Eric F

I may have read the same article.

August West

Bondhus is a top quality tool maker with reasonable prices. I'm still using my metric L-wrench set that I purchased in 1989 and used daily for 6 years while setting up and running CNC turning and machining centers. I recently purchased another set just like them but with square ends. While the ball ends are great 90% of the time there are cases when I want to stick the screw on the end of the wrench and use it to reach into an inaccessible area.

Eric F

Feedback Sports T-handle set arrived today. I doubt I would have ever paid the full price ($120-130) these usually sell for, but for the price I paid ($55, including tax and shipping), I'm extremely happy with my purchase. Based on what I have learned from aggiegrads about tip shape and finish, it seems these punch up there with some other high-quality tools.

billnuke1 

They’re gonna get lost in all your other tools...you should paint’em blue...

veganbikes

Ahhh that is probably why I am not a fan of the Snap-On or Park Tool L shaped Hex Keys. I was never a huge fan of the Bondhus stuff.

Those Feedback T handles look decent but they look a tad heavy (not a bad thing, sometimes quite good but I am looking to remove a little weight from my box)

Eric F

They're definitely solid-feeling and weighty. If light weight is important for you, these probably wouldn't be a good choice. For me, they will live in my bike tool toolbox, which has a permanent home in my garage.

veganbikes

Ehhh...mine at a the moment doesn't move much and I like the feel of a good tool with a little heft but I think I still want the Beta Ts but that price isn't bad though. Decisions decisions.

Eric F

Sliding T-handles (like the Betas) would have make these perfect, but the Beta price was way more that I was budgeting for new hex wrenches.

travbikeman

Interesting, I never heard of Beta tools until now. So of course I had to do a quick google search. Italian tools, looks very well designed and very well Italian priced. Sold at Home Depot, cool.

The Beta tools are good for those whom are constantly using the hex wrenches, like a bike shop. That wouldn't be me, for now I think I'll stick with more affordable Bondhus and Park tools. I've been wrenching with them this past week since my purchase and am impressed.

Will admit, those Feedback hex wrench set looks like a good set as well.

Eric F

At full price, I would take Beta over Feedback, simply for the sliding handle feature. At the Bondhus price point, I'm thrilled with the Feedback set. Park is great for specialty bike tools, but I've never been particularly excited about their more common stuff.

veganbikes

Beta and similar high quality hex tools are for anyone using hex tools to build more than an Ikea bench. Granted these might not be the right ones for everyone but there aren't many if any bikes these days that don't use a metric hex bolt somewhere on the bike in addition to many other uses around the house and in other facets of life. Buying a high end tool you may use once and while, might not make sense but hex keys are one of those times it is OK to spend some money. That being said Bondhus isn't terrible but I personally haven't been a fan, but luckily their are plenty o'tools in the sea and I love diving

As Eric F said Park is good for the speciality stuff but the common tools can leave a bit too be desired. Though their derailleur screwdrivers are a particular favorite of mine, that are technically specialty but also really just nice screwdrivers though for a hobbyist I would probably just go with a Vessel JIS and be more than OK.

aggiegrads

I found that there a couple Wera bits that are JIS. At $1.67, there wasn’t much of a reason not to toss a few in my last cart. https://www.kctoolco.com/wera-135042...-phillips-bit/

They make good small gifts for my cycling buddies.

Eric F

Please enlighten me....How are JIS Phillips bits different?

aggiegrads

Philips bits have tapered blades and were designed to be torque limiting. That is why you have to push so hard on the driver when the resistance increases. They “cam-out” when you turn too hard.

JIS screws look like philips screws, but the faces of the blades are parallel. Using a philips bit in a JIS screw tends to damage the screw. Using a JIS screwdriver in a philips screw usually isn’t a big deal.

Nearly all derailleur screws are JIS. Most shops use JIS drivers, but most home mechanics don’t know that there is a difference.

Eric F

I - a home mechanic - didn't know there was a difference...until now. Thank you for the knowledge. You and veganbikes are turning on the tool-geek lightbulb. I have a feeling this is going to cost me a lot of money - LOL.

Crankycrank

Just to add that JIS = Japanese Industrial Standard. Anything manufactured in Asian countries as far as I know uses this standard. In any case I used the non JIS screwdrivers most of my 50+ years of wrenching with the occasional stripping of JIS heads, purchased some JIS tools about 10 years ago and what a difference. These really lock into the screw heads and allow much more torque to be used without stripping and are especially valuable for small bike screws. JIS vs Phillips screwdrivers and Where to buy a JIS screwdriver. | Helping you work smarter not harder (rtstools.com)

travbikeman

Learned something new as well. Did hear about the JIS, but never really understood it until now. Thanks everyone!

veganbikes

OH SHOOT, I didn't notice that and here I am thinking "don't need those". Now I am thinking "NEED NEED NEED NEED NEED (want)!" Will have to pick some up.

I am going to say this I don't know about most shops using JIS. Now it is hopefully getting a little more common and I know our shop seems to be on board but my old shop didn't and I can imagine a lot of mechanics not knowing just from ones I have talked with and seeing some shops. Now that Park has a derailleur screwdriver it might get better and QBP occasionally has JIS screwdrivers which do tend to sell out quickly so there is hope but I don't know that it has gotten to where it needs to be.

I personally am a JIS for just about everything, I haven't met a Phillips head screw that hasn't loved my JIS driver. (insert sex jokes as needed)

Eric F

I just bought a couple of these...and a set of Wiha metric hex bits (great price!) that I didn't really need. Damn you, aggiegrads!

FTB

TLDR but
Wera Hex Plus wrenches. Nothing better than these german pieces of art IMO although the steel is so hard that it can almost damage softer metal (even cheeeeeep steel still) bolts but is not an issue if you use your brain in conjunction with tools
20 euro from bike-components IIARC. These are my secret hex wrenches so don't tell your friends.

Speaking of wera, their screwdriver that BC sells is not JIS (japanese insustrial standard - what shimano uses... not phillips) but fits limit screws on shimano FD and RD sooo perfectly and also fits philips too. No need to hunt down a $100 JIS screwdriver from the '70s anymore

I don't even tell other mechanics about the wera screwdriver, its so good

Sy Reene

Interesting to consider that pretty much any bike multi-tool labels it as including a Phillips head screwdriver. Can't say I've come across one with a labelled JIS screwdriver. Is this a huge industry oversight? Leads to a question.. what screws on a bike can anyone reference that they know are Phillips and not JIS?

Crankycrank

They could be ISO standard screwdrivers. Read here for the explanation for this craziness. JIS vs Phillips screwdrivers and Where to buy a JIS screwdriver. | Helping you work smarter not harder (rtstools.com)

aggiegrads

The JIS standard is technically defunct. There are two standards that supersede JIS: DIN 5260 and ISO 8764. Reputable European cross point screwdrivers have been made to those standards for some time, and it is much closer to the JIS standard than the US Philips standard. I suspect that is why Wera screwdrivers fit so well. If I had to guess, Vessel and Shimano are technically made to the DIN standard which is very close to JIS.

What complicates the matter is that hardly anyone claims to make screwdrivers under the DIN standards, but several claim JIS because they are known to be compatible with Japanese motorcycles, bicycles, cameras, copiers, etc.

Sy Reene

It does seem a bit ridiculous. Interesting article, but I really don't know if I can eyeball and tell what I got. Any experts want to speculate?

Numerozero

I read somewhere General Motors requested Phillips screws to cam out to prevent assembly line workers from over-tightening fasteners.

Here in Canada Robertson heads (a Canadian invention!) are predominant.


I carry a Wera textile belt on my pants clip with 3-8 mm hex and 8-10mm sockets. Most have Wera’s holding function which prevents dropping bolts or nuts onto the floor. I run a shop and time is money!

I carry a Wera 1/4” drive speed ratchet in my apron - so very little weight. The 180 degree pivoting head means I can switch from it being a ratcheting spinner to a levered handle ratchet in practically no time.
As the saying goes, you’ll have to pry this from my cold, dead hands.

I also buy most Wera from Bike-Components.de as it’s about half the price versus buying in Canada.