[Closed] Best value for money tool set?

Aldi when they come around on special buys, depends when they do though. Broke my chain tool, but the rest is spot on for the money, BB tool, cassette tool, chain whip all used extensively, square taper extractor good too. Might be similar online somewhere.

Supplemented mine with a few extra bits.

Those Aldi tools are generic and available under several brand guises. They are poor quality tools not even up to the standard of budget automotive stuff!

The cone spanners are useless made of tin. The spoke wrench rounds really easily. The chain whip is short, flimsy and a stupid shape with little leverage. The chain tool is okish, that's the best I can say. The crank extractors (only useful for old cranks) and the cassette socket, spanner driven rather than 1/2 inch 😐 are probably the best tools in the box.

TBH it is cheap shite and you will break most of them when you come up against anything tight, they are certainly not up to regular usage.

Some of Decathlon and Halfords tools sold separately are good enough for the money.

A few separate tools rather than a kit IMO. You need remarkably few tools for basic maintenance. A few Allen keys, spanners and a couple of specialist ones. Buy them as you go along and need them.

You'd be better off buying a set of wera hex keys from amazon and a chain tool, cassette remover, chain whip from superstar to get you started then follow up with more specialised tools as you become more adept at tinkering, cheap all in one box sets are generally full of tools that are either poor quality or unnecessary on modern equipped mobs.

edit : doh, nick beat me to it.

This is pretty good for the money:

http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/TOJW30PCTK/jobsworth-pro-workshop-quality-30pc-tool-kit

[i]A few separate tools rather than a kit IMO. You need remarkably few tools for basic maintenance. A few Allen keys, spanners and a couple of specialist ones. Buy them as you go along and need them. [/I]

This.

And for general tools Halfords Pro are usually decent.

I have an IceToolz kit that was about £30, called Essence.

Has kept me going for a few years without breaking everything. Had a few tools I already had but nice to have all the bike ones in a single box I can take with me in the car etc

Edit.

When you buy any bits from chainreaction etc always buy a bike specific tool from Park or similar that costs 5-10? of your order.

Shop around. IMHO Unior are about the best bike specific tools I have used. Freeborn sometimes have decent deals on them, as do amazon. It looks like the old eu bikeshop site is empty which is a shame. They aren't the cheapest but cheap doesn't equals good value.
For hand tools, again have a look around. I have bought high quality Facom tools from the likes of primetools and toolshack (the Teng stuff on there is good value too) for reasonable money (circa halfords pro money)
Those wera keys are OK, but a set of T-handles are better! The wears are around £twentysomething, you can get these Gedore Tee's for slightly more;
https://primetools.co.uk/product/gedore-dt-2142-06-ball-end-t-handle-hexagon-key-set-2-5-8mm/3/8 socket set;
https://primetools.co.uk/product/facom-j-4apb-38-dr-6-point-socket-set-8-22mm/
You get the picture. The point is that you pay a bit more, but you get a LOT more.
I'm happy with the set I bought;
[img] [/img]
The HUGE spanners and box ends have been replaced with torx and hex modules though!

Like said before a few tools are generic, halfrauds pro have a lifetime guarantee, think ive only managed to break one thing tinkering with various machines over the years, changed no problems. Have just bought specific tools when needed, chain tool is always handy. Also a multi tool for trackside repairs (mostly for my friends ride)

I'd go with a basic set of allan keys and combination spanners then buy specific tools as you need them.

If you are just maintaing your own bike then buy specifically for that bike.
A quality set of Allen keys is essential, cheap ones can do more damage than good especially the smaller keys.
Cassette tool and spoke key.
A bottom bracket tool will depend on what system you are running.
Headset tools and BB presses aren't cheap but a god send when required.
Grease, GT85 or similar, disk brake cleaner and blue roll.
Brake need kit.?
Cup and cone wheel bearings or press fit? Cone spanners.?

Can definately recommend the multicoloured wera Allen keys and torx set off amazon approx £20 each

Otherwise I've found parktools icetoolz and topeak good ,
Buy better quality parts over time as and when you need them,
For basics start with
Allen keys
Chainsplitter (although buy a multi tool like lezyne or crankbrothers one)
Can of gt85

Ps if you can avoid the use of a pedal spanner then use the Allen key on the pedal inside of the crank arm, far less chance of hand blood all over your chainset

My wife bought me the Ice Tools set also about five years ago. I've used every tool and it's still going strong. It's nice to have the tool before you know you need it.

As others have said the tools in those bargain boxes are made of cheese and you'll be luck if you use them more than once before they bend out of shape.

Far better to buy decent versions of the tools as you need them for a specific job

Can only agree with the sentiments above, start out with a decent set of Allen keys (I.e. Wera or Bondus) and then buy decent quality (Park, Pedros, Unior etc) specialist tools as you go.

That way you only have to buy what you need and buy it once.

Going against the grain. I bought a boxed set of Bikehut tools about 3 years ago (Halfords sell them now for £45 though the current box looks a bit different to mine) and have been more than happy with the quality. I think I have used every single tool in the box, some many many times and they are still in good condition. Certainly not made of cheese as some would suggest. Mind you I am only talking about the specialist tools as I have a complete workshop full of other quality stuff but you rarely need much of that when working on bikes unless something needs a bit of "special" fettling 🙂

Since buying the toolkit I have also invested in a good pair of cable cutters, a chain measuring tool, and a headset remover (my homemade copper pipe and cork didn't last long!). I have also made my own star nut insertion tool out of a couple of long M6 bolts and a pile of washers, and several homemade bearing pullers too.

Aldi tools are fine. Yes they are 'lower quality' (define quality it is means different things to different people) but are cheaper. If you run a bike shop then obviously Aldi tools are not going to cut the mustard, but for the home mechanic, who actually doesn't use their tools THAT much in reality then Aldi tools will probably be perfectly adequate. OK if they only last 5 years instead of 20 then you buy a replacement you'll still be quids in.

But I actually find Topeak bike tools to be of a decent balance of cost and quality.

re t handles - they are ok ...but if i could only have one set it would be L handles like the weras because theres always that one bolt that a T handle just cant get to i find when working on bikes.

but i do like my T handles - they live in my work stand but i do often find my self getting the L handles out the tool box for that one job.

top tip - dont buy bike specific cable cutter. get some good quality diagonal side cutters - and short of felco wire rope cutters the side cutters out performed and out lasted park/shimano/icetools and birzman cable cutters in the shop

Get a good quality chain tool with replacable pins - and buy a pack of pins at the same time. Do not do as above and buy a multitool with one in which has an almost passable chaintool that is ergonomically shit.

I find the rose bikes xtreme range of tools to be good value/quality for home use.

my mate has the lidl kit - it really is poor quality. Hex keys that aint even the size they are supposed to be and cone spaners that splay when you try to lock hub nuts together propperly

Think we'll have to agree to disagree
The Topeak multitool chainsplitter is perfectly decent , use an Allen key to turn the detachable chainsplitter and pop out the pin and use a missing link , agree using pins then it will likely be rubbish.

But I've never found the need to buy the workshop garage tool chainsplitter

Superstar have a fair few tools in their current half-price sale, you just need to get over £100 in your basket to get the 50% off.

Will second that.

- Boundhus - Standard allen keys are all you need. Other automotive tool suppliers do better handled ones though
- Bikehut - Some of it looks like re-branded Cyclo/Weldtite (which are probably rebranded something else) so decent enough
- Decathlon - Some of their stuff is better than you would expect
- Unior - Proper tools but with some overpriced products
- Pedro - Do some heavy duty tools that can really take a beating
- Birzman - Some good some average
- Park - Scene taxed with some middling quality overpriced products.

Icetoolz, X-Tools, Aldi, Lidl, Silverline and all the other budget rebranders are very hit and miss. Particularly the injection moulded cased tool sets, which have some tools that are simply not fit to be referred to as tools.

Halfords pro range (automotive) are rebranded Sykes Pickavant AFAIK, which are decent.

I use a mixture of Teng, Boundhus, Unior, Bike Hut, Decathlon, Birzman and Park so no brand loyalty from me.

Ages ago I bought a set of revolution ones from Edinburgh bike shop, that gave me a good base of reasonable "once in a blue moon" tools, upgraded over time to park for the more used ones

Mix of bondhus and Halfords pro Allen keys, Bahco shifting spanner, some decent pliers and cable cutters seems to cover the day to day stuff, none of which were bike specific.