After Searching for a tool specifically designed for removing retainer clips, and coming up dry, Jim determined to make his own. Jim Allen perfected his invention and named it The Allenbar™.

I designed this for my own personal use when I was an appliance service technician. Around 2002 I was changing a motor in a whirlpool dryer and I was having a hard time getting the last motor clip fastened down, generally most service guys use a flat blade screwdriver to do this, anyways the screwdriver slipped off the clip and there went my left hand right across the motor mount resulting in several stitches. Afterwards I called my parts supplier up and asked our sales rep if he could locate a tool that would help prevent this sort of thing from happening again. After checking with Whirlpool, Maytag, Frigidaire, and GE he was unable to locate any kind of tool that could be used specifically for changing dryer motors. So I decided then to make something up for myself to use, after a few attempts I finally found a design I was happy with. I carried this around in my tool box for about a year when I decided that since it worked so well I would try my hand at selling it to other service technicians such as myself. After several thousands of dollars in design, packaging, logo's, advertising, and of course...lawyers, my product hit the shelves nationwide of most major appliance parts distributors in 2004. To date about twenty thousand have been sold worldwide but most right here in the good ole USA! It was definitely a trying experience and I'm glad my wife and kids pushed me to follow through with it because there were definitely times I wanted to abandon the project. It won't ever bring millions but if this handy tool can save a few appliance technicians knuckles from being busted up or fingers sliced, then I guess its worth it! Most appliance distributors carry the Allenbar™ nationwide.