soyabean

I'm worked as a wrench in a handful of LBS's and they use whatever works the best.

Stupid stuff like the ParkTool STL-2 ot STL1.2 is mostly to impress the customers.

Some ParkTools are okay. Most of them are not. Overall ParkTools is far from the best.

ParkTools are made to be affordable by DIY end users. You can tell by its price, all ParkTool stuff is way less than shop automotive tools.

Thinking that ALL tools must be and only be ParkTools, well that individual is a "tool" themselves.

veganbikes

smd4 at our shop I would say a heavy dose of Snap-On has crept in but in our case the mechanics own their own tools. People do still use some Park Tool stuff as they do make some decent stuff on the component specific side of things but for generic tools generally we go elsewhere.

My personal box is a mix, Snap-On, Wera, Abbey and some Park stuff (as well as a handful of other tools like Rohloff and Gates that are more specific)

smd4

You seem to have an overly anti-Park agenda, and almost sound like a shill for Snap-On, so I'll read your comments accordingly.

mpetry912 

this was a good discussion thread. I like tools and am fortunate to have some very nice items in my toolbox. But I think a real working shop will have an eclectic selection of tools from a range of brands and labels.

I had high hopes for this one with the 3rd leg being a .250 hex bit holder - but the 4 and 5mm allen bits are so soft that they round out even under moderate torque.

Which is a fatal flaw of any tool - it should not damage the fastener.

/markp

soyabean

So?

And that's my opinion.

Best to not read what I write.

There's a reason why Snap-On is the best. Ask around. Or don't. Whatever.

smd4

I get that it's your opinion. I'll continue reading them. Just with a few grains of salt.

soyabean

Funny how ParkTool can't claim to be the best.

Lots of laffs!

grumpus

Hah, just a couple of days ago I was looking at 1/4 inch square drive socket extensions, with a view to welding myself a Y wrench - I hadn't thought of using 1/4 hex drive, but now I will. 😀

smd4

Get back to me when Snap-On makes:

--Headset tools, including cup wrenches and cup presses/removers;
--Bottom bracket tools, including lockring tools, pin spanners, fixed cup tools;
--Pedal wrenches;
--Dropout alignment tools;
--Frame alignment tools;
--Wheel Dishing tools;
--Repair stands;
--Truing stands;
--Spoke wrenches;
--Cone wrenches;
--Chain breakers;
--Decent Y wrenches;
--Chain Whips;
--Freehub removal tools;
--Crank removers;

Eric F 

It's hard to argue that Park isn't at the top of the heap for offering the widest range of specialty bike tools. However, there are other companies who are making some of those tools of equal or better quality. For the everyday tools like allen wrenches and screwdrivers, Park's offerings are decent, but not pinnacle.

mpetry912 

I'll tell you an item that Park does make that is great - the headset crown race remover CRP-2

it's a big heavy thing. Massive overkill. Works absolutely great ! Never misses

/markp

smd4

I think everything you said is right-on. There are some Park tools I won't touch--other manufactures supplanted them. I'd much rather use the Hozan fourth hand than the Park. And I definitely don't like their plastic 3-way Allen wrench. I consider myself luck to have gotten the one that I have.

Mad Honk 

smd4 ,
Eric is in some ways correct about other companies that make great tools. I have a penchant for VAR products and some others like Artisan Tool and Die. I use Campy crank arm removal tools cause they work unlike many other companies variants. I probably have a more eclectic tool set, but it is the stuff I have found to work, and hold up. The example of a three way wrench I posted handles bit from just about any socket style, or bit style. I am using Blue Point bits in it, They are durable bits and guaranteed for life. Just my thoughts, although I have probably as much MAC in my tool boxes as Snap-On. Smiles, MH

soyabean

Park Tools just might be on their way to be the best.

The ParkTool PZT-2.

Belongs in every gourmet michelin five-star resto.

Gordon Ramsey approved!

smd4

We’ve got a pizza chain called Benny’s from VA that sells a pizza advertised as being the diameter of a bike wheel (it is: 29”). That pizza cutter would be a great companion!

Calsun

The problem with snap on sockets and hex wrenches is that even a small ratchet wrench allows the user to apply too much torque with small fasteners and snap them off. Most common problem with the front derailleur was from owners snapping off the 8mm bolts. An advantage of small wrenches is that you avoid over tightening fasteners and damaging them in the process.

mpetry912 

that's true. I have successfully heli-coiled many front derailleur arms, resulting in a cable clamp that can really be tightened "enough"

/markp

Eric F 

I only order pizzas in 650b size.

JohnDThompson 

In North America, Park reigns supreme. But VAR is still a significant bicycle tool source elsewhere. Unior, Cyclus, Eldi, and others also offer specialty tools for the bicycle industry. In my first bike shop job (late 70s), our bicycle-specific tools were mostly Park and VAR, with a smattering of others (Eldi, Campagnolo, Artisan Tool & Die, etc.). Park and VAR had a cross-licensing/distribution agreement going back at least into the 1980s.

grumpus

Snap-on tools aren't the best and they cost too much, but break one and they'll give you a new one. Plus they turn up at your workplace and lure you into their Aladdin's cave on wheels and tempt you with things to make your life easier.

dedhed

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CliffordK

I'm not sure why one would buy a 3-way wrench when one can get a 10-way wrench. A whole tool set in a single wrench.

smd4

Simple. Because it feels crappy in your hand. Not to mention, personally, that tool would be absolutely useless on my bike. And probably most bikes that belong to people on these forums.

The best thing about the original AWS-1 wasn’t that it functioned flawlessly, it’s that it felt great in the hand while you used it.

drlogik 

I have never been a fan of the Three-way Allen or Torx wrenches even though I own them. As was said before, they seem to be fine to tighten new bikes and bolts but after that I find their tolerances to loose to use regularly. My go-to Allen wrenches are PB Swiss with Bundhus coming in a close second. I have never stripped out an Allen bolt with those and I also us their Allen and Torx bits in my torque wrenches.

Then there's the always awkward (to me) feeling of the three-way wrench. I never got used to using them and they don't fit in a pocket very well but to tighten a new bolt they are adequate but I use a torque wrench to get the bolt to spec.

For shop use though, they would be very convenient because you have the sizes you use 90% of the time in your hand. Those things came out after I stopped working in bike shops though. That may be the biggest reason I don't favor them.

drlogik 

JohnDThompson,

Similar experience for me as well except I worked in shops from high school (1973) to college (1980-ish), after that I worked construction (carpenter) for summer jobs.

As I recall, the first Park tool we got was a brake "Third Hand". It was a game changer. The old VAR we had was a pain to use. I agree that Park has the American market pretty much locked up but VAR and the others mentioned make very good tools also. Hozan is another company that makes great tools, and in many cases, better than anyone else in my opinion. Their chain tool is an especially coveted tool of mine.

I own a lot of Park tools, for a home mechanic, as well as an array Snap On (which I use to work on my cars), Hozan, VAR, Unior, etc. Many are left over from my days working in bike shops, where many of us had to buy our own tools at the time.

For what you get though, over-all, Park is hard to beat in most bike tool-specific categories.