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Park tools worth it

Old 11-02-20, 01:10 PM
  #51  
bruce19
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Originally Posted by AlanO
That’s a matter of opinion. I have drawers of Williams ratchets, sockets, and wrenches. They make those tools for Snap-On then put their own name on them and sell them for a third of the price. They’re indistinguishable. Japanese and German screwdrivers put Snap-On to shame. They last forever and actually fit.
Snap On owns JH Williams. I found this interesting...."In 1882, James Harvey Williams and Matthew Diamond founded Williams & Diamond in Flushing, Queens, a drop forging business.[2] The business was relocated to Brooklyn in 1884 and took the name J.H. Williams & Co in 1887. The company was one of the first to offer mass-produced drop-forged hand tools. [3] A second factory was opened in Buffalo, New York in 1914 (now the site of General Motors' Tonawanda Engine plant[4]).The company was acquired by Snap-on in 1993,[5] and it was officially renamed Snap-on Industrial Brands in 2011"
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Old 11-02-20, 01:49 PM
  #52  
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Buy what you can afford. If you find that you do considerable wrenching, only then upgrade as needed or desired.
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Old 11-02-20, 02:03 PM
  #53  
Bill in VA
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Originally Posted by GlennR
As long as they don't damage any of the bicycle hardware and don't break... i'm OK with any extra cost.

Most of the hardware on my bikes are Allen head and i've seen plenty of check Allen keys round off the heads and wear out due to soft metal. Most of my automotive tools are S/K and i've had some for 50 years. The Park Allen keys are made of hardened steel, have ball ends and nice handles. They work for me and it's what I see in most bike shops.
There are certain tools that are worth the extra expense of pro-grade. ALLEN KEYS, DRILL BITS, TAPS, THREADING DIES, SOCKETS, AND EZ-OUTS and vertical side screwdrivers are some of these. Use of substandard or poorly heat treated tools, some with with crappy alloy formulations will ruin whatever you are working on.

There used to be an old ad on TV about automative oil filters, you can pay me now (filter) or pay me later (ring job or engine rebuild). That cheap Chinese allen key set you bought online that rounds off the first time you use it on a ride will at least give you something to take a photo of (you sitting on the road side with a stuck allen bolt). That may ferment into fond memory, but I doubt it.

Similarly, wrenching on a car or bike with substandard tools will end up with you spending the difference (alleged 'savings') from a good tool in re-buying, running to the store or waiting on an order, or missing a ride, because the crappy tool did not do the job.

Your choice, but bad tool whines on BF are "fun".
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Old 11-02-20, 02:07 PM
  #54  
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I own over a dozen Park Tool products and had a problem only once. I bought their EH-1 wheel stand and was disappointed by poor unbalanced welds which included excessive splatter and unfinished burrs. Usually I ignore minor defects with tools but this part was unacceptable. I sent an email to Park including photos but they never responded so I returned the part for a refund. One bad purchase out of 15 isn't bad, but damm I really wanted that tool.
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Old 11-02-20, 02:14 PM
  #55  
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Originally Posted by AlanO
That’s a matter of opinion. I have drawers of Williams ratchets, sockets, and wrenches. They make those tools for Snap-On then put their own name on them and sell them for a third of the price. They’re indistinguishable. Japanese and German screwdrivers put Snap-On to shame. They last forever and actually fit.
"Japanese and German screwdrivers put (pick you brand) to shame."

ABSOLUTELY! Especially the JIS standard drivers. After getting a good set of JIS screwdrivers at the suggestion of a member here, I stopped replacing all the "phillips head" looking bolts and screws on the bike with new stainless metric allen bolts. I used to replace all the RD cross slot screws as my Phillips head never worked well and rounded the slots. Once I used a JIS screwdriver, I could see why. THe JIS was a tight fit with no wiggle or 'close enough' feel. It is the same when you use a good set of Forster straight blade slotted head screwdrivers. They fit tight and do not bugger the slots.
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Old 11-02-20, 02:37 PM
  #56  
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Best $15 I ever spent on a tool....Vessel JIS


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Old 11-02-20, 03:37 PM
  #57  
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Park Tools may be more expensive than other tools, but are typically less expensive than paying a bike mechanic at a shop to fix whatever problem required you to buy the tool. There are exceptions, such as bearing presses and truing stands, but for the most part, the tool will pay for itself in quick order. You also get the added benefit of learning how to work on your own bike for those future repairs. As far as the argument of only needing a tool once, I've found that if you ride long enough, there is no such thing.
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Old 11-02-20, 05:33 PM
  #58  
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Originally Posted by GlennR
My limited experience with Harbor Freight tools are I bought a leak down tester and really only needed it once... it didn't work right out of the box. I saw a HF floor jack not hold pressure and almost drop a car on someone. And the just had a big recall on their jack stands that collapse.

Having a tool break on you can leave you with a broken hand or dead when the car drops on you.

You may not get what you pay for, but you always pay for what you get"
Sounds like that would make a good Stones song
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Old 11-03-20, 07:19 AM
  #59  
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Originally Posted by SpeedRanger
I own over a dozen Park Tool products and had a problem only once. I bought their EH-1 wheel stand and was disappointed by poor unbalanced welds which included excessive splatter and unfinished burrs. Usually I ignore minor defects with tools but this part was unacceptable. I sent an email to Park including photos but they never responded so I returned the part for a refund. One bad purchase out of 15 isn't bad, but damm I really wanted that tool.
That's interesting. A couple years ago I bought a Park digital scale. Had it for about 6 months and it went bad. Called Park and offered to send it to them for inspection. They declined and just sent me a new one gratis.
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Old 11-03-20, 03:33 PM
  #60  
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Buy quality tools, but used whenever possible. You'll build a lifelong investment while saving money in the long run. In some instances you can find pro quality tools for cheaper than new, consumer grade tools.
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Old 11-06-20, 02:26 PM
  #61  
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I have started purchasing Park Tools, have had to replace so many broken ones but ended up buying Park Tools to replace. It's worth buying the best to start.
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Old 11-06-20, 05:31 PM
  #62  
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I think Park Tool makes some decent stuff here and there especially on the bicycle specific side and for a shop. They also make some great innovative products to make it easier for people in a shop setting to do tasks without having to reach for multiple tools or clamp things and their Rolling Big Blue is great for someone who wants to travel and carry a lot of tools but may not want to go full custom Pelican rig. Though some of the panels aren't quite doing it for me and how I wanted to set up but I will figure it out.

For more generic tools I would go with Wera, Snap-On, Beta, PB Swiss... Allen keys/hex wrenches should be top quality, don't go cheap on a tool that will get used a lot. My favorites are in order PB Swiss, Silca and Wera (I don't yet own the PB Swiss Allen set but own Wera and two Silca sets) You as a home mechanic might find a set of T handle wrenches to be pretty super and if weight is not a concern the Park Tool Silding Hex set is nice but if you want something lighter, Beta is probably the lightest that is of high quality and used by a lot of mechanics, PB Swiss also makes some that are nice and Pedro's makes a decent set for cheaper. Wera and Beta also do some bike specific tools as well or at least more geared towards bikes.

I will say the Park Tool DSD-2 is probably my favorite cross-tip screwdriver out there. I don't know that I could wish for a better one. There whole line up up derailleur specific screwdrivers is really excellent. It has really been a shame that most of the bike tool companies haven't gone for a JIS compatible screwdriver even though that is what Shimano has used for at least as long as I can think of.

My philosophy on tools is buy the absolute best you can each and every time unless you are 100% sure you will never ever need that tool again and the tool you have purchased will do the one job well enough to not damage anything. Yes Snap-On ain't cheap but some of their stuff is super nice to work with, same thing with the Abbey tools I have bought and some other stuff that is in the pipeline. When you hold a quality tool in your hand you know it, and feel it and want to use it again and again. There is something magical to it and cheap tools just don't do it. To all of that as well don't buy tool sets, buy stuff individually and get what will work best for you. If I were opening a shop and needed a shop set of tools I might consider Park or Pedro's full sets but on my own I want to find the best tools for me and one might be Snap-On, one might be Park another might be Pedro's...

It is almost like building a bike some bikes have some great components on it but I want to change bars and bottom bracket and crank and this and that. So it makes more sense to get the frame and start from the ground up, yes it may cost a little more but it will get me to what I want rather than having duplicates but one is something I don't need or want.

billnuke1 : Please remind me to take pictures of my box...not fully completed but has been working nicely. Big Blue is awesome. We should probably do a show us your tool box thread with a breakdown of tools, that could be fun.
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Old 11-06-20, 07:16 PM
  #63  
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I’ve got a couple of these areas...no matter how much I tear the areas up, I can still reach my tools... Too late to photo the boxes now...
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Old 11-06-20, 07:50 PM
  #64  
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Old 11-06-20, 07:53 PM
  #65  
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Originally Posted by billnuke1

I’ve got a couple of these areas...no matter how much I tear the areas up, I can still reach my tools... Too late to photo the boxes now...
So do your think they are good/value tools?

Last edited by GeneO; 11-06-20 at 07:56 PM. Reason: Add some light-hearted sarasm :D
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Old 11-06-20, 08:29 PM
  #66  
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Oh heck yeah!
If I don’t think a tool is up to the job, I just bump my tool selection up...choose your battles...I don’t mind seeing used tools...I don’t like seeing abused tools...
I have built relationships with a number of bike shop and can get my tools at cost. I also watch eBay like a hawk and can always find better than or equal to shop cost prices!
PS...the blue handles are easy to see on a blown out bench!
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Old 11-07-20, 04:09 PM
  #67  
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billnuke1 Here is Big Blue in all of her current glory. I will be adding more tools and probably removing some stuff but mainly I needed a good portable place for tools. I have a plan to get some Snap-On short ratcheting wrenches 7-12mm and a set of 1/4 Flank Drive sockets which are for sure at this point and I probably will get a set of Beta T handle wrenches as well at least in terms of the generic stuff. There is also a plan for new parts boxes and I think I want to do some different bits for the torque wrench so everything is just 1/4 but not sure when that will be as the next Snap-On order will be wallet draining enough.












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Old 11-07-20, 04:35 PM
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I have that same anniversary edition Effeto Mariposa - very nice. Also their 10-60 NM. Very nice set of tools you have there.
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Old 11-07-20, 04:39 PM
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Originally Posted by GeneO
I have that same anniversary edition Effeto Mariposa - very nice. Also their 10-60 NM. Very nice set of tools you have there.
Thanks...I am pretty happy with a lot of it but a few things I want to tweak and change out.
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Old 11-07-20, 06:28 PM
  #70  
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As a former mechanic for almost 35 years, Ill offer this. While nothing on a bike will be as difficult or inaccessible as things on a car cheaper tools are more prone to damage the hardware you're working on. In my field destroying a nut or bolt with a cheap tool can cost hours of time and money, so in my mind it was worth buying good hand tools. Maybe your bike is only worth $100 do you really want or need to spend $500 on tools? Probably not. If I spent $1K....2k....3k more on a bike I would have no issue spending a little money on good tools If I was going to work on it.

That all said the few Park specialty tools Ive purchased have been worth the money.
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Old 11-07-20, 08:27 PM
  #71  
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Great box!
I’ve got the BB1...complete shop in there! 31lbs-ish...fits behi the truck seat or in the trailer for Sercurity.
Just found this metal box...gotta get the box foam and cut out the tool shapes...



Your box would awesome with this stand!


I changed out the clamp to the newer style clamp...
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