merziac

Recently during my birthday and going into Christmas, I was asked about gifts and was looking at the Topeak, Prestacycle and Silca mini rachet kits.

I think they are cool if not overpriced like many things and none of them tick enough boxes for me.

Then I was at Oreily's auto parts and found the rachet and bits for $15, Bingo!

Added a 1/4 in hex for an extension, 8 + 10mm sockets and 4in cresent with cheater sleeve that will go out to 15mm for pedals.

I usually carry a 6in cresent, a leatherman and a Topeak alien with chain tool as well.

I know many of us carry far less than this but I like the peace of mind so I lug it along.

This new setup will eliminate some of the tools I normally carry so it might lighten the load a bit and allows for plenty of changing up.

Being a tool nut, I already had most of the things but even if you started from scratch you will have far less into it and more capability than any of the prepackaged setups.

thorstein

Nice! I've been looking at the Topeak ratchet as well, but this looks like a better option.

What size is the O'Reilly ratchet listed as?

merziac

Power Torque GM4315 is the part no.

I originally couldn't find it on line but saw it at the store and went back and got it.

A guy on youtube thinks its the same as the topeak and it looks like it is.

I thought I saw 45 in/lb torque capacity somewhere but can't find it now.

It's got lifetime warranty but I'm going to get a backup so I'm good to go.

speedevil 

I've got some Chapman tools for working on firearms, and they are very nicely made and not ridiculously priced either.

This kit looks fairly complete, and you could easily add a 1/4 drive adapter and a couple of sockets if your bike needs them. This is more useful than the multi tools that don't fit into some fasteners, like the brake bolt on the rear brake.

It worth a look, anyway: https://chapmanmfg.com/collections/m...cycle-tool-set

If you wanted, you could leave the screwdriver handle at home and make it even smaller.

ascherer 

Happy birthday...

Ronsonic 

I like my Chapman set but find it a bit fidgety for sweaty, breathing hard, road-side repair. But, when I want to have everything, like for shaking down a new build I bring it. Good stuff.

merziac

Tx man, 61 on 11/17

jackbombay

Happy Birthday Merziac!

One tool that I've always wanted, but have never bought, is the Knipex "pliers wrench" Opens up to 25mm or 1", and the jaws always close parallel, and they are smooth, so you can grab anything from 1mm to 25mm and not mar it. If you look at the pivot point and how the jaw slides you have an incredible amount of clamping force with these "pliers". I have heard a very good review of them from a machinist friend that has some.

The 5" pair is $35 though, but should be able to deal with axle nuts pretty well...

https://smile.amazon.com/KNIPEX-86-0...2&sr=8-33&th=1

merziac

Tx, I have almost pulled the trigger on some of those many times, didn't realize they made a 5in, may have to reconsider.

jackbombay

My winter build project is a bike that has axle nuts on both wheels (the horror!) so I may have to pick up some of these. It would make more sense to buy a 15mm box wrench from a thrift store and cut it short enough to fit the saddle bag, so I may do that, but man, these Knipex are just so cool!

merziac

Axle nuts are good, my kid has had 3 wheels stolen in the last six months all QR, the nutted wheel is still here, at least they didn't get another bike yet.

I would get both and have a lot covered in the process, its only money, you can't have too many tools, we often buy a tool for a purpose and find it to be good for much more in time, the full value maybe never being realized, they can be priceless when they save the day.

79pmooney

Is that cheater sleeve flattened conduit?

JaccoW

27mm. I have one and I love it.
Combined with a small ratchet tool or the Swiss Tool bicycle tool I have most of what I need.

merziac

No, very thinwall alu hobby tubing, got tired of looking, had some too big stainless that weighed a ton that I used first and too small too thickwall alu in stock so that is what I found, I will keep looking for what I really want, this is too thin, can't hardly get the ends smoothed out, kinda sharp and dangerous.

speedevil 

Knipex pliers-wrench are great to use. They dont slip and they don't mar surfaces. I have an 8" (I think) pliers-wrench, a cable cutter, and a cobra wrench. Superb quality, but $$. If you're the type that buys a tool once and uses it forever, these are the ones.

eeuuugh

Someone recently posted on the World Professional Bike Mechanic forum on facebook about the knipex pliers wrench, they'd milled the jaws down so it could be used as a flat wrench/ cone wrench as well. Pretty cool, especially for a traveling toolkit!

JaccoW

Yeah I believe it might be this story. They used Electical Discharge Machining though as it didn't damage the hardening of the steel. It was very costly to do so though and made it a $150 tool. The mini tool is pretty thin too and is strong enough that you can attach it and just stand on it with your full weight if necessary. And since it is self-tightening it won't slip off either.

I want to buy the larger 250mm version one day as a replacement for my normal English (Adjustable spanner wrench).

speedevil 

^^^^^ That's the one. It would replace an entire set of cone wrenches. Not cheap, but top quality. The problem is that you usually need two cone wrenches to tighten a cone/locknut so you'd need two. At that price, and since I'm not a pro mechanic, I'll just use cone wrenches.

jeirvine 

Knipex pliers also work great for odd-sized (British) nuts: headsets, etc.

mpetry912 

Any tool thread is a great thread. Much as I like the Knipex pliers, I would not use them routinely as a substitute for a wrench. The eventual result will be rounded bolt heads.

The little plastic bit holder that Van is showing can be found on eboy here -

https://www.ebay.com/itm/10pcs-10-Ho...d/392387394967

Buy 10 and give some to your friends.

Also Chad's Toolbox has a 2-unit set of the Knipex pliers on Xmas sale, get 'em while they are hot

https://chadstoolbox.com/00-20-72-v0...et-with-pouch/

Another tool that gets a lot of use in my shop is a set of 8" stainless tweezers. These are great for pawing thru your junk box or picking the right part out of a plastic bag. Some people use them for ball bearings, and there is in fact a pair of tweezers available that has a little "cupped" tip perfect for placing bearings in hub races.

Here's another cool Knipex tool (lower photo) a 90 degree plier, these are very helpful but too big for an under the saddle tool kit. They are shown with a pair of vintage compound leverage pliers from SnapOn. These are no longer made, but they have a cam action that gives them a heck of a grip on cables and other parts.

Mark Petry
Bainbridge Island, WA USA

merziac

Giving this a bump to see if anyone has found the perfect case/pouch for it. The first one I put together had a very cool little generic neoprene case that came from staples years ago, long since discontinued. One of those deals where you buy it cheap not knowing what it will be for then wishing you had bought a sackful.

Found a couple other pretty good candidates but they are a bit big and the guy I gave the first one to liked that it was compact, well contained and padded so it wouldn't rattle.

None of them are cheap being $7-9+ each while not being ideal.

Thoughts, finds?

bwilli88 

There is one in the bit holder.

chainwhip

Any pics of the original? Dimensions?

This might be close(1st pic)...under $10.

https://www.amazon.com/kwmobile-Neop...ene+po&sr=8-18



another type, this model way pricey tho.

amazon basics hard drive case... some may prefer a softer neoprene pouch.

OTS 

I'm a Fly Fisher
Am thinking something like this might work.
I am a fan of tool rolls, I haven't tried this but.....




You get the idea.
Found it on eBay, Fly Fishing Tool Roll

merziac

No pics of the ideal one that I had, it was small. the rachet was a snug fit, especially with all the other stuff in it, made it just right but you could still get another piece or two in if you wanted too. It was a bit stretchy too so very compact, almost perfect.

The rachet is 3 5/8 in. so that case must have been 4 in. long by maybe 2 1/2 in. wide, most of the ones I can find are 5-6 in. long so kind of big which is ok to hold more stuff but this is meant to be a very high functioning very compact kit so small and robust is the ask, apparently a big one.