I’m getting more into ‘tinkering’ and as it’s my birthday next month i’d quite like to suggest a few bits that the family can get for me. I want some new tools that are going to last and don’t mind either buying a full set now or getting a few now and adding to them over time as and when I need them.

Has anyone bought a full set? How much and were they worth it?

I’ve seen a Bikehut one for £50 that looks ok, but i’m drawn to Park Tools and it’s that much for a set of hex keys!

Initially it’s just for tweaking and low level maintenance so i’m just after more practical versions of what’s on my Crank Brothers multi-tool, but longer term i’d like to be able to pretty much do it all from home rather than pay someone else to do the same.

What have you got? What would you recommend?

Ive been very pleased with the individual superstar tools ive bought

not sure of the on one stuff, looks good value

one key tool would be a work stand TBH!

Park tools,over priced IMHO.

Allen keys and anything else not bike-specific, just buy any good tool brand.

I’d buy bike-specific as I need them.

And as mentioned, workstand as a priority. But again I’ve found the Park Tools one to be expensive and less than perfect. I’ve had a good 7 years or professional use from a Feadback Sports model.

APF

wot APF said – unless you’re rich and lacking imagination, Park isn’t it

Halford pro range for allan keys spanners and the like. Decent quality, reasonable cost.

I’ve already got a bike work stand, it’s only a cheap one but in the couple of weeks i’ve had it it’s come in useful.

Not looked at Superstar tools, i’ll take a nosey. I don’t mind the Halfords ones. Any other brands worth looking at? There are so many that on the internet look very similar!

I like the thought of hex keys with a handle rather than just the ‘L’ shaped ones. I’ve already gone through a few cheap sets of those (hence me wanting some that will last).

Surprised how much less even a Draper set are compared to Park!

Yeah, a good set of tee handled Allen keys is nice to use.
Chain whip, headset press, headset knocker-outer. All useful stuff.

I’d avoid a bike tool set personally as they’re generally lower quality.

Surprised how much less even a Draper set are compared to Park!

My recent experiences with Draper is that they aren’t what they used to be. And even then, they were only ever decent middle of the road.

Cheaper and better than Park;
http://www.teng.co.uk/tools/hex-keys-key-wrenches/hexagon-t-handles/193hxscs-unior-7-piece-ball-end-hexagon-t-handle-set.html
Torx set;
http://www.teng.co.uk/193txcs-unior-7-piece-torx-t-handle-set.html
Screwdrivers;
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/unior-screwdriver-set-tbi/rp-prod149470?utm_source=awin&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=Goldcastle%20Media%20Ltd&awc=2698_1492814588_eecc1c9a0d42c657b905c54aac35fce3
Grab a few bits here and there and you’ll be sorted.

Unior do a big range of bike tools, not sure how price compares to Park though?

Similar, but more likely to find them reduced and the quality is considerably better.

Thanks, I’ll take a look.

i use decathlons chain whip and cassete tools brand x headset press and bb press ,all reasonably priced and strong enough for home mechanic , for everything else like t keys I use snap on or mac as I had to buy them for work anyway not cheap and way over the top for whats needed at home , my apprentice has a set of TENG tools and to be fair they are as strong as snap on and also have a lifetime warranty but are 1/3rd of the price of bike specific brands like park and unior

null

Teng hex set well worth it

Worth having a look on the Planet X site and pick them up when on offer.

Bondus for hex keys
Knipex for pliers and cutters
Halfords pro screwdrivers seem good so far
Thor rubber/plastic hammer

Shimano do a good range of bike tools although some it it is very costly but quality seems good

I’m not a park fan some stuff is ok some just over priced but I do use there cable puller/third hand tool a lot and works well

My favourite tool is probably the snap on ratchet spanners but most modern mtb don’t need spanners so may not apply to what you need

hex+t set – birzman
torque set – silca
cheap bike kit (chain whip, cone spanners, etc) – icetools
random odds and ends – whoever sold them cheap when I needed them

The first two get the most use. Decathlon’s tools look nice enough too, particularly their non-chain chain whip.

Forget T-handle hex/torx keys, powerkeys from the likes of Facom are far more useful and comfortable to use.

You can’t really go wrong with any combination of Halfords Advanced, Teng, Bondhus, Wera, Thor.

I would avoid Draper, even their Expert range – I bought the Expert Hex Handle set and sent them back immediately. The quality was very poor. Some of the long shafts exited the handle at an odd angle.

Then supplement the general tools with the odd bike specific tool from Icetoolz, BBB, KMC and Park. No complaints here from any above.

Currently eyeing up a Norbar torque wrench 😛

A few years back I bought the x-tools kit (it’s now about £50 i think). Most of it still going strong and I’m tinkering on the bike constantly. Sure, you’ll have to buy other tools as you go along, but as a starting point it was great for me.

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/mobile/x-tools-bike-tool-kit-37-piece/rp-prod55963?gs=1&utm_source=google&utm_term=&utm_campaign=Chain%20Reaction-UK-PLA-PLA-All-MB-SE-Shopping%20QLB%20Generic%20Mobile&utm_medium=base&utm_content=mkwid%7CscXJ33OXT_dm%7Cpcrid%7C161811074836%7Cpkw%7C%7Cpmt%7C%7Cprd%7C202704UK

Is this for equipping the man-cave ?
If you buy a kit in a nice box and end up hanging the tools on the wall at your worktable then the nice box won’t be in use anyway. The box won’t have space for when you buy extra tools.
Advice: buy tools individually – A decent set of hex keys(no ball end), torx set, BB & cassette tool for ½” ratchet, rotor straightener etc.
It might not be cheapest but you get to choose the tools.
Unior, Wera, X-tools, Pedros, Shimano, Sram is the brands I often choose.

no ball end

Don’t agree. My t-handle tools have ball-end on one side and non-ball on the other. For some bolts the ball-end is invaluable.

Personally I use ball end hex a lot but they are not for high loads but very good for spinning bolts in and out.
Just don’t misuse them

Forget T-handle hex/torx keys, powerkeys from the likes of Facom are far more useful and comfortable to use.

Despite my recommendation, I can’t disagree with this. Mainly because it’s exactly what I have! (along with a full Facom roller cab with the inserts)
For non-bike specific stuff, brands like Facom, Beta, Stahlwille, Gedore etc are sometimes better value and excellent quality. Nothing whatsoever wrong with unior though, as a complete tool whore I am hugely impressed with their stuff, their history and the way they make stuff.

Yeah it’s ‘man cave’ stuff, lol.
Thanks for all the suggestions, I’ll get back on Google and check them out.

I’ve got a set of these –

Bahco hex-keys

Good price and so much better than the ‘cycle specific’ stuff.
My advice would be to only by cycle specific tools from the bike brands – you’ll get much better tools for less money from Teng/Britool/Bahco/Halfords Pro/Wera/etc.

not sure if kits are good value – have an oldish Aldi one and only ever use the chain whip and the shimano cassette tool rest was stuff for older style bikes useful on my 80’s roadster but not much else

tools I use most other than some no name allen keys with ball ends
3 way allen key
pedal spanner
chain checker
chain link pliers
chain whip (though I’d check the decathlon “thing” if needed to replace”
cable cutters
bike specific torque wrench

brand wise tricky tend to buy stuff as need based on what is on offer/can add to an order – love the park cable cutters, got some park “screwdrivers” and wasn’t impressed – other stuff is mix lifeline BBB all OK but not outstanding – pedros stuff looks tidy

edit STW bottle opener

Unior cassette tool and lockring spanner… Best tools I have, bar the mech hanger alignment tool!

My recent experiences with Draper is that they aren’t what they used to be.

Draper can be all over the place with quality these days. Never go less than ‘Expert’ and don’t forget that they distribute Knipex in the UK. These are my go to Draper tools for bikes and cars:

Hex, torx, slot and cross all included.

Moving away from bike specific then and at less than half the price of Park Tools, what’s the thought on Irwin?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Irwin-T10771-Handle-Hex-Pieces/dp/B007UYG7I8

i have those irwins.

they are poor for working on bike.

Handles to bulky for some tasks and they are long keys in any orientations.

Much prefer the wera hex plus keys.

Meh..

Icetoolz? Mentioned briefly above, anyone used them?
http://www.tredz.co.uk/.Ice-Toolz-Pro-Shop-Hex-and-Torx-Key-Set_37745.htm?sku=91191&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=google_shopping&gclid=CNvw1ormutMCFS4W0wodpDcC2A#
£26

Has anyone had issues with SILVERLINE hex and torx screw drivers ?

Under £20 for a set of: 6 hex and 6 torx.

Tox and hex set

Has anyone had issues with SILVERLINE hex and torx screw drivers ?

Most Silverline stuff is made of cheese, though in fairness to Silverline they do occasionally make a mistake and stock some decent stuff, so you might get lucky.

You can get the set I pictured above for just a little more money.

Depending on budget I’ve started to lean more towards more bike specific stuff that can be chucked in the car in a small toolbox and taken back to the shed after a ride.

Cheap hex/torx heads are crap and easy to damage a head with… I stupidly used one a week or so ago and damaged a bolt (whilst using a Torque wrench so under the actual recommended) but I do a lot of car/house so I had a lot anyway…

Then there are things like BB and cassette tools etc. where you potentially damage more than a bolt… I wrecked (well damaged) a BB with a cheap ebay BB wrench so stuff like that I now only buy good quality…

With hindsight a good quality bike specific set would have been more economic and convenient.

Has anyone had issues with SILVERLINE hex and torx screw drivers ?

I had Silverline hex-key that unpeeled itself like a banana a few years back and slashed my hand whilst I was trying to get the pulley off an alternator.

I binned the rest of the set and vowed never to touch Silverline again.

I’ve used/abused Bahco/Teng/Bondus/Wera hex keys for the last 25 years at home/work and never had one do that.

Personally I’d avoid Silverline, Draper and any other brands that often pop up on bootfair/market stalls.
When you can buy a decent set of Bahco keys for £12 why would you buy cheap crap that’ll trash your bolts?

Park tools,over priced IMHO.

I worked as a mech (albeit 20 years ago) and have a large Park box filled with Park tools of various vintage, and I’d agree with this. They make some great stuff, and some not so great stuff. They have a good strong brand and make some genuinely innovative and useful tools, and yet also produce others that blatantly come from the Generic Chinese Tool Factory, painted blue and sold at a premium.

However, their pro kit is very good, but also pro prices.

When you can buy a decent set of Bahco keys for £12 why would you buy cheap crap that’ll trash your bolts?

This.

A decent set of hex wrenches (sorry for the Americanism) will probably be the most useful set of tools you’ll buy – here Park stuff is good. The other tool I wouldn’t scrimp on is a set of cable cutters – again, the Parks are good, as are Shimano and Campag.

Mmm. Campag tools… 8)

Icetoolz? Mentioned briefly above, anyone used them?

I’ve only got a headset crown race remover. Lovely simple tool when compared with other tools that do the same job. Quality seems fine, but I’ve only used a few times.

Set of JIS screwdrivers for shimano mechs.