Victor Easy Set review - the cheap classic that still works

The trap your grandparents used, and it still earns its place. The Victor Easy Set is the classic wood-base, wire-bar snap trap with a widened yellow “Easy Set” pedal that triggers on light contact, which fixes the old complaint that mice steal the bait without setting it off. It made the same Good Housekeeping test roundup as the pricier plastic traps.

Pick it for one reason: cost. Bought in bulk it is the cheapest way to kill a lot of mice, which matters if you are treating an outbuilding, a rental, or a real infestation where you want traps everywhere.

What they don’t tell you: you handle the mouse. Removing a kill from a wooden trap means either touching it or tossing the whole cheap trap, and the wood soaks up odor and moisture over time. Wooden traps can also snap fingers during setting if you are careless. If handling makes you squeamish, the Tomcat Press ‘N Set solves that for a little more money. For an even more sensitive, reusable version, the Victor Snap-E has an adjustable trigger.

Skip it if you want no-touch disposal or you are only setting one or two traps, where the small savings is not worth the handling.

Bottom line: unbeatable on price per kill for anyone comfortable getting hands-on, and a legitimately effective trap when set right.