Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 60 total)
  • Tools you wish you'd known about years ago
  • SandyThePig
    Free Member

    What tools save you lots of time / frustration / faff and you wish you’d known about years ago?

    I’ll start ..

    Tyre seating tool

    Nipple driver

    olly2097
    Free Member

    Non bike related;

    Impact driver.
    Oscillating multi tool.

    Both awesome

    Retrodirect
    Free Member

    Fresh Goods Friday 696: The Middling Edition

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    weeksy
    Full Member

    Pipe cutter. Made trimming bars absolutely efffortless.

    yourguitarhero
    Free Member

    Will a pipe cutter work on mudguard stays?

    Ordering that tyre seating tool!

    trail_rat
    Free Member

    knife edge pullers.

    Basically a crown race remover for forks – but bigger and for doing wheel bearing inner races off stub axles on cars…..

    i always used to cut at 45 degrees then split with a cold chisel.

    onandon
    Free Member

    The chisel knife

    nwmlarge
    Free Member

    Star nut Setting tool

    for Cars it was Hose clip pliers – They are a game changer compared to stock pliers

    stumpy01
    Full Member

    Are those tyre seating tools any good then? I was looking at one only last week.

    And if they do work…..how do you get the tyre off, if you get a puncture while out riding….

    I bought a new Michelin Pro Endurance tyre recently from my LBS for the road bike (£50 down to a tenner), but I cannot get it anywhere close to seating on the rim. It’s miles off & if I used a tool like that lever, I am not sure I’d ever get it back off again!!

    yourguitarhero
    Free Member

    Attach pump. Keep pumping til tyre explodes

    wwaswas
    Full Member

    makes shortening hoses a pleasure not a pain.

    stevious
    Full Member

    Stumpy – I have the VAR tyre jack which is a similar, but simpler idea. It includes tyre levers in the design and will fit in a big saddle bag or a jersey pocket. SJS cycles stock them.

    Northwind
    Full Member

    I remember discovering what circlip pliers were, while in the middle of changing the clutch on my motorbike, wish I’d known about them before I tore half the engine off…

    somafunk
    Full Member

    Hayes brake pad alignment tool, been using one for a few years, or you could otherwise use two suitable feeler gauges but the Hayes tool is handy for reseating the pistons as well

    Hayes pad alignment tool here

    And a tool i discovered years ago when fiddling with carburettor jets on cars or for replacing that fiddly screw when changing the points on cars, you only drop a jet screw down a venturi once before you decide there must be a better way.

    screw starter with magnetic head

    I could list other tools that i’ve found handy but they are mostly for vehicle applications so i doubt they’ll be of much use here

    stumpy01
    Full Member

    stevious – Member

    Stumpy – I have the VAR tyre jack which is a similar, but simpler idea. It includes tyre levers in the design and will fit in a big saddle bag or a jersey pocket. SJS cycles stock them.

    Cheers, stevious. Yeah, I’ve been looking at the VAR tyre jack too.
    My point is though, that if you need one of these to get the tyre onto the rim, is it not then nigh on impossible to get the tyre back off again if you get a puncture – the tyre jack only helps to put the tyre on, doesn’t it? Not take it back off again?

    Or does it generally not work like that – i.e. a tyre is easier to get off, than put back on??

    stevenk4563
    Free Member

    Side cutters, make zip ties flush every time, no faff, and cost about £3

    Tracey
    Full Member

    Both of these have been a god send and means I can get out more on the bike 🙂

    We have two of these, both bought in the Aldi sale, one mounted on the wall in the garage and one in the camper van. Work wonders when popping tyres onto rims.

    willard
    Full Member

    Pillar drill. I weep at the number of times I have made a mess of vertical holes in things in the past.

    Just wish I had space for the X/Y axis table for it so I could do some basic milling.

    Northwind
    Full Member

    Flush side cutters are a good one- it’s the sort of thing you overlook and just curse the jaggy ends left by your traditional sidecutters, and never think that there might be a better tool.

    theotherjonv
    Full Member

    quicklink pliers. Not that you can’t do them by hand but these just make it so much easier.

    Off the bike – Chimney starter for my BBQ. Again, I can do it perfectly well with pyramids of charcoal and torn up newspaper if I have to, but sitting down with a beer and a clock knowing it’ll be ready to cook on in 20 mins is a joy.

    CalamityJames
    Free Member

    I use nail clippers to cut zip ties, always get some in Christmas Crackers!

    I’ve just borrowed a headset press, first time ever not relying on wooden blocks and various other makeshift objects. Wish I’d bought one years ago.

    chestercopperpot
    Free Member

    The humble Pickle Fork. A lovely edition to your hammer and brute force based tool set!

    wrecker
    Free Member

    Great thread!
    I am a fan of these;

    Allows screwing a BB in with a 1/2″ ratchet.

    No more pissing around with chain whips!

    maccruiskeen
    Full Member

    The chisel knife

    +1

    The Hultafors chisel knife / knife holder / snickers work trousers integrated system is a revelation too. Been wearing versions of the trousers for 10 years or so but only recently started using their knives. It seems to be a strange thing to get excited about but the way they work together is great.

    kayla1
    Free Member

    One of those 12V impact wrench thingers from Argos that run off a car battery.

    epicsteve
    Free Member

    Are those tyre seating tools any good then?

    I’ve got the same one that’s in that original photo and it works well. Not sure I’d have been able to fit some Schwalbe Marathon Plus tyres without it.

    CaptainFlashheart
    Free Member

    Haven’t needed it since I fitted it, but good to know that it’s there.

    orangeboy
    Free Member

    ThT ball joint fork above is good for removing crank arms when the thread has stripped.

    shermer75
    Free Member

    Haven’t needed it since I fitted it, but good to know that it’s there.

    Not sure what that is…

    llama
    Full Member

    Chainset bolt tool
    Bench vice
    Pin gun

    andyl
    Free Member

    Specialized chaintool that fits in an expanding steerer bung. Expensive but means you can have a much smaller multitool.

    Onzadog
    Free Member

    Pedro’s vice whip.
    Blind bearing puller.

    bencooper
    Free Member

    Cable setting tool for Alfine hubs. Saves so much faffing about with rulers and two spanners.

    bencooper
    Free Member

    Oh, and this thing, for putting the circlips back onto hub gears:

    andy4d
    Full Member

    https://goo.gl/images/1n8qzJ

    Makes applying grease so much easier.

    survivor
    Full Member

    Knipex for me…

    An adjustable spanner that doesn’t slip open or round off nuts.

    tjagain
    Full Member

    surely thats not an adjustable spanner but some sort of pliars?

    CHB
    Full Member

    survivor has my suggestion. Posted on here last year, but has the best bits of a pip wrench and Bahco. Used it lots!

    SandyThePig
    Free Member

    Totally going to have to get some side cutters … good shout!

    joshvegas
    Free Member

    Swiss army knife hunter to be precise.

    Gone are the “i must fix that” niggles in a shitehole flat. i just fix them there and then

Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 60 total)

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