Rerigging in the slip

[Brian Duff]

I have found the best tool for removing cotterpins (and installing them) is a pair of Dikes, or diagonal cutters.
The best ones i have ever used were made by master mechanic and had red vinyl handles with yellow trim, but I can't find them anymore and have been using Snap-On ones for years, which are Ok

my favoirte these days is snapon #388BCP then take it to a grinder and 'round off' the backside and all sharp edges to help reduce chances of damaging chrome.

With that tool I can remove 99.9% of cotterpins I encounter. To unpin a complete rig on a 40' cutter (deck level only) takes about 3 mins.

The key is to think about how to apply the leverage once you've grabed the head of the pin. Don't scratch anything!