents and valleys. The slim 1.1-inch width is excellent for fishing under laminates and architectural shingles where there’s not much gap. The trade-off is reach: if you need to set a nail far back under a deeply overlapped course, the working surface can end up close to the shingle above. It still works, but there’s less clearance, and you must be deliberate with your strikes.

I’d welcome an extended version with an extra inch of “blade” length to push the strike face deeper under the course. As is, the RS501 covers the majority of repair scenarios; for deeper reaches, a longer specialty driver would be nice to have, not a must.

Durability and Maintenance

The steel holds up. After repairing nail pops and a small patch around a pipe boot, I had a lightly mushroomed edge where the hammer landed and cosmetic finish wear—nothing that affected function. A few file strokes to de-burr the strike edge kept it clean. The anti-rust claim is fair: after a damp day, I saw no orangeing, but I still treat it like any steel tool—wipe dry and give it a light oil if the finish has been scuffed.

I wouldn’t mind if the tool shipped unpainted or with a more durable, matte treatment; striking tools get chewed up by design.

Where It Fits in a Roofing Kit

This isn’t a tear-off bar or a full-on shingle stripper. It’s a surgical piece for repair and replacement:

• Fixing nail pops without scarring the surrounding courses.
• Replacing singular damaged tabs.
• Sneaking fasteners under overlaps around flashings, skylights, and ridge transitions.
• Protecting brittle or aged shingles while setting new nails.

Could you do some of this with a flat bar and a putty knife? Yes. But the RS501 is faster and produces cleaner results because it controls nail alignment and shields the shingle during the strike. When working on older roofs or in colder temps, that difference is the line between a tidy repair and a cracked overlay.

Limitations and Wish List

• Reach under the upper course: An extra inch of working length would reduce the chance of glancing the shingle above, especially on thicker architectural shingles.
• Strike face longevity: Expect finish wear and some peening. A slightly larger, radiused strike pad would age better under repeated hammer blows.
• Leverage for stubborn nails: The claw is thin and precise, but the tool’s short length limits mechanical advantage. Keep a longer pry bar handy for the occasional ring-shank that refuses to budge.

None of these are deal-breakers; they’re design trade-offs in a compact, maneuverable form factor.

Tips for Best Results

• Warm it up: Cold shingles are brittle. Work in the sun when possible or warm the area gently with a heat gun.
• Use a shield: Slide a thin taping knife above the tool when setting nails to protect the upper course from mishits.
• Set then strike: Lightly set the nail with two taps before driving it home. The slot keeps it upright; the set keeps it put.
• Deburr occasionally: File the strike edge if it mushrooms to keep a crisp, centered hit.
• Oil after rain: If the finish gets scuffed, a light oil prevents surface rust.

Value

There’s not much to go wrong with a solid piece of shaped steel, and that’s part of the appeal here. The RS501 delivers specialized function without the cost or complexity of larger roofing tools. If you do occasional roof maintenance, it will save time and reduce the risk of collateral damage; if you’re on roofs weekly, it’s the kind of tool you forget about until you need it—and then you’re glad it’s in your pouch.

Final Recommendation

I recommend the POCORO RS501 for anyone who does shingle repair—DIYers tackling nail pops and small patches, maintenance techs, and roofers who want a compact, precise way to set and pull nails under overlaps. It’s accurate, gentle on brittle shingles, and genuinely speeds up fussy work. Expect cosmetic wear on the strike area and know that leverage is limited for deeply buried or ring-shank nails. Those are reasonable compromises for a tool that’s easy to carry, fast to deploy, and purpose-built for the kind of tasks that tend to chew up shingles when done with improvised methods.